detached garage/shop project planning

[kinigitt]

UPDATED 10/17/2016

Hi all,

I'm 3 years in on a brand new house, and things are settling down finally to the point where I can address my complete lack of work space.

The main usage of the garage would be for vehicle maintenance, small engine repair, and learning how to weld.

I've moved a fire pit and small oak tree out of the way, so I now have comfortable room for a 34'x28' structure.

It will sit at the back corner of my property, which is roughly a half acre surrounded by a 6 foot privacy fence. I have 14' between the side of the house and the property line, so plenty of room to drive vehicles back there.

So the plan has CHANGED again to 34' wide (eaves) by 28' deep (gable ends), with 10' high walls, topped by a gambrel roof. I'm interested in the engineered roof trusses from barnplans.com

There will be a loft just past the halfway point (18' long spanning the full width of the roof). Structure details are not finalized as far as support for the loft. I would like to eliminate any posts on the ground floor. I want to find out if this is affordable and feasible for a 28' span.

The open side will eventually house a 2 post lift. Tons of room with those trusses.

As for framing, is 2"x6" @ 16 O.C.

5" slab with rebar on 24" centers, chairs, pumped, vapor barrier. Sitting on compacted gravel. (thanks matt)

Roofing will be steel panels, to keep it simple and low-maintenance. Exterior siding hasnt been decided. I will probably drywall the interior, eventually.

1 man door, 2 10'x8' doors

Rough in for a toilet and small sink in the loft

Slop sink downstairs

One drain centered under the lift. Not even sure at this point.

Basic corner staircase to access the attic.

Small cantilevered patio out of the loft? (like Sreno's build)

Compressor tucked under the stairs, with adequate ventilation and access.

Dedicated electrical panel (not sure what size?)

Frame windows ahead of time and cut them out later?

As far as heating/cooling needs, what are your suggestions? It's brutally cold in the winter, and sickeningly humid in the summer. I live just outside Montreal, Quebec.

I was thinking insulated roof, bringing the conditioned envelope right up to the trusses, with an unvented roof. Cellulose sprayed in between sheetrock and roof sheathing? The trusses have plenty of room.

Loft can stay open with a railing or be closed off, eventually.

Adequate ventilation will be important.

Here are a few clumsy sketchup attempts, and some reference pictures of the trusses in question from barnplans.

 

[bowhuntr311]

28x28x16
16foot side walls with scissor trusses. 9ft to the floor on the loft Leaves you with 7foot at the wall and only gets taller from there towards the center.

Im sure a 6/12 pitch steel roof will allow the snow to slide off easily.
Maybe consider condensing the 2 rooms down to 1 corner instead of 1 in each corner and put a staircase up to the loft in the other corner Spanning the 28 feet will require some engineered trusses for the loft aswell.

good luck. Take lots of pictures

 

[bowhuntr311]

I'd consider a staircase only if it's tucked out of the way along the northwest corner. I could put the water closet alongside it.

Possibly put your other closet under the stair case? Depending what your keeping in there other than a compressor? Staircase is gonna cause dead space under it anyways. Might aswell try to use it. If your concerned about space possibly a L-shaped stair case with a landing 1/2 down then turn 90 with the rest of the stairs.

 

[bczygan]

How far away will this be from the main residence?

Any existing garage space in the main residence?

Basement in the house? Finished or unfinished?

Do you want a garage/shop or a "man cave" or both?

How deep do you get into automotive work?

Any other shop hobbies? Metalworking? Woodworking? etc.?

What is the site like and where will you site it? Have you checked all the zoning requirements?

Bill

 

[kinigitt]

How far away will this be from the main residence?

Any existing garage space in the main residence?

Basement in the house? Finished or unfinished?

Do you want a garage/shop or a "man cave" or both?

How deep do you get into automotive work?

Any other shop hobbies? Metalworking? Woodworking? etc.?

What is the site like and where will you site it? Have you checked all the zoning requirements?

Bill

Roughly 60' behind the house

House has a finished basement with bedrooms.

