The One Room Challenge - Garage Exterior: Week 1

​As part of our re-roof project and the financial contribution from our insurance company, we were given funds to re-roof our garage.  

I hate our garage. 

So, this isn't a project I'm hugely excited for, but I've been gearing up to work on it all summer. And now that temps are bearable I'm jumping on in! We haven't used our garage as very useful space in the past, but I really want to change that and make it something that can really help us.

​The One Room Challenge

​This is my fourth project for the One Room Challenge, and I am excited to add it onto this blog as well.  The Challenge is to finish a space in eight weeks, and to share it with a community of other designers, DIYers, and professionals.  Each week, participants will share on the One Room Challenge website, where anyone can find new ideas, inspiration, and motivation for their own projects.  I love participating in the One Room Challenge, because it builds in a timeline that helps to keep me motivated to complete the work, or to at least join the 95% club. 

In the past, I've worked on our basement office, our backyard, and our main floor bathroom.  All of these were "95% projects" in that there were tasks that I just couldn't logistically complete in the time frame.  The office needed an egress window professionally installed, The backyard needed the weather to be cool and dry enough to paint the playhouse. And the bathroom needed a the roof vent to exit through the roof.  All three are at 100% completed now!  Though the backyard is taking on some other maintenance.

The Garage

The backyard maintenance ties directly into the garage work!  Beyond working on the roof, I want to repaint it the right green (I used the garage to test the paint color and the actual paint before painting the house.  Right paint, wrong green.).  I need to get the surrounding plant overgrowth cleaned up, and I need to get the rest of our landscaping rock and mulch installed before winter.  Some will be around the garage, some will be elsewhere.  I also want to integrate some additional outdoor art and really make the little garage part of our backyard. 

The garage itself is in okay shape.  Structurally, it's great.  The roof shingles are quite old, and need to be replaced.  And it originally had a dirt floor, so the sloppily-poured concrete inside isn't in the best shape.  Eventually, I'll work on the interior as well. We're hoping to a second electrical service to it next year, so this will help is prepare for that too. 

​I would also like to add a small outdoor-tool shed to the side of the garage, so I have a spot to store our garden shovels, snow shovels, and bonfire equipment.  These would be far more at home near the garage and in the backyard than living on my porch.

Thinking about this project, it seems like a small one for the ORC, but there is more work than it seems!  I'm a little intimidated by a re-roofing project, but I know I have a few people I can count on to be a helping-hand in getting it done.  I just hope the weather holds out long enough that I can get everything repaired and painted in eight weeks!