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Saturday, April 18, 2009

the Coolio Garage and the Chunnel

The Coolio Garage is a name that Linda at ::Lime in the Coconut:: bestowed upon our "garagemahal," and Dan has adopted it as the garage's new name- thanks Linda! ;)

The chunnel is the passage between the new garage and the old basement. It was once a solid granite stone wall as you can see in the first photo. Why a chunnel you ask? Well, I can't really answer that, as I don't know myself. In fact one night, in the middle of the night, when I was lying awake thinking about all the work (i.e. $) going in to said chunnel, I woke Dan up to ask... "Now, why do we need a chunnel exactly?" He grumbled something about not liking a basement that didn't have a secondary exit, blah, blah, blah....basically, it was just one of those things that the "man of the house" decided he must have! So.... we now have a chunnel! If you can't find Dan or any of the "men" subs you'll find them down below just staring at the chunnel and/or the coolio garage! They all love the man cave! It's definitely a man-thing!




The original stone wall foundation on the ground floor of the barn. The new steps for the chunnel were cut through the stones that are seen between the two wooden posts in this photo.


The steps leading from the garage floor up to the basement floor through the chunnel. It is about a five foot elevation difference between the two spaces.








Chunnel step forms from basement level.




The chunnel pour through the basement window.











The finished pour. The chunnel steps going down into the garage.




This photo shows the front edge of the garage where the garage doors will go. Extra measures were taken to install a multi-tiered drain inside the garage.


Okay, even I admit this part is very "coolio"!! What you are looking at is the garage floor being laid with radiant heat tubing called Pex. For those of you in the South (or wherever you do not get snow), with all the snow and ice in the winter you will drive your car into the garage and snow/ice that has accumulated under the car/wheels while driving will melt and pool on the garage floor, then re-freeze, then "someone"steps on it, slips and breaks her finger........ So with this coolio system, said dropped snow/ice will either dry up or run off into the drain, so "someone" won't fall again...! And, it keeps your car nice and toasty when you climb into it in the cold winter!
Future temperature control center.
Isn't this a gorgeous rock wall?! As we told the guy who did the garage, the garage is now so beautiful it will be on the house tour! Six months ago it was a very creepy place!

Finished floor with concrete poured over the radiant heat. Chunnel steps on left in back of photo.



This photo shows the iron drains on the interior of the front of the garage. There are also hot and cold water valves so you can hose off the snow right in the garage! Again, for those who live without snow, the highway department puts down a mixture of salt and sand on the road after a snow fall and it all sticks to the bottom of your car and wrecks havoc on your paint finish and the metal body of your car . It's important to get it off as soon as possible to avoid rust.











The poured garage bays from the exterior.


Taadaa!!! The carriage doors are in! (sans the door hardware)


So, if you could...please let "Coolio-Garage-Man" (yet another Linda-ism!) know what you think of his man cave! I think he would get a big kick out of hearing what you all think! Thanks!

20 comments:

  1. Wow Joan and Dan! I have lived most of my life in NH/MA and I have never seen a garage (man cave) as impressive as this! I love the doors, heated floor and the beautiful NE stone wall!

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  2. Total transformation! I've never had to deal with snow issues, so this has been very interesting. It obviosuly involves quite the investment to deal with it properly - well done!

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  3. Absolutely spectacular garage! Oh the detail, even in the garage! You have thought of everything... having never lived in snow... the floor heating is ingenius! Love the doors too. Well done! A-M xx

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  4. Wow! Your garage is fancier (and bigger) than my entire house. It looks great.
    Jo

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  5. That is sooooo cool! lol Booking marking to show my husband. He'll be drooling! He also has actually mentioned a "tunnel" from the basement to our barn! Your home is so amazing!

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  6. Awesome! I have learnt something new today... floor heating in the garage is necessary for snow!!! Where I am from it never snows so I thought that was very cool!

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  7. Your coolio garage is amazing - as it should be....the whole house is!! Since mine isn't attached - no heat.....I hope I don't slip and fall and break something like "someone".
    How is the wounded soldier BTW?

