Building a new hobby space...oh and a house too

[Twokidsnosleep]

Tankless water heater and a furnace? A stealth furnace?

It is a boiler system fired on natural gas. So no traditional forced air furnace.
A hot water tank goes into the left corner and connect to the big black drain....hence the push to get the floor done before anything else goes in. The red piping is all conduits to the under floor heating pipes
So we have a normalish hot water tank as well as the boiler. I didn't want the on demand hot water system.
The big black thing in the foreground is the audiovisual tower, loving that
I got a shot of the whole shebang, it just isn't loading up yet....tomorrow

[Twokidsnosleep]

My god look at the plumbing.... refining your own oil. Is that the heating system ?

Ha ha, oh that gave me a good chuckle it does kind of look that way.
I had to paint the back wall behind that manifold of pipes for the floor heating system

Ok here we go I got my photos loaded.
Have a look at this beast...red pipes are heating, white box is the boiler

I painted over the back wall around and under those pipes as there was bright fluorescent pink "boiler zone" sprayed into the plywood.
Finished off floor and corner for the water tank


Hopefully the finisher guys will put some baseboards in there just to button it all up neatly. If I didn't do this over the weekend, it would be a mess and harder to do as they put in more equipment...hence the push and not waiting for flooring pros to return and do it.
New respect for floor layers

[Stokesy44]

Dude, have you got some skills!

You're like a Swiss Army Knife on legs. I can put up shelves and put a double bed together (just ask my niece, it nearly broke my back) but seriously, hats off to you Sir.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Dude, have you got some skills!

You're like a Swiss Army Knife on legs. I can put up shelves and put a double bed together (just ask my niece, it nearly broke my back) but seriously, hats off to you Sir.

You are far too kind, but I sincerely thank you

[Johnj]

Thats an impressive set-up scott. I would want that in the living room as a feature

[Vleugelmoer]

Dang Scott, sure looks like you are well established on the home straight . I can almost see the Christmas stockings hanging up on the fireplace this year. Love the floors, are they hardwood or laminate?

Keep up the good work

Paul J (The Other One)

[Twokidsnosleep]

Dang Scott, sure looks like you are well established on the home straight . I can almost see the Christmas stockings hanging up on the fireplace this year. Love the floors, are they hardwood or laminate?

Keep up the good work

Paul J (The Other One)

Thanks Paul, it is coming along for sure, we have some moving dates in mind.
Trying to do as much as I can for all the little in the middle things to make it easier and keep the trades focused on their work.
Lots of continuous clean up is a big one. Definitely cutting into my modelling time OR just making me so darn tired I can't focus to model. Looks like I might be making closet shelving and such so as to reallocate some funds to fun stuff.
My daughter was just discussing options where to put up a Christmas tree on our dog walk last night...usually get a real tree and did not have one last Christmas at all.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Thats an impressive set-up scott. I would want that in the living room as a feature

Hi John. We have similar values my friend, I totally agree
The floor heating manifold is a thing of beauty, if only they used copper pipes...Ahhh love that metal

When initial meeting with plumbers I spoke of a system that lets me shut water off to individual floors so as to not turn off water to the whole house during a repair or leak. The one guy who's eyes lit up for the joy of all things guy immediately knew what I meant and Made it so.....has to be finished off as the drywallers closed it in a bit, but I will show it.
I love working with people who "get it" and have a fire lit under them for joy in their job and not just money.

I spent three full days at the house for my weekend.
Friday as locksmith installing the locks for four patio doors..of course missing parts.
Saturday as painter for the wall behind the manifold and cleaning out the garage in anticipation of floor painting next week. Sunday as floor layer for the vinyl in the mech room. I am baked, tired and ready to go do my real job and get some rest!!
But I got it done
Today we had a financial meeting and went furniture shopping....I can only last so long before

[Johnj]

It's a work of art scott, it really is ! It's just a pity you couldnt swap the red for polished brass !

[Twokidsnosleep]

Oh this was an exciting day. I had prepped the floors of garage and workshop all weekend for application of the coatings
This is the company I used and they apply a poly acrylic to the concrete.
These are the sample

Got some spy photos from agent 67, sorry bad light and everything closed up
Workshop has the blue chips in it


Garage with grey

Will get better shots in two days when it is all dried up and I am allowed to walk on them. The guys were apparently happy that all the prep work, right down to taping off drywall was done as it simplified their job.

