The Office that Was A Garage

We passed our final inspections and I wanted to show off some pictures of a recent project that involved changing an old garage into new finished space that's slated to be an office.

When I started the uninsulated walls were covered with 3/4" boards and the floor was very rough concrete that was far from level. After gutting the walls to the studs it was time to pour a new slab to level the floor and add a back patio.


The room also held all the laundry facilities and service panel, so the idea was enclose all of this in closets to hide the mess while still keeping it easily accessible. I framed in the walls and had John Dorn Electric come out and do all the updated wiring. I also insulated all the exterior walls and the attic.


In addition to moving the door over to make room for the utility closet, I added a large front window that I found at a salvage yard. It was quite a find because it fits in naturally with the other older windows in the house. It even had the old counter-weights intact. The Jeld-Wen casement window on the end of the home and the fantastic solid-wood back door were also treasures from the salvage yard.


After a week of drywall work it was time to add trim from top to bottom. The small shelf that runs along the lower part of the wall covers the old concrete block that was at the base of the garage walls. I also added crown moulding and baseboard to match the interior of the home.

Before I was done I also added some tile around the back door where the floors will get the most wear and tear.

It was an fun project because of the variety of parts that came together to create this new space for the homeowner. She also had the house painted while I was there, so the changes were that much more dramatic, inside and out.


With an additional 200+ square feet, finishing this space added around 25% more living space to this cozy little home in East Nashville. It was my pleasure to play a part in the changes that will be enjoyed for decades to come...

-Peter

http://www.carpentryguy.com/

Tile A Doorway in ONE Day!

My garage conversion project is winding down to the final details. The room has a cement floor (remember this post?). All along, the plan was to carpet the entire room, however, as we got close to finishing, the homeowner asked me if I'd lay some tile at the backdoor.

Tile at doorways is a great idea because this area will get the most wear and tear from wet and dirty feet that come through the door. A ceramic tile will endure the torment for years to come and still look great. For this project, I would only be tiling a 4' x 4' area connecting the backdoor with the utility closet where the mud sink is.

I did it in one day.

How you ask? With a nifty product called SpeedSet. I'm sure there are other brands out there, but it's a quick-setting thinset mortar that allows you to grout the tile 2 hours after laying it. It's great for small applications like this or time sensitive projects when you don't have the luxury of time to wait on thinset to cure.

I laid the tile after lunch and grouted it before I left for the day. Check that project off of the punch list!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

The Baseboard Puzzle

Trim is usually a highlight of a project, mainly because I'm finally doing something that people will see and enjoy, as opposed to framing which is important but hidden in the walls.

The room that used to be an old garage is becoming a nice office or bedroom, looking nothing like its former self. One of the main details of the room was the small ledge that was created by the cement block wall that runs around the lower portion of room. This was an opportunity to reuse a few of the old 1x8 boards that were covering the garage walls when I started.

Most of the baseboard was straight-forward, but I did have to spend some time running baseboard up each side of the steps. (See this post about building the steps.)

On the right side, I even had to go around the corner at the bottom. If you're working a puzzle like this, my advice is to dry fit several pieces and then tack them together with brads and glue before installing them on the wall. If your steps are square, then you should be able to get tight joints. The steps will later be finished off with carpet.

It took a couple days to get all the trim done and prepped for paint, but now I'm ready for the paint brush. Stay tuned for some color...

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Adding Insulation and Drywall

The old garage/utility room is finally starting to look like finished living space. After passing our rough-in inspections it was time to insulate and drywall the place.

The insulation was fairly straight-forward. The walls are 2x4 studs so normal R13 fiberglass rolls worked well for this. The bottom 16" of the walls, however, are concrete block. For this, I used 1/2" rigid foam insulation and basically glued it to the wall. They actually make an adhesive caulk specifically for this purpose. Oddly enough, it's called "foamboard adhesive" and it's a lovely teal blue...

The drywall phase was when the room really took shape. A drywall panel lift (see this post) was again invaluable as I installed the ceiling drywall. Two of the pieces were nearly a full twelve feet and I could install it by myself with this amazing tool that costs only around $45 to rent for the day.

