Started our new build yesterday!!!

[Ray]

Sorry, not a new FFR, but a garage. We're putting a 28x30 garage/shop up in the backyard and after a long expensive year of dealing with the City we finally got to turn some dirt. Not much to show but here are a few shots....

[conmech]

WOW, 'Bout time....... $ity had their way with ya, didn't they?

[David Hodgkins]

Congratulations Ray. It's going to be an awesome man-cave.

[68GT500MAN]

Did the dump trucks show up today?
Doug

[Ray]

Did the dump trucks show up today?
Doug

Just 1, but he's been busy. Filled at least 4-times now.

Ray

PS: Due to soil conditions we've to dig deeper than anticipated. Normal grade is at Jodi's left elbow. We are going to have to fill-compact-fill-compact-fill.....in 8-inch layers in order to get a firm enough base to build.

[68GT500MAN]

That is bad news. Why hasn't your house sunk into the ground after all of these years?
Doug

[Ray]

That is bad news. Why hasn't your house sunk into the ground after all of these years?
Doug

Ya think???? We mentioned that to the city a couple of times. House built in 1939 and it's still standing. Oh well..

Ray

[Someday I Suppose]

Very nice, and very jealous!!!

[riptide motorsport]

Sweet..............i'm jealous.

[Ray]

DSCN0365.JPG

This is why we need a larger garage/shop. I can't even change the oil without rolling the Roadster into the driveway first. Tried to add a pdf of the plans but they're too large.

Ray

[Ray]

Got the okay to start the fill and compaction today. Got three layers (lifts) in and a compaction test done. Need at least three more lifts to get to finished grade (maybe 4) then we can frame for concrete. If things go as well as today, looks like concrete either Monday or Tuesday next week.

Ray

[MRSQSL]

I'm thrilled you are finally able to make some progress but how frustrating that the city is giving you so much grief! I don't pretend to know much about construction but this fill compact thing seems like a waste of time and money. Oh well. At least youre almost to the fun part with concrete. How long do you expect the entire project to take? Seems like it won't be long with the amount of progress you've already made. Keep posting pictures. The rest of us are watching with a touch of envy.

[Ray]

...How long do you expect the entire project to take? Seems like it won't be long with the amount of progress you've already made. Keep posting pictures. The rest of us are watching with a touch of envy.

Well, we are a few days behind schedule with the extra ground work that needed to be done (and 1-day with no dump truck) but are hoping to start framing by the 8th of July with the structure up that week. Then it's just finishing up the rough in's (plumbing/electric/fire sprinkler (required by the City due to the size) and then I can get in and do the finish work to get the permit signed off. Phase-2 is going to be the parking pad in front of the garage and the driveway. We are going to do an older style driveway with the two-tire strips/grass in the middle which matches the age of the home (built in 1939.)

Ray

[Ray]

About 9-inches to go..JPGLike a tractor square dance.JPGAlmost there!.JPGNot a whole lot of interesting stuff today. More fill-compact-fill stuff. But, it looks like one more layer (about 8-9 inches worth) and we'll be ready to start the gravel-sand-vapor barrier etc. in preparation for the concrete work. Hard to see, but there is a short pink line on the dirt wall between the skid-steer and the compactor showing the finish height of the compacted fill.

Ray

[Ray]

Finally got to do some construction today. They were able to start the foundation framing/excavation this morning.

Foundation ex overview.JPGFoundation ex-01.JPGFoundation ex-02.JPG

Ray

[68GT500MAN]

That is really nice wood to be using as forms.

[Mark Dougherty]

congrats ray
keep up the good work

[Ray]

Most important room....JPGFURFS.JPGForms up ready for sand.JPG

That is really nice wood to be using as forms.

Yeah it is! He had to go out and buy new lumber. The excavation went $11K over budget due to soft clay in the under-soil. The "expansion index" was 120 and the numbers are like golf.....lower is better. Oh well, it's only money (and half of what Jodi's '58 Porsche kit will cost.)

Hope to have concrete poured on Monday the 8th and start framing the 10th.

Ray

Got it formed today:

[Ray]

The framing, sand and re-bar is all in and just waiting for an inspection on Monday. The plan is to pour concrete Tuesday and start framing Wednesday. That will be interesting as the material drop is also scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Ray

Re-bar 01.JPGRe-bar 02.JPGRe-bar 03.JPGRe-bar 04.JPG

[Ray]

Concrete-01.JPGConcrete-02.JPGConcrete-03.JPGConcrete-04.JPGConcrete-05.JPGConcrete-06.JPGConcrete-07.JPGConcrete-08.JPGConcrete-09.JPG

2.5 trucks worth of concrete and 6 hours of work later we have a slab!!!! Framing will start tomorrow as soon as the material gets here. Until then, we'll be digging electrical/sewer trenches.

Ray

[Ray]

Started framing at 0830 and 7-hrs later we had this! 4-walls up, all the trusses on the roof and 4 of them standing! While the pros were busy with the framing, I thought that I'd save myself some money and dig the trench for the electrical service. Hey, it's $50 an hour that I'm saving!!!!1st truss.JPG1st wall.JPGEnd of the day-01.JPGEnd of the day-02.JPGHey, I'm saving hr doing this myself.JPG

Ray

[68GT500MAN]

Looking great! If you stood IN the trench while digging it might go faster.
Doug

[Ray]

Looking great! If you stood IN the trench while digging it might go faster.
Doug

Wise ***!!!