[Lysus]

Duuuuuude....

[Twokidsnosleep]

Other fun stuff happened Friday
Firstly cabinet boxes delivered....notice they are all Baltic birch plywood, no MDF or particleboard


I am looking at these boxes and the simple joinery. Considering this, I am going to make our bedroom closets myself.
The two estimates we got for particle board custom cabinets are stupid expensive
I can buy some tools I want, all the wood and supplies and still be way under those numbers.
So I plan doing just that over Christmas break. I promised her that stuff constructed first before I finish my workshop
But I will set up the model room early on as well....like right away

Second bit of fun: they started the landscaping for driveway and planting areas





for looking

[Twokidsnosleep]

Duuuuuude....

The stuff smells like hell right now...makes you light headed
48 hrs before tromping on it

[Twokidsnosleep]

Long time since update.
The interior finishing is coming along. Staining of the living room windows. Nice pic of the porta-potty outside, think we will leave that as part of the landscaping.


The staircase will have glass fitted into those wooden bases and a matching wood rail on top


And lastly my workshop. This will have a corner desk, lots of plugs and some good light. Still trying to decide on the finish for the plywood walls...stain, clear or nothing.

[Tomcat64]

...and I thought your mad Max 747 was a great build.

This is great - do you have a planned move-in date or is it a case of "when it's ready"?

[kiwigav]

Sweet Scott. nice progress on the place. bet you cant wait for the first night parked up on couch in front of big screen after a good few hours playing with plastic in the new cave. oh beer in hand also

[Twokidsnosleep]

...and I thought your mad Max 747 was a great build.

This is great - do you have a planned move-in date or is it a case of "when it's ready"?

Dates keep moving around. Mid to late November is current goal. Maybe early December, hopefully before Christmas!!!

Sweet Scott. nice progress on the place. bet you cant wait for the first night parked up on couch in front of big screen after a good few hours playing with plastic in the new cave. oh beer in hand also

Ahh yes, a rum and Coke and a hockey game, or maybe Christmas cartoons with the kids and some egg nog.
Definitely getting anxious to live there rather than just visit and clean up all the worker's mess

[Twokidsnosleep]

K guys, need opinions on what to do with the plywood walls??!!
Stain? paint? seal?
Like to hear some opinions

I am going to do a French Cleat system on some walls, hence the plywood.
Good video on it

[youtube]QYbexqIH4IY[/youtube]

[Lysus]

I'm caught between just seal or add some stain first. I'm slightly leaning towards a natural look since it's a shop. Wood tone makes it extra shoppy. Stains if done right look sweet, but too much and it might look odd instead. I dunno.

Maybe add stained wood or painted accent casement to the windows?

[Twokidsnosleep]

I'm caught between just seal or add some stain first. I'm slightly leaning towards a natural look since it's a shop. Wood tone makes it extra shoppy. Stains if done right look sweet, but too much and it might look odd instead. I dunno.

Maybe add stained wood or painted accent casement to the windows?

You are like a mind reader
I am leaning toward staining the French door and the window casement the same as the living room windows I showed in photos above.
But as for walls, I am torn between going white to brighten the room or just a simple clear to stop the wood from yellowing

[Lysus]

I'm caught between just seal or add some stain first. I'm slightly leaning towards a natural look since it's a shop. Wood tone makes it extra shoppy. Stains if done right look sweet, but too much and it might look odd instead. I dunno.

Maybe add stained wood or painted accent casement to the windows?

You are like a mind reader
I am leaning toward staining the French door and the window casement the same as the living room windows I showed in photos above.
But as for walls, I am torn between going white to brighten the room or just a simple clear to stop the wood from yellowing

Maybe this would be awful, but what about a white wash or stain? You have a point about brightness, and maybe bare wood would be enough but if not...

A test piece, perhaps? (As if you need another project)

[digger303]

any darkening ( stain) of the walls with that cleat system and all those small resultant shadows. May not give you that light airy feeling.

