That's right, I'm a home (GARAGE) owner!!!

chrisrozz · Jul 27, 2011

This is my first house that I own, everything else before this has been a rental. I know it needs a lot of work, but it's structually sound, and like I said, I own it so there's no more asking the landlord a million questions. Here are a couple of pics to start with, more will follow as I progress. I've started tinkering, but nothing major yet, first thing will be to level the back corner- conrete is sunk, then the roof. I just want to make it ready for winter.

Input and ideas are always welcome. Thanks guys

cdottrot · Jul 27, 2011

Congrats! I know the feeling, and it is a good one. If you're in AZ, like your profile shows, I can't see you getting that bad of a winter.

Things I would check out (keep in mind I live in Ontario, Canada):
- Electrical, for ground issues or potential fire hazards
- Roof - estimate when the shingling will next need replacing
- Studs/siding - check for rot/water stains
- Weatherstripping

I suppose the easiest thing to do would be check for water stains on the inside of the siding (since you have exposed studs).

An easy and well worth it upgrade is to find some fluorescent lights on Craigslist (I picked up a dozen for around $100) and wire them up. Easy to do, and makes a huge difference. Doesn't really matter if they aren't T8 or T5 - ANYTHING is better than a single incandescent.

My garage looked similar to yours when I started. This forum seemed to be pretty heavy on excessive lighting (so I thought), so I gave it a shot. Just do it, moving from two single incandescents to 6+ fluorescent fixtures totally changed the garage!

Good luck!

38Chevy454 · Jul 27, 2011

Congratulations on joining the homeowner ranks. How big is your new garage in the pictures? It looks as though you have room to make it bigger at later date.

HotRodKush · Jul 27, 2011

Awesome, we moved into our first garage (err, house) last year, it's definitely an adventure.

On a side note, where did you get that dodge banner??

RacerX · Jul 27, 2011

Congratulations on owning your own garage now! Love the Dodge truck grille banner. Where did you happen to get that? I have a 2009 Sport edition and would like a banner like that.

zmotorsports · Jul 27, 2011

Congratulations on being a homeowner. It is quite a feeling isn't it?

I love the feeling of pulling into the driveway after a hard days work and feeling at peace.

Mike.

chrisrozz · Jul 27, 2011

sorry, i didn't change my details, I'm auctually living back in my homestate of Michigan, so the roof is definitly going to have to be fixed.

And for those of you who asked, i got the banner from my mother, she used to make banners for the Detroit auto show, so it's a one... maybe two of a kind--- trade someone for a new roof--lol

Zeke · Jul 27, 2011

The journey begins... have fun!

Conn'swhiterose · Jul 27, 2011

Crongrats on the new place! You`ll enjoy working on the garage knowing that it`s now yours and will benefit you in the long run...

Nice banner....from a fellow MOPAR nut.. :thumbup:

ddawg16 · Jul 27, 2011

Congrats.....as others have said.....we know how it feels....one of the best feelings ever.....no doubt you have already spent one evening sitting in a chair in the middle of the garage, cold beer in one hand just looking at the walls and thinking of what to do.

Resist the temptation to try and match what some guys have done.....some things take too much money....

First things first....get the wife and kids (if you have them) settled in. Take care of the immediate needs of the house. Then worry about the garage.

Storage....never enough. I find that it's a lot easier to work in the garage when everything has a place.

If I had to give something a priority....electrical....then cover those walls. You will be amazed at how more inclined you are to keep things clean when the walls are covered and painted. Since your garage is detached....OSB might be a good wall choice for you. But I would do drywall in the ceiling....

So...Lights...outlets....walls...paint....then storage....the rest will works its way through.

chrisrozz · Aug 2, 2011

ddawg16 said:
.....no doubt you have already spent one evening sitting in a chair in the middle of the garage, cold beer in one hand just looking at the walls and thinking of what to do.

With just moving into the place, thats about all I've had the money to do! lol

W650Mike · Aug 2, 2011

See if Mom will swap that banner for a bow tie of equal size!

