Primed and Ready

I have new picture today. I cleaned out the shop and started painting it today. This first coat is a wallboard primer and sealer, in white of course. I doesn't cover the walls real well, but I don't think it is supposed to. I bought a sprayer/roller tool to help get the job done. I wanted to use the roller so I wouldn't make a mess. I made a lot of messes, paint dripping off the shield, not covering evenly, dripping through almost every joint. I finally gave up, and just sprayed, and that worked great. Yes I have some over-spray on the floor, but it was still less than the roller was leaving. Unfortunately, everything in the garage has a layer of paint spray on it. I hadn't moved the chair and table you see in the picture out of there, 'cause I was planning on rolling and didn't need to move them. They all came clean, well mostly clean.

Things missed is I added access to the attic as the code requires it if the space is greater than 30 inches, and I'm at 40 inches. you can see it above the garage door. I trimmed a hole to the required size, added trim to hold it up, and put the sheet rock up on top of the trim.

Next is another layer of white, and then lights. but I'll be gone next week so it will be a couple of weeks before I get to them. I hadn't planned for the garage door height, so I have to reduce the number of lights down from 11 to 8. Two lights in each row from the garage door towards the back wall, but I'm keeping 4 in the row nearest the windows. I also had to move where the power comes through the ceiling on the back set as the hole was over the garage door. After the lights I have wall plate covers and need to decide if I cover the floor or not. I've seen floor coverings that look nice but they don't add much except looks and a seal. My original choice was epoxy, which means I need to remove all of the paint I left there. :-(

Anyway, Enjoy and be careful of the splinters, and box cutters; stitches come out on Tuesday.

The Wallboard Passed

I just had the wallboard inspection, and it passed. I think there is only one more and that is the final. I need to paint, hang lights, and gutters and place the outlet covers all around. I already have GFIs, and all of the fixtures will be florescent. At this point I think I can do the ground level too, keeping the dirt 6" below the bottom of the wood paneling. This will actually be the most work, but I still need to take it easy for the cut on my arm. Oh, did I mention that. I planted a box-cutter in my left arm deep enough when the doctor was looking at it, he called over the technician and said " see how the tendon and muscle move when he flexes his wrist...". I just wanted him to sew it back up. It didn't hurt but it was ugly. Took 3 stitches to pull it back together. Didn't lose any feeling or coordination in my hand, so it was a good cut. Stitches out in 7 more days.

I put together a craftsman project table to put my pop on. It goes well with the chair and is surprisingly stable. I've had the table in a box for over a year, with no room to set it up. So while healing I put it together to be able to contemplate the shop, and drink my pop.

Sorry, there are no pictures tonight, spent the evening at a, "surprise, your retiring" party for a friend of ours.

Enjoy, and be careful of the splinters.

Behind the Garage Door...

Well, behind the door I have been plastering. But here you can see the door. I haven't completed putting the door up yet, only the lower track is in place, so it won't fall over. There is a 1" gap between the frame and the door itself, which I'm not real happy with. I need to get another piece to seal the opening. The company that makes the doors sells a 'doorstop' with a big rubber flange that is supposed to lean against the door to seal it. I guess they leave the gap for discrepancies in the ways the opening was framed.

I still need to trim the front opening. the 2 pieces there are just temporary, as I need to install a wider piece, 6" wide that is, naturally a size that is hard to get. Technically I could use plywood since the both edges will be covered. I'll do my best to make it look nice. I've been toying with some ideas for the outside trim on the face of the shop. Maybe I'll post a couple of sketches. Not tonight, already too tired, so I'm hitting the sack.

Enjoy, but be careful of the splinters.

Taping and Muding

All of the sheetrock is up, and I've been taping and muddying the seams. I've started the second coat on the walls, but I gave up on trying to get a second coat on the ceiling tonight.

Been looking at garage doors. A plain, no windows, insulated door (4.4R) runs about $300 at the HD. I can get a door installed for about $600. Well, I need 3 doors, so I'll probably install it myself. The insulation thickness determines the type of mount that is installed on the inside of each panel. It looks like I can yank out their insulation, put in a 2" layer, add a plywood skin for the back, and double the insulation to R13-14 for little cost.

I've also been looking at lights. I want to install 11 4' florescent fixtures. The simplest with an electronic ballest is still over $20 a piece, which adds up quickly. One with a reflector and a wire cover is $38, way to high. I'll probably go cheaper and hope I don't break any lights.

Time to go, enjoy and be careful of the splinters.

SheetRock'in!

Okay, so I'm trying to make it sound more exciting then it is. I almost have all of the Sheetrock up. I rented a lift to help with the ceiling, but I still did all of the work myself, except loading it into the truck. A 4x12 piece of Sheetrock is heavy, and you hope there is no breeze when you pick it up. While the work isn't perfect it is up there. It took me a full day to do the ceiling, and I thought it would only take 4 hours.

The next day I started on the walls. The walls and ceiling are 1/2 inch, except for the walls by the garage door. Those are 5/8 inch to meet fire safety code. I went ahead and loosened each power outlet then stuffed then inside their own box, cut the openings for the holes and screwed everything in.

I work only about 2 hours after I get home, which translates typically into 2-4 sheets a night. I still need to split one sheet for 2 spots about 21" wide. Then I need to tape all of the joints.

I'm also looking for a garage door. We've been talking about getting windows on top of the door, but usually takes 4-5 weeks to get the door. Without windows I can pick up a door at Lowes or Home Depot tomorrow. We need 3 doors, but only one right away.

Anyway you can see wire hanging down from the ceiling for the lights, but most of the rest is in. I managed to take these pictures without showing the incomplete spots.

Enjoy, but be careful of the splinters.

Hey, I only got 2 answers from the survey, is anybody out there?