New garage time!

fatjay · Aug 14, 2020

I want to know if I can go 3 stories as well. They're sure taking their time.

Picked up 144' of stainless steel 1/2" all-thread for the hurricane ties. There's 6' of all thread, 5' of which is encased in concrete, with a bolt and washer at the bottom. There's 6 of them, 3 per side. Couplers and locking nuts, then drilling holes in the top plates of the first floor and bottom plates of the second floor. I have 2"x6" plates that they'll go through and hold the 2nd floor down, then continue up to either the 3rd floor or roof.

EddieWalker · Sep 4, 2020

Hope you're just too busy to update us with your progress!!!

dragoneggs · Sep 4, 2020

Just thinking the same thing... been a couple weeks. Looking forward to an update!

dodge man · Sep 4, 2020

Me three.

sodamo · Sep 4, 2020

I agree.

fatjay · Sep 6, 2020

Unfortunately at this point we're waiting on the court. Hearing was on July 29th, now we're waiting. I'm at the point where I order trusses or floor joists. It's been nearly 6 weeks and i'm pretty tired of waiting. I get covid has screwed up the court system but this hearing was supposed to be in march. The court said a week to 10 days for a confirmation.

EddieWalker · Sep 6, 2020

Sorry to hear that. I can't imagine just waiting for the government to decide what you can do, and not being able to move forward until they decide to do their jobs.

Can you work on siding or run electrical while waiting?

fatjay · Sep 6, 2020

Steel roof/siding is vertical and from the top down, and electrical will be it's own $$$ project. I need to trench about 300' and run 2-3 wire for it. The problem is i need to do 3 trenches, one water, one electric, and one internet preferably at the same time. And I don't have the water permit yet. If it was a strait run i wouldn't worry about it, but there's 2 90 degree turns in the runs, in between the house and the pool, so i don't want to run electric and internet now, then forget where they are and run water later and hit the electric line.

fatjay · Sep 6, 2020

It's late in the game, but i just found out about these rebar "tree's" and they look great.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Basalite-C...Actual-2-in-x-2-in-x-2-in-Dobie-Block/3111265

at $0.56 each why would anyone not use them? they seem better than my pvc tree's i made.

EddieWalker · Sep 6, 2020

fatjay said:
It's late in the game, but i just found out about these rebar "tree's" and they look great.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Basalite-C...Actual-2-in-x-2-in-x-2-in-Dobie-Block/3111265

at $0.56 each why would anyone not use them? they seem better than my pvc tree's i made.

I've used them and they work good, but they are very labor intensive compared to the plastic ones that cost a lot less money.

buckeyefarmer · Sep 7, 2020

fatjay said:
It's late in the game, but i just found out about these rebar "tree's" and they look great.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Basalite-C...Actual-2-in-x-2-in-x-2-in-Dobie-Block/3111265

at $0.56 each why would anyone not use them? they seem better than my pvc tree's i made.

When I needed rebar chairs that kind was a lot more expensive than plastic ones. Don’t remember them being that cheap.

fatjay · Sep 19, 2020

My garage is to small now! Seemed huge until I parked my hummer in it.

airbiscuit · Sep 19, 2020

Why didn't you drive it through the 8' door?

fatjay · Sep 19, 2020

There's a 2x8 in the way keeping it strait until I get plywood on to stiffen it. It's about a quarter inch out at 12'.

Neighbors are continueing to fight and won't back down about the 3rd floor. I have to get them on board if I want to go higher because I have to present and anyone who opposes can voice their concerns. They say it's because it would appear over my tree wall and they'd be able to see it. No where else in the neighborhood has a tree wall, and everyone else can see everyone elses houses. I tried to compromise and said if i only go 4' instead of 8' i could do a cathedral ceiling and not lose 1000 sq ft of storage space, I'd make it forest green so it would blend in with the background of the evergreens surrounding it. They wouldn't budge, they said that if i go any higher at all, they'd be able to see it from their back porch. Their back porch is about 500' away. If you don't like something, don't look at it. I've got all these tree's I could just cut down and they'd have no choice but to look at my garage, house, back yard like everyone else does.

What I don't understand is i've gotten along exceptionally well with him for the last ~15 years since I moved in, we share many interests, our kids are friends, I just don't get it. Why is he picking this to cause problems about? My only guess is jealousy. We have been dueling back and forth over the years. He had a car, I bought a big truck. Then he bought a big truck, and a new mower, then i bought a bigger mower, and the list goes on. Well, 2 years ago he built a new garage, 22x36, 9' ceiling, very nice looking, and my garage blows his out of the water. I don't even think it's that, but I just can't think of anything else.

MossRoad · Sep 19, 2020

Zoning and rules. Rules and zoning.

My neighbor built an addition to his 24x20 garage last year. He had to notify all of his neighbors within X feet of his property and apply for a waiver to the zoning law because the square footage of the combined old and new garage would be more than 1.5 times the square footage of his house. If any neighbors come to the zoning appeals meeting and complain, the board could use that to deny the request (they might not, but they could). Fast forward one year and I wanted to add an addition to MY 24x20 garage. Same size old garage as the neighbor. Same size new addition as the neighbor. However, I didn't have to do anything but get a permit. Why? Because my total of the new and old garage would be less than 1.5 times the square footage of the house. Exact same size garages. Exact same size additions. But my house is a bit larger than his house, so the rules are different.

Anyhow, rules is rules. About all you can do is follow them, the appeals process, etc... you can work for change, too, but that's a long shot. Why don't you just arrange your shingles in a creative pattern facing his house?

airbiscuit · Sep 19, 2020

Did you ever finish re-powering your skidsteer?

fatjay · Sep 20, 2020

Yeah, i get that. Rules are rules, work within them. I knew it was going to be big, I knew what I was going to have to go through, and I went around and talked to the neighbors before hand. I told them my plans, all the details, and kept them up to date. I'm friendly with all my neighbors. They were very supportive. When the township put a 2 story limit on me and i said i was going to challenge it, and they cheered me on, "stick it to the man!" So I spent thousands of dollars and an absurd amount of effort over the course of 6 months then when it's time, they say "oh, on second thought..."

fatjay · Sep 20, 2020

airbiscuit said:
Did you ever finish re-powering your skidsteer?

Not yet, it's been quite warm and it's absolutely insufferable in that cramped garage when it's a hundred degree's. I've been contemplating it though. working on the best way to do it. There were some bonus complications and I have to convert to chain drive and figure out a way to drive the hydraulic pump. And a lot of old hard lines are in the way. and they're stubborn to get off after 50 years.

sodamo · Sep 20, 2020

Sorry to hear of your difficulties.
Back when I lived in Atlanta had a situation where a neighbor decided to replace a rusted out old metal shed with something nicer and larger for a workshop. Well, the adjoining neighbor didn’t like it and turned him in for some sort of infraction, prompting inspector visit. Inspector went to wrong property because he couldn’t see the work from the street, another neighbor 2 lots away who was also replacing his dilapitated garage. Inspector found this one violated setback about a foot. Revisit found that the one he was supposed to inspect was 100% OK. Well the neighbor in violation was longterm owner, friends with all the neighbors and we all showed up in support for his variance.
As for the complainer, seems an internet search showed he and wife owned multiple properties in the county and claiming 2 full homestead exemptions, contrary to the rules. Info anonymously sent to tax office. Don’t know how it settled but last we knew county was looking for over $10k in back taxes, he was not happy. Both workshop and garage built.