Razing a garage, raising a garage

Over the past month I have kept busy with the building of a garage. Our old garage was one of the old "Model T" variety--when there was a vehicle in it there was room for little else. There was about 6 inches of clearance on either side, and getting it in and out of the garage in bad weather was an adventure. The old garage had no electric. As things broke (the entrance door, a window), I was slow to repair them because I knew that someday soon I was going to replace the whole garage.

In early October a team of relatives and friends literally threw the old garage into a trash can. I thought we'd say "presto change-o" and a new garage would appear. Various delays, a vacation to Washington DC and life in general delayed the project. They were normal delays, but delays I really didn't expect.

On Thursday, November 15 we hammered the first nail. By the end of the work day on Friday, November 16 we had the roof boards in place. By Noon on Saturday, the 17th we had windows, an entry door and some soffit work started. A carpenter friend of mine set the wheels in motion and a crew of friends and family made things happen!

Fast forward to the slow down. Yea, since then, things have slowed down. It's been the slow and steady progress that has encouraged my heart. On Friday, November 23 my brother wired the garage for electric. During the week of November 26 the whole thing was shingled. On December 1 I made more progress on the soffit. The over-sized (and quite impressive) garage door was installed on Wednesday, December 5. The next day I pick-axed my way through 4 inches of frozen tundra to complete the burying of the electric line into the house. My brother came on Saturday, December 8 to complete the electrical hook-ups.

As of this moment I have a garage with electric, most of the soffit, a working door and lights that actually turn on. I have coiled up my 100' extension cord and already take the newly-installed electric for granted. I can now lock doors, therefore securing my incredibly valuable shovels and trash. It's a new day.

This Thursday, Lord willing, we will install the siding, and finish the fascia. The reality is that we probably won't get the entire thing sided in one day. Also, I have plenty of spring projects to complete (ridge vent on the roof, completion of outside lighting, installation of storage systems, a work bench of some sort in the garage, etc.).

This project has taught me that I can accomplish more than I thought I could when it comes to construction. Having a friend around who builds for a living certainly helps--and even when he's not around he is always willing to talk and give me advice. I feel like I have sort of been hiding behind the fear of messing up a project for a long time.

My hope is that this garage project does many things. First, I hope that it is first a wise use of God-given resources. From property value to the way we can now better care for our vehicles, I want this to be a stewardship success. Second, I want to make life easier for my wife and family. Less scraping, easier parking, and keeping them warmer because they can stay in the car while the garage door rises--that's accomplished. Third, I want to use the space to better organize my home life. I really want "everything in it's place." Using this outdoor space well should free up and organize indoor space, too, right? And finally, at some level, I want to take advantage of having a space to complete projects that help my family. I have a list, and a growing confidence to give it a whirl. We'll see how that goes.

This is a strange post. It's mostly the story of the garage that's not even finished yet. I guess that's fitting, somehow. I'll try to add pictures later.