I started my man-cave project just about a year ago. My house is a coastal style on pilings and half the bottom was closed in with exterior walls. Some of the walls were insulated and outlets were already in place. The first thing was to empty the room out and move things somewhere safe. My wife was a trooper and helped with much of that process. I do have a pool table that was too heavy to remove so we slid it out the way.
Once we had the room mostly empty the task of insulating the remaining walls began. I forgot to mention the rotten OSB wood at the bottom of the walls had to be cut out and replaced with pressure treated plywood. This involved removing the vinyl siding. Good thing is I have done plenty of vinyl work and saved the money by doing it myself. I did the insulation and then started putting up the plywood inside. Another perk was my neighbor gave me 15 sheets of plywood before he moved, so I only had to buy 10 more sheets. This task took a little longer than expected. I also put in a wall for a small bathroom to be added later.
When all the walls were done on one half the room we started caulking the seams and did a light sanding for paint. My wife loves to paint so again, I scored. She applied a good coat of Kilz paint. She helped me come up with the Harley Davidson paint scheme for the walls. We went with traditional black, orange, and gray. Once the walls were done I put up the already painted trim boards to split the colors and complete the baseboards.
We then started to go through all my collection of motorcycle memorabilia and decide where it would be placed on the walls, ceiling, and pilings. Again my wife is the expert when it comes to placement and proper perspective of things. I decided to use king sized flat bed sheets for the overheads. A piling house has the insulation, plumbing, and wiring exposed for access. I figured sheets would be perfect for the ambiance of a man-cave and easy to remove for access to make any repairs.
Now it was time to do that half of the floor. We decided to go with an exterior latex porch paint. We cleaned the concrete and scraped off any existing scum. We rolled the floor with the first coat of gray paint. Once this cured I applied the second coat of paint while my wife shook the mixture of Harley Davidson paint chips we ordered on Amazon. We painted our way out of the room to the other section. I let the second coat cure for 2 days to ensure the flakes stuck well. We then applied 2 coats of a clear sealer that gives it protection and shine.
I moved my custom bar I built 8 years previous for my other man-cave into position and fastened it down with cement anchors. I employed the help of 3 neighbors to assist me in flipping the granite pool table over onto the base. Finally the first half was done!! Of course all I can think of is, I have to do all this again to the other half.
The whole process was done again for the other half along with adding in a reverse flush macerator pump and custom barrel sink in the bathroom. My son was a lifesaver and did all the plumbing for this installation. I did add in 2 new outlets on a separate breaker for the toilet pump and a dart board light. I’m no electrician, but You tube got me through it.
Now it’s time to schedule the grand reveal of the “Harlee Man-Cave”. We improvised the name since my name is Lee. I can’t wait to kick back in my recliner with a cold beer and admire all the hard work and many hours invested. Whether you have a large room or a portable outdoor building you can make it your own. Think of your hobbies and come up with a plan. Get color palates and check hobby stores for decor that fits. It is well worth the effort!
