Clean slate garage / Shed recommendations | GTAMotorcycle.com

Clean slate garage / Shed recommendations

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mimico_polak

Well-known member
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Hey all,

Love the suggestions and advice I get on here so looking for some more here on the new place we just got the keys to...bin already half full...

So the owner was kind enough to basically clear out the garage / shed totally and I'm looking for some recommendations on the following:
1. Floor type for garage. The floor doesn't seem 100% even so will need to look on how to even it out in the end. Looks to be a dip in the middle near the front (almost like a bulge).
2. Lighting type for garage. Currently has 2 big tube lights but they're not overly bright. One on each side.
3. Storage space for garage. It's a 2 car garage, and I'd like to keep things at the back end as if I put too much on either side it'll quickly become a 1 or 1.5 garage. Shelving, or cabinetry.
4. Floor options for outdoor shed.
5. Shed is connected to the house by a wall, so I'm thinking of putting in insulation (no drywall/panels in yet) and looking to see options for heating it.

Time to get back at it. Bleh.

One a side note, any one familiar with removing a chimney? Structural engineer perhaps.

House has 2 chimneys and a furnace chute up the middle. They're all in a single brick enclosure and unfortunately closes off the middle of the house making the dining/kitchen area smaller than it can be. Outside of taking it apart brick by brick from the top down (I'd like to keep the basement one at the very least) I don't see much options.
 
open shelves are handy but always look messy, I'd do cabinets. Lowes,Home depot always have kitchen boxes on sale. Garage specific cabinets are too expensive for what they are in my thoughts.
LED tube lights, they get cheaper all the time, my shop is too bright said no one ever..
Run electrical outlets down each wall so your not using extension cords .

whats the shed floor now? just dirt?
 
I just put two 2 X 2 LED lighting panels in my 1 car garage and love the light. I saw them at Home Depot at about $170 each but they were a third the price at an electrical wholesaler.

For storage space keep looking up. I see garages packed full because everything is on the floor. My single car garage held the Goldwing, tools, ladders, a canoe and still had room for the car.

Nothing beats a concrete floor in a shed but concrete isn't cheap. Not easy either if the shed is already there.

Leveling an existing floor slab isn't easy either.
 
From the description you have no choice on the chimney, they are not structural to the house, or at least it should not be! The chimney is structural only to itself, you leave it or line it or take it down 1 brick at a time.

Best garage floor ever is concrete with in floor heating pipes or wires, is by far the best heat for a garage because heat rises and you might want to sit or lay on that floor when you are working on the bike this winter. If the old concrete floor is messed up it was not likely done right the first time.
 
Ceiling height? I have 12' ceilings and built a storage loft over the garage doors. 3' tall, width of garage, 6' deep (post 4' from garage door where it isnt in the way, 2' cantilever, 2x6 joists, ladder on the wall on each end). Basically all storage/infrequently used tools up there. Leaves the floor free for frequently used tools/workbench/kids crap/vehicles.
 
mimico_polak said:
Hey all,

Love the suggestions and advice I get on here so looking for some more here on the new place we just got the keys to...bin already half full...

So the owner was kind enough to basically clear out the garage / shed totally and I'm looking for some recommendations on the following:
1. Floor type for garage. The floor doesn't seem 100% even so will need to look on how to even it out in the end. Looks to be a dip in the middle near the front (almost like a bulge).
2. Lighting type for garage. Currently has 2 big tube lights but they're not overly bright. One on each side.
3. Storage space for garage. It's a 2 car garage, and I'd like to keep things at the back end as if I put too much on either side it'll quickly become a 1 or 1.5 garage. Shelving, or cabinetry.
4. Floor options for outdoor shed.
5. Shed is connected to the house by a wall, so I'm thinking of putting in insulation (no drywall/panels in yet) and looking to see options for heating it.

Time to get back at it. Bleh.

One a side note, any one familiar with removing a chimney? Structural engineer perhaps.

House has 2 chimneys and a furnace chute up the middle. They're all in a single brick enclosure and unfortunately closes off the middle of the house making the dining/kitchen area smaller than it can be. Outside of taking it apart brick by brick from the top down (I'd like to keep the basement one at the very least) I don't see much options.
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Floor: Leveling isn't all that critical unless you have pooling problems. If you have deep depressions or cracks, wet the floor and chalk circle the low spots then fill them with self leveling concrete. I like epoxy coat with a healthy dose of anti-slip grit. Good epoxy floor paint would be my second choice.

Lights. I just upgraded my son's garage with LED strips, going to do mine soon -- they are simple. He bought an 8 light kit for his garage (10x28') and it's almost too bright. I think this kit would adequately light a big 2 car garage. (Pack of 12) Barrina LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 6500K (Super Bright White), 20W, Utility Shop Light, Ceiling and Under Cabinet Light, Corded Electric with Built-in ON/Off Switch: Amazon.ca: Electronics

Storage: Ready rack is great, set the first shelf above the height of your cars' hoods. You can get beams in 8 and 10' and depths from 24-48". It's also incredibly cheap, try Rack King (and bring cash for the best deals).

Shed floor. You can't beat a concrete pad. In floor heating coils are cheap and easy to do in concrete.
 
I have some Sodium Azide that would probably take care of that chimney for you. ;) L
 
Mad Mike said:
Floor: Leveling isn't all that critical unless you have pooling problems. If you have deep depressions or cracks, wet the floor and chalk circle the low spots then fill them with self leveling concrete. I like epoxy coat with a healthy dose of anti-slip grit. Good epoxy floor paint would be my second choice.

