The Trials and Tribulations of building a Garage - Part 1

In the summer of 2008, I started building a shed to replace the crappy metal shed that came with the house. I was assisted by my Father who was visiting at the time and he gave me creative input and reined in my flights of fancy. See the entire build here.

The shed served me well for the first couple of years, then slowly became a repository for my ever expanding collection of tools. Then I got busy doing work everywhere else but in my own home and the shed slowly became a dumping ground in between jobs. This winter put things into stark perspective. I have some of my equipment under tarpaulins and some just dumped in the overhang near the shed.

A recent job necessitated the manufacture of cabinet doors (on which I hope to do a more comprehensive post) which I was forced to do in one of my customer's place. I would've preferred to do them in a more controlled environment.

Therefore - I need me a Garage / Wood shop / Workshop. Stat!!!!

In the city of Brampton, one is allowed an accessory structure 10' x 10' without the need of a permit so long as it meets with all zoning requirements. The general ones are 2' from neighbouring property lines, maintain access to all easements for Hydro/Bell etc.

Since I want more floor space and would like to have a sub panel installed so as to have sufficient power to make adequate amount of sawdust, I would have to apply for a permit to build said Workshop. I would also like said workshop to have some source of heating. Wood would be the first choice, but again zoning issues are thrown into play.

My initial plan was to have the workshop in the side yard just behind the window on the second level and projecting 7' proud of the house's rear wall. This would allow me a workspace of 12 feet wide x 24 feet long while still maintaining 2' from our shared fence. The workshop would have garage door at the front and rear, enabling me to store trailers (Can you say 'Airstream') in the rear yard. The gate that I built in 2008, also with Dad, will have to go to allow access to the garage. I'll rework that at a later date.

This is the plans that I drew up for the Garage at the side of the house.

Armed with this drawing and a framing plan, I approached the City of Brampton's Building Department to seek out more information regarding this.

That's when I hit the first wall. Hard.

I cannot build the garage ate the side as per my plan. (Though multiple homes in the A,B,C & D section of Bramalea have such a garage at the side their house)
a. New zoning regulations require a clear 3 feet from the property line
b. It cannot be attached to the house. I must have a 3 ft. clearance between the house and the proposed garage.

I did however get the following clarifications. And they seem to be good.
A. I can build a Two Car Garage at the rear of the house.
B. I can have utilities connected to it.
C. I can build to 500 sq. ft. and That I like!!!

There is one catch however. My address falls under the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority on account of the Green Area / Creek / Storm runoff at the rear of the house. The TRCA is somewhere in York and I will have to pay them a visit as time allows.

And that's where I am at now.

More to follow..............

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Random Things and Glaaves for Kissing!!!!

It was a crazy, mad 2013 and blogging was the very last thing on my mind!!

I went from one large project to the other, realizing a little bit late into the project that the best things that complement the 'after' pictures are the 'before' ones.....

We had family visiting from Spring through Fall. Seven family members in total, three weddings and a whole lot of outings... Getting home in time took precedence over getting the pictures. Something I regret now as some of the projects were a sea change from their original state.

Nevertheless.

I finally got back to my on and off washroom project this weekend. I slapped on the drywall and threw on the first coat of setting compound. I will be putting on the subsequent finish coats through the week.

All seams and screw holes covered with 90 minute sheetrock. The setting compound strengthens the joints and does not shrink like regular drywall compound. Here's a tip I got from watching the pros at work. Add a few drops of dish washing liquid to the mix to enable the mix to flow smoothly on the wall.

This is looking in from the door. The available space for the vanity is 24.5". I plan on putting a wall hanging sink at 39" high instead of the standard 32". This is more comfortable for adults and grown kids.

The toilet rough in was set by my plumber a year ago after I had tiled the floor. The sequence is slightly in reverse to how washrooms are normally built. Not sure why I did it this way, but I suppose I did what I did when I could do it. 

Looking in to the shower stall. I got this unit from Rona at a great deal as it was a display piece. Almost CAD 500.00 off retail.

I've learned so much more since I started building this washroom. I would've done things quite differently now, armed with the information that I now possess. But I will make it look good.

That's not hubris, but merely an inability to do a crap job!!!!

On another note, I stepped into the local Dollarama to buy a pair of vinyl gloves. I wanted to slip them under my regular gloves as I was to hand mix a batch of Deck-Mud for a 40 x 40 shower base.

I located an associate and asked where I could find vinyl or latex gloves. He looked at me and in a fairly thick accent said "Aisle 9, glaaves for kissing!". I was quite sure that something was truly lost in our mutual translations, and I reiterated my need. "I'm looking for any thin waterproof gloves that I can wear under my regular gloves". I was fairly adept at kissing, and fathomed a guess that wearing gloves while kissing might be a new fetish of some sort.

He looked at me, perplexed at my apparent stupidity and stated once more.

"Aisle 9. Glaaves for kissing, wassing, cleaning."

Ah!!! Kitchen gloves. Thank You!!!!! 

