For questions generally relating to the area of the home in which cars and other motor vehicles are kept.
3
votes
3answers
3k views
Cheapest way to heat and cool a converted garage?
I'm converting my two car garage into a home theater and was seeking some advice on the cheapest way to heat, cool, and dehumidify the room. Here are some details:
Garage was once a model home ...
3
votes
4answers
853 views
Where can I find or make a remote wireless light switch?
I have a light switch in my garage that controls lights in front of my home. The switch is located in a corner of the garage where a large shelf has been stored. It is very difficult to the switch.
...
3
votes
2answers
745 views
How can I hang a heavy bag from this beam in my garage?
I'm renting a house that was built about 10 years ago. The attached, finished garage is under the master bedroom. It has two large beams running across it, see picture.
The larger one is 6.5" ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
How thick should a french cleat be?
I want to use a french cleat to hang some basic open cabinets in my garage. I've seen recommendations anywhere from 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick, but nobody seems to be talking about weight.
Is there a ...
3
votes
2answers
143 views
How to repair a large hole in OSB?
I know that it's just the garage but I'd like to repair this approximately 5 inch hole in an interior OSB partition wall. How should I proceed?
3
votes
1answer
458 views
How can I insulate my garage?
My sister's garage gets very cold and very hot as it is not currently insulated. She has the heating/ac unit in there as well as a deep freezer. The attic space directly above the garage has no ...
3
votes
3answers
6k views
How can I open my garage door from the outside with a dead opener?
This morning I found myself locked out of my garage. My interior wall opener isn't working and neither is the remote. The light on the interior pad is out, suggesting a loss of power. Unfortunately, ...
3
votes
2answers
376 views
Can I build a dry room in a moist garage?
I have a garage that lies in sloped terrain with the back wall almost fully below ground level. The garage is very moist, probably because of water seeping through the walls and floor.
I would like ...
3
votes
3answers
858 views
Troubleshooting a garage door/opener that “catches” and re-opens when wet
My garage door and opener work reasonably well most of the time -- hot weather or cold.
Sometimes when it rains, though, the door "catches" a little bit, at about 2 feet from the ground, and it is ...
3
votes
1answer
150 views
Heat causing concrete to heave
I mostly hear about this happening for roads on very hot days, but I'm wondering what about the heat causes the concrete to heave? Is there any concerns for foundations/garage floors/drive way heaving ...
3
votes
3answers
280 views
How can I get windshield wiper fluid stains out of my garage floor?
My car's windshield wiper fluid reservoir had a leak and quite a bit of it soaked into my garage floor (which is a light concrete). It happened over night, so it soaked quite a bit. Now the floor is ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Where can I find a garage door (slot) mail basket?
I'm looking for a place I can buy a garage door mail slot basket. I had one in my old (rented) house and I'm looking to install one.
It should look something like the image below, and keep upright ...
3
votes
1answer
77 views
Should I drywall and/or insulate my garage wall?
I'm in the process of a few projects in the garage, including raising the ceiling and insulating with spray foam. This has left me with a fair amount of leftover fiberglass batts.
There is a room ...
3
votes
1answer
244 views
How do I raise my garage ceiling after spray foaming?
I'm starting to add central vac to my house, which mostly involves pipes in the garage. I cut a hole in the garage ceiling (drywalled) to check things out, and found there's an 18" up to the bottom of ...
3
votes
2answers
4k views
Replacing the remote for an older garage door opener remote?
I've just purchased a house with an old Genie garage door opener that uses the simple dip-switch remote configuration system (no rolling code, in other words). The garage has two doors, each with its ...
3
votes
1answer
284 views
What is involved in enlarging a concrete garage door opening?
I have a concrete garage with an opening measuring 99" wide by 85" high. There is 10" of concrete from the door opening to the left and right walls and about 1' above. All walls are 8" thick and ...
3
votes
1answer
35 views
How can I insulate a stud bay containing a subpanel?
I'm putting a subpanel in the outside wall of my attached garage, which I'm also insulating so I can work out there in the winter. I'm wondering what steps are worthwhile to air seal and insulate ...
