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Building a Dream

Menace

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Nov 14, 2012
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Santiago de Aurora
Then why don't you just install low rise power strips from the ceiling and have all the cords from the games plug in from above?

I cannot see how a bunch of free standing 2x4's hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the space with standard 14/2 electrical on each will pass any sort of inspection. They would need to be fixed to something solid, and likely fixed to the ground so it's sturdy.

My idea of a low rise power runner down each row of games suspended from the joists is probably the safest and most economical solution.

D
 

Vengeance

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
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Keswick, ON
Then why don't you just install low rise power strips from the ceiling and have all the cords from the games plug in from above?

I cannot see how a bunch of free standing 2x4's hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the space with standard 14/2 electrical on each will pass any sort of inspection. They would need to be fixed to something solid, and likely fixed to the ground so it's sturdy.

My idea of a low rise power runner down each row of games suspended from the joists is probably the safest and most economical solution.

D

Hmmmm, that does sound interesting, the 2x4 was going to be secured in the rafters, It was only going to go down say a foot or 2, not right down to the floor and then yes I want all the cords up off the ground.

I don't want anything on the ground case my other plan is to get 2 of those robot vacuums to constantly sweep the floors to keep dust down :)

My only thing would be if I attach it right to the ceiling , I'd be worried the cords would be able to reach up to the 10 ft ceiling.
 

dnewman

Active Member
Oct 29, 2013
282
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28
Newmarket
I doubt those robot vacuums would last very long sweeping up concrete dust. Do you have plans to paint the concrete floor? If so, the robots would last a lot longer!
 

Menace

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Staff member
Nov 14, 2012
2,440
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Santiago de Aurora
Dnewman is right. If you are not planning to seal the floor with something at this point, change your plans and make sure that floor gets sealed with something no matter what it is or you will be constantly consumed by concrete dust. No joke, don't skimp out here.

D
 

Vengeance

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
1,990
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Keswick, ON
Yea Im planning to at a bare minimum paint it, but I want to look into that fancy garage floor epoxy stuff. If it isn't too cost prohibitive I might go that route.

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Menace

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Staff member
Nov 14, 2012
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Santiago de Aurora
The epoxy stuff is good, but it can get pricy... Usually over $100 per case which usually covers one double car garage. You can actually contact construction supply places and get a clear roll on sealer in a 5 gallon pail for a few hundred and it works great. Just make sure whatever you choose that you are diligent with the surface prep, as that is what will make or break the install.

D
 

libtech

Active Member
Nov 14, 2012
290
44
28
Edmonton, AB
This is going to be sweet.. living the dream, lots of room for pin partys!

I just saw this thread, maybe it was discussed, but I've always hated having stuff in a garage worried about break ins, are you putting in some security system?
 

Vengeance

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
1,990
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Keswick, ON
This is going to be sweet.. living the dream, lots of room for pin partys!

I just saw this thread, maybe it was discussed, but I've always hated having stuff in a garage worried about break ins, are you putting in some security system?

Eventually yes, I haven't decided on what though. I have a security system in my home I never use so I could transfer the equipment out there, and get the monitoring turned on.

Or I've be toying with the idea of setting up my own server with time lapse video recording.

But something for sure.
 

Vengeance

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
1,990
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Keswick, ON
So we hit a small snag I had been working with a company for the excavation local to my area called LaRue. Large company been around forever, knew the area everything seemed good.

But the guy is a "Good ol Boy" and was cagey on getting me an actual quote and hates the Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority. He took a look at what I had approval to do and said it wasn't a good idea, he had a better way of grading the land and he would do it his way and it would be fine. But again, not giving a quote or anything like that.

So for about a month I was calling him twice a week with:

"Can I get that quote"
"Can you confirm you can start on Aug 10th"

and would never get a call back.

My wife is much better at dealing with contractors then I am, we do the good cop, bad cop routine :D She goes ape shit on them and then I play the nice guy afterward, it's served us well this far and did again this time as LaRue FINALLY called me back.