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  8. What a fascinating process. So glad you will have a warm (and safe!) garage/car and I love it that you get to look at that beautiful old stacked stone wall every day. What an amazing transformation your whole property is going through.

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  9. john the husband of Kathleen at House things I likeApril 19, 2009 at 3:34 PM

    Jealous jealous jealous - once for each garage door. We are getting estimates for tiling our basement floor. I know I will regret not putting heat in the floor, but two issues: ceiling/floor height and cost. It doesn't normally get that cold in Northern VA, but my feet always get cold on the cement slab. Covering it with tile will still be COLD.
    As for our garage, I will be happy some day to get it cleaned out enough just to get one car in.
    Keep up the great work on your house and blog.

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  10. Jealous jealous jealous. Once for each garage door. We are getting estimates for our basement floor. I know I will regret not putting heat in the floor, but two issues: ceiling/floor height and cost. And it doesn't normally get that cold in Northern VA, but my feet always get cold on the cement slab.
    As for our garage, I will be happy some day to get it cleaned out enough just to get one car in.
    John the Husband of Kathleen from House things I like

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  11. Ok...changing his title to Uber-Coolio garage man troll ( the troll part only comes because Me thinks he will be LIVING in his glorious garage/chunnel...and will never see the light of day again (save to ask for toll $).

    Wowza!!! just WOWZA. No other words...until you find me hiding in your kitchen. Hell...You'll find me in your glass door fridge. Yep.


    Scary, eh?

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  12. Just found your blog and am so happy as I'd love to do what you're doing but husband doesn't have the time nor share my passion. Also LOVE rescue dogs (currently have #'s 9 and 10.) Can't wait to go back and read from the beginning.
    Nancy

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  13. what a garage! what garage doors - can not wait to see it all finished!!! it is so romantic looking in the garage! love it.

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  14. Hi! Its Allison...I shared the man cave with Forest. He turn several different shades of green. He loved the exposed stone wall and hopes that you will get to keep it. He said he's always read about the radiant heating in the floor and found it really intriguing. He wants to know if it is geo-thermal radiant heat or if the house has a heat pump??

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  15. Very, very impressive! I reckon if the nuclear holocaust ever happens, you guys are well & truly set. Nothing would get through that concrete & you'd be sitting pretty to emerge from Dan's bunker & take over the world!

    Interestingly, MOTH was doing the opposite here last weekend, he was ripping up a concrete floor with much puffing & panting whilst ferociously wielding the sledge hammer.
    Millie ^_^

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  16. Definitely a coolio garage :-) The rock walls are great!! And how cool is it to have your very own chunnel?!

    I've never seen or even heard of a heated garage floor. I like it!! I want it!!

    Thanks for visiting my "Happy" post :-) Dogs are the just about the best happy there is, aren't they?? :-) Your Ella looks like a real sweetheart :-)

    Kelly @ DesignTies

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  17. Love it... the details you thought of are amazing

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  18. What a garage/man cave, Wow! I know all about snow up there, I was born in NH, lived in upstate NY and my son goes to school in VT. I cannot wait to see you home all finished.
    In your sidebar you write about how the lifestyle is different up there, you have to experience it to know it. I know what you mean, we fell in love with VT and almost moved there last year! Because of my DH and health issues we are staying in NJ for now!

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  19. Awesome post, I love the detail! Love the shots of the re-enforcing mesh! -Ferret & Hound

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  20. So very glad moving day is so near--Love what you have done to keep your cars safe, clean and warm in your wonderful garage--I am moving this thursday too--Patti has done a great job picking out wall colors and new light fixtures,etc..Even found a young woman to help us who might start being a maid once and awhile for me--I think I will need it for
    this big house--as she says it is going to be fabulous--You must come down and see it!!Ella too, she will like the fenced in back yard with all the Great-Grandbabies in it too--
    Good Luck on our moves....Love you, Mama

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Welcome! Thank you for leaving a comment; you have no idea how much your comments inspire me to keep writing- I appreciate each and every one. Comments are moderated by me prior to publishing on the blog, so if you don't see your comment post immediately it will be posted as soon as I receive and read it. joan