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Topic: Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home (Read 16404 times) previous topic - next topic

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

After decades of working in tight spaces, my garage addition is in progress.  Here are a few shots of what I've had all these years.  It is a pre 1925 two car 1 1/2 story garage with carriage doors.  I live in a historic district, so the doors, windows and primary structure were required to remain intact.  It's dimensions are 20' wide, 18' deep (keep in mind the T-Bird is about 17').  It has been enough room to work on one car or store two.

The plan is to put a 12'X20' addition and make the loft accessable and strong enough to hold a few engines.

I had the carriage doors brought back to life last year (still missing a window munton on one door...).  It was pretty amazing to have them close and be able to lock the building.

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #1 –
Here are a few shots of the inside.  What's not visible in the pics is how bad the floor was.

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #2 –
Here is where it stands today.  The floor will be poured tomorrow.  If you look off to the right of the middle photo, you can see where the sill plate was replaced and an 8" block was added to get it off the ground.

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #3 –
nice little addition so far.. you going to be doing away with the up-right center beams all together or going to put them back in after the new floor is poured?

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #4 –
Thanks!

The floor will be free of any posts or beams.  No more fighting to get around stuff.  The right bay will have an 8'X3'X3" deep recess for a low rise hoist (so my low riding cars can roll over it).  The ceiling in the old part will be dropped from 9' to 8' to give more room in the loft and a Bessler stair ( http://www.bessler.com/70.html ) will go between the two bays (it will take a few 8" I beams to make it work).  There will be a 4X4 access in the ceiling with an electric a hoist to lift heavy stuff up.  Closed cell foam insulation will seal it up and the walls will be plywood covered.  The goal is to make it comfortable in any weather.  Tired of either roasting or freezing!

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #5 –
i hear that! sounds like it'll turn out pretty nice.. but isn't this the worst time of year to do an addition in MI? lol

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #6 –
Worst time?  Naw, next month would be the worst time! 

The logistics of getting this project moving has taken an amazing amount of time.  I received the initial approval from the Historic District in May.  I was surprised to find there is a building boom in our area, locating a crew to start before the weather closed in was challenge. 

I had hoped to be working in there this winter.  Spring may be more realistic...  Hey, I've waited decades, what's a few more months?

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #7 –
Good luck like to see some more pics as you go.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]:ford:87 Turbo Coupe through the floor sub frame connectors, 5.8 swap Ford racing heads Harland sharp 1.6 rockers BBK shorty swap headers 2 1/2 BBk X pipe magnaflow ler's. Megasquirt 2 with 36lbs injectors on hurricane intake with 4150 throttle body.Tremec TKO 600 Quicktime blowsheild spec stage 3 clutch. 3.73 gears and still not done

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #8 –
Quote from: thewestie;344257
Good luck like to see some more pics as you go.

+1  Always like seeing garage/shop projects!
1987 Turbo Coupe - Son's car
1987 Super Coupe - Son's project car
1934 Ford - My project car

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #9 –
That's a lot more than I've got, Mark, so you're already doing good ...haha

I'll tell y'all what, when it drops from 50 to 46 in 3 hours with a hell of a windchill, it blows.
If worms had daggers, birds wouldn't f**k with 'em

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Scott D;344380
That's a lot more than I've got, Mark, so you're already doing good ...haha

 
I hear ya Scott.  I've been fortunate to have structure to work in.  Lots of guys don't have that...

Here's a shot of the steel that will be installed next week and the concrete work completed yesterday.

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #11 –
What are the plans to weatherproof the carriage doors?
gumby - beauty may fade, but stupid is forever!

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #12 –
Congrats on the garage improvements.  Keep us updated on the progress! 

Your garage (before your addition) is about the same size as mine.  Its really tough finding the room to store things AND still have room to work on the cars.  I have two lawnmowers and two cars in mine and it gets pretty cramped at times (my loft is full of junk from the original owners that I need to throw away).

It always is annoying to me that I have to move one of the cars just to get the lawnmower out.  I was spoiled growing up because my Dad has a huge pole barn w/heat,etc.
'88 'bird, 10.9:1 306 w/TFS top end, forged rods/pistons, T-5 swap & bunch of other stuff, 1-family owned, had it since ‘98, 5.0tbrd88 on Instagram and YouTube

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #13 –
Quote from: gumby;344394
What are the plans to weatherproof the carriage doors?

 
For the glass I'll be getting some 1/4" tinted lexan (the doors face west, which really heats the place up in the afternoon), sealing it with clear silicone.

The doors will be framed with 1" thick strips (ripped down 2X4's) and 1" foam board (http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Insulation-Sheathings/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xi0Zbaxx/R-100320355/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053) to fill in it.  Then add 1/4" plywood or hardboard as a cover.  It shouldn't add too much weight to the doors and the 1/4" plywood will add additional stiffness and something scuff resistant to the doors.

The new concrete is flush with the driveway, which will allow me to put down a rubber threshold to seal the bottoms of the doors.  Then weather strip the door jams and center board.  The goal is to keep that west wind out!

It won't be close to the R value in the walls & roof, but I think it's about the best I can do without making them massive (they'll end up to be about 3" thick).

Mini Garagemahal - Update 5/25/11 Check out the Racedeck floor and the cars are home

Reply #14 –
so what's with the hole in the floor? looks a little too close to the door to be for a lift lol