3
votes
2answers
69 views
Can I sheetrock over styrofoam on a garage ceiling?
I am buying a home with a detached garage that the original owner insulated. The garage is probably 25 years old. At the time of construction, 1" expanded foam was nailed directly to the rafters to ...
3
votes
1answer
635 views
Can someone review this garage loft design for structure and stability?
I'd like to build a loft above a 12'x16' portion of my garage. My plan is to lag screw ledger boards to the studs and attach 2x10 joists to the ledgers using joist hangers. Additional supports will be ...
3
votes
1answer
793 views
Best way to flash an EPDM rubber roof on a concrete roof deck?
I'm planning to install an EPDM rubber roof on my 1922-built, poured concrete garage. The concrete deck leaks heavily during rainstorms, and it looks like installing an EPDM roof is just within my ...
3
votes
2answers
265 views
How do I frame a room in my garage?
I intend to build a 15x9 room with 8' ceiling on one side of my garage to be used as a music/recording studio. I live in Phoenix, AZ area. I believe I can save money if I do all the framing and ...
2
votes
3answers
494 views
What are Automatic Garage Door Options for a Garage with a Low Ceiling Clearance?
I have a tuck under single car garage in my bungalow that currently has carriage doors that have seen better days.
I would like to replace the carriage doors with an automatic (and insulated) door, ...
2
votes
5answers
1k views
What are the proper materials and method to hang heavy-duty shelves in a garage for storage?
I am hoping this isn't too wide of a topic since garage storage can vary greatly from person to person depending on what's being stored. In my case, I will be storing power tools like my circular ...
2
votes
3answers
759 views
Should I install an exhaust fan in a new garage?
I'm having a new garage built in my home and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to have some sort of ventilation/exhaust/fan system installed while they're at it? I'm thinking of doing some spray ...
2
votes
1answer
174 views
How can I attach a sink drain to a drain that is higher than the sink?
My home is pre-plumbed for a water softener -- whole house water filter. Meaning I have a main water pipe that comes out of the wall, makes a u-turn, and goes back into the wall. Just below the ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
What framing do I need to build a garage with 13 ft walls to store a boat?
The garage door has to be 12x12ft and I need at least 12in of space between the top of my door opening and the ceiling. What changes do I need to make to the traditional framing techniques to support ...
2
votes
1answer
316 views
Garage Fire Wall
I'm in the process of selling my home and the Home Inspector has said the follow:
The fire rating is compromised due to missing drywall at the access opening to the area under the front entry (wood ...
2
votes
1answer
255 views
Is floor paint on concrete purely aesthetic or actually functional?
I have a large thatched barn recently (6 months) laid with a concrete floor to replace the original mud floor. The concrete was dusting badly, especially near where a table tennis table sits, so I ...
2
votes
2answers
121 views
What's the best way to get rid of ants?
I have ants occasionally in the summer come through the cracks in my garage floor. What is the best way to eliminate them?
2
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I wire an old furnace motor so I can use it as a garage exhaust fan?
Since last I posted, I moved WAY south (lil warm down here) and the house I moved into was a foreclosure so a few things needed done, namely the AC and furnace. When the guy did the job he said he ...
2
votes
2answers
55 views
What do I need to do to finish this outside-door install properly?
A new steel door was installed to our unfinished garage but I am not satisfied with how it currently looks. The previous door had trim covering the gap between the siding and the door, as well as the ...
2
votes
2answers
154 views
How can I stop my garage door from hanging up on the door frame?
I have a 7 year old, 4-section automatic garage door that has been working fine until recently. When I open it, the second section (the one beneath the uppermost section) is catching on the upper ...
2
votes
1answer
24 views
Will closing the ventilation windows in my garage cause problems for my water heater?
I have a room directly above my garage and it's usually 10+ degrees difference in temperature compared to the rest of the house. I'm planning on insulating the door and the garage ceiling with rigid ...
2
votes
1answer
48 views
What's the best way to fill in some uneven cracks in my garage and level it out so that I can paint over it?
