My Big Fat Renovation

[67ChevyRedneck]

Not much to look at.

Spent most of the weekend grouting the block, wish I had never started. Still didn't finish. A mixer would have been extremely helpful... but it is significantly more solid though...

The empty cells I fill with concrete for the bolts. Didn't get to that either... I think this upcoming weekend will be getting all the plates on and getting as far as I can on the walls. I also need to clean up the garage door opening cuts a little better and double check they're large enough.

I also checked the foundation with my long tape. Dead nuts on 28' wide across whole length. 51-11 3/4 for the length, and dead nuts on 59' diagonally both ways, so pretty happy with that.

[Ol Blue K20]

Looking good, any and all progress is good...

[Palf70Step]

[67ChevyRedneck]

Absolutely exhausting weekend. If I never have to pick up another treated 2x8x16 in my life...

I finished grouting all the cells. Cut the door blocks a little cleaner and filled them solid. The little forms are how the final framing will look/fit for the doors.

Rain also found the low spots in my floor. Not too bad, a little levelor before the floor gets coated. The other end has zero standing water, and I'm also pleased my driveway drains well and has no birdbaths after rain.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Plates going down with the insulation. Big shout out to my wife for helping move the boards on/off as I lined em up, smacked 'em to make the mark, then drilled them out.

Plates all done. Took way too long.

Would you believe that itty bitty load was $600? 60 - 2x6x12, 10 - 2x4s, and a few treated 2x8s to finish the plates. When finished, the wall framing will be $15-1600.

[67ChevyRedneck]

This part actually flew by. I went from no walls, to 52' worth in about 4 hours. Built 12' sections. I have enough lumber to do one more section and maybe frame a window.

I'm tired just looking at these pics.

The bottom was set on some 2x4s and tarped until I can get some big friends to help stand them up.

[Palf70Step]

I am tired looking at your pictures too Jesse! Doing good work, looks like you have some housing/CE experience

[mongocanfly]

Haha...I was tired BEFORE I looked at your pics....that looks all to familiar from back when I built my shop ...

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

I am tired looking at your pictures too Jesse! Doing good work, looks like you have some housing/CE experience

I know you're being funny, but I actually do. My dad and grandpa have been building their own stuff and stuff for family since I was a kid. As a family, we helped build my uncle (dads younger brother) his entire house, including digging, framing, and pouring the basement in the mid 90's. I also recall helping another uncle build a garage when I was in my teens.

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Haha...I was tired BEFORE I looked at your pics....that looks all to familiar from back when I built my shop ...

The amount of work ahead of me is a bit scary. I've set a goal of a dryed in building by mid October - minus the main doors, I believe I have to have the ceiling up before that gets done - door guy is coming friday to give me an official quote so I'll confirm with him, but I know I'll be a long way from a ceiling up in October. It might have some tarped doors for a few months.

I borrowed my inlaws trailer for a few weeks, it can handle double the weight mine can... come to find out he has a mixer in his shed... he thought I was having all the ground work subbed out. I said I was, but they wanted too much $ to fully grout the block. Sheeting is *usually* a little more standard and damage free, especially OSB. Using 19/32 OSB on outside (basically 9/16). I plan on using real plywood on the roof, it has a firmer feel to it, I don't like how OSB "squishes" under you as you walk on it.

I also hand picked all the 2x6x12's and loaded them onto 2 carts. The kid helping me load the trailer asked why I didn't just buy a bundle and have them deliver it. I told him that at essentially $9/board, even being a little lax with a small twist or slight bow, I still went through 90 boards to get 60 and I wasn't going to throw away $300.

[Nut Case]

67

Boy oh boy what fun you're having. You'll be so happy when your all done.
Looks good.

Being a retired general contractor from Utah. It looks like you frame basically the same way in your neck of the woods. If so you need to order your trusses asap! Because the garage door guy will need the bottom cord of the truss to hang the rails (door tracks) Unless you order commercial doors that roll up into a roll and hang just above the door header.

Good luck

NUTZ

[nsb29]

Yeah I’m in the overhead door business and was thinking the same thing, Roll ups or sectional neither one will do much good without a roof lol looks good. In the middle of remodeling an old farmhouse my self totally understand what you were saying about the cost of material today. For the same reason I’m having a metal building put up for my shop for a fraction of the cost.
If you’re going to put a lift in there might consider rollups

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Nut Case

67

Boy oh boy what fun you're having. You'll be so happy when your all done.
Looks good.

Being a retired general contractor from Utah. It looks like you frame basically the same way in your neck of the woods. If so you need to order your trusses asap! Because the garage door guy will need the bottom cord of the truss to hang the rails (door tracks) Unless you order commercial doors that roll up into a roll and hang just above the door header.

Good luck

NUTZ

That's actually good to hear. I posted on another car forum and a couple people thought I was crazy for using block for the bottom 16". I was like... I see that all the time here My current house and garage were built the same, except using brick.

Yes, trusses were ordered a couple weeks ago. Supposed to arrive between the 14-16th. It will have a 10' wide storage room. The ceiling is low, but I'm 5'8 so I don't care. I wanted a pitch I felt reasonably safe to roof. It will only have a floor and be left unfinished. Storage only. I already have the "man cave" room above the current garage, it's already too expensive to heat/cool our house.