The block wall at the bottom sticks out around 3-4" from the wall above. This small 'ledge' will later receive a piece of 3/4" thick trim where the owners can put knick-knacks or set their coffee cups...

(I always have coffee on the brain :)

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Ready for Inspections

It's been a busy couple of days at my garage-becomes-living-space project. We've had a flurry of activity in preparation for the rough-in inspections. These are the inspections that take place before the insulation and drywall are installed. At this project, we'll have both a building and electrical inspection.

John Dorn handled the electrical work for me. He installed outlets all the way around the room as well as a outdoor light and outlet at the back door and lights in the two closets. We also relocated the room light in the center of the room and wired it for a ceiling fan. John was great to work with. If you need an electrician, check out his website at www.JohnDornElectric.com.

I also had Wayne Taylor from W E S Heating and Cooling add a couple air vents and a return vent so that our room will be heated and cooled.

While they were both working, I was replacing the door into the kitchen and finishing up any framing that needed to be done. Once I had all the structural parts framed for the walls, I had to think about the drywall installation and make sure there were nailers in all the right places to secure drywall. Thinking this through now saves me much frustration later when I'm ready to hang drywall.

I also took the time to attach furring strips all around the room to the block wall that extends up the first 16". For this I used 3/4" plywood because it's less likely to split than a board would be. I attached them using my Ramset gun and 1 1/2" fasteners. This took a slightly less powerful 'load' than what I used to install the fasteners in the solid cement floor.

I'm ready for insulation... just need that inspection first...

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Add Some Simple Steps

After leveling the floor with a new cement slab (this post) and framing the wall to enclose the laundry area (this post), it's time to build some stairs to get into the room. Long before we can start building, we have quite a few things to consider to get our stairs right.

I won't cover every single aspect of stair building. Frankly, I still have a lot to learn myself. Let's go through some of my thinking for this particular project:

Have a Landing or Not?

Building codes require a landing at the top and bottom of each stairway. It has to be underneath the side that the door opens. In our case, if the door opened into the room, we would need a 36" deep landing, making our steps reach nearly 6 feet into our room. Instead, we planned to install a new door that would swing into the kitchen. In this way, the kitchen floor acts our 'landing', so we wouldn't need another one inside the new room.

The next thing to figure out is height of the risers and the depth of each step.

Risers

For this I measured the total rise of the stairs, or the distance from the cement floor at the bottom to the finished floor at the top. In my case that was 27 1/2". Codes say that the maximum rise for a step can be 7 3/4" This means that we'll need four steps of 6.875" each or 6 7/8". (27.5" total rise divided by 4 steps)

Treads

There are lots of opinions out there on how to figure out tread size. One rule of thumb that I've read says that two risers + one tread = 24 or 25 inches. Another formula I saw says that the tread + riser should equal 17 to 18" and a tread x riser should equal 70 to 75". Digesting all of this, I decided to make my treads 10 1/2" deep.

So, if you're hanging with me, it's time to layout our stringers on a 2x12 using these two dimensions. You can see in the picture how mine looked before I cut it. Use a framing square to make the marks and double check to make sure you are as exact as possible in your measurements.

Cut out the stringers. Then, cut the thickness of one tread off of the bottom of the stringers. This way, once you add the treads, the height will be the right distance from the floor.

Check the stringers in place with a level and make sure everything looks right before you nail them in place. For my project, I first attached a plate to the floor that would go across the bottom of the stringers to secure them to the floor. I made a notch at the bottom where the plate goes.

After securing the stringers, I had to frame around a valve on a gas pipe that would need to have an access hatch added as I finish the stairs out.

We're almost there now...

My stairs are a little wider than the typical 36" so I added some extra cross pieces to support the treads that would be 3/4" plywood. Starting at the bottom, I added 3/4" boards as risers, ripped to 6 7/8" wide. Then I added the treads cut 11 1/4" wide, overlapping the riser on the step below. After adding the next riser, the tread will be 10 1/2" just as planned.

These are just the basics. For a better understanding of stair building, I'd recommend a great book on framing called Ultimate Guide To House Framing by John D. Wagner. The book has an entire chapter devoted to stair building and goes into quite a bit of detail that may be helpful if you'd like more info.

