Started my garage makeover today..

[Steve1968LS2]

I've always been the guy who would rather spend money on his car rather than his garage. Until now. Our last house had a drywalled and finished three car garage that I had set up pretty good. Our current house was built in 1962 and the garage is a mess.

Exposed studs, old concrete floor, bad lighting and ONE.. I reapeat ONE outlet. It's only 20x21 but with only one car in there I have plenty of room to work. I keep the other cars at the other garage.

I spent 8 hours today clearing out the garage. Tomorrow I will take down the industrial shelving that came with the house and insulate. Then the dry wall will go up, get mudded, and then textured.
Thinking of going white up top with a grey lower third seperated by a red stripe. On the far right wall I have new cabinets being made. There will be four 89x49x24 units for a total of 16 feet of storage.

I will also ditch one OLD workbench that came with the house. Nothing wrong with it except it's ugly. I have my large white unit I built and I might get one smaller one for the end of the garage. In addition to the custom cabinets I will be getting a few metal units to hold chemicals and detail supplies.

One the drywall is done I'm having a Liftmaster 3800 jackscrew opener installed so nothing has to hang over my car. I will also be installing some additional lighting and running more electrical. Later I would love to do some sort of ceiling, maybe a t-bar deal.

I still haven't decided on the floor. It's between painted and VCT. I already have a good selection of garage art to hang up :)

So, let the games begin!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[the camtender]

wouldn't you rather want to take those fishing rods and go fishing?
might be cheaper

Jerry

[class67]

I just fininshed mine as well. It was already sheet rocked so I just textured, painted, finshed the floor and re-wired for new lights. I put up six 4 bulb shop lights...what a difference! Only thing now is that my wife wishes I would clean up behind myself in house as much as I do in the garage...lol

[muthstryker]

he doesnt fish like us normal guys, his wife dont know it but he fishes for younger hotties in that fine camaro of his :)




nice set of tires steve!

about a month or so ago our garage was dark as hell, needed a flashlight to look for tools... I was at work and they where throwing out 2 pallets of 2'x4' 3 lamp, light fixtures. bulbs and all, took them all home installed 6 and now you can almost suntan out in the garage its so bright. it makes a HUGE difference when you can see in your garage..

[ls1 nova]

Nice ride!

What is VCT flooring. I am looking to do somthing durable in my garage/workshop also.

[vanzuuk1]

Nothing beats a clean garge....

[Steve1968LS2]

Nice ride!

What is VCT flooring. I am looking to do somthing durable in my garage/workshop also.

VCT is an industrial vinyl-type floor tile. It has pluses and minuses. The big plus is that you can install it yourself pretty easily.



nice set of tires steve!

Yea, I have a freaking tire shop right now. Two spare R888s, drag tires for the Fairlane and a spiffy new set of BFG KDWs for the autocross next weekend. Oh and two Nitto 555s to replace the ones I burned off the back of the Fairlane. lol


wouldn't you rather want to take those fishing rods and go fishing?
might be cheaper

Jerry

Yea, I would love to. My "fishing buddy" moved and I haven't been since.. I like saltwater, fresh gets a bit dull. :)

[JustinB]

Steve, if you need any referrals let me know. I can set you up with some of my customers who do garage coatings in your area.

[Mkelcy]

I like saltwater, fresh gets a bit dull. :)

Fish in Alaska, where your fishing "buddy" is a 1,000 Alaskan Brown Bear. Most definitely NOT dull (plus the fishing and scenery is spectacular).

[Damn True]

I'm doing VCT in mine as well. If you have an older garage slab (mine is 1/2 brand new and 1/2 50yrs old) you have no idea as to hydrostatic pressure. If you have it, no "epoxy" coating will stick. Period. Knowing that, I'm going with the VCT. The gaps between the tiles will provide a path for water vapor coming through the slab. If I bugger one up by dropping or dragging something on it, I can chisel it out and replace just that tile. The interlocking rubber "race-deck" type tiles are great if you don't work on your car but if you do they simply wont work. If you spill something it goes beneath the tiles and the whole setup has to be removed to REALLY clean it up.