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Seidio Convert Combo Case

Last year I broke the screen of my LG P999 smartphone. I was attempting to lift the phone from the table and lost my grip..... The digitizer still worked and I did use it for over a year. Last month, the phone itself went nuts and I had to bite the bullet and get myself a new phone.

I opted for the Google-LG Nexus 4, but this time decided to drop some coin on better protection for the unit.

I purchased the Seidio Convert Combo case which is essentially 2 cases in one with holster than can clip on to a pocket or be attached to a belt. The slim case, called the surface a slim hard case with an integral 'kick' stand. This offers basic protection in what I like to call 'party mode'. It offers fall protection, but leaves the screen still vulnerable.

Th second skin is a 2.5mm thick silicone cover that offers better fall & bump protection. It projects 2 mm proud of the screen offering far better protection than the 'surface'.

Finally a plastic 'exoskeleton' fits over the silicone skin holding the skin snug and protecting the corners from any severe falls. A nice touch are the various rubber flaps covering the USB, camera and headphone jacks. The kick stand is also accessible through all three covers.

A belt holster is included to hold the phone on your belt with the screen facing inward.

Lets see how this holds up to my work.

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Camping Balls

It's always good to have an additional set of balls when camping. Not the ones that generate that oh so required testosterone, but these ones....

 

I took a used softball (courtesy +jb baptista) and drilled a 13 mm hole right through. I then inserted a length of rope with knots at both ends that hold the ball and rope together.

This will make slinging ropes through the trees an easier task.

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Habitat for Humainty - ReStore - Mississauga Grand Opening

Ever since I moved to Canada and discovered it, the ReStore has been my go to place for the odd stuff that I need to get my 'Hacks' up and running and even light fittings, tiles etc. Most of the stuff I've bought was BNIB (Brand New In the Box). Some, open stock. while I would get excited at the prospect of getting a great deal, imagine if you would, those that benefit from the sale of these products.

HfH chooses homeowners according to their need, their ability to re-pay the no-profit mortgage and their willingness to work in partnership with Habitat. HfH is a hand-up not hand-out program designed to break the poverty cycle by helping individuals and families help themselves. They build simple, decent and affordable houses for families that would otherwise not be able to purchase their own home.

This Saturday, the 5th of May, the ReStore in Mississauga will have it's Grand Opening Celebration. Located on 1705 Argentia Road, the store will be open for sale from 10.00AM to 4.30PM. I had popped in yesterday as I was in Mississauga and saw a lot of great stuff for sale. Please do go if you have the time and support their cause.

I do my bit by donating most of the leftover building material as well as light fixtures, vanities etc. that I have replaced in customers houses, to the ReStore. If you do have new or gently used building material, do drop it off to the ReStore. One man's trash will always be someone else's treasure!!!

 Habitat for Humanity's Mississauga ReStore. 1705 Argentia Road

 Cabinets, Light Fixtures, Chandeliers (from CAD 50.00)

One of the many vanity sinks

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Basement Build - Oakville - Done

Just finished the entire build this afternoon. Touched up all of the paint on the walls, baseboards and ceilings. The biggest part was getting all of my tools out of there. Here are the pictures of the basement as I left it this afternoon.

The build-out housing the Electric Fireplace, Centre Channel alcove and the TV. All cabling has been routed from the left corner to the back of the TV and along the walls to feed speakers and the subwoofer. Dual RJ45's were dropped from the Living Room above to feed the TV and Media Center.

Looking from the far end towards the 'Media Room'. In Ceiling speakers will keep tunes local while others watch TV. This space will eventually house a Pool Table.

Looking towards the 'Pool Table Area'. I built a shelf at the far end upon which the 'boys' would set down their drinks.

I played around with the bulkheads and even added a dummy one on the left to equalise the space and made a sort of coffered ceiling.

Two sets of doors in the Main Room lead to a smaller closet on the left and the access to the crawl space on the left. I installed a pair of double doors to increase the opening width to accommodate the homeowner's treadmill when entertaining.

Access to the Electrical Panel above and Storage below

Really shaky picture showing the detail of the 3 5/8"chair rail that I used as trim for the chunky 'Bar Shelf'. That little detail on the end is called a Return. And when it comes out just right it makes me happy. That's probably where the term 'Many Happy Returns' come from. NOT!!!

Looking into the Laundry Room and Furnace Room

Laundry pair & Freezer. The homeowner will be installing a sink in the area to the left of the washer. A Laundry box was installed behind the washer to streamline inlet and outlet piping. The  dryer connects to concealed ducting that vents to the outdoors.

Two pairs of Double Bi-Fold doors enable the Furnace Room to be opened completely for service work and storage.

Furnace Room with both sets of doors open

This is the bulkhead that houses the Main Water Shut Off. I made the entire top piece (trim and all) removable to access the faucet.

Round ceiling diffusers. I do not like the original builder installed grilles and replace them whenever I get the chance.

