What a great day unfortunately it all took place while I was at work :( The AC dude texted me this morning that he was on his way , I was already at work so asked are you coming to just give a quote or coming to do the install ? He said how about $400.00 and I said fine . Fast forward to lunch and I send a text asking him how its going , he replied pulling a vacumn now we'll see from there . I get a text back later he said vacumn was rock steady ( no leaks ) and my rough install was done to such a professional level and made his job so much easier he lowered the price to $300.00 !

To say the least I was happy AND quite proud of my work :D . My wife was standing there when he inspected my electric wiring of the 220 and the four conductor from inside unit to outside unit and he actually said to her " your husband does nice work " ;) . My wife texted me saying she paid him and they left the unit on " econo cool " and 70 degrees . When I got home I went out and opened the garage door and was hit with a wall of cool air :D . It felt so good . I kicked it up to 78 degrees that's about where I'll leave it when not working out there . That will pull humidity and not run up the electric too much . But being 18 SEER it should be very economical to run . So now I am down to one more job to hire out and that's the install of gutters and downspouts . I'll get that done in the next few weeks . This weekend I'll make the attic hatch and then start installing wall cabinets , pics and posters . Very exciting time !!!

That was good of your AC dude to lower his price and as good a compliment as they come too!

Nearly there, what's next after you've done your man cave as you don't strike me as the type of person to just sit back and relax.

(I'm just sayin'...That is a very nice build and congrats. A lot of work put into that.)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/06/japan-earthquake-landslide-traps-residents-in-homes

Haha you know me well :D . I still have the retaining wall to purchase/build that will take some $$$ and time . The previous owners of the house did minimal maintenance to the deck on the backside of the house so all decking boards need to be replaced :( . I have a 1968 Avion truck camper that I gutted to rebuild/restore that's in the hopper , this retirement gig is killing me :D Oh yeah I picked up a part time job at local Porsche shop so I am a busy boy !

john70t that's a great pic to remind me how far it has come . The build at times seemed like a blur but for a one man army it has gone pretty well . Just goes to show what you can do when motivated and determined to succeed , let's face it failure was not an option :D

So today when I got home from work ( still can't believe I have a job again ! :D ) I collected all the pertinent info to get my mini split registered for warranty . The typical model # + serial # along with installers name/phone number . It took all of one minute to register online and it's done ! Reading the fine print of the warranty cards/paperwork included with the unit I have a 10 year warranty on parts and compressor ! And that warranty is from the install date ( yesterday ) vs. purchase date which was 9/28/17 .

Because I had copper line sets left over from previous install plus leftover vinyl chase I didn't have to purchase those items . For this unit/install I'm all in at $2375.00 for an 18 SEER AC/heat pump . And it's top quality to boot :D I'm happy with the results . Now hopefully we don't drown from this hurricane :(

Today I put together the attic hatch cover , I was determined NOT to go to big box store :D so I pieced it together with 1/4 " luan and 7/16 wafer board that were leftovers . I had one tube of construction adhesive which was just enough and used 1/2 " staples from air nailer to assemble . After assembly I put it on the floor and put four 80 lb. bags of concrete and four 50 lb. garden tractor wheel weights on it to keep it flat while it cures . Tomorrow I will trim to size and install . At some point I will glue some foam insulation to it but for now just want to close the large hole in the ceiling :D . Oh yeah the AC is working GREAT !

Today I continued to whip this nag across the finish line :D First I cut the attic hatch to size and fit it into place , still trying to figure out if I will hinge it or just simple lift off . After that I installed three wall mounted fans , these will be used when AC or heat are not needed or in extreme cases to push exhaust gas out the garage doors . After the fans I installed ten wall cabinets and one " work station " cabinet . The work station cabinet has a fold out work surface that I will use for a laptop computer . Also it will be home base for the flat screen TV and stereo system ......... hey you gotta have tunes or racing on when working :D