Been pricing wall cabinets at Lowes lately. Darned expensive, but a whoooooole lot cheaper than the custom cabinets our contractor put in the kitchen. I can't stand the exposed stuff on the "gorilla racks" type shelves we have now.

Been looking into a garden shed to get all the yardwork crap out of the garage too.

Gotta build a workbench too.

I hope I can talk my wife into prioritizing some of that above the landscaping, but I kinda doubt it.

[Sparky67]

Been pricing wall cabinets at Lowes lately. Darned expensive, but a whoooooole lot cheaper than the custom cabinets our contractor put in the kitchen. I can't stand the exposed stuff on the "gorilla racks" type shelves we have now.

You should have kept the old cabinets that came out of your house. I just used my old cabinets. Typically, the old 1950's to 1960's cabinets have good plywood. The stuff at lowe's is pretty cheap. My work bench was made out of the same materials from my lower kitchen cabinets. I took the wheels off my craftsman roll-around, and then mounted that into my workbench. This gives me 6 sliding drawers. Made a new top for the work bench.


Jeff

http://www.kodakgallery.com/67rscamaro

[Steve1968LS2]

Been pricing wall cabinets at Lowes lately. Darned expensive, but a whoooooole lot cheaper than the custom cabinets our contractor put in the kitchen. I can't stand the exposed stuff on the "gorilla racks" type shelves we have now.

Been looking into a garden shed to get all the yardwork crap out of the garage too.



I built my own workbench.. very sturdy. It wasn't that hard or expensive.

The custom cabinets were $1800 installed for the four units, but they should last a LONG time.

I built a 10x8 and a 6x6 shed on the side of the house to store stuff. the only things in the garage will be car stuff exect items that can fit in the new cabinets.

[Lenie]

Steve, your going to need somewhere to store Penny while you remodel and I have an open space in my garage. :) Oh and the fishing is good here in the puget sound area.
Car looks really good in your garage. Nice picture

[Damn True]

I built my own workbench.. very sturdy. It wasn't that hard or expensive.

The custom cabinets were $1800 installed for the four units, but they should last a LONG time.

I built a 10x8 and a 6x6 shed on the side of the house to store stuff. the only things in the garage will be car stuff exect items that can fit in the new cabinets.

IMO the garage is for working on cars & bikes and parking cars & bikes. Now I gotta get her on board with that.

I won't be able to get away from having camping stuff and Christmas decorations in the cabinets but it's better than the status quo.

My dad is going to help me build the workbench. Father/son project when the father is 65 and the son is 38...cool.

Probably going with the Lowes MDF/melamine cabinet option. Reasonable cost, easy to clean.

[70bird]

Nice sized garage, sounds like your plan is good for it.

The VCT is a great choice, very durable. If you stay away from the latex adhesives it will be much more water resistant.

I would suggest you run your air line plumbing (and overhead electrical) to various locations and overhead before you get the sheetrock hung.

Good luck

P.S. If you need a plumber let me know. I'm in O.C.

[Part Time]

Steve,
Are you going to run a story on the garage make over?

[stage2ROUSH]

looks like its going to be pretty nice, if you need someone to" car sit, "while your working on the garage, you can send "BadPenny" to me , I'll take REALLY good care of it, I'll even go out every day and start it up so the battery stays charged.

[Steve1968LS2]

Steve,
Are you going to run a story on the garage make over?

Nope, The only times I've ever seen stories ran on garage makeovers was when the writer was trying to get free stuff for the garage. lol

Although a good story on the different types of garage flooring (pros and cons) would be interesting.

The biggest help in getting the garage clean was building the three large sheds out back.