Garage/Shop mostly, for a small engine repair business and small automotive jobs on the side.

I'm no master tech, so I don't go crazy with big jobs. For myself, sure. Not on other people's dime. Tires, oil, brakes, basic stuff for select people.

I want to get into welding and fabricating, for sure. I'd like to eventually get a good drill press and band saw. As far as carpentry goes, not so much. A miter saw and saw horses would be plenty.

The site is the far corner of my half acre yard. There is a 6' privacy fence. I would build about the bare minimum distance away from said fence. I wouldn't be blocking any neighbor's sun. There is 14' of space on the side of my house to drive vehicles to the shop. I'd put gravel down for a driveway.

The soil is very rocky and dense. I would have the site mildly graded after the slab is poured.

I live on a native reserve. Zoning is pretty much non-existent. I'd get the building engineered and signed off for peace of mind, but you don't need permits to build on your land here. Just notify the bank if you have a lien.

For raising the big walls and steel beams I'd hire someone with a crane or forklift. Ditto for roof trusses.

There are no underground or overground utilities anywhere near the build site. I would need to trench water line, power, and drainage from the street all the way to the shop.

Man cave duties would just be a bonus. I'm not fussy. Just being out of the house is enough for me.

 

[bczygan]

Roughly 60' behind the house

House has a finished basement with bedrooms.

Garage/Shop mostly, for a small engine repair business and small automotive jobs on the side.

I'm no master tech, so I don't go crazy with big jobs. For myself, sure. Not on other people's dime. Tires, oil, brakes, basic stuff for select people.

I want to get into welding and fabricating, for sure. I'd like to eventually get a good drill press and band saw. As far as carpentry goes, not so much. A miter saw and saw horses would be plenty.

The site is the far corner of my half acre yard. There is a 6' privacy fence. I would build about the bare minimum distance away from said fence. I wouldn't be blocking any neighbor's sun. There is 14' of space on the side of my house to drive vehicles to the shop. I'd put gravel down for a driveway.

The soil is very rocky and dense. I would have the site mildly graded after the slab is poured.

I live on a native reserve. Zoning is pretty much non-existent. I'd get the building engineered and signed off for peace of mind, but you don't need permits to build on your land here. Just notify the bank if you have a lien.

For raising the big walls and steel beams I'd hire someone with a crane or forklift. Ditto for roof trusses.

There are no underground or overground utilities anywhere near the build site. I would need to trench water line, power, and drainage from the street all the way to the shop.

Man cave duties would just be a bonus. I'm not fussy. Just being out of the house is enough for me.

Reason I'm asking about uses, is because that may seem like a large shop building, but it really isn't.

At first glance, the man cave portion seems awfully large.

Once you starrt acquiring more tools and actually doing projects, I suspect you will want to enlarge the work portion.

I would almost suggest you don't install the dividing wall or do interior finishes until you have lived in and used the shop and leisure spaces for some time. Maybe just hang up some sheets to visually divide the spaces, and move them around to see how that changes things.

Then you will have a much better idea of the appropriate spaces for each function.

Bill (Designer)

 

[James-W]

You mentioned that you get sweltering, humid Summers. I suggest you re-think the air-conditioning because I seriously doubt ventilation will make the shop enjoyable to work in on those sweltering, humid Summer days. Air-conditioning would be much more beneficial to you during those times.

 

[kinigitt]

You mentioned that you get sweltering, humid Summers. I suggest you re-think the air-conditioning because I seriously doubt ventilation will make the shop enjoyable to work in on those sweltering, humid Summer days. Air-conditioning would be much more beneficial to you during those times.

In summer I like to keep the shop door open to tune carburetors and troubleshoot running conditions . I figured with tall ceilings and some air flow from a powered exhaust fan it wouldn't be so bad. Opening and closing the door all the time would kill any efficiency from an AC system, not to mention how tall the space is.

What are better ways to extract fumes ? Considering I'd be doing some welding in there, what would be a good setup?

