Another good day as it was close to 40 degrees by 10:00 so out I went . The right side took a little longer than the left because I was using up some cutoff pieces to complete that side . I'm trying to make sure I end up with enough or very close for the interior out of my original purchase of plywood . But the right side is now done !

For the back I have to rip three sheets of plywood about 36 " wide , install them and the back will be done other than the compressor room . It is supposed to start raining tonight and rain tomorrow but maybe by the end of the weekend the back will be enclosed .

I'm feeling pretty damn good about where I'm at in the build , remember I'm it no help from anyone :( . Here is a pic of the right side .

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1517517714.jpg

WOW is it windy out ! If I went out with a piece of plywood I would become a glider :D So I'm taking today off but will take some time to clean up the inside . I have a lot of little wood scraps and saw dust everywhere so I need to clean it so it's less of a safety hazard . Plus my arms/shoulders/back need some time off :( I'll follow up with updates as they happen . Enjoy the weekend guys . SmileWavy

Great progress! Enjoying following your build.

One piece at a time will get it done. 😄

Cooper

A little late now, but it would have added strength if you had offset the plywood seams. You could have cut one sheet in half lengthwise so that the joints didn't all run on the same stud.

I think when I install the plywood on the interior I am going to run it vertical vs. horizontal so will get offset vs. the exterior .

AFAIK: You will compromise all strength of the grain, with triangulation and distribution of load.

There is no vertical snow load, so unless you are planning for a tree fall you should be doubling up the studs with hurricane clips and overpriced patented Simpson hardware or use another fillet system to anchor it all together.

I am sure there are things that I could have done differently but it is almost done and I'm sure is not going anywhere . The walls are rock solid and will only get stronger when the interior plywood is installed regardless if it is installed vertical or horizontal . And if I go with vertical metal siding which I'm 95 % sure I will that will also help with strength . Vertical studs with horizontal plywood then vertical metal panels all screwed together = a building that will be around longer than I am :D

Yesterday I had a contractor come out and look the building over to give me an estimate on the installation of the metal siding , hope to hear back from him early next week . He said so far I have done a great job and he would have no problem installing the siding over the work I have done . It was way too windy yesterday to do anything but maybe today I can finish up the back .

It was 28 degrees when I went out this morning :eek: but I was determined to get the back done........ and it is ! So the building is 100 % plywood sheathed on the exterior.........WOOHOO !!! :D I just sent a text message to the electrician letting him know I'm ready for him . And yesterday had a contractor stop by to look it over to give me a quote on metal siding . This coming Friday a friend of mine stopping by to help me do the house wrap . I think the next four weeks will be exciting . Pretty soon I need to turn my attention to the retaining walls . Here are two pics of the back of the garage .

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1517688711.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1517688711.jpg

So nice seeing it all closed in like that! Congrats on pulling it off even thru the winter.
Well done, you have earned a cold one or two in celebration!

Cheers Richard

Thanks it does feel good . The electrician texted me back we're a go for this coming Friday if it's not raining . I can see a real possibility that the garage will have power , exterior siding and windows/doors/garage doors by the end of February or beginning of March which is right in line with what I was hoping for . I also need to plan for the install of the two post lift that has been sitting on my car trailer for the past 8 months :( This is all coming together nicely .

Wow, I just saw an episode of This Old House, that featured a precast concrete wall with natural stone face and top. It was built off site and set in place in what looked like 10' or 12' sections on prepared beds of compacted gravel. Then installed on site in one day.
This may not fit your DIY plans, but worth looking into. As the process of hand building a rock wall is demanding and time consuming. Plus there is a knack to stone masonry that takes a while to pick up.

Your retaining wall came to mind as the show unfolded so I thought I'd bring it to your attention.

Cheers Richard

Sounds like a nice way to go on the retaining wall but I don't have a This Old House budget :( . I got a quote for a concrete retaining wall from the guy that poured the floor and it was almost $9,000.00 ! That's WAY over my budget . I have talked to several stone suppliers and the stackable blocks are right at $2,000.00 with cap stones .

Yesterday my realtor that hooked us up with the house gave me the name of a local REAL lumber yard/distributor that sells pressure treated ground contact products . Next week I will stop there and price out 6x6 and see how it compares . My thoughts are build the walls , coat the backside with foundation coating then back fill with gravel . Have drainage pipe on the perimeter of the wall next to the first course that exits to the front on both sides .