[Steve1968LS2]

Oh, and thanks to those who offered to car-sit Penny.. but she's fine in the driveway during the day ;)

[parsonsj]

What are you, some sort of TireRack dealer? :)

jp

[ho428]

http://www.garagejournal.com/

Lots of good info on the boards there.

My garage, with help and advise from that sight.

[vp23271]

Steve,

I probably spend just as much time in my garage as I do the living room of my house. Below are a couple things I did to maximize the space and usability.

These overhead racks are very well built and heavy duty. The gauge of the angle iron is much thicker than the ones available at Home Depot or Lowes.
http://www.onrax.com/

In my last house I built my own work bench, but it was tied into the wall so it stayed with the house when I sold it last Nov 07. This go around I wanted a thick butcher block style free standing work bench that I could pound on. I picked one up at Costco of all places! 8 feet long with steel square tubing for legs. If I could remember correctly, it only cost me $199. It's not available online, but the local store in Hawthorne had them. Garden Grove is Costco's Head Quarters, so they would most likely have them too if they are still available.

I also picked up some industrial shelving/floor racks from Costco and this stuff is heavy duty! I bought 2 of them and I think I paid $149 each.

I will take some pics tonight after work and post them.

Rick

[Part Time]

Nope, The only times I've ever seen stories ran on garage makeovers was when the writer was trying to get free stuff for the garage. lol

Although a good story on the different types of garage flooring (pros and cons) would be interesting.

The biggest help in getting the garage clean was building the three large sheds out back.

Don't be that guy, but don't turn down free stuff either.

Seems like many would benifit from your organization skills.
I'd be willing to bet that it would be a good read too.

[Samckitt]

1 light & 1 plug must be the code for building a house. When we moved into our house in 98 or so the garage had 1 incandescent light socket in the center & 1 plug on the front wall. I added 4 light sockets, I tried fluorescents, but they don't work very good when they are cold. And I added a couple plugs in the ceiling. Yes the ceiling, then bought a couple of reel extension cords. attached them to the ceiling, they reach about 30 feet, so I have plenty of cords & I always know where they are.

[ho428]

The sheds out back help a lot. I've got two small ones. Also pull down stairs with floored attic space on each end of the garage.
I added the platform inside for restored clean parts. Easy access but protected and up out of the way.
Also, put as much as possible on wheels, roll it out come cleaning day, also makes re-arranging easier.

[LMDGUY]

I need to get out in my garage and start cleaning =(

[Samckitt]

I need to get out in my garage and start cleaning =(

Ditto on that Joe.

[trapin]

I like saltwater, fresh gets a bit dull. :)
Not to get off topic but....huh? You need to come out to Michigan some time and take on the Muskies on Lake St. Clair or the Chinook, Coho and Steelhead on the Great Lakes. No dull freshwater fishing around here. LOL!!!

Alright....back on topic. Yeah those big shelves need to go, they're hideous. If you don't mind me asking what are the negatives to that floor system you were talking about?

[minendrews68]

Funny isn't it?, how at one time, the garage was for your lawn stuff, extra storage for the overflow from inside the house, the kid's bikes, you know stuff like that....Now, you have to build an extra building to take care of that unimportant stuff and your really prized possessions go in the garage, which I might add looks as good or better than the inside of your home! Oh, and Steve, those tires look awful sitting around on the floor, if you'd like I'll email you my address and take those big, room hogging pieces off your hands...(no really I would) lol...

[muthstryker]

Fish in Alaska, where your fishing "buddy" is a 1,000 Alaskan Brown Bear. Most definitely NOT dull (plus the fishing and scenery is spectacular).