It was soooooo nice ;) working in the AC , for once I wasn't sweating like a pig :eek: The amount of water dripping out the drain line proved how much humidity was being removed . My wife came out at one point and said " it's chilly in here " :D . That tells you it is working . So tomorrow I will tackle all the Porsche pics and posters along with other automotive decorations to truly make this my man cave . I also installed the Boxster hard top removal system , it is basically a manual boat winch and cabling that allows one person to remove and store the top . It was another great day , here are pics of today's progress . I don't have too much more to go and the interior is done . It has been a long journey . SmileWavy

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looking great!

must be a very comfortable environment to work in considering the hot/humid weather you have

Man you are not kidding ! It is VERY humid right now it hits you like a hammer when you walk outside :D But step into the man cave and all is good ;) While our builds are totally different we will both end up with what we want , can't ask for more than that ! SmileWavy

Don't forget to wear your sunglasses...........wow it's bright in there:cool:

Not quite for me as my car won't be colour coordinated to my garage :cool:

Well there is that :D

Since day one this has been a MAN CAVE build and so today I started making it LOOK like a man cave :D I found my framed posters in the sea of moving boxes but there is more to find but I put up what I found . Late in the day found more posters I had forgotten about :( that are not in frames I think I will frame them . Found the flat screen TV but not the wall mount so need to keep looking . Also haven't found all of my old license plates , those will be installed around the perimeter under the LED lights . Also haven't found my two large Porsche flags , those will be installed over the lift under the LED lights in the raised ceiling .

But in these pics you can see it coming together ;) . A few years ago my wife bought me two mini wooden gas pumps that have a hinged door on them with shelves inside , my plan for those it to install between the garage doors and put all my Porsche models/hot wheels cars in them . This is so cool to be at this point of just doing fun stuff :D Here are the pics from today . I especially like the one on the entry door warning entry into my cave :D



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Hello everyone today I am stating this is the final man cave update :( . While no project is really ever done I am close enough to call it over . I have a call in to the gutter dude to come install the gutters and downspouts . Yes I still have to decide on the retaining wall but that has nothing to do with the garage build . I might update with a pic when the traffic light and parking meter are installed but pretty much I am done .

The original intent of this posting was for others to hopefully learn a thing or two and just enjoy my build , I hope I have achieved those goals . I am not an expert in anything :D just an avid DIYer . I am proud that I have built 90 % of this all by myself I never would have thought I could do it . I think I did a pretty good job . So today I installed various Porsche/German flags , some small scale gas pumps that will house my Porsche model cars and drop lights above the lift . I also installed the 24 " flat screen TV I just have to extend my wifi and buy another Roku stick and I'll be good to go :D A brand new American flag will be purchased to " christen " the build .

Here are the final pics of today's progress , it has been a long journey through some lousy weather and it has tested my DIY spirit :D But I can claim success and start enjoying the garage for what it is . Good bye for now .

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Congratulations!

Hey Milt how are you ? Always great to hear from you !

Well done!
I'll be starting mine soon.

Very much enjoyed this build. It looks great. Have fun in your cave.

WOW didn't realize I had a viewer from Japan , thanks for the positive comment . SmileWavy

Hey Paul how you doing ? I'm not sure I can get the camper done by the 12 hours of Sebring but I'll give it a try !!! :D

Really nice work...enjoy

Looks great!
Enjoy the fruits of your labour...

I don't think I'll be going. When they announced it almost two years ago the best and fastest LMP1 WEC factory cars were coming. Now they have all dropped out. I'll still go to Daytona and Amelia Island. SmileWavy

Thanks for posting your progress, really interesting build, hope you have many enjoyable hours in your cool man cave :cool:

Don't think I'd have posted up my build if you hadn't taken the time to post yours, so a big thanks from me!

Captain please keep posting your build as I want to see what it looks like when complete . And I'm glad I could add some inspiration . SmileWavy

I'M BACK ! :D Hey guys just thought I'd check in , this morning the gutter guys installed the grey gutters and downspouts . The color almost matches the corner trim I'm happy with how they look . Literally 2 minutes after they drove the final screw it started to rain :rolleyes: couldn't have timed it any better . So now I can start back filling with dirt and angling/sloping the soil away from the building . Then do the retaining wall and then fill with gravel as the walk path around the building .