Schools over. Time for recess... :)

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Building a Wall of Doors

To enclose our utility area and create a separate closet for our new room that used to be a garage I needed to build a wall. Much of the wall would be doors to access the closets. Framing is an exciting phase of the project because it seems to go so fast compared to other parts of the project. Before we get ahead of ourselves let's think this through.

In the end of the closet is the service panel with all the circuit breakers for the entire house. By codes, this needs at least 30" of clearance to the sides and 36" in front of it. I also need to make sure that the washer/dryer fit in the closet with wiggle room. I decided to make the interior of the closet 34" deep to satisfy these criteria.

Next, I needed to place the doors. I wanted a normal 30" 6-panel door on the end to access the service panel and a small mud sink. Next, I planned for a 60" opening with bi-fold doors that would hide the laundry appliances. The interior of the laundry/sink/service panel closet will be open inside with no dividers. Because of all the wiring and plumbing in that area I'm not changing this wall. Just enclosing the area.

Beside the laundry will be a small closet to add storage to this room enabling the room to function as a bedroom if someone wanted use it for that. With doors so close together I also had to think ahead about how the trim would be installed. I'll be using 2 1/4" casing and I didn't want the trim from adjacent doors to get in the way of each other.

Once I had the wall designed on paper, I started by laying it out on the floor using chalk lines to show where the floor plates will go. I marked the doorway rough openings, leaving room for doorjambs, which add approx. 2" to the width of a door. For these 30" doors I'm making the rough opening 32". This allows for 1 1/2" of door jambs (2 pieces at 3/4" each) and then 1/2" of space to shim and make sure I can get it level.

The bottom plates will be treated 2x4 as required by codes because they are resting on the cement slab. I spread a little liquid nails underneath and then secured the bottom plates to the cement using a Ramset. This is a 'powder actuated' tool that literally shoots the nail through the lumber into the concrete using small caliber loads. I have the most basic single-use model that is triggered by me hitting the top with a hammer. If you have to use it a lot, they make various models up to the .27 caliber semi-automatic. (Check them out here.)

Anyway, the Ramset is a great alternative to some type of masonry nail or even using Tapcon screws with a hammer drill. I was using 2 1/2" fasteners that were meant for use in treated lumber.

You might note that the header above each door is only a flat 2x4. Since this is a NON-loadbearing wall, this is all that's needed. Of course, if it was supporting a load above it, we'd need something more substantial.

Things are starting to take shape. Next, let's build some steps to get into the room.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com /

Adapting and Trimming the Windows

One huge difference between an old garage and a living space is windows. It was time to install the windows, but making salvaged windows fit the style of a house can be tricky. For this project, we were flexible on size because I gutted the inside and could frame the opening to any size necessary. The bigger task was to make these windows look like the belonged to this house.

The double window I found for the front was in decent shape, but still required some repairs. First, I had to build a new window sill to go across the bottom. The window unit will actually sit on this. The sill piece is notched at an angle so that it tilts a little downward to help water run off. It's not glamorous, but I made the sill out of a spare 2x4. The thickness is the perfect size to match our other windows.

With the sill in place, I then nailed a safety board across the window hole so the window would not fall out the other side when I set it up there. No, it's never happened to me. I just try to work slow enough that I think about these things... :)

I had to remake the trim that goes around the perimeter of the window and holds the top sash in place. I used some 3/4" stock that I ripped to 1 3/8" wide. The window unit had notches where this trim had once been so I knew exactly where to put it and what size it needed to be.

Next, I made the trim for the top with the drip cap just like the back door (yesterday's post) and then installed the side casing. The center opening needed another 3/4" board ripped to the right width to cover the cavity that conceals the window's counter weights. Each window has 1 working counter weight. They should have 2, but I suppose it amazing they still have half of them intact.

On the side of the old garage was an old window that was rotted and in bad shape. I found this Jeld-wen unit at Hailey's. It cranks out and fit the rough opening without me having to make many adjustments. It's the most modern and energy efficient window in the house!

I still need to replace some siding and caulk everything, but I'm anxious to start framing. Let's build a wall next...