Lived in alaska for 4 years, some of the best fishing ive ever done. nothing more exciting them jumping on some 4wheelers and going across the marsh for 8 hours to get to the "spot" and luaghing at the guys that just paid 8-10 grand to be flown to that same spot and dont catch anything :lmao:

[muthstryker]

best thing to do while there is no sheet rock is run some air lines for an air compressor if you have one. and then get those roll up air hoses

[vp23271]

I sold my place in LA late last year and moved to Huntington Beach this past January. The house I am in now is just for the next 1-2 years until the real estate market settles enough for me to buy back in, so my prerequisite was that everything in the garage needed to be transferable to the new house later down the road. Below are some pic's of what I was able to put together in the last 6 weeks.

8' work bench from Costco. For the price I could not pass it up. I use an old computer chair that I was going to just throw away as a work stool. I just took the back rest off and it gets the job done. The sucker glides across the garage floor almost too damn smooth.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

2 steel shelving units (also from Costco).
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Overhead storage that I brought over from the last house.
http://www.onrax.com/
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

An old file cabinet that I use to hold some of the air tools, other oversized tools and some odds and ends. Got a little Captain in ya?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

My 41" tool chest (yup you guessed it, another Costco special)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[LMDGUY]

Ditto on that Joe.

hahaha.. after reading this I started cleaning and made a trip to goodwill to donate old clothes and items from my old kitchen.

[TonyHuntimer]

Hey Steve,

If you need a place to store the overstock of tires I have room at my house. :naughty:

How do you get 2 cars in there? :)

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[Never Enough]

VCT is an industrial vinyl-type floor tile. It has pluses and minuses. The big plus is that you can install it yourself pretty easily.

Minuses- It is VERY slick when wet. I can only imagine if it got some "fluids" on it ie. oil....

[rob07002]

Steve, no garage is complete without a stripper pole. oh, and a beer fridge!

[eville]

Hey VP, how do you like your whole house vac?

[vp23271]

Hey VP, how do you like your whole house vac?

I wish I could tell ya, the damn landlord has not given me the hand wand/hose thingy-whatchamacall it. He is a nice guy, but too busy to own rental property. I will put in a 3rd phone call and see if I can ruffle his feathers. :fingersx:

[Hmbre97]

Anyone stain the concrete in the garage vs coating it?

[Damn True]

Yeah, I spilled some Guacamole on my garage floor. Still green.

[Steve1968LS2]

Not to get off topic but....huh? You need to come out to Michigan some time and take on the Muskies on Lake St. Clair or the Chinook, Coho and Steelhead on the Great Lakes. No dull freshwater fishing around here. LOL!!!

Alright....back on topic. Yeah those big shelves need to go, they're hideous. If you don't mind me asking what are the negatives to that floor system you were talking about?

All of our freshwater fish here are boring. Once you hook tuna or other large ocean fish it's hard to get excited over a trout.. lol

Negs to which flooring system?

[Steve1968LS2]

Hey Steve,

If you need a place to store the overstock of tires I have room at my house. :naughty:

How do you get 2 cars in there? :)

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

Two cars will fit if I move the tires. lol

The new cabinets are 24 inches deep whereas the shelving was 36 inches deep. This will give me even more garage space.

But it's a moot point since I store my other cars at the company garage and only one car resides at home. I need room to work.

All the tires you see have homes. Two to replace the ones I burned off the Fairlane. Four for the Fairlane drag racing. For for Penny to use at the Costa Mesa Autocross and two spare wider R888s for when I get my front rim widened to 10 inches.

[Steve1968LS2]

I sold my place in LA late last year and moved to Huntington Beach this past January. The house I am in now is just for the next 1-2 years until the real estate market settles enough for me to buy back in, so my prerequisite was that everything in the garage needed to be transferable to the new house later down the road. Below are some pic's of what I was able to put together in the last 6 weeks.

8' work bench from Costco. For the price I could not pass it up. I use an old computer chair that I was going to just throw away as a work stool. I just took the back rest off and it gets the job done. The sucker glides across the garage floor almost too damn smooth.


2 steel shelving units (also from Costco).


Overhead storage that I brought over from the last house.
http://www.onrax.com/


An old file cabinet that I use to hold some of the air tools, other oversized tools and some odds and ends. Got a little Captain in ya?