He wanted to set up a meeting to go over everything but I was going to be in Pittsburgh so he was going to meet with just my wife.

And that DID NOT go well. My wife isn't a hardcore feminist or anything but she is sensitive to sexism.

So when when LaRue showed up and the first thing he had to say to my wife was:

"Where is your husband" she knew it was not going to be a good conversation.

Things went downhill from their fast, LaRue continued to be cagey and even went as far as starting to talk down to my wife and almost become aggressive according to her, she put a stop to it right quick, but needless to say the company we had been planning to use for the excavation, we were not using, so we were back to square one....again.

I don't fault my wife even a bit, if this guy was that much of a douche I wouldn't want to use him anyway and I'll take my Wife's word over his every single day of the week.

So thus began the scramble to find a new company and the usual run around I'm sure we are all familiar with when trying to deal with contractors.

I think we called 10 - 15 different excavation companies and got the usual run around from, "We're too busy" or just not even calling us back.

We did have a few come on site, and one that did came back saying he couldn't do it and the price tag was going to be 25K anyway.

That was quite a bit of sticker shock for us, we figured 10K for the excavation almost triple what we had thought it was going to be. So there was a moment where I was almost ready to cut our losses and call it a day 25K to move some dirt around seemed ridiculous!

But it appears he wasn't far off. We got some more quotes and things are right in line with what that guy was saying.

So my wife being the awesome person she is decided we are just going to have to deal with it, I was almost ready to say were done, but she wouldn't let me. So we are in the processes of rejigging things mortgage wise and were back on track!

So finally today I'm happy to say we found our company:

http://hardingexcavation.ca/

Local guy, really knowledgeable and not a sexist Douche. He came to us with the most detailed quote, I think I had 5 or 6 people in for a site visit and he was the only one to go as far as to do test digs and soil samples so he knew exactly what he was getting into before he promised he could do anything.

He came back to us with a 19K price tag, taxes and everything as the absolute highest the project would go.

We sign the contract on Monday and ideally if Zig from Viking can work it out, we break ground Tuesday!
 
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Vengeance

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
1,990
138
63
Keswick, ON
GROUND IS BROKEN! !!

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Vengeance

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
1,990
138
63
Keswick, ON
Day 2 of Excavation

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It's not much too look at but still it's progress.

Today they are going to grade back to the driveway so I can have a proper driveway.

Thus weekend I have to get this fence line moved

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They have already done 3 tri-axels of fill removed

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Vengeance

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
1,990
138
63
Keswick, ON
Day 3

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One snag:

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This electoral line was buried and I didn't know it was there it powers the lights on my driveway so I'll have to get it repaired.

Thankfully no power was running on the line when it came up and I've shut off the breaker now.

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Chris Bardon

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2012
1,301
158
63
Mississauga, ON
Looks like it's just some regular outdoor wiring-I've run into this when digging post holes, and it's a pain in the ass. At least it's not a major line?
 

Menace

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Nov 14, 2012
2,440
255
83
Santiago de Aurora
I would say that electrical was not installed to code. Usually any buried AC wire needs to be at minimum 18" below the surface, and usually in some sort of conduit... unless it's not AC and it's a low voltage run?

D
 

Vengeance

Well-Known Member
Nov 14, 2012
1,990
138
63
Keswick, ON
I would say that electrical was not installed to code. Usually any buried AC wire needs to be at minimum 18" below the surface, and usually in some sort of conduit... unless it's not AC and it's a low voltage run?

D

Excavation guy said the wire itself is fine, it external grade so no need to conduit, but should have been 24" under the ground.

Its the AC to the lights on my driveway, I have 5 lamp posts spread all up and down the driveway.

I'm honestly not sure what I should do, I kinda want to just repair it, and then bury it again when they fill in the area with stone, otherwise I don't see how I could replace it without a HUGE expense and if I don't fix it the lights on my driveway becomes useless.