[Twokidsnosleep]

any darkening ( stain) of the walls with that cleat system and all those small resultant shadows. May not give you that light airy feeling.

Hmm, very True, but it would only be in a section, not an entire wall
See lots to think about

[Tomcat64]

There really is a lot to think about in terms of how much light you already get into the room, where your work area(s) will be and most importantly how comfortable you feel in the room - you're the one that's going to spend the hours in there so you need to feel right.

I love seeing woodgrain but it can feel a little claustrophobic especially with a stain to it unless there's a lot of light in the room. My personal choice would probably be a neutral light colour to generate some light in the space, and maybe leave one wall (or section) in the natural wood to give some variation if it works.

[Twokidsnosleep]

There really is a lot to think about in terms of how much light you already get into the room, where your work area(s) will be and most importantly how comfortable you feel in the room - you're the one that's going to spend the hours in there so you need to feel right.

I love seeing woodgrain but it can feel a little claustrophobic especially with a stain to it unless there's a lot of light in the room. My personal choice would probably be a neutral light colour to generate some light in the space, and maybe leave one wall (or section) in the natural wood to give some variation if it works.

Interesting points indeed, thanks for the input
I do love wood and it will be a woodworking space so leaving some woodgrain appeals to me. The window is on the North wall and the French doors East wall. Can't remember the lighting, but I think it was two banks of 3 LED potlights so six lights total....maybe nine, will have to recount. I suspect it will be lit very well in there. Will paint a spare ply with some colours and see how those look i white or grey maybe.

Lucky for me the stair flooring goes in on Friday and you are not supposed to walk the stairs for 48hrs or longer...so two less floors to clean on weekend thus more time for 747 modelling and I can tinker in the main floor workshop.

[TheTroyster]

Scott,
It's starting to look like a house!

Must be exciting, and I bet you can't wait for this project to be over.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Scott,
It's starting to look like a house!

Must be exciting, and I bet you can't wait for this project to be over.

Hey man thanks
Dude you have no idea- well you do because you did this!
Starts to look like home and the end of the year deadline keeps getting closer and closer stress goes up and up
Been pumping out a three foot deep lake from the driveway dig out every other night just to keep water levels low so they can frame...hopefully friday
Been raining like heck here

[Twokidsnosleep]

This is the kind of feel I am looking at for the workshop...nice and neat but not a trophy space


or I could go a bit lighter and paint the walls/french cleats

haven't decided fully yet

[Lysus]

I'd feel more at home in the former, but both are pretty slick.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Ya, I really like the first two pictures...rustic but modern and very useable.
I might have to hold off making bench tops until I get a feel for how much space I have useable after I start getting equipment in there
Everything is on mobile bases so I can roll stuff around until it works
Gotta make closets before the shop gets done anyways

[Tomcat64]

I like the look of the first one a lot - really nice mix of finishes.

The second one is cool too, but looks a little clinical for me.

[digger303]

first one although they both look like a builders display home...not untidy enough to be a working shop....

[Twokidsnosleep]

Oh yeah, both shops are staged for photographs for sure.
I am definitely leaning to the plywood walls with wood bench and then base cabinets as supports
Part of me wants to dive in right now and make it all, but reality of time and space have other ideas.
The shop is a storage room for now to keep useable wood dry, store tiles, flooring and our cleaning equipment.
Likely will have to move in with it pretty bare and then finish it off.

[Davethepitch]

That is some serious demolition work.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Hanging some closet inserts last weekend and I hit a water line...f'!*#<ing heck
Tossed my stud finder across the room, out the door and across the street...but look at this photo


Water line is white now with a patch in it, grey is a big power line, metal to the left is an air/con run and farther to the right is another water line.
I will consider myself lucky to have only stuck water and not electricity
Of course I took photos of every wall...except the closets

[Johnj]

Ah, scott ! I feel your pain but as you quite rightly say it could have been worse if it was the grey one !

I have to say though, i've gave up with stud finders. I just give a gentle tap with my hammer, it's a much lower sound when you hit a stud.