Thanks for the tip. I managed to get about 65-ft of trench done today. You know, my Dad always told me to get an education or I'd end up digging ditches. Took over 50-yrs and two degrees, but it looks like that Dad was right after all!!!

[WIS89]

Ray-

Garage is looking GREAT! It's the one thing I wish I were able to do at my place. Can't convince the boss that it's really an important project. Oh well, perhaps the next house!

San Dog has some interesting building codes! That whole extra compaction exercise you went through seems truly excessive!

Funny, my Dad always told me to pay close attention to any work that he was doing because I'd never be able to afford to have someone do it for me... So I dig ditches, plumb, run electrical, frame, etc. myself as well. You are right $50.00 an hour in my pocket is better than $50.00 an hour in someone else's!

Great work, and please keep us posted!

Regards,

Steve

[Ray]

Doors on the south wall.JPGLooking north.JPGLooking south.JPG1st beer in the garage.JPG I was out of town the last couple of days and my wife took some photos while I was gone. Trusses are up, sheathing (wall and roof) is done, the windows and door are in and the garage door has been ordered.

Ray

[FFinisher]

Man, That looks great Ray! Don't you guys have set backs out there? We have to be 30 feet from each side property line and 50 feet from the front and rear property lines.

[Ray]

Not much to report from the last few days...just some trenches dug, inspection and back fill. Water (to the garage and for the fire sprinklers) sewer and electrical. Put an 1.5" pipe with a pull tape in one of the trenches for "just in case" later.

Next is roofing/siding and fire sprinkler installation with the hope to get inspected and signed off Monday or Tuesday.

Ray

DSCN0752.JPGDSCN0753.JPGwater line-01.JPG

[68GT500MAN]

Looking good. So the SD building code now requires fire sprinklers? I will keep the garage I have now.
Doug

[Ray]

Looking good. So the SD building code now requires fire sprinklers? I will keep the garage I have now.
Doug

Any one and two family home in CA since 2009. Our City just went a step further and included garages/shops/etc.

They are putting the siding up now, dry walling the bathroom and waiting for the roofing materials. Sprinklers look like they'll go in Friday or Saturday and we may get our final inspection on Monday. After that, it's a trip to Madera to empty the storage unit and start putting stuff away.

Ray

[Mustang Man]

Geez Ray, you got that up in record time. Nice to be retired and with a little extra income!

I've had my little 10x16 shed for two years and still need to run electrical to it and add drywall/lighting/AC to finish it ($$$ I don't have right now).

Looks good though! Hope things are well out there...

Mark

[MRSQSL]

Holy cow! That was fast!!!!!!! Ray, did you dig all that trenching by yourself? Can you move any muscle without screaming? It looks really, really good and I'm super excited to see more pictures. More, more!!

[skullandbones]

Good stuff! Definitely want "just in case" strategies and more rather than less like on recepticles and overhead lighting. It's a bummer to say later, "wish I had more of these". Can wait to see some garage action like wrenching and other automotive projects. Good luck, WEK.

[Ray]

DSCN0767.JPGDSCN0768.JPGDSCN0765.JPGDSCN0766.JPG

The siding work started today (since the roofing materials didn't get here.) The bathroom got as finished as it's going to be for a while. It's functional but no frills.

Jodi and I did a majority of the trenching. All the electrical trench (about 120-ft) and helped with the sewer line extension but got a trencher for 110-ft of the water line. The rest of the water line was hand dug because we weren't sure where the existing house line was.

All the back fill was also by hand as well.

Ray

Holy cow! That was fast!!!!!!! Ray, did you dig all that trenching by yourself? Can you move any muscle without screaming? It looks really, really good and I'm super excited to see more pictures. More, more!!

[Ray]

south.JPGwestern roof.JPGattic vents.JPGThe roof got finished and the vents got installed. Fire sprinklers will go in starting at 0730 tomorrow. There are a total of 5 roof vents, 2-dormer vents and 1-turbine will exhaust the attic space (including the storage area) and the 2-remaining turbine vents are ducted to exhaust the shop space.

Ray

[Ray]

The fire sprinklers went in on Saturday and were finished up today (Monday.) We also got the electric done today and are just waiting for the inspection on Tuesday, then the wait for SDG&E to do the dis-connect/re-connect. After that, flip the 100-amp breaker and we've got power to the garage.

RayNew electric.JPGNew 200amp panel.JPGWhere the old 50amp panel was.JPG100amp garage panel.JPGFire sprinkler manifold.JPGSprinkler-01.JPGSprinkler-02.JPG

Ray

[Ray]

Soffits-done.JPGWest wall-done.JPGSouth wall-done.JPGSoffits done, three walls sided, remaining wall needs 3.5 rows of siding to be done. Caulking, painting, a little finish work, final electrical hook-up (SDG&E has been scheduled) and we'll be done. Today was the end of 5-weeks since we started. Paint tomorrow if it's not to windy. Not to bad of a schedule.

Ray

[conmech]

Got to see the progress first hand. Looking good. As we discussed, a garage warming party is in order after completion..........

Figures, a black and white would be the first car in your garage.

[Ray]

Door track.JPGGarage door inside.JPGGarage door outside.JPGFrench doors painted.JPGFrench doors-02.JPG

Garage door was installed Friday and we painted the french doors. Final inspection is Monday and then it's a two week wait for the pad and driveway (contractors busy.)

Ray

[QSL]

congrats ray, looks great!

[68GT500MAN]

That looks even better here than on my phone. It was great seeing you and Jodi on Saturday (thanks for the sandwich and water).
Doug