My 41" tool chest (yup you guessed it, another Costco special)


lol.. you shop at Costco like we do. :)

I was tempted to get that bench as well... It's a good deal for the $$

[Steve1968LS2]

Minuses- It is VERY slick when wet. I can only imagine if it got some "fluids" on it ie. oil....

sort of depends how you treat it. It's the same flooring used in stores like Walmart, etc.

Epoxies are slippery when wet as well. all the types have some sort of drawback (cost, time, durability, ect)

[Steve1968LS2]

Anyone stain the concrete in the garage vs coating it?

Stain is good for a "show" garage. But the concrete will still stain from oils and such.

Also, if you spill a solvent like Acetone or lacquer thinner the stain will reactive and get FUBAR'd.

[RSX302]

Nope, The only times I've ever seen stories ran on garage makeovers was when the writer was trying to get free stuff for the garage. lol

Although a good story on the different types of garage flooring (pros and cons) would be interesting.

The biggest help in getting the garage clean was building the three large sheds out back.

Hey Steve, I put down ceramic tile...I was surprised at how well it stands up to the abuses. Paint, grease, oil, coolant, brake fluid all wipe off easy with solvent.. I also slide the floor jack, jack stands, transmission and engine stand over it. (Just make sure all tile edges are flat and even)
Only thing I found that it doesn't like is when I drop a 1/2" x 5" bolt. :hand: Little chip...since it was on a black tile, a Sharpie work wonders. Black grout is a must!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[RSX302]

I forgot to add "and cheap"

If you are willing to put your back into a long weekend, a buck a sq/ft at Home depot or where ever you find a cheap tile store.

I know the checker board look is out, (I still like it) but I'm sure you could figure out another cool design.

[Johnny Blaze]

This is great. I am about to do the same, including building the shed for junk!

I think this would be a great article, as you are dealing with an average garage size. In fact it is within a foot of mine.

[jackfrost]

I would love to see an article about different flooring options for garages, including the cheaper options like ceramic or vinyl tile...

[67 455 Bird ragtop]

For those looking for wall cabinets. Check to see if you have a local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. You can get some nice cabinets there real cheap. These are not top end cabinets but they are good enough for a garage. And you can always paint them.

Also, check with your local cabinet companies. Sometimes you can get the old cabinets that they remove from a project for nothing.

[Never Enough]

sort of depends how you treat it. It's the same flooring used in stores like Walmart, etc.

Epoxies are slippery when wet as well. all the types have some sort of drawback (cost, time, durability, ect)
Exactly the reason I haven't done mine yet (still looking). Plane old concrete still seems to hold up the best so far. Although trying to keep it spotless is a job.

[J-Rod]

Hey Steve!

We've recommended these guys for years on all our custom homes in the area:

http://www.marbleshooters.net/

The coatings are very durable and slip-resistant, I just don't know how well they hold up to chemical spills. I dropped a 40lb dumbbell on a marbleshooters floor and it didn't even dent. Decent stuff.

[Young Gun]

I forgot to add "and cheap"



If you are willing to put your back into a long weekend, a buck a sq/ft at Home depot or where ever you find a cheap tile store.



I know the checker board look is out, (I still like it) but I'm sure you could figure out another cool design.

wow I need to look into that...looking to redo the garage myself and make it a little more user friendly...that tile looks awsome!

[Steve1968LS2]

Tile is good.. the down sides are dropping stuff on it and you have to do it right so you don't go crazy rolling stuff over it "clack clack clack"

[Yelcamino]

I guess I'm pretty lucky because my wife stays out of the garage. Pretty much since day one (way back in '92) we've agreed that the house is hers and the garage is mine. She doesn't even park her car in the garage! All of the non-car stuff is in the shed behind the garage and all of my tools, spare parts, and cars are in the garage - where they belong!