[digger303]

wow lucky you lean to the right and the wall is gyprock or drywall easy to repair. I really don't like plastic piping...it is just me I'm sure... it doesn't seem a s safe or durable
My stud finder works a little too well. If I get within 3 feet of a power line it goes off....makes life more difficult than it has to be.

[ForbesHutton]

Why not take the x-ray machine home on the weekend?

[Twokidsnosleep]

Why not take the x-ray machine home for on the weekend?

Sir, I like your thinking!!!

[Twokidsnosleep]

wow lucky you lean to the right and the wall is gyprock or drywall easy to repair. I really don't like plastic piping...it is just me I'm sure... it doesn't seem a s safe or durable
My stud finder works a little too well. If I get within 3 feet of a power line it goes off....makes life more difficult than it has to be.

No longer using copper piping it seems.....it is all PVC now. Likely cost reasons.
I did spring for the thicker and more durable plastic stuff for drain lines and sewer.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Ah, scott ! I feel your pain but as you quite rightly say it could have been worse if it was the grey one !

I have to say though, i've gave up with stud finders. I just give a gentle tap with my hammer, it's a much lower sound when you hit a stud.

I tapped and rapped and checked and re checked and marked. I had the darn thing up but it was covering an outlet in the upper L corner of the closet so wanted to drop it two inches. It is easy to understand what I was hearing and seeing on the finder when you have the luxury of looking at the inside wall. I need Superman's x-ray vision for looking at walls...and women's underwear.
F'ing lucky I didn't hit the power line

[Lysus]

Seriously, much better than a power line...

[digger303]

Ah, scott ! I feel your pain but as you quite rightly say it could have been worse if it was the grey one !

I have to say though, i've gave up with stud finders. I just give a gentle tap with my hammer, it's a much lower sound when you hit a stud.

I tapped and rapped and checked and re checked and marked. I had the darn thing up but it was covering an outlet in the upper L corner of the closet so wanted to drop it two inches. It is easy to understand what I was hearing and seeing on the finder when you have the luxury of looking at the inside wall. I need Superman's x-ray vision for looking at walls...and women's underwear.
F'ing lucky I didn't hit the power line

A little concerned about the womens underwear thing....HELL...very concerned.....
First time I read it I let it pass, but hell I'm CONCERNED...

[Twokidsnosleep]

When I was a kid, the comic books always had an advert in the back of them for "x-Ray Glasses"
They showed a guy looking at girls in a dresses with these stupid glasses on
Sadly I never had the nerve to actually order a pair
Don't worry Digger, I am not THAT creepy

[Lysus]

When I was a kid, the comic books always had an advert in the back of them for "x-Ray Glasses"
They showed a guy looking at girls in a dresses with these stupid glasses on
Sadly I never had the nerve to actually order a pair
Don't worry Digger, I am not THAT creepy

Not like SOME people...

[Twokidsnosleep]

Funny, with a lot of inuendo

[Nev]

Oooh yea..
[youtube]sX_WK29qHCk[/youtube]

[digger303]

Oooh yea..
[youtube]sX_WK29qHCk[/youtube]

FUNNY

[Johnj]

Ah, scott ! I feel your pain but as you quite rightly say it could have been worse if it was the grey one !

I have to say though, i've gave up with stud finders. I just give a gentle tap with my hammer, it's a much lower sound when you hit a stud.

I tapped and rapped and checked and re checked and marked. I had the darn thing up but it was covering an outlet in the upper L corner of the closet so wanted to drop it two inches. It is easy to understand what I was hearing and seeing on the finder when you have the luxury of looking at the inside wall. I need Superman's x-ray vision for looking at walls...and women's underwear.
F'ing lucky I didn't hit the power line

The harsh reallity is thats it's impossable to avoid in most cases. We have all the toys at our dissposal and still manage to hit things like that. Driving the mini excavator for digging the foundations/footings has fell to me in the last couple of years and no matter how carefull we are, and that includes taking pictures ! I have hit the water main every time, a 100% record to date. I even hammered a piece of timber to know what side of that to stay clear of it, but still halfed it in two ! Pure laurle and hardy stuff !

20160901_085958_zpsgv90a22y.jpg

[Twokidsnosleep]

Oh dear, glad I am in good company
I have seven more closets to set up...God help me