Buggy Corral Construction

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And so it begins... 

The 6" concrete block walls that separated three of the adjoining classrooms were opened to connect the rooms. Walls were not load bearing so that made the work a lot easier than it might have been.

Electrical lines to outlets on those walls ran through metal conduits in the concrete floors. These were disconnected and the conduits cut below grade and capped.

The separation walls contained Blackboards which had to be removed to allow the openings. 

Each blackboard was constructed of 3/4" plywood screwed to 2" thick concrete mounting pads. The mounting pads can be seen to the left of the opening in the above photo, and along the side walls on the left in this photo. Sheets of aluminum were glued to the plywood and painted with blackboard paint.

A new electrical panel was installed to provide a separate power supply. 

The coax cables hanging here are new lines for the pot LED's which will replace the hydro-hungry suspended fluorescent fixtures.

The plywood on the left exterior wall covers an opening which was cut to allow installation of garage doors.

Electrical wiring costs, parts and labour - $17,000.

Each classroom had three sets of windows. The center window was removed and the wall opened to allow for the garage doors.

The old hydro-hungry electrical heating systems were totally removed from each classroom at this phase.

Steel lintels above each garage door were framed in and faced with aluminum flashing. This photo gives you an idea of just how thick the building walls are. 

The concrete mounting pads for blackboards can be seen on the opposite wall in the background of this photo.

Garage Doors Completed

Each garage door is powered by a side mount LiftMaster 8500W... no overhead motor or chains. These units allow you to monitor & control each door with your cellphone from anywhere in the world.  

The glass-paneled doors together with the large bank of windows on each side provide a wide open feeling to these living areas.

Installing the three garage doors, including removing wi

Original floors were 12" vinyl tiles...about 2,500 of them.

The tiles were removed and floors ground with a diamond brush pad on a swing machine to remove paint and glue residue.

The dust created during the grinding process was tremendous and breathing apparatus would have been better than the mask & goggles approach. 

Tile removal and surface prep took three days.

Porcelain tiles were selected because of their strength and suitability for garage floors. 

Each tile was buttered before placement to prevent air gaps. 

Installation took two weeks.

Notice the preservation of the blackboard on the far wall. That area eventually became the "Library" and the old school blackboard is a popular feature with visitors & guests.

The plywood along the lower walls was screwed to the concrete walls to be the backing for the diamond plate.

We went with 24"x 24" tiles and we are glad we did. The result is a stunning 2500 sq. foot black and white floor.

You can see some of the diamond plate on lower walls in this photo.

Floor preparation and Tiling took 3 weeks at a cost of $25,000.

Tiles alone were $13,000

The propane see-through fireplace we were waiting for finally came in.

The wall between the "Library" and the "50's Diner" was selected as the ideal location.

The concrete wall was opened; a lintel and propane lines installed; and allowances made for a heat-shift system.

Wilcore Concrete Drilling was used to drill the exterior walls for the propane lines.

This photo was taken from the Library side.

The wall needed to be widened to accommodate the depth of the fireplace. This meant reconfiguring the ceiling on both sides of the wall as well.

This is the finished installation seen from the 50's Diner side.

The cozy corner is one of our favourite spots to relax and read with a glass of wine.

The electrical outlet you see high on the wall, next to a motion detector, is to accommodate any future accessories that one might want to add... How about a neon sign for the diner? 

This is the finished installation seen from the Library side, with another comfortable chair under the window providing another cozy reading spot on this side of the fireplace.

The black vent above a photo of our 58 Corvette is the heat shift outlet.

The fireplace project took a week to complete at a cost of $12,000.

The original classroom cupboards were refurbished to match the new decor. 

Notice in this photo that the wall on the right still has the original carpeting glued to it, along with a bulletin board. The foam-backed carpeting had to be scraped away by hand and the walls sanded in preparation for painting.

A coat closet is also seen in this photo, which is a feature of each classroom

New hardware, countertops, s/s sinks, faucets and diamond plate were used along with lots of paint to bring these areas to life.

Cost to renew cupboards - $2,500

The photo above the yellow PEPSI-COLA door bar is the 1967 Stanley Cup parade in Toronto, and is signed by Eddie Shack, Red Kelly, Bobby Baun and Johnny Bower.

What would a Library be without a bookcase.

This 9-foot custom bookcase, which has a Murphy Bed, was designed and built by Creative Interiors of Vaughan Ontario. 

$14,000 delivered, assembled and installed.

The Completed Bookcase

The custom solid wood Library Rolling Ladder comes in handy for those upper shelves.