[Steve1968LS2]

I guess I'm pretty lucky because my wife stays out of the garage. Pretty much since day one (way back in '92) we've agreed that the house is hers and the garage is mine. She doesn't even park her car in the garage! All of the non-car stuff is in the shed behind the garage and all of my tools, spare parts, and cars are in the garage - where they belong!

That's my arrangement with my wife.. the house is hers (except my office) and the garage is mine. She parks outside :)

[RSX302]

wow I need to look into that...looking to redo the garage myself and make it a little more user friendly...that tile looks awsome!

Thx...Now that I installed this floor, I would have a hard time going with anything else. I was looking at epoxy, but had a few cracks I didn't want to deal with and will peal up as moisture gets under it.

Ceramic Tile CON's:
Slippery when wet: (Most of the time it’s not a problem. Have rugs down when entering from outside during rainy season. Not too big of a problem in So. Cal)

Chipping due to fumbling fingers: (I have dropped many tools, bolts etc. with no issue. It's when you get to the big stuff.)

No direct welding/grinding: (I've welded and grinded over the tile with no problem, but I did find its limit. If big enough welding slag sits on it, it will make a mark. Grinding needs to be right on it to mark it.)

I agree that it’s not a floor for a full blown chop shop, but I love it for the weekend puttering garage.

I didn't even notice the clack, clack, clack, but I'm sure I will now!!! Thanks Steve :rotfl:

As long as you fill the grout to the top, the clacking stay's to a minimum...

Yes, it is critical for the tile corners to be level and even and yes this will take a little extra time during installation. Definitely a must if you plan on rolling engine stand or cherry picker over it.

[Sparky67]

Thx...Now that I installed this floor, I would have a hard time going with anything else. I was looking at epoxy, but had a few cracks I didn't want to deal with and will peal up as moisture gets under it.

Never really thought about it, but it might be better than epoxy. Anyway, it is also used in the more expensive garage makeovers. http://www.ultimategarage.com/homegarage/UltGar2y-2.htm


Jeff

http://www.kodakgallery.com/67rscamaro

[RSX302]

Never really thought about it, but it might be better than epoxy. Anyway, it is also used in the more expensive garage makeovers. http://www.ultimategarage.com/homegarage/UltGar2y-2.htm


Jeff

http://www.kodakgallery.com/67rscamaro


That is BAD A$$!!!My future Ferrari is also there!!

[70bird]

Never really thought about it, but it might be better than epoxy. Anyway, it is also used in the more expensive garage makeovers. http://www.ultimategarage.com/homegarage/UltGar2y-2.htm


Jeff

http://www.kodakgallery.com/67rscamaro

Speechless

[Fesler built]

Hey guys we are building a new shop right now and had the same questions about tile and epoxy. Well the guys doing the floor showed us some samples of etching the floor and that is what we are going with it is sick.

They sand the complete area and it does not matter how old or cracked your floor is they fix it or leave the cracks up to you. Than they pour acid etch all over it to open up the poors and than stain the concrete. There are a hundred different ways they can do the stain and the great thing about it is it wont chip or mark up.

The stain goes into the concrete about 1/2 inch or so so you have color deep and if you drop or chip it wont matter. Once they get all the color down they seal and buff it so you get a sick look. They are doing the show room this weekend and I will post a few pics of it so you can see what they do.

I have the VCT in my old shop and it sucks, we live in AZ so the heat is the biggest problem it pops the tiles up all the time and we have the industrial glue holding them down but the cars still break it lose. http://www.feslerbuilt.com/GGshop06.htm I have had the Epoxy and that stuff is the worse if you plan on doing any work in your garage, if you park its great but if you do anything on it you chip and mark it very easy, would never do that again.

The great thing about the new stain we are doing its cheaper than the VCT so to some of you that might be a plus, the best thing is your floor will look like a high end Home Depot or something like that depending on the stain you use. Our new shop is being designed to look like a very high end garage so I will post some shots soon.

