I wanted to see if I can do a quick weekly update on our garage+ project as there is some interest. Why garage+? Because we are, as discussed in my last post, not only demolishing and replacing the garage, we are adding a lot of functionality by way of a second floor and a big deck – plus replacing the deck attached to our home (the garage is not attached), repaving the driveway, and replacing our front door, etc. This is because we have no intention to move!
I’ll be doing this “garage+” as a separate series – as long as I can – hopefully weekly. My hobby and golf stuff posts will be separate – though I also have to get in some Aztec stuff for Dave’s Season of Scenery Challenge – maybe the garage+ can also count! I’m, as you Brits and Aussies say, chuffed, to get this going. Though I neglected going through my followed blogs for a bit (hobby stuff and golf and this project!), and I just finished a month of blog reading over the last week – so FINALLY I am caught up).
As for week one, Andy Cormier got in the excavator as you saw on Monday the 19th of July. He was able to knock the garage down easily on Tuesday – though I missed it as I was…yes…golfing. My wife did get a few shots of that – the garage not my golfing…
The garage is gone!! All that you see here is the asphalt floor as the building is somewhere in a dumpster traveling for disposal/recycling.On Wednesday, it was time to remove the asphalt floor. It was clearly originally placed by hand as the thickness of the lift varied considerably. The asphalt was not placed by a professional! There were all kinds of junk underneath, to include wood and the power supply to the building (just laid under the asphalt). Andy capped that power off.After the asphalt was carted off (it gets recycled differently), Andy was able to excavate under the original floor. I was curious to see if there were footings of any type under the double 2″ x 4″ and the single 2″ x 6″ boards that supported the roof on the left side. There were not!!! Also, here you see that under the back end of the garage that the previous owner had basically dumped in broken building refuse of many types (bricks, chunks of concrete) as “foundation” under the back wall. No wonder it was slumping! The engineer in me was amazed at such poor construction practices (old habit dies hard – even though I last did construction in the US Army).Andy also had to deal with a lot of roots that found their way under the building – our soil is exceptionally sandy and well-draining in East Brookfield. It put up no resistance to many roots!Getting down to 4 feet below grade. Some folks thought we were installing a pool!Mid-excavation view from our second floor house window.Friday it looked like this – all excavated and ready for next week.Same Friday view from up in the house on the second floor.
That’s where we are now – hoping that some concrete work can begin next week. Stay tuned and let me know if you like this post, want more, or less, I aim to please! Thanks for taking a look.
This site is where I will discuss stuff that I find interesting and that includes family, friends, golf, gaming, and Boston sports!
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28 thoughts on “Our Garage+ Project – Week One Update”
Great progress. Good to see you are incorporating an underground bunker for the vertically challenged!
That’s going well so far, and hopefully continues to do so. I’d say that the worse is past, so unless you get bad weather, it should be smooth from now on!
My god man! You don’t do things by half do you!!? If I started digging a hole in the garden where I live, the neighbours would have serious concerns about the whereabouts of the wife!!!!!
I’m always jealous of practical people; my daughter’s boyfriend built a garage in a week- I had the window cleaner fix my guttering!
Snow!!!?? Our rainy season lasts from September to June!!!!
Never a problem on this blog!!!
Although I did face an awkward moment the other day when my current wife asked what my blog was about!!!!!! ( see, I’m doing it now!)
Excellent footing Hole Mark, I have to remember that the construction in the US, is different to the UK, as over here any footing that supports a wall has to be a metre deep for a single story, and deeper again for two story. Your right the engineer in us is never truly gone ! LOL
That’s certainly an impressive hole – and I’m always impressed by your lovely looking and huge waterfront property! I was going to suggest adding that pool, but then after reading the comments and seeing that you have so many months of snow it might not be worthwhile!