Lights. I just upgraded my son's garage with LED strips, going to do mine soon -- they are simple. He bought an 8 light kit for his garage (10x28') and it's almost too bright. I think this kit would adequately light a big 2 car garage. (Pack of 12) Barrina LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 6500K (Super Bright White), 20W, Utility Shop Light, Ceiling and Under Cabinet Light, Corded Electric with Built-in ON/Off Switch: Amazon.ca: Electronics

Storage: Ready rack is great, set the first shelf above the height of your cars' hoods. You can get beams in 8 and 10' and depths from 24-48". It's also incredibly cheap, try Rack King (and bring cash for the best deals).

Shed floor. You can't beat a concrete pad. In floor heating coils are cheap and easy to do in concrete.
Click to expand...

Ready Rack: A friend bought bent beams and cut them down to the perfect size to fit into gaps. He sawed off the ends and had a welding shop make them up.
 
nobbie48 said:
Ready Rack: A friend bought bent beams and cut them down to the perfect size to fit into gaps. He sawed off the ends and had a welding shop make them up.
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Bring the lengths to Rack King -- they cut did that for me cash and carry -- it's an extra $20/beam.
 
Lightcycle said:
Personally, I never saw the point of a wood-burning fireplace/chimney, especially if you have other modes of heating in the house.

Gas fireplace if I really wanted to stare at a fire burning inside the house.
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Own and live in the woods and that changes. Propane is expensive and you can run out. A few cords of wood in the basement and you are warm and not thirsty for months if you are cut off from civilization. In the city with a small pile.of firewood, I entirely agree with you.
 
I burn about 2 cord for the whole winter. Wood fire is nice, you keep the temps down in areas of the house that don't need it, the wood easy pays for itself if you own trees. ... is an interesting fact that Dead trees laying to rot on the ground, they release the same amount of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere as burning it :| You have to bury wood to make it go straight to soil.

... wood fire heat is bad inside a garage unless you have an outdoor furnace and heat the floor,
obviously, if you are going to ever let it freeze it needs to be anti-freeze instead of water.
 
I would think any residential closed loop heating system should hold antifreeze protected fluid. You go on holiday for a week and the pump craps out or a 5day power outage and you have some serious plumbing repair that may involve a jack hammer.

I grew up with a wood fired heating system , ( alternative religion grandparents) . If you have a woodlot its pretty close to free, much more comfortable ( its a moist heat) and smells awesome. I dont miss it at all with my natural gas fireplace.
 
crankcall said:
I would think any residential closed loop heating system should hold antifreeze protected fluid. You go on holiday for a week and the pump craps out or a 5day power outage and you have some serious plumbing repair that may involve a jack hammer.
...
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That's why you have a 1000 pound propane tank, a backup generator and R40 insulation.
... + south facing windows that provide a solar heat gain.

Propane heat actually produces way more moisture, because H2O is a direct byproduct from propane heat. Most of that goes out the vent pipe and makes a big icicle, so you should take care when locating the propane furnace vent not to have it dump on a walkway ;)
 
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Are the walls painted?
I like full gloss on ceilings and top 2/3 of the walls, and a full gloss grey on the lower 1/3rd to hide bumps and dirt better.
Doesn't have to look pretty, I painted mine before moving in and had intentions of hiding the transition between white and grey on the walls with a pop-up shelf running the length.. 11 years later.. no need, IDGAF about the slightly wobbly cut line.
 
Hey all,
Sorry for the delay but been crazy busy. Problem with living here and working away is just a total lack of time.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll be sure to look into each one and see what fits best. Right now it's a push to the finish to prime all the walls (damn smokers before us) and painting starts tomorrow. Flooring next week, kitchen counters and cabinets the week after that, and then we move in by end of October...frak!
Anyway going to try and catch some zzzz's as tomorrow is big painting day!
 
There's a paint for that, I think there is one called Bin and another made by Zinsser. Maybe that's what you bought,
good luck glad I'm not helping, I don't like painting much.
 
Trials said:
There's a paint for that, I think there is one called Bin and another made by Zinsser. Maybe that's what you bought,
good luck glad I'm not helping, I don't like painting much.
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Yes there is. We got the KILZ Odourless (which changed branding so I spent 30min at HD today making sure it's the right one) and it works like a charm. Similar to Zinsser but cheaper, and the least odour you can get. I accidentally got the regular one...couldn't breathe in the room after 10min so I returned it.

Next mission is to remove existing stain/clear from wood stairs so I don't have to rip them up. There's a remover I bought just to see...maybe in the next 48hrs before I fly out again ...
 
If you end up having to replace the stairs, the places that sell recycled building materials (wreckers)
they sometimes have good oak stair treads for sale, they are not all that hard to remove from old buildings without damaging them.
 
Mad Mike said:
.

Lights. I just upgraded my son's garage with LED strips, going to do mine soon -- they are simple. He bought an 8 light kit for his garage (10x28') and it's almost too bright. I think this kit would adequately light a big 2 car garage. (Pack of 12) Barrina LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 6500K (Super Bright White), 20W, Utility Shop Light, Ceiling and Under Cabinet Light, Corded Electric with Built-in ON/Off Switch: Amazon.ca: Electronics
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip.Ordered from Amazon this morn.Just need someone to help wire them up to the existing garage lighting circuit.
 
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