Good luck on what ever you choose:cool:

[trapin]

I guess I'm pretty lucky because my wife stays out of the garage. Pretty much since day one (way back in '92) we've agreed that the house is hers and the garage is mine. She doesn't even park her car in the garage! All of the non-car stuff is in the shed behind the garage and all of my tools, spare parts, and cars are in the garage - where they belong!
You pretty much described my scenario to a tee. LOL!!!

The garages in that link are nice but those are more like glorified storage compartments that I wouldn't really classify as "dream garage", at least not for me. My dream garage would be like a 30X40 building with heat, heated floor, central air, insulation, finished walls to hang banners and such, plenty of electrical and air outlets, 4 point hoist, rotisserie, dolly, massive air compressor, sand blaster, welding table, drill press, etc...etc. You get the idea. The floor would just be sealed concrete. No need to get fancy in that area.

[GTOnate]

I really like those stained, sealed and polished floors. Really nice. I was painting a Bass Pro Shop in Miami and they had some done. We spilled paint on the stuff and it wiped right up. Plain concrete would have soaked it up a little and stained it.

[protour73]

good luck on the garage project Steve................those rear tires on Penny, look freaking HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steve1968LS2]

Update.. tomorrow I paint and Thursday the cabinets show up.

It's hard because I will have $3k-$4k in this when I'm done and I always think "damn, I could have bought a blower with that cash..".. lol

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[70bird]

Wow! You've been a busy boy. Looks good

[Young Gun]

WOW!!! looks awsome Steve! Hope you have plenty of banners to cover those walls!

[69ratfed]

As far as cabinets go. I went to a local cabinet maker and he had some (hickory) that were ordered and did not use. Had a few scratches on them. I paid $20-$30.00 for the set. Worked out very well. Always ask for scratch or slightly damaged stuff. You would be surprised at what they call scratched or slightly damaged. I personally do not like the textured walls. They tend to catch all the dust and stuff. Also, it is hard to wipe off if needed.
Either way, it will be a nice garage when done.

[Scatpack]

You pretty much described my scenario to a tee. LOL!!!

The garages in that link are nice but those are more like glorified storage compartments that I wouldn't really classify as "dream garage", at least not for me. My dream garage would be like a 30X40 building with heat, heated floor, central air, insulation, finished walls to hang banners and such, plenty of electrical and air outlets, 4 point hoist, rotisserie, dolly, massive air compressor, sand blaster, welding table, drill press, etc...etc. You get the idea. The floor would just be sealed concrete. No need to get fancy in that area.

I agree. Marble tile and granite work surfaces sound great unless you really need to use them. That site does have a design that sounds like the way to go. Hoists, big compressor, beer fridge, leather couches...:drool:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/03/garage5-1.jpg

[Steve1968LS2]

As far as cabinets go. I went to a local cabinet maker and he had some (hickory) that were ordered and did not use. Had a few scratches on them. I paid $20-$30.00 for the set. Worked out very well. Always ask for scratch or slightly damaged stuff. You would be surprised at what they call scratched or slightly damaged. I personally do not like the textured walls. They tend to catch all the dust and stuff. Also, it is hard to wipe off if needed.
Either way, it will be a nice garage when done.

The texture is very light.. like a slight orange peel. With the semi-gloss paint it should clean up fine.

This isn't my "dream garage".. As said, that would be MUCH larger. But it will be fine for the next ten years until we move out of state to a lot with real room to build.

[Steve1968LS2]

The new storage cabinets were installed. Four banks of 48x84x24 units. Mounted to the wall so I can hose out or sweep the garage easily. Not cheap but well made. Interior shelves are steel reinforced.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

I started painting the walls in a white "swiss coffee" like our house is.. feels more "tan" in the garage. Maybe because it's next to white primer. I'm trying to decided if I need a color change.

