Did ya Build it or Buy it?

[gec]

I've just finished the drawings for mine and sent them out to an architech for his stamp, 27x30 attached with addition to the house above, I'll hire a contractor to excavate & frame it in and finish the rest myself,was kinda wondering weather to tile the floor where the vette will sit, if so ceramic or linolium?

 

[LorinD]

I built my garage [30 X 40] myself with the help of my sons and my wife . The concrete
was pour by a professional . The only complaint , the concrete was poured with no
seams . I have cracking on the floor .

 

[Piet]

kinda wondering weather to tile the floor where the vette will sit, if so ceramic or linolium?

If you search in the garage depot threads, you will see a number of posts on "Floor Coverings"

I think that I am leaning towards Linoleum Tiles from a durability factor. I have my car on wheel dollies... but the castors are metal... I am afraid to see what that will do to an epoxy floor paint.

 

[JohnZ]

Ceramic gets slippery as hell, especially when wet, and the tiles aren't very strong - they'll crack and split. Linoleum or vinyl/asphalt tile doesn't work out well in the long term - the oils in tires will permanently stain it, it's very difficult to clean, and in a garage environment, it doesn't hold up well, especially if it's laid on a slab that doesn't have a moisture barrier under the slab.

 

[Piet]

OK... question...
Have you ever had a chip out of your epoxy floor? How do bare jack stands, metal ramps and such stand up against the coating?

 

[JohnZ]

I haven't found anything that damages my epoxy floor - I've dropped lots of tools, parts, etc. on it and none have bothered it; it's also impervious to any automotive chemical, including brake fluid (you DON'T want to dribble brake fluid on a painted floor). I don't TRY to damage it, though - I put carpet squares or Masonite squares under things like jackstands that have sharp edges, and have carpet squares under the feet of my 4-post lift.

One of the standout features of an epoxy floor is how easy it is to keep clean; I just sweep it occasionally with a soft-bristle push-broom or wet-mop it if it's really dirty. One corner of the garage is for our daily drivers, and they make a real mess after the long winter (snow, ice, salt, dirt, etc.); in the Spring, I just open the garage door on that side and hose it out, and in minutes it's nice and clean again.

 

[ruby76]

I had fully intended on building it myself, but then after checking local codes etc, and comparing prices, it was only $1k more to have this local specialty garage place build it. So I had them build the garage. Saved me time although I kind of wanted to do it myself. I did to the elctrical etc.

 

[Kid_Again]

The only thing I built was the shelving for the garage. First time I used a nail gun. I think I had the air pressure up a TAD too much, having just used the 1/2" impact gun. The first nail went through 2 2x4's and disappeared into the dirt.

Hmmmmm

 

[JohnZ]

The only thing I built was the shelving for the garage. First time I used a nail gun. I think I had the air pressure up a TAD too much, having just used the 1/2" impact gun. The first nail went through 2 2x4's and disappeared into the dirt.

Hmmmmm

You musta hit the "Turbo" button by accident

 

[Toms007]

Built mine myself, from the footings to the last nail in the shingles, to wiring, plumbing, laying the brick, the whole nine yards. But that was back a few years when I was younger.

If I were to do it again I'd pay to have the concrete work done....I hate concrete work.....have always hated it.....was just too da*n cheap to pay someone to do it.

I am looking at some kind of floor covering, maybe "Motofloor" I think they sell it at Costco (at least on the website). Any one had any experience with this?

 

[JohnZ]

Try the "Flooring" section at www.garagejournal.com - has everything (good and bad) you'd ever want to know about any garage floor product.

 

[C-4 Now]

Well I guess I'm half-_ssed again! Didn't do it all myself. Started last week with a builder friend. A lot of work but goes much faster with an experienced professional on the job. Exterior is almost complete. We put most of siding on Friday! Yahoo! Not huge [limited by zoning rules] but should work great. Built 24X26 with eleven foot floor to ceiling height. I have some digital pictures but still haven't learned how to post them. Now got to figure out interior layout? Having professional help cut a 6 weeks of frustration and head scratching to about 1 week.

 

[Tom Bryant]

I took the easy way out and wrote a check. I did build the cabinets and bench myself. I used leftover plywood to cut squares to set the jack stands on like John did. All I have on the floor is concrete sealer. Keeps the dust down and mops easily. It isn't showy though. Maybe someday when I'm done spraying paint I'll look into a fancy floor finish.

Tom

 

[BobbyG]

All the Blood, Sweat, and Tears....splinters, sore back, and mishaps are mine.

Built proudly in America by an American....

 

[Vettepirate]

When i leave my parents house, which unfortunately for them is not anytime soon, ill make sure to get a house with a big garage so i dont have to build one. Still though, it would make an interesting project

My vette uses up all the space in the garage, and our workshop is tiny. For ANYONE who likes to use tools and repair/build things, a double-garage is almost mandatory it seems.

 

[tonyvdb]

I had a contractor build the shell and I did the siding, interior finish walls, electric, and insulation. Still more to do, but with a 5 day a week job and taking time to drive the vert doesn't leave much time left to play on the garage.

 

[grumpyvette]

I had an architech custom draw the plans I wanted, an engineer work with the arcitech while he drew the plans and approved the plans and purchased all the materials or at least made damn sure what got used was matching EXACTLY what the plans called for,and above minimum standards by a noticable margin. then I hired subcontractors WITH REFERANCES for most of the external structure(floor,roof walls,ETC.) and did most of the plumbing and all the electrical myself
and WATCHED THEM CONSTANTLY and had both the engineer and the inspectors over so frequently they knew me by first name, and voice on the phone!
Ive always felt, if you can,t do it to the highest level of quality you can possiably afford theres a problem somewhere
example
why use 2400psi concrete if 4000psi concrete is only a few extra dollars a yard, if #5 rebar every 4 feet in the slabs ok, then # 7 rebar ever 3 feet is better,if a 3" thick slabs ok, an 8" thick ones better, if 2x4 rafters are ok, 2x8 rafters are better, if 12 ga wires ok, 10 ga is better..yeah it does add up but look at the differance in the finnished product, do you really want the minimum that just barely gets past inspection???? I sure never did!!

 

[Mac]

I couldn't agree more, Grumpy. I over-engineer deliberately. Build it right; build it once.

-Mac