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Installing the Back Door

It was finally time to install the back door at my garage conversion project (see these posts). The old back door was damaged and needed to be moved because of the new utility room wall that will soon be framed. I found a great door at Hailey's Salvage (this post) that will coordinate well with the rest of the home.

I started by adding treated trimmer studs on either sides of the door. I used treated because they come in contact with the cement at the bottom and this will help them not to absorb water and rot. I measured the exact dimensions of the door and framed the entire doorway, leaving around 1" around the door for the doorjamb with some wiggle-room.

If you can find a pre-hung door already in a door jamb it will be easier to install. We didn't have this luxury so I made the door jamb and even installed the door in it before placing it in the doorway. It doesn't always make sense to do it this way, but it allowed me to make sure my doorjamb was the right size to have around 1/8" gap around the door for a perfect fit.

The framing was level so installing the door was pretty straightforward, starting with the hinge side and working my way around the door to make sure all the gaps were parallel and the door fit right.

Now I could start thinking about the exterior trim. These old houses are tricky because they use trim that is hard to find these days. You have to be creative and basically custom make each piece. For the door and window casings, the original was a full inch thick (not 3/4" like most boards are today). It needs to be this thick because of the depth of the wood siding that butts up next to it. So, the stock I start with is 5/4" x 4" Paulownia. This may require some explanation.

First, Paulownia is a light-weight wood similar to balsa except stronger and resistant to splitting. It's very popular for exterior trim because it's naturally resistant to rot and decay. I get mine at Walker Ace Lumber and it comes already primed. The 5/4" x 4" boards are actually 1 1/8" by 3 1/2". That will work for our purposes, though I'll have to rip them all down to 3" wide to match the other window and door casings.

The other trick is what to use for that little trim that is on top of the door and windows. It's actually called a drip-cap. They sell it at the home stores like Home Depot, but theirs is a little bulkier than the historic stuff. I prefer the one that Walker Lumber has because it's shape is right and it's made out of PVC. PVC is a great choice for exterior trim because it won't rot. This especially good for a drip-cap because if it's wood it will eventually rot.

My technique is to first cut the top trim and the drip cap and nail them together as a unit. The drip cap has a lip on the back that actually slides under the wood siding. This is very important in keeping the water out of the house. I install the top trim first and then I can see where I need to cut the siding to install the side pieces. I make a chalk line and cut it with my jig saw upside down at an angle (like you're about to do a plunge cut). I find that using the jig saw like this is a little more accurate than trying to do it with the reciprocal saw.

The trim goes in quickly with some long trim nails. For this installation, make sure the nails are galvanized. This will help prevent rust showing up from the nail heads.

Pink siding with a green door? Why not?

Just kidding, it will get painted... :)

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

New Concrete Slab from Cement Brothers

One major issue with our old garage was that the floor was nowhere near level. It was somewhat sloped toward the front of the house (where the garage door used to be), and had lots of humps around the room. The solution was to pour a new cement floor and add a small patio at the back door while we're at it. For the concrete work I turned to Steve Sutherland over at Cement Brothers Concrete.

My part was to empty the room of anything in the way of a new floor as well as frame the new door and window. The window was especially important because this gave us a great location to get the concrete shute into the room.

Steve and his crew showed up early and made a level line around the room with a chaulkline to show where the new floor will be. One corner would only be around 3" thick while the opposite corner was nearly 8"! They also built a form for our 8 x 5 foot patio.

The addition of a small patio at the back door will add a little outdoor living space to this home where the homeowner could put a couple chairs or a grill. Once the garage becomes living space they might actually use the back yard more often and this will provide a nice spot to hang.

During the initial pour the cement is leveled with a long 2x4 to make sure it's flat with no humps or dips. After it dries a little, the guys can get on it with boards to keep them from damaging it. This is when they really smooth it out. They have to do this several times, letting it dry a little more in between each pass. Steve joked that much of their time is spent "watching concrete dry."

The finished product looks great and gives us a nice floor for our new room. Now I can have a level surface to build a wall on for our utility closet and you can walk across the room without getting 'sea legs'. After the cement cures overnight I can get in there and install the new back door and window. We'll give it few days before setting anything too heavy on it like the washer and dryer.