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Basement Build - Oakville - Update

Just had some pictures on hand of the build progress. This build has taken longer than anticipated on account of the additions to the scope of work as we progressed. Besides that, I am working alone and I think that I overestimated my own capabilities.

However it is progressing well and should be quite the basement when completed.

 All framed, insulated and vapor barrier installed. Cabling for front, rear and centre speakers were installed along with the HV wiring  

This is the build out for the Television, Electric Fireplace and Centre Channel speaker. I took care to build it out in line with the bulkheads. This way everything is streamlined. Also visible in the picture is tubing that was installed to pull cabling from the Media Cabinet that will be installed in the left hand corner of the room.

I tried to minimize the impact of the bulkheads in the room. This one in particular, I got my plumber to reverse the piping, thereby maintaining a smaller bulkhead instead of a tall one.

Looking towards the Laundry Room. 

Drywalled. The left side bulkhead is a dummy installed to maintain symmetry. The resultant look is one of a coffered ceiling. Dedicated circuits were installed for the heater and the television.

 Looking toward the rear of the basement. Double doors at the top and bottom of the visible openings will offer access to the Electrical panel as well as storage at the bottom.

Looking into the Laundry Room. This room will also house the freezer in addition to the Laundry Pair and the Laundry sink. Mike, my plumber, installed a laundry box that streamlines the inlet and outlet of the Washing Machine.  Not visible in the picture is the Utility room that houses the Furnace  and the Water Heater. I built this tight, but the entire space is accessible via 2 sets of Double Bi fold doors.

That's Peter, who's done the taping in most of the basements that I've built.

 And that's Anthony working the Bazooka. If you're into tools as I am; the woody is understandable....

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Basement Build - Oakville

Today is the first real day that I've had at home alone since the beginning of December. And that's because the Tapers have taken over my build. I've not had much time to blog as I would generally make it home after 8 on most days.

So here are pictures of the basement as it was on the day that I started the build. Pictures are from my phone and hence the poor quality.

The stairwell into the basement. I built out the wall to the right to equalize both walls. The area under the stairs will be a double door closet to accommodate the Home Owner's treadmill when entertaining. The little alcove will be a small coat or storage closet.   

Looking towards the Pool Table area. The alcove at the far end will hold a 'Bar Shelf' for drinks to be set down upon. 

The Basement Washroom rough plumbing. This was in the worst place possible. We dug out the floor and removed the existing plumbing and sealed the pipes.

 Looking towards what will become the Media Wall in the Home Theater Area.

The existing laundry room and furnace room. The plan is to build a dedicated laundry room complete with concealed plumbing and ducting and a counter top above the laundry pair, thereby giving the space dual functionality when entertaining. 

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Living Wall

These are all the rage in the design circles these days. I made this 'smaller scale' living wall from reclaimed PT fence boards that someone had kept out on the curb on garbage day. The inner section is lined with plastic and a lightweight potting soil was added with a coir mat to hold it all in. A frame finishes it all off.

The homeowner loves gardening... These are drought resistant succulents

Side View

Size in relation to the front door. The plants are yet to 'grow out'

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Deck Build - Rear Deck

This is the rear deck and the deck that got the whole conversation started. Built using the same design principle as the front deck, I added a wrap around step that doubles up as a seating during parties....

As with the other two areas, lights come on at dusk....

This deck is 20' x 10' and like the front, spans the entire width of the house. I maintained only one wrap around on the main level as the width of the deck forced me to use staggered joints.

The additional platform makes for a fluid transition from the side deck to the rear deck.

Close up of the decking pattern on the platform

Close up of the stairs

This 'bench' came about from the homeowners need to have the basement windows left uncovered. This posed a problem as they also have a 1 year old grandson. My solution.... a bench that can be flipped over when he visits - keeping him safe.

Faux 'campaign' style made by joining two scrap 2x10's in a X pattern. Additional bracing means that the bench can actually be used.

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.

Living Space - Outdoor Kitchen

In it's original configuration, the side passage housed the BBQ and potting accouterments (the homeowner is an avid cook and gardener). I sought to bring together both of these endeavors by creating an outdoor kitchen and potting bench that flanked the BBQ. I took the 'outdoor kitchen' one step further by adding a sink with running water and shelves that would in normal circumstance hold utensils. Here, they hold plants. The final touch were the lights that come on automatically at dusk.

If the look seems industrial, it's because the wood is Pressure Treated, the hardware is galvanized and the counter tops are Stainless Steel. All materials that were chosen to withstand the vagaries of Canadian weather.

The plumbing is simple, and can be disconnected before the first frost. The drain has no P Trap as there are no sewer gases to hold back. The drain pipe runs to the rear of the garden and is perforated along it's entire length to irrigate the garden as it drains.

Outdoor Kitchen

Close Up

Kitchen Sink with running Water - Stainless Steel countertops were custom fabricated by a local plate shop

Simple plumbing allowing disconnection in winter

Garden irrigation

Night shot with lights

Another dusk shot

Dhiraj

If you are looking for solutions for your home, contact us about our design, build & decorate services.