Another question: would shorter walls and a gambrel roof be a better option than taller walls and gable trusses? Anybody here have experience with gambrel roof in a shop setting?

 

[James-W]

I have a window air-conditioner in my garage for the really hot days, or those days when the humidity gets way up there. It is nice to work in a cool shop.

If I were working on cars I would have some sort of exhaust suction system to get rid of the vehicle exhaust. Not only would this be good for hot humid weather so you could keep the doors closed, but it would be good for really cold days too. No point letting in all that cold air just to let the exhaust fumes out.

A suction fan with a long hose to put over the tailpipe and blow the fumes outside. I have seen that several times and it works really well. I don't know what an exhaust system would cost to buy it, but I am sure it wouldn't be all that difficult to make one and I doubt the cost to build it would be very much.

 

[kinigitt]

I have a window air-conditioner in my garage for the really hot days, or those days when the humidity gets way up there. It is nice to work in a cool shop.

If I were working on cars I would have some sort of exhaust suction system to get rid of the vehicle exhaust. Not only would this be good for hot humid weather so you could keep the doors closed, but it would be good for really cold days too. No point letting in all that cold air just to let the exhaust fumes out.

A suction fan with a long hose to put over the tailpipe and blow the fumes outside. I have seen that several times and it works really well. I don't know what an exhaust system would cost to buy it, but I am sure it wouldn't be all that difficult to make one and I doubt the cost to build it would be very much.

That is a good idea. I was considering having cutouts with swivelling flaps in the garage door to run hoses to. For car exhaust it works fine but it would be unwieldy with smaller machines. Ive worked with a similar system to the one you described before . Looked expensive tho. Retractable hose reel hooked up to a bulky HVAC system

 

[bowhuntr311]

Redesigned the layout.
6x6 stud walls.

with 3 feet minimum between lift and wall.

8" slab with rebar? Good enough?

Steel finished inside walls or OSB?

Shingle roof

Insulation

6x6 pole building or 2x6 stud walls? Bit confused. Either way price them both.

3 feet between lift and wall leaves you with about 4ft between the tire and the wall. Is that enough for you to get an axle out or take a tire off and turn around and walk away or take a body panel off? Maybe look through some other threads here on GJ about working area around the lift, i seem remember some people saying you need more than the minimum to be comfortable. (i dont have a lift so I dont have any opinion on this)

8inch slab is way thicker than most. A good concrete guy can help you out with load ratings. With rebar you can probably get away with 4-5 inches. Plan where your lift will be and have them make that area around the pads good and thick. If your doing footing your slab doesnt need to be thickened at the edges. If your doing a slab without you can make your edges 12inches deep to act as a footing.

I prefer the cleaner more professional look steel liner panel but then you have to deal with the ribs for hanging cabinets and finding studs...with painted OSB you can just hang whatever wherever.

Shingle roof and steel siding? Why not just steel the roof too and be done forever. Price the difference and figure you'll never have to replace the outside of the building again.

Sprayfoam insulation is the most expensive and its the best. You'll have to do some cost analysis to see if its in your budget. They get .90cents per inch per square foot in my area. Closed cell foam figures about R7 per inch.

 

[kinigitt]

6x6 pole building or 2x6 stud walls? Bit confused. Either way price them both.

3 feet between lift and wall leaves you with about 4ft between the tire and the wall. Is that enough for you to get an axle out or take a tire off and turn around and walk away or take a body panel off? Maybe look through some other threads here on GJ about working area around the lift, i seem remember some people saying you need more than the minimum to be comfortable. (i dont have a lift so I dont have any opinion on this)

8inch slab is way thicker than most. A good concrete guy can help you out with load ratings. With rebar you can probably get away with 4-5 inches. Plan where your lift will be and have them make that area around the pads good and thick. If your doing footing your slab doesnt need to be thickened at the edges. If your doing a slab without you can make your edges 12inches deep to act as a footing.

I prefer the cleaner more professional look steel liner panel but then you have to deal with the ribs for hanging cabinets and finding studs...with painted OSB you can just hang whatever wherever.

