Interior Design Documents
| Document | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Planning | Decided | 200A panel, circuits, lighting, smart home |
| Interior Lighting Plan | Decided | 18-fixture LED plan, smart controls |
| HVAC Strategy | Decided | Radiant floor + two separate mini-split systems (18k single-zone Hyper-Heat for garage, 21k 2-zone for loft); loft door-closed comfort via transfer-fan hub-and-spoke; ERV pre-rough now, install deferred; temporary window-A/C cooling for summer loft work |
| Boiler Selection | Planning | Navien NCB-E 150 combi boiler for radiant + DHW |
| Boiler Installation Components | Planning | Complete BOM: install, venting, fill chemicals, maintenance supplies |
| Insulation Strategy | Decided | Split thermal envelope, R-49 attic |
| Interior Aesthetics & Finish Plan | Planning | Floor finish (densified concrete, not coated), paint, cabinets |
| Floor Densifier Application | Decided | DIY lithium-silicate densifier for the main slab (full-slab, ~$50-150) — chosen over a polyaspartic coating |
| Loft Flooring Plan | Planning | LVP flooring, acoustic underlayment |
| Loft Finishings Plan | Planning | Ceiling fans (2 brace boxes), LVP over laminate, wafer lighting + kneewall sconces, built-ins/window seats, pre-drywall lock-ins |
| Loft Apartment Conversion Plan | Planning | Phase 3 (5+ yr) apartment readiness — stair conversion, pre-drywall lock-ins (egress placement, acoustic floor decoupling, W/D rough-in), zoning research, open vs walled bedroom deferral |
| Plumbing Rough-In Plan | Planning | Drop through truss bays + collect below trusses in a soffit (no chord drilling); wet-wall grouping, fire-separation firestops |
| Loft Bathroom Waterproofing & Laundry Leak Protection | Planning | LVP + prefab curbed shower (not a wet room — truss/cost); washer catch pan → HepvO → downstream tie-in + leak sensor/auto-shutoff |
| Critical Circuit UPS Strategy | Planning | Centralized UPS with orange outlets + individual units |
| Home Theater Plan | Planning | Loft theater seating, bass shakers, floor outlet, smurf tube |
| Emergency House Heating Plan | Planning | VEVOR diesel heater as whole-house emergency heat backup |
| Jack Stand Selection | Planning | Jack stands for Bays 1-2 (ESCO 10498 primary; no floor pads needed on bare concrete) |
| Floor Jack Selection | Planning | 3-ton low-profile floor jack (steel casters fine on bare concrete; PU optional) |
| Shop Equipment Floor Protection | Planning | Mostly obsolete on bare concrete; only the air-compressor vibration isolation remains |
| Tool Purchasing Philosophy | Active | ”Buy Cheap, Upgrade When Proven” framework for all tool purchases |
| Air and Battery Tool Strategy | Planning | Hybrid pneumatic/battery tooling and compressor selection |
| Torque Wrench Selection | Planning | Torque wrench recommendations and DIY calibration |
| Automotive Skills Practice Plan | Planning | Thread repair, torque practice on junk parts |
| Utility Routing and Drop Station Design | Planning | Integrated surface-mount routing for compressed air, central vac, and fume extraction trunks |
| Workshop Dust Collection System | Planning | Shop vac-based dust collection with central vac infrastructure |
| Garage Workshop Media System | Planning | Workshop TV, NUC PC, and portable audio for media and browsing |
| Acoustic Strategy | Planning | Sound containment analysis — weak links, tiered upgrades, Green Glue decision |
| Wall-Mounted Pressure Washer | Planning | Bay 3 wall mount, cold hard-line + capped hot stub, |
Exterior Design Documents
| Document | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Garage Doors | Decided | Garage door selection and specs |
| Soffit Lighting (Front) | Decided | Recessed soffit LEDs + Shelly + motion (front of garage) |
| Rear & Side Security Lighting | Decided | Curtain PIR + full-cutoff wall packs replacing cameras on neighbor-adjacent walls |
Early Planning Notes
Measure property
How much would garage solar offset electric usage? I should consider in floor heating for garage. Gas or heat pump? Gables vs flat roof? Metal vs shingle roof? Garage 1st floor height. Enough for lift? Cement type and comp for lift support?
Heated driveway? Gravel driveway (no heat of course)?
Geothermal Heat pump set up? Can you build a patio on it? Cost? Lifespan?
Build minimal viable garage Ensure all utilities and wire runs are installed Cement floor with radiant heat? Driveway with radiant heat?
2 apartment garage
I think i may have fell ass backward into an idea.
What if 10 years after garage is built, we decide to move out. If I plan accordingly maybe I can make the lower level a second apartment?
I could get rental income from the house, and 2 garage apartments. That could be substantial.
the lift
no reason not to install a 12k lbs lift. More power, more metal is more safe
talk to everyone
Contact the inspector, other contractors, etc… Get a lot of opinions. Learn what ideas there are out there.
Dream garage would have…
Aaux lift Lots of rolling tool storage, cabinets, workbench Air compressor with lines ran to connections Central vacuum for dust management Electric car charger Signals tower? With cell phone repeater, ham radio antenna, wifi antenna, weather system, HDTV, etc…