I will have to see what the overall costs are wood vs. stone to make the final decision . I think I have the skill set to pull off either so price and overall longevity will be the main drivers .

Stackable retaining stones are pretty simple and the manufacturers should have detailed directions on where and how to set the first row and get drainage right.

The tough part is lifting them!

Railroad ties stacked make a nice less expensive retaining wall and they last a ridiculously long time. You can buy good used ties at places like Lowes or Home Depot. If you know where they are replacing ties along a rail you can ask the work crew and normally they'll let you grab some.

Man it poured rain here all last night and into mid morning........ I mean POURED ! After if finally let up I went out to look over the damage and the building was very dry inside . Got some water in the window and door openings but that's it . That is the hardest I have seen it rain here since we moved here mid summer . Drainage does not appear to be an issue it looks like the current ground elevation is close to being correct . When I do the retaining walls I will make sure I angle the soil/gravel away from the building towards the wall . And to grade angle back to front . Looks like I can put down 6 inches or so of gravel which will be clean to look at , will drain well and is easy to put down . Plus once I install gutters on both sides that will eliminate a good portion of the water runoff .

I sent the garage door guy a text letting him know I'm getting close and I asked him to stop by next week . I want him to look at and measure the openings to make sure I have them sized correctly and that they will be strong enough . I'm expecting no issues but you never know . He replied back that he'll show up sometime next week . I'm not doing anything on the building today , just taking it easy and going to watch the super bowl .

Yesterday I went to the lumber yard that has the ground contact pressure treated lumber . They have # 3 grade for 17.00 for a 6x6x8 ' . I asked if there is a difference between # 2 + # 3 in regards to the actual preservative used and the answer was no . It was stated that # 3 generally will have one side that is uglier than the rest in regards to chipping or knots it's a cosmetic thing . So if you get some that have an ugly side you put that side either down or towards the back so it won't be seen . They sell the # 2 for 21.00 so crunching some very rough numbers the three walls will be about $1100.00 total vs. the stone at $2,000.00 . That difference in cost will almost pay for all of the buildings insulation . I have some thinking to do :D

If you were considering these for the retaining walls, let me make one point. If you build them from masonry, even something like Versa-lok blocks, it's a permanent wall. If you build it correctly, you'll never have to mess with it again. If you build it from any kind of wood product, whether it's treated lumber or railroad ties, it will have a finite life and you will get to do it again if you live there long enough.

That idea above of using railroad ties sounded like a great way to go. Other than pier piling, it would be hard to find better wood for ground contact.
You could use your craigslist prowess and see what turns up.

Is my impression correct, that current treatment for wood is a bit less effective, in trying to make it kinder on those handeling it?

Cheers Richard

I hate to think that I was advocating the use of railroad ties, I think they're crap. Anyway, what you're probably thinking about was the change about 15 years ago with respect to compounds that contain arsenic. Those compounds are still used, they just limited where you could put the products that contain them. There are many, many chemicals used to treat lumber products. Some have a fairly extensive proclaimed lifetimes, I don't think they'll last nearly as long as they claim. They also claim that many of them are termite proof, my experience has been that eventually termites will eat them.

I've actually removed all the ground contacting wood from my property.

Believe me I get it that the stackable stone blocks are a much better long term investment , I'm just exploring all options . And I do believe that pressure treated wood being sold today is inferior to what was sold 10 years ago . In a different area of our property there is a railroad tie set of steps . Whoever built it did a good job it is kind of a cathedral shape to it . But there are several ties that are completely rotted and I believe this was built in 1996 the same time the house was . So the timbers made it 22 years .

However the one thing they didn't do when they built these steps is they did not backfill with gravel , they backfilled with soil . I know that has to be a contributor to their decay but I can't say how much . And I'm not 100 % convinced that I have to use the large retaining wall blocks . This excavated space has been open/exposed to the elements for about 7 months now and it has not budged . A very small amount of dirt has fallen due to rain/gravity/wind but I stress it's a very small amount . Could I use the less expensive blocks sold at the box stores that are generally for walls 2 ' in height ? I remeasured the height yesterday and I'm just a little over 4 ' at the back . If I put down a bed of # 57 gravels lets say 3 " deep , tamp/compact it down and put down my first course . Then every course after that add a little construction adhesive and every foot or so retaining wall mesh . Will that work ? I don't know it's all in my planning questions that I'm trying to answer . I appreciate all of the feedback because it encourages thinking which is good .