After the final gravel fill I can finally wash off that red GA. clay !!! :mad: I am really enjoying being in the garage , all pics/posters/flags etc. are up . It's so peaceful to go out there , AC humming away quietly and I either turn on the TV or the computer and do my thing . We received our first electric bill since installing the mini split and I've had it running 24/7 on " econo cool " and really see no difference in the bill ! I still have to move the beer fridge in and then I'm officially done :D Anyway here's two pics of the gutters and downspouts . SmileWavy

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An update about heating : so it is now cooler here in north GA. the morning temp's in the 30's - 40's even had some frost . I turn the heat on to about 78 degrees about 30 minutes before I want to go out to the garage . When I go out the entire garage is warm and I turn down the heat to about 68 and it's nice and toasty :D . I still have half of the ceiling to insulate so I'm very happy with the heat output . No it's not -20 like some places but will be perfect for as cold as it gets here . And it will only get better after I complete the ceiling insulation . Stay warm gentleman http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat6.gif

Slowly working on my man cave as well. Earlier this year, I bought a backhoe (needed one anyway around the farm), and ran a 3' deep trench about 100' long, from the power pole out in front of the house, across the driveway, and around to the South side of the house for my new 400 amp service box using 3" electrical conduit.

I then dug another 3' deep trench about 150' long to my smaller older barn (40x60) to run 200 amp service out for my new shop that I am building. I will have a 20x20 walled in, and insulated clean shop inside of the barn, and then am in the process of standing up my 2 post lift. I just got a Quincy 60 gallon 5HP air compressor that will supply the whole barn with air.

I am taking small baby steps as time, and money allows, but can appreciate the monumental effort that you undertook on your build....nicely done.

ckelly thanks for the comment . Sounds like you have been moving some dirt ! :D Hey I get it on the funding , my grand total for everything is $28,672.02 :eek: and that's with me doing 90 % of the labor . Good luck with yours . SmileWavy

why not start a thread, sounds like a great project

I have never seen red dirt like that.
Interesting.

Yep that is red Georgia clay and it gets on everything ........ kinda like anti-seize :D I have one pair of sneakers and one pair of work shoes that ONLY are used outside . All other shoes I do my best to stay out of the clay when it is wet .

Maybe I will start a new thread for you guys to give me ideas, and for me to show progress.

looks like the rain hits the ground real hard :eek:

Red clay. Arrghh.

Captain the majority of the " red splash " was water coming off the roof and hitting the ground . Now that I have the gutters installed the majority of the splashing has stopped . I just need to get my lazy butt out there and clean up the mess :D

Hey guys still here :D So this past 3-4 days we received about 8 inches of rain ! :eek: I'm happy to report the gutters and downspouts along with the drainage pipes easily handled the volume . Inside the man cave is nice and dry . Last night it went down to about 25 degrees with a heavy frost this morning . I have the mini split set on " heat " with the temp set at 61 degrees which is the lowest setting . Feels toasty warm inside ;) . I still have to finish the ceiling insulation and my final interior window trim . I painted some simple 1x trim gloss black for my interior window trim , will look good against the white wall color and compliment the grey/black wall cabinets . I may add some black mini blinds to help control UV coming into the garage and it would add some privacy ............ don't want the deer and bear to know what I'm doing in there ! :D

Black blinds will actually absorb the heat and make it warmer inside, go with white which reflects heat. Either one will block the sun. Turned out really great!

Hey guys I thought I'd give an update , weather has been in the low to mid 20's at night and the mini split set at 61 degrees keeps the inside of the garage warm and dry . It has rained a BUNCH and it is bone dry in the interior . Used the lift the other day best damn tool I have ever bought :D . Went to an antique store the other day with the wife and found a real STOP sign for $20.00 and it is the perfect size for the compressor room door .

Last week I ordered the sequencer board for the 3 light traffic light . Installed it a few days ago and it works perfect . I have purchased all of the conduit , boxes etc. to wire it up for outside . And I have figured out how I'm going to hang it from the front roof over the garage doors . And I will have a motion sensor as I purchased that too . Just need the weather to give me a break so I can run the wiring . Well that's about it for now , I am 100 % happy with my man cave and am glad it is done . Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all . SmileWavy