DIY - Garage Platform - Remodelando la Casa

strong platform for getting in and out the house - #thdprospective

I hope you all had a great father's day weekend! We had a good one, celebrating with Mr. RLC at home and around the table. 😋

The mudroom project is coming along nicely. Last week I left you with that picture you see below after showing you the plan I had for this corner of the garage... Our mudroom. :)

You can check that post right HERE.

Today's post is all about building the platform to gain access to the house. Very similar to what we had before, only that this time it's a bit bigger and higher.

Let's continue right where we left off...

-We were using the old steps to get in and out of the house, but that top step was a serious hazard! 😬

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The first task was to install the 2 x 10's ledgers alongside the walls.

-Check my previous post to determine how high or low to install those ledgers.

Ensure they are level and that you're driving the screws or nails onto the studs on the wall.

NOTE: At this point, we used our DeWalt framing nailer to speed things up. using 3 1/2" nails. However, two 1/2" lag bolts were driven into each stud later on, to better support the intense load.

Then, we connected the other 2 x 10s all around, using clamps to secure them temporarily to vertical 2 x 4's. Checking and double-checking that everything was level.

Once happy with the layout, it was time to install the posts.

Let's do a little parenthesis here to talk about the materials I used. >>> Compared to the structure we previously had in here, these new posts and joists seem bulkier, stronger. The previous platform was done with 2 x 6 joists and the supports were made out of 2 x 4's.

This time around I'm using 2 x 10 joists and 6 x 6 posts. Both platforms are OK. The old platform was only used to get in and out of the house, while the new one will support walls, window-s, a door, strong flooring and cabinets with lots of storage capacity. That's why we made it stronger.

Another reason to use the 6 x 6 posts is that I didn't want too many obstructions underneath the decking area because the plan is to use that area as storage. ;)

The 6 x 6 posts were cut to size and clamped to the joists. We used a 1/2" -very long- drill bit to drill the holes for the 1/2" x 9" carriage bolts we used.

Two carriage bolts on each post, with their corresponding washer and nut. And I can't stop emphasizing the importance of using the right tool for the job! In this case, this Milwaukee Impact wrench was the perfect tool to easily secure those posts.

| Milwaukee 1/2 in. Impact Wrench with Friction Ring Kit with TWO 5.0 Ah Batteries |

Looking good!!

Here, Stan was having fun with the Impact wrench, driving the lag screws onto the wall.

INSTALLING THE JOISTS

The next step was to install the joists. They were installed every 16" on center. We used Simpson Strong-Tie 2 x 8 joist hangers.

The 2 x 8 joists were cut to size. Then, we temporarily attached a metal T on both top ends of each joist, that way they sat flush with the ledgers while we attached the metal hangers.

Nothing better than using this RIDGID palm nailer to install those joist hangers! Driving those nails goes fast!

INSTALLING THE SUBFLOOR

The 4 X 8 OSB sheets were cut to size.

| OSB |

The tools for this job... A circular saw and drill to drive the screws later on.

| Milwaukee Brushless Cordless Hammer Drill & Circular Saw

Combo Kit with (2-Tool) with Two 4.0 Ah Batteries |

Liquid Nails were added to the top of the joists before bringing the OSB in place.

Mark the center location of each joists on the outside of the ledgers and on the wall. Those marks are going to be helpful in drawing guiding lines for driving the screws to secure the OSB to the joists.

Here you can see how the platform looked at the end of the day. The old staircase was brought in one more time to help us get up there.

#thdprospective - garage platform to get in and out the house

And here is my happy face with the progress! :D

The next step is the framing of this little room, and that's going to be my next post. But I want to leave you with these two pictures below.

A few weeks ago I went looking for windows at The Community Forklift here in Maryland. They have tons of used, reused, and vintage construction materials. Without having a set plan in mind for this little room, I bought two of those huge Jeld Wen windows for a fraction of their real cost.

As we started planning the framing of those walls, we placed the window-s where they would go, and we have to decide if we were going to use one or...