Jim Bollman Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 I'm having a new garage built, but in TN you have to have something rare called flat land. Here are the pictures after 4 days of work. 1 day he had to bring in a Bobcat with jackhammer attached and got all the big rocks but one that he found after the place he rented the Bobcat already picked it up. He thinks we can make it work. It is planned at 28'X28'. This not going to be a shop just extra storage and the wife gets her first inside parking place in 54 years. She did have a carport at the previous house. It will have a 200 amp service just in case plans change in the future. Thought I had plenty of place for the free dirt but I'm running out of place. Did make some more flat land along the driveway filling my side of a raven. First picture is from my back porch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 I have a sister in law from Tenn. Years ago talking with her brother that was an excavation contractor, he made the comment that they did not dig holes, they blasted them! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted April 19 Author Share Posted April 19 Progress, after a week of a rain then a sick contractor and a digger that was over committed. With a little luck they should start laying block next week. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted April 23 Author Share Posted April 23 Slow going but progress. With a little luck the mason will show in the morning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted April 23 Share Posted April 23 I live in East TN and understand what you are going through. When I look at your footers and the blocks sitting there I have some good advice for you. Put in good drains (dig down below the footers) and don't skimp on waterproofing the blocks before you backfill with dirt. I had a similar garage located in a hillside at my last house and during heavy rains water came in between the floor and block walls. Stopping the water from the inside is all but impossible. Take the time to do it right on the outside now and it will save you a lot of heartache in the future. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted April 23 Author Share Posted April 23 I have a contract that I trust, he has been building in the area for 40+ years, but water worries me. The floor will be a full block+ above the footer. He explained his approach for water proofing and it sounds like it should work. He said that the block with have a cement wash and then tar rolled on them allowing the tar to pool on top of the footer to seal the bottom of the block. He will then put the drain tile around on the outside of the block on top of the footer and cover with gravel. Both ends end in a swale that goes along the drive. He is also going to put tar impregnated fiber board of some sort on the outside of the blocks where it will be underground to add more water proofing and a cushion to keep any rocks from damaging the blocks or tar sealer. The building will have gutters emptying into the swale along the drive. A 6" pipe will allow the swale to drain under the apron going into the garage. The side and back grade will be tapered down towards the building then back up to keep water away from wall and sloped to dump any runoff water into the swale. Also plan to have a vapor barrier under the floor. The back and side walls are 12" block that will be filled with concrete with rebar, 8" block in the front. I'm sure the occasional very heavy rain will cause the swale to over run into the drive but it does that now, but it drains into the ground within an hour or so after the rain stops and the floor will be well above the drive so water will not run in. One none drainage concern is there is a 7,200 volt power line above it feeding the house transformer. The building will have a steel roof so I decided it should be grounded so if it ever came down on the building it would blow the fuse out at the road faster and not sit and sizzle for awhile and maybe start a fire in the rafters. Talked to the electrician today and he didn't disagree with the idea. The plan is to put a 200 amp panel in even though I currently only plan it to be a garage not a shop, I already have my shop I just need to get some of the finished projects out of it to make a little more space. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted April 23 Share Posted April 23 Looking good. There is a way to prevent water. Sounds like your contractor is on the right track. In the commercial building world we would use a drainage system that put a primer on the wall, then a moisture barrier that was similar to roofing ice shield only about 5 times thicker. It would come in 4 ft rolls that glued to the primer. The seams were all sealed as well. Then a corrugated drain board (actually another roll of material) would go on. Backfilled with a gravel to allow drainage and a series of drain pipes connected. Never had a water problem! After putting these systems in I laugh at tar foundation coating! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 Progress this week. All the block laid as of today. Fellow is scheduled to pump the blocks full of concrete and add rebar tomorrow morning. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 They put 14 yards of concrete in the walls with rebar every 4 or 5 feet with 2 bars in each piers in front. They also got the tar on the walls and the drain around the outer walls with gravel on top of them. Not much visibly different. Trusses and wood for the caps on the walls are due Monday. Should start looking like a real garage by sometime next week. They need to bring some more stone for inside after they chip down two more rocks that are to high yet. They beat on them a bit yesterday and got them close but they are planning to bring an electric chip hammer on Monday to get another inch or so of clearance under the slab. They marked off where the top of the floor will be and it looks like about 2" above the first course of block in back and slat down to a little below the top of the first row of blocks in front so any water will run out. Planning on 5" of rebar enforced concrete for floor with a vapor barrier, seamed into 13'X13' quarters for cracking. That should give me a little over 8.5' foot ceiling. I don't want the building so high that it over powers the house, that should make the peak a little lower than the house. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Making progress. Lost a couple days to rain this past week and one worker got sent home for drinking at lunch, so roof got delayed till Monday. At least it is on the trailer waiting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 Jim, You should be able to fit a dozen Crosleys, even before adding a 4-post lift 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 I realized it has been over a month since my last update. Not done yet but close. White door needs painting, second coat of floor sealer, some ground cover seeding and the stone work on the cement blocks yet. To many subcontractor delays and to much rain so running a few weeks behind original plans. