How to Build a DIY Pressure Treated Canoe Rack with Rebekah Higgs

We bought this house just over a year ago and the garage was one of the top reasons we fell in love with it. When we were living in Nashville we started building and selling furniture as a side hustle. I would find trendy minimalistic pieces online, Mike would build them, and I would post and sell them. What was a necessity at the time became the fire starter for our love of design. When we moved back to Toronto, we leased a place that had no space for us to create or build. It was put on hold until we moved here. The first home we've ever owned together. You can imagine how excited we were when we saw that detached carriage house. To some it may have seemed like ‘just another thing that needed fixing’, but to us; it was finally a place for us to create again.

We were so excited to partner with Home Hardware to bring it back to life. Being close to a hundred years old, one could say it ‘needed some love’ (#understatement). We decided an exterior face-lift was the best way to salvage it. The roof was falling apart, the plaster and stonework along the sides was coming off, the doors were so weathered, and they were barely hanging on. Animals had started making their way underneath the plaster and in order to seal it off from the weather (leaks and flooding) it was in desperate need of new siding. As for the doors, we wanted to maintain as much of the charm as possible, so we thought it was best for us to rebuild them and keep them as close to what the originals were; only this time leaving them natural.

First up, roofing. At first glance, this looked fairly easy. Mike had done some roofing with his dad in the past, so he felt pretty comfortable tackling it alone. We went with Iko Granite Black shingles from their Dynasty Series. We were drawn to them for their texture and pattern. They stand out in comparison to your standard three-tab shingle and we figured with the black on black, this would add dimension and contrast; acting as a nice "pop". The shingles came off easily (man were they ever old) and went up within a couple days. The Stormtite underlay along with the Amourgard Ice and Water Shield provided the reassuring base to withstand the harsh winter conditions (especially the high-winds we experience). Yes, I did have a heart attack watching him put them up (**insert my sweaty palms writing this).

​Next came the demolition. Stone pillars had to come down and the plaster had to come off. We went back and forth trying to decide whether we should lay the siding over the plaster, but because the surface was so weathered, we figured it would be best to strip it back before strapping. The demo was a ton of fun. Highly recommend taking a sledgehammer to a building if you’re in need of a little therapy. Most of it came off quickly because of the shape it was in and once the demo was done, the housewrap and strapping went up. That part was a breeze, and man, having those clean lines without the pillars drastically changed the look of the place. This is when we started to see it take form.

The siding we went with was a 6” wood shiplap (rabbeted bevel profile) from Maibec. We went with the rough faced finish. As for colour, we went with their Mystery Black 319 and the quality was incredible. Siding, trim, venting strips, nails and touch up paint came neatly organized and bundled on a huge 16’ palette. Not only did each piece come stained (all sides), the shipment came with coloured nails to match and extra custom coloured paint for the cut ends and touch ups. We used that same paint colour for a few areas that we kept original, and the rest of the detail painting was done with matte black Rustoleum spray paint we picked up from Home Hardware. All it took was a quick review of the easy-to-understand-instructions, and we were ready to get to work. Maibec also has some great tutorials on their YouTube channel, which Mike liked a lot, because sometimes we find it’s easier to learn by watching. As soon as that first wall of siding went up and the window was painted black, we knew we had made the right decision. Black was a bold choice, but the Nordic/Scandi design vibes totally came to life and it was the best feeling watching our vision unfold.

The doors were made up North at Mike's parents. His dad has a real-deal-every-tool-kinda-shop up there, and we needed a flat surface to make them (by we...I mean, cough, them*). We went with cedar 2x6’s for the main frame of each door, and 1x6 fence boards for inlays. The hardware (bolts and hinges) were all purchased at our local Home Hardware and we went ahead and sprayed it all matte black.​

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Now it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

This was our first big renovation on the house and fair to say we learnt so much! Here’s 3 big takeaways from the project: ​

1. Quality where it counts.

- You’ll never regret choosing quality products that face the toughest wear and tear. Not only will it make for a longer lifespan, but it definitely makes the job a lot easier. It’s like splurging on good denim. You can buy the pair that will look good on the first wear, last you a few months, stretch out and be garbage, or you can invest and buy a good pair of jeans that will inevitably hold their shape for years and maintain that “first wear” look.

2. Be flexible when it doesn’t go as planned.

- Because you know what? It’s not going to; emphasis on “when”. There will always be hiccups during renovations. Weather happens, delays happen, and it always I repeat always takes longer than you think it will. What we thought would take one day, took three, and the details took the longest (** cough hanging up the doors).

3. Be grateful.

- I know renos can get stressful and chaotic and messy, but I am quick to remember a time when we were leasing and renting and living at our parents; a time when ‘making custom home changes’ was definitely not on the table. Yes, it can get crazy, but it’s also a pretty amazing privilege to be able to make things look the way you want them to. So, as nuts as it gets, don’t lose sight of that.

I know this will be a special spot for us; a place for us to create, plan and work on our vision for the rest of our home. Originally, I didn't think it made sense to start off with the garage, but now it only seems fitting. Excited for all the things I know we'll create in this space.

Now…..what’s next on that list?