I went with a stick build for a few reasons. 1 - hail. It sucks, but we get at least one a year. The lucky years are the itty bitty ones that do nothing and only last a few minutes. In 2017 we had quarter sized for almost 45 minutes straight. I'd rather replace a roof than reskin an entire garage of this size. 2 - The sun kills metal buildings and roofs down here. They look like they need a repaint after 5 years, not something I want to do. Quality siding seems to last 15/20 years. 3 - I wanted storage 4 - and the most important, wife was on board, but only if it matched the house. So all the other reasons don't matter.

The lift *should* be positioned to where the door tracks don't interfere. I added an extra foot for the tracks. Everything is to scale.

I might have to go with a steeper rise on my stair case, depends on how things fit. I have a little flexibility as I go along.

Thanks for all the input everyone!

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by nsb29

Yeah I’m in the overhead door business and was thinking the same thing, Roll ups or sectional neither one will do much good without a roof lol looks good. In the middle of remodeling an old farmhouse my self totally understand what you were saying about the cost of material today. For the same reason I’m having a metal building put up for my shop for a fraction of the cost.
If you’re going to put a lift in there might consider rollups

Yes, a metal building would be A LOT cheaper, and be done in a couple weeks (I wouldn't have done it, I would have let someone build it). Ironically, my trusses are actually coming from a local company that specializes in metal buildings.

I'll ask my door guy about a roll up for the rear. I want the front to match the house, but there should be no clearance issues there.

[Ol Blue K20]

Looking good, I'm worn out just by seeing the pics.

[mongocanfly]

Jesse i did my shop very similar to yours...i have 2 courses of block around my perimeter on top of the slab..and then i did 10ft walls on top of the blocks...my reasoning for using the blocks around the bottom was i wanted to be able to go in there with a hose and wash the entire shop floor out without having to worry about geting sheetrock or walls wet....mine is 35x50 with with metal trusses a 20x25 on the end with wood trusses on a 6/12 pitch..and a 24x40 side shed off the back...i built it all by myself...only thing i farmed out was the concrete finishing and i had a standing seam roof put on and got a guy to put up the shop doors...did the rest of it solo...

[67ChevyRedneck]

The truss people were finally able to get mine down to a 6.5/12. They didn't quite get I only wanted open storage, not a full size room. The first design they sent had damn near 10/12.

I miss having my family around. If he wasn't 700 miles away, my dad would be here every weekend helping me build this thing. Grandpappy is stubborn as hell and would be there too, trying to lift walls, or at least telling me what I built wrong and how he would do it

I sucks I had to use 2x6 walls for the weight (can't set a wall by myself like I can with 2x4x8 walls) and cost, but for wood, every code I could find said anything over 11' tall (stud height) had to be 2x6 min. I do feel a lot better about the added strength of it, especially with the free floating span.

[nsb29]

Yeah no hail down here as a rule but the sun is brutal on everything. Did not have to worry about the wife as the shop will not be that close to the house LOL I had a metal building put up where I am at now one day and it was done. But the metal buildings are no way as nice as what you’re doing. Not too worried about fading I can get the airless out in five years and still be money ahead

[67ChevyRedneck]

Trusses arrived over a week early. They slipped me in between jobs. Not what I wanted (because I have to pay for them now). Might have to take the loan out a little earlier than I wanted... and now my trusses have to sit in the yard for a couple weeks.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I also bought a new toy because I thought something was a little off.

Turns out the right side of the foundations was almost dead nuts level the whole way across and the partial wall along the rear was almost spot on with it. The front and left front walls were within 1/8" or less, not enough to bother with, but for some reason, the left side jumps up 1/4" across the rear man-door and tapers up to 1/2" high in the left rear corner. That's too much off, so that section was adjusted by removing height from the studs.

Check out the difference in the ladders... 8' vs 12'.

I think I'm up to a grand in new tools so far.... hammer drill, beep beep set, 12' ladder, and a few other odds and ends.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Friday.

My help couldn't make it, so I cut 'em in half

[67ChevyRedneck]

Saturday and how I figured out how to put 12' walls up by yourself.

[67ChevyRedneck]

And sunday.

Walls are 2/3 up. Front wall will be left down until the trusses are up.

Double plate is on the right and rear. Back corner has been squared up and leveled.

Sheeting will be delivered sometime this week.

The plan for the next weekend is to finish the left wall and rear opening for garage door. Door guy had to move me out to next week, so I haven't finalized door heights yet. And I would like to get at least two rows of sheeting up. Last row will require my scaffolding get put up.

[Palf70Step]

Nice work Jesse! Looks like you got your workout in for sure.

[67ChevyRedneck]

10 years ago I'd just be a little sore... now it takes 2-3 days to recover after a weekend like that.

The next couple of weeks look nice and dry, but no relief from the heat. With the heat index it was high 90s all weekend and this upcoming weekend looks to be just as bad or worse. The nice thing is, the walls are soooooooooooo tall, that once the sheeting starts to go up I'll finally have some shade to hide in.

Also in the pic above, our satellite still works, but I'm not sure it it will once the roof goes on, I hope it will, I don't want to have to extend the pole.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I bravely squeezed big girl in. Little scary when you have the foundation posts down low and can't see where they're at yet.

This gives a pretty good perspective. Truck is over 6' tall and over 19' long. Looks like a lowered S10 in there.