Show us your "cool" garage features

[don_w]

We're planning to have the stairs carpeted, but I may incorporate that idea into some exterior steps.

 

[don_w]

I'll contact my customer tonight and ask them to take a picture with them on.

That would be great!

p.s. Boy, we sure took this thread off topic. haha. Anybody have any other cool garage ideas?

 

[Charlie Sheen]

 

[don_w]

From Post #1...

... And I need to find a good space for the kegerator.

Come on Stanley... try to keep up.

 

[Charlie Sheen]

How the hell did I miss that?

 

[don_w]

I've been thinking about something like this, too.

 

[StreamlineGT]

Do you have any night time pic of this?

Not great, and would look better with some spot lamps in them, but they went with floods after showing both. They look brighter than they actually are due to the exposure of the camera.

 

[don_w]

Thanks for the pics. That's an interesting effect... not sure about it though. Our house will be stucco, not siding, so it would look different too.

 

[StreamlineGT]

Thanks for the pics. That's an interesting effect... not sure about it though. Our house will be stucco, not siding, so it would look different too.

Absolutely, it would look better! I am trying to dig up some pics from other sites.

 

[StreamlineGT]

I can't find anything.... Screw it, uplight it with low voltage landscape lighting. It'll give a better shadow behind the shrubery, leaving a dark silouette. I can definitely dif up a pic of that.

 

[StreamlineGT]

I can't seem to find one of those either. It's called silhouetting, and lights should be placed behind bushes and shrubs and arranged to wash walls. This will make the shrubs to appear black. It looks cool when combined with some accent uplighting of key trees or other nice features.

 

[US-1]

I've been thinking about something like this, too.

That thing works great. I bought one earlier this year and it has been keeping the beer cold all through the summer. Cool thing is you can unplug it and roll it to where you're sitting/working and plug it back in. I was surprised at how much it will hold too.

Only thing I can add on the lighting is that I have mine recessed a bit into the ceiling. The bulbs and roughly 1/2" of the enclosure stick down through the ceiling. My place is 35' wide x 40' deep. There are four 8' lights across the back (washer/dryer - toolbox - workbench), and three rows of four 8' lights from front to rear. I also have electrical plugs every six feet plus six in the ceiling at evenly spaced intervals front to rear. Not sure of your zoning requirements but I moved my compressor outside the garage. I built a very nice enclosure (3'-6" x 3'-6") that is vented and has an access door. The compressor drain is piped through the side wall with a simple ball valve for draining. I also insulated the enclosure with accoustical tiles to minimize the sound transfer into the garage. Makes it nice to work with the air tools and not have to listen to that damn compressor roaring. The inlet air is piped along the walls three feet off the floor. Connections are spaced every six feet along the runs. Keeps the hoses to a minimum so nobody is tripping over them or having to roll the damn things up all the time.

The storage bins up behind the garage doors (when they are open) is a great idea too. Summit shows them in their tool catalog but I'm sure you can get them cheaper somewhere.

 

[stkjock]

For when you get in trouble with Donna.....

 

[don_w]

That thing works great. I bought one earlier this year and it has been keeping the beer cold all through the summer. Cool thing is you can unplug it and roll it to where you're sitting/working and plug it back in. I was surprised at how much it will hold too.

Only thing I can add on the lighting is that I have mine recessed a bit into the ceiling. The bulbs and roughly 1/2" of the enclosure stick down through the ceiling. My place is 35' wide x 40' deep. There are four 8' lights across the back (washer/dryer - toolbox - workbench), and three rows of four 8' lights from front to rear. I also have electrical plugs every six feet plus six in the ceiling at evenly spaced intervals front to rear. Not sure of your zoning requirements but I moved my compressor outside the garage. I built a very nice enclosure (3'-6" x 3'-6") that is vented and has an access door. The compressor drain is piped through the side wall with a simple ball valve for draining. I also insulated the enclosure with accoustical tiles to minimize the sound transfer into the garage. Makes it nice to work with the air tools and not have to listen to that damn compressor roaring. The inlet air is piped along the walls three feet off the floor. Connections are spaced every six feet along the runs. Keeps the hoses to a minimum so nobody is tripping over them or having to roll the damn things up all the time.

The storage bins up behind the garage doors (when they are open) is a great idea too. Summit shows them in their tool catalog but I'm sure you can get them cheaper somewhere.

Thanks.

I've been pondering the air lines as well. I think I'm stuck keeping the compressor inside the garage, but I hear you on minimizing the hoses.

For when you get in trouble with Donna.....

Cool... someplace for her to sleep!

 

[LAK3RS]

You should go after a replica of this house...

IMO, the sexiest house ever!!!!!

 

[stkjock]

For when you get in trouble with Donna.....

Cool... someplace for her to sleep!

That works!

 

[don_w]

You should go after a replica of this house...

Yup... that's a nice place for sure.

My wife and I are not "earth tone" people. We avoid beige, tan and all shades of brown as much as possible. And I can't stand red tile roofs (too many of them here). I used to have one and got rid of it.

 

[speedofsound]

Don, I don't think I saw TV or data locations in the garage?

It's too handy to not have a PC in the shop, and I like the speed of direct connections over wireless, personally.

What about any other low-voltage stuff? Some in-ceiling speakers in the garage would be an easy add, if you've got any house-wide audio plans.

 

[don_w]

The standard plans did not include a cable outlet in the garage... but the "don_w" plans do. And one in the master bath, too.

The low voltage stuff is a whole other phase of work. I still need to meet with the sub that does that.

And I have been using a wireless connection for my cable modem for years... it's served me well.

 

[speedofsound]

That's cool, glad you've got it covered.

I've got phone/data at the workbenches at SOS, and the wireless has been handy at times.

Good to hear they don't lump low-volt in with your electrical. That's fairly common here. FWIW, I spent 8 years in low-volt residential doing sales/design (latter part while running SOS at night, whew). Feel free to run anything by me, if there's a question.