I have a big crack on my garage floor. I need to fill it and level it out so that I can paint over it using that garage floor epoxy paint. Basically, I'm selling the house and I want to make the ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Is a vapor barrier necessary beneath blown in cellulose insulation in a garage ceiling in a cold climate?
Is it necessary to put any kind of vapor barrier beneath blown in cellulose insulation in an attached garage? The ceiling is sheetrocked, but that's it. It's a cold, dry climate (north half of ...
2
votes
2answers
140 views
What alternate ways are there to get into a garage when you don't have the opener? [duplicate]
I am locked out of the garage without a remote opener. There are no windows and no doors to get in. What are some ways to open the garage door without breaking down the door?
2
votes
0answers
196 views
What could be eating or removing the insulation in my garage door?
We have noticed that there are piles of the tiny particles of the insulation from one of our garage doors on each side of our door. At first we swept it up and didn't think anything of it. The next ...
2
votes
0answers
122 views
How do I replace an old-style (“wide screw posts”) garage T-lock handle?
My garage features an old-style T-handle very similar to Prime-Line GD 52169 or National Hardware V7643, except that the distance between the hole centers is 1-3/4".
Unfortunately, I cannot seem ...
1
vote
1answer
184 views
How to make my box liftable
I have this big wooden box in my garage:
The current position makes it a bit cumbersome to park the car.
Is there a way to make the box easily "liftable" or "raisable" up to the ceiling (or as high ...
1
vote
1answer
928 views
Best easy way to partition a room
I'm looking for a simple way to partition an area in my garage to be a TV/Game room for the kids.
I don't want to build a "real" permanent room. But I would like it to have, as much as possible, a ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
What size gas line do I need to run to my garage
I am looking to run about 50 feet of black steel gas line through a basement room, underground and out to my garage for a radiant heater. I'd like to put an underground junction in it so that I can ...
1
vote
1answer
311 views
How can I keep my paint from freezing in an unheated garage?
This is the first winter I've had cans of paint in my garage. Many paint labels advise that paint shouldn't be allowed to freeze. There are three five-gallon buckets on the floor and around ten ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
Can I upgrade my garage to 20amp service without a headache?
I have an unfinished garage which I am looking to upgrade the service to.
Currently it is 15amps running through some difficult to access sub-ground conduit, but if I run the band saw plus the ...
1
vote
1answer
128 views
Should I attempt to get to a potentially damaged trap and check it out myself?
I have a back up in my garage drain. I mopped it up and today I returned to see the same, nasty smelling liquid had returned to almost the exact same level and quantity that was previously there. ...
1
vote
2answers
275 views
Is there a thermostat-controlled corn heater sized for a shop/garage?
I'm looking for a way to heat my 4-car garage. Two bays are for cars, one is for the mower and other items, one is my workshop.
I live in Minnesota, with very cold winters, so a heater is necessary ...
1
vote
1answer
111 views
Craftsman 139.53973SRT drive gear issue
I have replaced the drive gear on this door opener and tested it 15 to 20 times afterwards. For the next 3 days I used the door opener several times and it worked perfect. Then one morning I opened ...
1
vote
0answers
93 views
Is there an alternative to the pvc/plastic garage weatherstripping (stop molding)?
Our garage has plastic weatherstripping with attached rubber around the perimeter of the garage. It butts up against the actual metal garage wrap. We noticed it is starting to buckle.
Are there ...
1
vote
2answers
305 views
How can I best seal this gutter to the flat rubber roof of my garage?
I have a standalone garage built into the side of the hill. On top is a rubber roof that appears to be in decent shape. However, there is a gutter around the edges that is not sealed to the roof. ...
0
votes
2answers
141 views
Why do my garage door opener remotes need to be reset frequently?
The remote for my garage door opener needs to be reset frequently. I have two different remotes and they both need to be reset frequently so the problem seems to be with the garage door opener. Is ...
0
votes
2answers
94 views
Where is the best place to store cardboard?
Having recently moved, a thrifty state of mind, and plenty of room for storage, taking into account mice, mold, and structural breakdown:
Would it be better to storage collapsed moving boxes in the ...
