Want opinions on a shop
- Thread starter JD3020
- Start date
For sure. I'd be able to build a loft over the right side giving me 400+sqft of storage space, and have damn near 50ft along the back wall for pallet racks, work bench, welders, etc... Probably put the lift in the middle bay, and put a long floor drain where truck+trailer is to be a "wash bay" area. It'd be awesome to wash the truck and trailer inside in the winter.
Ram12vcummins
New member
I was thinking the same if I ever built a shop. I would pour a 6" or so high concrete curb with the slab. We have poured plenty the same time as the slab but that will depend on your crews capabilities. But this would avoid any water under wall issues.
Chrisd91
New member
Extend the eaves out as far as you can on one side for more covered storage/work space. Can always enclose it later as funds allow.
Whenever I have the chance to build a new shop, it will definitely have a decent sized well sealed clean room with a roll up door for assembly and disassembly without getting all the dirt, debris, and dust from the main shop
Whenever I have the chance to build a new shop, it will definitely have a decent sized well sealed clean room with a roll up door for assembly and disassembly without getting all the dirt, debris, and dust from the main shop
Had an idea today at lunch. May not be possible at all, not a homebuilder and i haven't had time to look into it at all. Current thought is 40x60, and using basically a 40x15 area for the bathroom, utility room, and a hangout/bar area which would all be sitting on concrete. My new idea is to extend the barn to a 40x80, and doing heated concrete in the 40x60 area. Then instead of spending $$$(13 yards) to pour concrete under the 40x20 "living area", set posts in the center or wherever needed, and build a floor off of them.
06 DIESEL
Dead Eye Firearms LLC
Speaking from experience for a crew cab long bed truck you need 24' just to park it and close the door behind it. If you want to work on it, pull the motor, etc you need an additional 8' clear. Then you have toolboxes, etc possibly in front of that. My current garage is 24x32 with the doors on the 32' wall so my bays are 24' deep. Not near deep enough and my toolbox is on the side wall. I do not think you are going to be parking a truck and trailer in front of the trucks pulled in and still be able to easily work on them. Maybe for getting them in for a storm, but not work on them with everything in there. Plus add in room for you welder, torch, plasma cutter, engine stands, chop saw, table saw, etc and you are going to be out of room.
I am adding on to mine hopefully this fall, making it taller and the footprint will be 32x60. I am sure that it will still not be big enough but that is all the room I have where it is currently at without tearing down and starting completely over.
I am adding on to mine hopefully this fall, making it taller and the footprint will be 32x60. I am sure that it will still not be big enough but that is all the room I have where it is currently at without tearing down and starting completely over.
DISTURBED
YEA WE RIDE THE SHORT BUS
I'm in the process of finishing my 40'x120' with a 15x60 lean to on the side and I'm already wishing I had gone bigger. The shop is 40x60 with the the lean too on the side and I'm wishing already the shop was 60x60 with the lean too. But that was another $20,000 to make the entire building 60 wide. I'm with these guys. Build it at big as you can afford because it's still going to be to small in the end. Now the good thing about mine is I can always absorb part of the shed and turn it into shop space by moving the back wall In the shop. So I have expandable space and I planned that in when we built this building. Just something you might want to look into
zfaylor
Comp Diesel Sponsor
x2 on spending money on a quality concrete finisher. You have one chance to get it right. Re doing concrete isn't a fun thing.
Put plastic below the concrete to keep the floor from sweating.
Rebar is a cheap way to reinforce it. Buy the plastic pedestals from Lowes to support it. They are amazing. If you do in floor heat you can buy the tubing on amazon for very cheap. If nothing else you can put the tubing in for future use of in floor heat. Put a decent thermal barrier below the tubing and do as many zones as you can bear. Make sure you tie the tubing down and away from rebar. Tubing likes to float in concrete and if it floats to the rebar you could have an issue with getting a hole in the tubing years down the road.
Rent or borrow a laser to do the grade work. It is extremely easy to be off 2-3 inches over a span that large. If you do 4" concrete this means you'll either have 1" of concrete or 2-3" of uneven floor in spots. They are easy and they are accurate. Grade work can cost a pile of money so there is some money saved if you do it yourself.
If you do drains make sure you either have the proper tanks installed or hope any inspectors in the area aren't anal about it. We had to pour concrete in our drains because the tanks are out of date and we had to send pictures to prove they were still blocked for 2 years in a row. Never heard of such a thing until we had this building. Also make your decision on drains when you do the grade work as you will need to factor in fall to maintain a consistent thickness leading to the drain.
If it is the heat of the summer when they pour make sure you nag the finishers about how hot the concrete is. Some places put ice in the mix during the summer and others do not. Remember the cooler and wetter concrete stays the stronger it is in the end. Ask them what slump they are pouring at when they do it as well. Indication of how strong they plan to pour. Many finishers like a larger slump because it is easier to work but in the end you have more pore space from water content and weaker concrete. Again, important for when it is the heat of the summer or when a plant is far away from a job as they cool the mixture they can go overboard on the content of water. I know many may think that is overboard and intrusive but making them aware that you understand what all of that means will force them to do a better job in the end.
Plan to add in the cost of a pump truck if the walls are up when you pour. Not a bad idea to have it pumped anyways as oftentimes the trucks leave ruts where they are pouring so you end up under estimating concrete needed for the job as well.
Put plastic below the concrete to keep the floor from sweating.
Rebar is a cheap way to reinforce it. Buy the plastic pedestals from Lowes to support it. They are amazing. If you do in floor heat you can buy the tubing on amazon for very cheap. If nothing else you can put the tubing in for future use of in floor heat. Put a decent thermal barrier below the tubing and do as many zones as you can bear. Make sure you tie the tubing down and away from rebar. Tubing likes to float in concrete and if it floats to the rebar you could have an issue with getting a hole in the tubing years down the road.
Rent or borrow a laser to do the grade work. It is extremely easy to be off 2-3 inches over a span that large. If you do 4" concrete this means you'll either have 1" of concrete or 2-3" of uneven floor in spots. They are easy and they are accurate. Grade work can cost a pile of money so there is some money saved if you do it yourself.
If you do drains make sure you either have the proper tanks installed or hope any inspectors in the area aren't anal about it. We had to pour concrete in our drains because the tanks are out of date and we had to send pictures to prove they were still blocked for 2 years in a row. Never heard of such a thing until we had this building. Also make your decision on drains when you do the grade work as you will need to factor in fall to maintain a consistent thickness leading to the drain.
If it is the heat of the summer when they pour make sure you nag the finishers about how hot the concrete is. Some places put ice in the mix during the summer and others do not. Remember the cooler and wetter concrete stays the stronger it is in the end. Ask them what slump they are pouring at when they do it as well. Indication of how strong they plan to pour. Many finishers like a larger slump because it is easier to work but in the end you have more pore space from water content and weaker concrete. Again, important for when it is the heat of the summer or when a plant is far away from a job as they cool the mixture they can go overboard on the content of water. I know many may think that is overboard and intrusive but making them aware that you understand what all of that means will force them to do a better job in the end.
Plan to add in the cost of a pump truck if the walls are up when you pour. Not a bad idea to have it pumped anyways as oftentimes the trucks leave ruts where they are pouring so you end up under estimating concrete needed for the job as well.
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