The new house is FINALLY started......

[JimN]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Yeah, there was some swearing going on as the whole thing slid off of one of the casters....

Actually thinking of cleaning all the joints and then mixing some polymer modified mortar and filling 'em with that....the joints are huge.

I used to have serious problems in the old garage with my creeper- the kind with the stupid disc wheels that catch in any little crack. I put rubber wheels on it after it pissed me off enough. The new garage has troweled joints, but they're not nearly the problem the old floor was. Now that I have heat out there, it's like the garden spot of the universe. I had to replace a shock on my van and I darn near broke a sweat!

[jkski]

Thanks for the ideas guys, keep them coming.
I do plan to insulate the garage and have a heater in there as well so that it always remains nice and toasty. Combining that with the large floor drain gives me no excuse ever for a dirty vehicle in the winter months!

The HVAC will be York 95% efficient with a 13 sear 4 ton AC unit. Not yet sure what I am putting in the garage, guess I will wait and see what the budget allows for when the project nears completion.

Here are a couple of pics of my site clean-up crew!

[JimN]

Originally Posted by jkski

Thanks for the ideas guys, keep them coming.
I do plan to insulate the garage and have a heater in there as well so that it always remains nice and toasty. Combining that with the large floor drain gives me no excuse ever for a dirty vehicle in the winter months!

The HVAC will be York 95% efficient with a 13 sear 4 ton AC unit. Not yet sure what I am putting in the garage, guess I will wait and see what the budget allows for when the project nears completion.

Here are a couple of pics of my site clean-up crew!

For the garage- Modine or Reznor. I call mine 'Trent'. I guess the Big Dog are OK, too.

[76S&S]

Just a thought for the garage heat.

Why not just heat the slab with a small water heater, circulation pump and tubing run throughout the floor.

This is something I've always wanted to try, but haven't had the opportunity.

[JohnnyB]

Love the pics of your cleanup crew. Here's a pic of my girls laying "under their bedrooms" and a couple of others I had handy on my laptop.

RE your HVAC....I believe there is still a 30% tax credit for the cost of installing geothermal...I thought it ran 'til 2015??? Anyway, the return on investment was not there originally but the return with a 30% tax credit was 2 year break even on savings. Also read up on what can be included...ductwork, field, labor, etc as it has changed a bit I think....

[SPSinclair 190]

JohnnyB Im with you on geothermal we went with it 4 years ago and love it what a savings !!! Also think about spray foam insulation on entire house and garage will save tons on heating and cooling !!!!

[JimN]

I have been reading that in the SW states, some companies are leasing the system, so there's really no out of pocket expense for the user and that makes it more attractive, especially if it's capable of storing a lot of Ah reserve. I have to think that a combination geo/solar system in AZ would be about as good as it gets. Add a cistern to catch rainwater and it could be pretty cheap to run a home out there.

[jkski]

Great pic, and certainly one to remember!
I thought about the geothermal route but since I have a producing gas well on the property and as such receive free gas, my decision was fairly easy. All total I will have less than $600 in cost to connect to the well and according to the well data it will likely be a viable source for long after I am gone. So, while I am certainly not looking to be an energy/resource hog I am not taking my conservation level to the highest point, rather sticking it in the middle of the road and putting the money (what little is left) toward other upgrades. If all else fails I have an endless supply of free firewood (so long as the chainsaw works and my back is in good shape) and would go to a backup source of an outdoor wood furnace.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by jkski

Great pic, and certainly one to remember!
I thought about the geothermal route but since I have a producing gas well on the property and as such receive free gas, my decision was fairly easy. All total I will have less than $600 in cost to connect to the well and according to the well data it will likely be a viable source for long after I am gone. So, while I am certainly not looking to be an energy/resource hog I am not taking my conservation level to the highest point, rather sticking it in the middle of the road and putting the money (what little is left) toward other upgrades. If all else fails I have an endless supply of free firewood (so long as the chainsaw works and my back is in good shape) and would go to a backup source of an outdoor wood furnace.

Yup, if my gas was free, I would do the same thing....that's a no-brainer

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by SPSinclair 190

JohnnyB Im with you on geothermal we went with it 4 years ago and love it what a savings !!! Also think about spray foam insulation on entire house and garage will save tons on heating and cooling !!!!

I did attic air seal (spray foam on all ceiling electrical penetrations and across all top plates) and used gasketed phenolic electrical boxes on all walls (+$150 over regular) and did blow in blanket walls (R-27 I think) and R-60 blown in ceiling....was a bit more cost effective than spray foam and very similar net result...remember foam is R-5/inch. Minimizing Air infiltration is the biggest bang for the buck in home energy performance.