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 Looks great! Fits in with the environment perfectly. If it had carriage doors it would look like it had been there for the last hundred years! One advantage of building into a hill, a lot less exterior finishes! (and I am sure it will stay cooler inside). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted June 22 Author Share Posted June 22 Well started using the new garage this past week. Still a few little things to do plus the stone work on the block, but that will have to wait a few weeks since the contractor had a knee replace this past week. All the smoothing out around the sides done and seeded, not sure if grass will take in the red clay but weeds are ok. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted July 20 Author Share Posted July 20 Still not done. The contractor had a knee replaced 3 weeks ago. If he hadn't had rain and subtractor delays he would have been done before his operation. Just need the stone work done yet. I'll post a finished picture when that gets done. Only difference visual is the grass around it is currently green. Decided to post today's minor project. I kept forgetting to turn off the overhead lights when I left so I put a motion detector light switch in today with a 10 minute time out. If it shuts off too many times when I'm in the back where it can't see me I will length it out. The $25 the motion detector switch cost, is probably more than I will save in electricity for a long time, since 32' of LED lighting doesn't use much electricity, it was more the idea I didn't like leaving the lights on. But I found an interesting artifact that may be useful for others, the switch sees the doors going up and turns on the overhead lights not just the little garage door lights. Only other additions I have made are some hooks on the back wall for a ladder and some ramps, was an 8' tall shelving unit between the garage doors with a 2'X2' bench. I quickly discovered you need a place to sit things and do small jobs even when the space is not intended as a work space. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 You might want to consider putting a timer switch on for the lights. That is what I did for my out building. https://www.amazon.com/BN-LINK-60-Minute-Countdown-Mechanical-bathroom/dp/B01LVTGKBR/ref=asc_df_B01LVTGKBR/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16580095637985564412&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016971&hvtargid=pla-2281435181658&psc=1&mcid=b5abb80f31c431519d13b57e85639be6&hvocijid=16580095637985564412-B01LVTGKBR-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted July 23 Author Share Posted July 23 2 hours ago, Larry Schramm said: You might want to consider putting a timer switch on for the lights. That is what I did for my out building. https://www.amazon.com/BN-LINK-60-Minute-Countdown-Mechanical-bathroom/dp/B01LVTGKBR/ref=asc_df_B01LVTGKBR/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16580095637985564412&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016971&hvtargid=pla-2281435181658&psc=1&mcid=b5abb80f31c431519d13b57e85639be6&hvocijid=16580095637985564412-B01LVTGKBR-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1 Thanks, I was going to do a timer switch but decided on the motion switch since it automatically turns off after a set time. Not easy to change setting but resets every time it sees motion. I'll try it for awhile and switch if it doesn't work out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted August 13 Author Share Posted August 13 All done but writing the last check. Way over budget but happy with the final job. The stone work added a bunch but wanted it to match the house. Sides are stucco with just a few Random stones, mostly the sides will not show much once the vegetation grows back and we plant an evergreen and some bushes on both sides. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 On 4/5/2024 at 7:21 PM, Jim Bollman said: I'm having a new garage built, but in TN you have to have something rare called flat land. Here are the pictures after 4 days of work. 1 day he had to bring in a Bobcat with jackhammer attached and got all the big rocks but one that he found after the place he rented the Bobcat already picked it up. He thinks we can make it work. It is planned at 28'X28'. This not going to be a shop just extra storage and the wife gets her first inside parking place in 54 years. She did have a carport at the previous house. It will have a 200 amp service just in case plans change in the future. Thought I had plenty of place for the free dirt but I'm running out of place. Did make some more flat land along the driveway filling my side of a raven. First picture is from my back porch. Are going to have a ceiling high enough for a lift? Just a thought. I live on a piece if property that is not level. Block had to come up on one side of the building 5-7 block high. I went with a hip roof to match my house 200 feet away. No poles im the middle of the garage for support. Engineered roof trusses for a 22 x 40 building. Siding is T 111 stained same color as my house. The roof tiles are an architectural grade/appearance. I only have 100 amp service. I now wish Id put in 200 amp. Ive got electric heaters up in the ceiling that require amps. I put window shaker AC’s in a couple of windows. So, the lift, heaters, big 10 HP COMPRESSOR and Kenmore kitchen oven used for curing small powder coat parts. Id wished id piped in water as im 200 feet from the house. I put a rain barrel under one of my down spouts. I have a cheap submergible pump that gets my water for me. i put on rain gutter on one side of the garage and screened in the gutter to keep debris out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 Not tall enough for a lift. I have no intention of using it for anything but a garage and its location would have looked over powering to the house to go high enough for lift. It is now approximately the same hight as the house and looks like it belongs with the house. My shop is in a drive in basement, 9' ceilings so no lift there either. would be nice for some projects. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 On 8/12/2024 at 8:59 PM, Jim Bollman said: All done but writing the last check. Way over budget but happy with the final job. The stone work added a bunch but wanted it to match the house. Sides are stucco with just a few Random stones, mostly the sides will not show much once the vegetation grows back and we plant an evergreen and some bushes on both sides. A great looking building for sure. Putting in the landscaping is a great touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 6 minutes ago, Jim Bollman said: My shop is in a drive in basement, 9' ceilings so no lift there either. would be nice for some projects. Jim, you are wise to separate your space for appropriate use. Ive got so much crammed in the garage I put up a tent AND bought a storage container for my inventory of Buick wheels I refurbish. im not so good at organization, but Ive always managed to meet my production goals. Had I been a legitimately trained mechanic or body and fender man I might be a bit more organized. ive suspended all work except to clean out the garage and set up my tools so I can better use them. The beat goes on. Turbinator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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