Most of the day I watched Steve work. I guess we watched concrete dry together.. :)

-Peter

Contact Steve or see photos of his work from foundations to driveways at:

www.CementBrothers.com

Framing for the New Window

After getting the doorway framed, it was time to focus on the new window. At one time, long ago, this room was a garage. The garage door opening has since been framed and covered with lap siding. Now it was time to make room for a new window that will give this room plenty of light.

We found this double window at Hailey's Salvage (see this post). It was a good find because it will coordinate with the homes other windows well and it's already got a few layers of paint just like the others! :) Overall it's in great shape and even had a a sill and a couple of old counter-weights intact.

The rough opening will need to be around 45" tall by 68" wide. I measured the location from the outside because I wanted the top of the window to match the height of the others on the front of the house. This garage has a lower roofline than the rest of the house so I measured the existing windows and just made the distance from the window to the eave the same for my new one.

With the height now figured out, I centered the window on the wall and drilled a hole through the siding as a reference point. Back inside, I could now place king studs at either side of the rough opening. These are the studs that go from the floor to ceiling. Next to them will come trimmer studs that will support the new 2x6 header above the window.

Before cutting studs I added a couple temporary supports to the top plate because this exterior wall is load-bearing, carrying the weight of the attic and rafters above. Once my header was in place with supporting trimmer studs I could remove the temporary supports.

I cut the siding so it would overlap my king studs and saved the boards for later. I'll trim the siding back more once I have the window installed and know where the casing will end up. Like when I added the door (this post), it's a good idea to leave plenty of siding for later.

Even just having this huge hole in the wall made a dramatic difference to the feel of the room. Windows are a good thing.

This window is an especially good thing because it will give our concrete truck a way to get the cement in for the new slab. That's coming up next!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Move The Back Door

Part of the plan for this room is to build a wall around the laundry area to make it into a utility closet. However, this wall would be in the way of the old back door. The answer is to move the back door over a couple feet.

Before I do too much framing, we're going to have a new cement slab poured to level the floor. This will raise the floor up by a few inches so, for now, I'm just going to make a rough opening with a new header and then finish it next week after the cement is here.

To get started I took the old door out and then extended the small block wall over to where the new door will be. I'm not a brick mason, so this is about the extent of my masonry skills. :)

After giving the block a day to set up I added a treated 2x8 on top to act as a bottom late for my wall. Then I added a couple studs, keeping in mind that my new laundry wall will also intersect here.

I measured over from the new block that I installed to make a 44" rough opening for my 36" door. This will allow me to put 2 trimmer studs on each side of the door to stabilize it next to the block. Again, I'll be adding these after the cement shows up. For now I'm just trying to get the opening in the right place.

One trick to moving doors or windows like this is to consider where the siding should end up. If you cut it too short, you'll have to replace a lot of siding to get it to butt up to your new door casing. The secret is to leave plenty of extra siding- you can always cut it shorter later once you know exactly where the door casing will be. In my case I cut the siding at the edge of the trimmer studs, leaving around a 38" opening so that the siding currently hangs over 3" on each side.

Next, let's do a window!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Converting the Garage to Living Space

I started a new project today for a client in East Nashville who wants me to convert an old garage into finished living area. She's planning to sell the home soon, so adding these 220 square feet to a small 800 square foot home will really add some room to stretch out a little.

Sometime in the past the garage door had been removed and patched to make this room a utility work room. It's time to finish the job and make it nice. Here are a few of the upcoming steps:

• Gut the room except around the laundry area.
• Move the back door.
• Have a new cement poured to level the floor and add a patio at the back door.
• Have an electrician add outlets and light fixtures.
• Add a couple windows to let it more light.
• Build a wall around the laundry area to make a large utility closet and hide that stuff.
• Build a new landing with nice stairs.
• Drywall the entire thing, trim, paint, and eventually carpet.

It's about a four week project. Stay tuned. Of course, I'm planning to document the process so you can follow the fun! :)

-Peter

BTW- See all the related posts for this project at this link.

www.CarpentryGuy.com