[vp23271]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif



How long did it take you to go from the first picture to the second picture? You don't waste any time! Looks Good!

[shortrack]

Never really thought about it, but it might be better than epoxy. Anyway, it is also used in the more expensive garage makeovers. http://www.ultimategarage.com/homegarage/UltGar2y-2.htm

wouldnt want to do alot of fab work in there........

and watch drywall in northern climes.......had it in the shop at my old house.......the cold will make it go punky after awhile....... it does NOT like water......want to wash out your garage floor with the hose???......where the concrete floor meets the wall the water gets in thereand your drywall will suck it up and bubble............Im going with 3/8" plywood with a 6" metal kickplate at floor level in my new shop......ply is not that much more $ than drywall......Im actually going to stain it cedar like the outside and a white cieling......unlike drywall you can actually screw stuff to it too........doug

[Steve1968LS2]

Update time.

The garage is now void of all things non-car related (except what my wife could fit in her section of cabinets). It's painted for now but I want to eventually paint the lower section grey with a red or checker stripe. I also need to do the floor and add more lights.

But, for now, it's sure is nice. I did a little decorating with stuff I had saved up and I'm going to frame some pictures of the cars I've built and hang them under the big Wilwood banner.

I bought the cabinet at Sears and even at $300 it was well worth it since it hold a TON of stuff inside (the doors have storage too). The new 8-foot bench came from Costco and at $199 its just as nice as the $400 Gladiator version. In fact, I think it came from the same factory. The two new red Craftsman cabinets are the el-cheapo versions but they are only holding odds and ends (tape, testers, etc) and not tools so they should be fine.

Here are some pictures:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Better view of the work center:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[2yellow69]

Lookin' good Steve. As soon as my camaro is movable I'll start on the garage. It's gotta be a nice feeling to have a clean place to work on your toys.

Matt

[70bird]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
Garage looks great Steve,but, that paint on Penny is just awesome!

[trapin]

You're not doing anything with the floor Steve?

Looks great. I always wanted to do that with our garage but I never thought we would live here that long so I never bothered.

[Young Gun]

looks top notch steve! wish I could do something like that!

[YancyJohns]

The garage turned out great Steve. Glad to see the Fairlane parts aren't junking up the garage anymore....lol

[derekf]

What is the beige cabinet?

[Steve1968LS2]

The garage turned out great Steve. Glad to see the Fairlane parts aren't junking up the garage anymore....lol

The Fairlane is gonna be stuffed with "stuff" when she comes your way. Sure you don't want to just come pick it up? I will bring it to Scottsdale :)

What is the beige cabinet?

It's an old file cabinet from work. It was used to hold large flat prints, that's why the drawers are so short.
I have organizers in the drawers and it's a great way to store a ton of little odds and ends.


You're not doing anything with the floor Steve?
Looks great. I always wanted to do that with our garage but I never thought we would live here that long so I never bothered.

I figure having the garage "nice" adds to the value of the house. We plan on staying here at least another 10 years, until it's paid off.

I want to eventually coat the floor or do VCT tiles.. so far the tiles are winning out. Next up is more electrical and lights. I just framed a bunch of pics of some of the junk I've built and will add them, and some more metal signs this weekend.

[Damn True]

Garage looks great Steve,but, that paint on Penny is just awesome!

I spy my differential!



Is that a Costco or Harbor Freight workbench?

Satisfied with it?

I've been toying with the idea of building a bench, but the more I think about it, the more I'd like to save the bandwidth for the car.

[insane1]

Nice makeover, I like to look at garages as much, or mabey more than porn.

I dont know if I missed it and you may already know, but if you want some really cool garage ideas go to www.garagejournal.com you'll be there for hours.

[Never Enough]

Looks great.

[Rhino]

...Next up is more electrical and lights...

Any reason why you didn't run the electrical / lights prior to insulation and drywall? It sounds like it would have been much simpler. I'm not knocking the way you did it, just curious.