Thanks! Well, first the pond is a nice view, but it’s only three to four feet deep at maximum. It’s name is actually “Mud Pond” and is one of a number of beaver ponds. It does support beavers, otters, and we get the occasional bald eagle, bobcat, and black bear. Moose are nearby but I haven’t seen one back there. We could have a pool but only above ground. We do “see” snow during those months, but it doesn’t stay. The really cold months are mid November to late March, but New England weather can be a bitch.
Looks like good progress was made, but why did people think it was going to be a pool? why would you put a pool at the end of you driveway? isn’t that just asking for someone to drive into it? what you should do is make the pool then build the garage over it, that’ll really catch them out!! 😁
Echoing Dave here! We’re looking to buy a house in a couple of years, and I can’t wait to have more dedicated workspace (as well as some for training)!
Mark A. Morin 
Great progress. Good to see you are incorporating an underground bunker for the vertically challenged!
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Well I am a veteran of the Cold War,
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This will be fun to follow Mark. Looking forward to seeing this progress. 🙂
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Thanks Dave, I’ll try to keep it interesting!
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This is going to be one of those US reality TV renovation shows is it?
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That’s going well so far, and hopefully continues to do so. I’d say that the worse is past, so unless you get bad weather, it should be smooth from now on!
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Thanks though we have had a LOT of rain, it’s affected my golf schedule more than the project.
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My god man! You don’t do things by half do you!!? If I started digging a hole in the garden where I live, the neighbours would have serious concerns about the whereabouts of the wife!!!!!
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Let me sound arrogant for fun – half-measures are for lesser men…
Besides, my wife could just as easily bury me!
This project has been a long time in the making, just hope it’s done before the snow flies!
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I’m always jealous of practical people; my daughter’s boyfriend built a garage in a week- I had the window cleaner fix my guttering!
Snow!!!?? Our rainy season lasts from September to June!!!!
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The only months we get no snow ever is June to September
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I’d need a bigger hole than that for my wife!! (sorry been listening to a lot of Benny Hill lately! 😁)
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Never a problem on this blog!!!
Although I did face an awkward moment the other day when my current wife asked what my blog was about!!!!!! ( see, I’m doing it now!)
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Excellent footing Hole Mark, I have to remember that the construction in the US, is different to the UK, as over here any footing that supports a wall has to be a metre deep for a single story, and deeper again for two story. Your right the engineer in us is never truly gone ! LOL
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That’s certainly an impressive hole – and I’m always impressed by your lovely looking and huge waterfront property! I was going to suggest adding that pool, but then after reading the comments and seeing that you have so many months of snow it might not be worthwhile!
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Thanks! Well, first the pond is a nice view, but it’s only three to four feet deep at maximum. It’s name is actually “Mud Pond” and is one of a number of beaver ponds. It does support beavers, otters, and we get the occasional bald eagle, bobcat, and black bear. Moose are nearby but I haven’t seen one back there. We could have a pool but only above ground. We do “see” snow during those months, but it doesn’t stay. The really cold months are mid November to late March, but New England weather can be a bitch.
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Looks like good progress was made, but why did people think it was going to be a pool? why would you put a pool at the end of you driveway? isn’t that just asking for someone to drive into it? what you should do is make the pool then build the garage over it, that’ll really catch them out!! 😁
Cheers Roger.
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I can only imagine how people look at a hole! I’ll be happy to have this project done and maybe get a pool later!
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That looks like it is coming along very well. The short cuts in construction that you can find in renovations can be very interesting.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thanks Pete, though technically the only renovation of the old garage is it’s complete and utter destruction! We will have some renovations too
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between you and IRO I feel some shed envy coming on.
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Echoing Dave here! We’re looking to buy a house in a couple of years, and I can’t wait to have more dedicated workspace (as well as some for training)!
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Only makes up for our suffering the old one so long!
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A good start, Mark! 🙂 This’ll be an interesting project to follow I think!
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Wow mate its great to see how you are doing this as We are thinking of getting one for Fi’s black next door.
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Hope you enjoy all the updates Pat!
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I am mate, will continue tomorrow !! cheers mate!
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