Posts Tagged ‘gladiator’

I’m enclosing the word finished in quotation simply because I still would like to put some trim up around the garage and I still need to install a gable vent and create an attic hole covering. Aside from that though, the Gladiator gear arrived a day or two before we left for Puerto Vallarta and I had most of it up before we left. I finished up some last steps Sunday after we returned and snapped these pictures. (Yes, I drilled into the new cabinets to install the under cabinet lighting courtesy of Steelcase.. well Details actually. It was horrifying to drill into brand new cabinets but my measurements were precise..)

The Firebolt.

The Workshop.

Open house.

Drawer 1 of 5 – tool organization.

Drawer 3 of 5 – more organization.

I took Friday off from work and did the prep work in the garage. This involved triple-sweeping out the whole floor and getting rid of every last bit of dust and debris. Next was washing, degreasing, and etching the floor. I donned some rubber boots, gloves, and safety glasses and got to scrubbing the entire floor and hosing it down afterward until “the water flowed clean.” Dry out took overnight.

Saturday morning finally arrived and it was time to paint. It went on pretty easy other than the fact that the paint/epoxy doesn’t have a lot of life.. it thickens and is impossible to apply after about two hours. Work quickly is what I learned.. I just barely finished the garage. I even broke a paint roller halfway through trying to apply the last bit of the first can of paint (it was like mud). All in all though, it turned out beautifully! Here are pictures from this morning.

The floor will take a few more days to dry and then we can park the cars in the garage again. The remaining gladiator pieces are coming on Thursday (bench, gear locker, two cabinets, and a tool drawer). The garage could be back together as soon as next weekend!

Found some time last week to install the Gladiator GearTrack on the walls. I’m really happy with how it turned out. In addition to a wide assortment of hooks, I ordered a ball caddy, clean up caddy, and a storage tub holder (used for recyclables).

This past weekend I mustered up the courage to attack the floor. I rented a walk behind cutter for making grooves and a hammer drill with 3/4″ drill bit for the holes. The channels guide the water to the holes, where the water drains down into the ground. This should make this coming winter much more bearable. Thanks Derek for your help!

Next weekend I hope to apply the epoxy floor coating, order the remaining Gladiator items, and finally check the garage project off as done.

I’ve been meaning to share my spring/summer project on this blog for a while now but hadn’t downloaded the progress photos from the camera until now. I’m renovating our 24′ x 24′ (oversized) two stall garage… adding electrical, insulation, drywall, and storage. I’m doing this because the garage isn’t as usable as it could be.. and I like to improve things. Storage space has consisted of “throwing it up into the rafters” and winters are not kind to the garage. From time to time, condensation drips off of the nails in the ceiling and during cold spells, water and ice build on on our vehicles and on the garage floor. Drainage problems abound and I find myself each spring wishing I didn’t have so much clean up after four or five months of winter. Here are the steps I am taking/have taken:

1. Chalk baseboards and drafty building seams

2. Add another exterior light to enhance visibility in front of the garage and on street corner (on a light sensor circuit)

3. Insulate walls with R-13

4. Add electrical outlets above future workbench

5. Add thermostat-controlled heater

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6. Add electrical outlet for Christmas wreath (on a light sensor circuit)

7. Insulate ceiling with R-19

8. Groove cement floor to manage water drainage

9. Epoxy/coat garage floor (hired service?)

10. Drywall walls, ceiling (hired service/lots of friends)

11. Add organization components (Gladiator 6′ workbench, modular tool drawer, gear locker, 2x 30″ cabinets.. also looking for some soft of metal handing shelf for sides of garage.. any ideas?)

When all is said and done, I’m going to be maintaining 40 degrees or so in the garage during the winter.. allowing all ice to melt and all liquids and tools to stay in the garage during the winter (instead of being moved to the basement of the condo).

Trip to Lowes for new exterior light

After first or second day of chalking/insulation work

Exterior light, installed on a light sensing switched power line

More work done today.  Last night Kellie and I tore off all the drywall on the back wall so I could insulate and chalk it.  Workbench is also gone…

My electrical work.  Wired in an in-wall heater I picked up at Lowes and added two additional outlets.

All nice and insulated (except for the corners – see far right).  Wiring came next.

Now all the wall insulation AND wiring are done.  Tested everything and it all works.  Check out how dirty the cars and bikes are from all this work (really just from the drywall teardown).

I’ve taken two Fridays off now to do all this work and will probably need another two or three to finish everything. Then I’ll have to figure out what my next project is!