Looks like a clean palate; big enough to work in; small enough to need good planning. Keep us posted on your mods, plans, and ideas.

OK...just kidding on the bow tie - how about a blue oval?

countrytech · Aug 2, 2011

chrisrozz said:
This is my first house that I own, everything else before this has been a rental. I know it needs a lot of work, but it's structually sound, and like I said, I own it so there's no more asking the landlord a million questions. Here are a couple of pics to start with, more will follow as I progress. I've started tinkering, but nothing major yet, first thing will be to level the back corner- conrete is sunk, then the roof. I just want to make it ready for winter.

Input and ideas are always welcome. Thanks guys

Congrats

What are the dimensions of your garage? It looks pretty similar in size and style as my shop. It's amazing how much stuff you can pack in there and still keep your space useable if you plan ahead. Couple things I am learning and can't stress enough: keep things mobile! Have a good solid workbench, but for other toolboxes and work stations, design them with casters so that you can pull them out into the middle of the room or even outside to work on if you want. It will make your workspace feel much more flexible and be easier to work in.

I had more stationary work surfaces and now I'm trying to make them more mobile, but it's a pain to do in a cramped shop, and almost renders your workspace unusable until you get a workstation changed.

Here's my shop thread: http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94791
looks like I should update it with some new photos again...

Falcon67 · Aug 2, 2011

Wow - another garage that looks like the old shed I used to have. Good building - shore it up some and it should serve you well! You might want to brace or sister the joists and brace the rafters, then when you fix the corner you could lift and/or square it up a bit as needed.

Congrats.....as others have said.....we know how it feels....one of the best feelings ever.....no doubt you have already spent one evening sitting in a chair in the middle of the garage, cold beer in one hand just looking at the walls and thinking of what to do.

LOL - I'm doing that on a bare concrete slab!

theoldwizard1 · Aug 2, 2011

chrisrozz said:
I've started tinkering, but nothing major yet, first thing will be to level the back corner- conrete is sunk, ...

Fixing a sunk concrete corner IS a major job ! Likely there is no footing/rat wall. Get some good advice and take lots of pics !

MyKingdom · Aug 2, 2011

Congrats on your New Palace

diggerrick · Aug 2, 2011

Congratulations!

I hope you didn't stretch yourself out too much $$$-wise - it's gonna get expensive, but it's way worth it.

chrisrozz · Aug 16, 2011

I know this has nothing to do with my garage, but... I just mowed my own lawn for the first time (yeah it looks like **** cause it's so long from not being mowed in a month)

just a good feeling, that is all

RacerX · Aug 16, 2011

Congratulations on mowing your own lawn. Be glad you have one to mow. down here in south Texas, we haven't had any significant rain in forever and my lawn is dead! At least I'm saving gas by not mowing.

Brentocool · Aug 16, 2011

Nice!! Have fun with it!!

cowboyjosh · Aug 17, 2011

Theres nothing better then owning a house; but I sell 'em so Im a little bias.

Rittles · Aug 17, 2011

ddawg16 said:
If I had to give something a priority....electrical...

+1 on the electrical. Congrats on the house and garage. I just bought my first house and workshop 2 years ago.

Definitely get the electrical checked out ASAP. My workshop recently burned down, which was most likely electrical. Lost all my tools and everything in storage, but at least I get to build a brand new one and get all new tools.

Also check your insurance policy as mine was not insured. As I recall, it wasn't too expensive to insure an outbuilding, we just decided not to do it at the time and kicking ourselves now.

chrisrozz · Aug 25, 2011

Rittles- thanks for that, now that you mention it, i don't think it is...

sorry i haven't been on here, been jacking up a floor and repairing horse hair plaster (yes, it is real horse hair, not as fun to do as I thought).

here's a couple pics for now- notice the steal of a lawnmower there, $50 at a garage sale. more to come later

That's right, I'm a home (GARAGE) owner!!!

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