Shingle roof and steel siding? Why not just steel the roof too and be done forever. Price the difference and figure you'll never have to replace the outside of the building again.

Sprayfoam insulation is the most expensive and its the best. You'll have to do some cost analysis to see if its in your budget. They get .90cents per inch per square foot in my area. Closed cell foam figures about R7 per inch.

Woops. That's meant to say 2x6"

Thanks for the tips! I think 4 feet of clearance will be fine but I can scooch it over and see what that does.

 

[pmiranda]

Think hard about the heaviest stuff you'd want to store in that loft. You'll need to know that to size the loft beam. If you haven't already, I'd pay that engineer to not only size the loft beam, but also give advice on the wall supporting it, the wall supporting the I-beam, and specs on the concrete under them.
Looks like a great project!

 

[matt_i]

I'd try for a 5" slab with rebar on 24" centers, chairs, pumped, vapor barrier, pay attention to compaction of crushed gravel. It will be overkill for anything you need to do. In my opinion an 8" nominal slab is not money well spent.

 

[kinigitt]

I'd try for a 5" slab with rebar on 24" centers, chairs, pumped, vapor barrier, pay attention to compaction of crushed gravel. It will be overkill for anything you need to do. In my opinion an 8" nominal slab is not money well spent.

Noted! This is good stuff. I'm incorporating it into the first post.

 

[kinigitt]

Think hard about the heaviest stuff you'd want to store in that loft. You'll need to know that to size the loft beam. If you haven't already, I'd pay that engineer to not only size the loft beam, but also give advice on the wall supporting it, the wall supporting the I-beam, and specs on the concrete under them.
Looks like a great project!

I want it to be plenty sturdy, as the loft will serve as storage for all manner of stuff and most likely have a hangout spot (think chairs and a tv, coffee table, fridge.)

 

[kinigitt]

Alright, so the first step is to get my storage shed moved out of the way.

It's 16'x12', with 8' 2"x4" stud walls 16" O.C.

Rafter roof made of 2"x8"s

Shingled

Vinyl siding

1 hollow door

3 very small single pane windows

A loft made of 2"x6"s, covered with OSB, measuring 16'x8'

The flooring and sheathing is all OSB

Bottom level is made of 2"x8" joists, 16" O.C., no skids underneath.

I'm looking into buying sections of piping or pre-made heavy duty rollers to bolt to the floor, and pull it with my 4x4. I'm moving it about 60".

I already have it jacked onto cribbing made of 8"x8" posts I had lying around, and I have 4 16 foot lengths of 2"x4" to use as "rails"

Anybody here good at estimating building weights?

 

[kinigitt]

Cleaned up the first post, incorporated new details.

SHED IS MOVED! Pictures coming soon.

 

[kinigitt]

Anybody here have an idea for supporting the loft?

All doors would be located on the eave side.

Engineered floor joists?

Steel I-beam or LVL to support the joist carrier?

Sorry if my terminology is off, I'm still studying up on the lingo. I got myself a copy of "Graphic guide to frame construction" by Rob Thallon. I'm still on foundations. Lots to cram.

 

[kinigitt]

Alright, I've searched the forum and read up a bit more on finehomebuilding.com, among other sources.

This is what I've come up with, after studying some span tables for LVL beams from Weyerhauser. I'd like to stress that I'm just doing this for design purposes. I want to see what kind of space and how much lumber I'd roughly be working with. Anything I do will be brought to an engineer beforehand. Don't worry.

I don't want the walls any higher than they are.

This is using their "2.0E microllam LVL". 5 1/4" width, 11 1/4" height beams.

The sketchup model is very rough, but it's assuming 2x6" studs @ 16" OC, double top plate, 10' studs.

I checked the span tables for no. 2 SPF 2x12" joists. They would work.

My question now is what is the best way to mount the floor joists? There will be a stairwell in the back corner. Is a 2x12" ledger board lag bolted into the studs sufficient, or are jack studs needed to support the joists?

If the idea is stupid, my apologies.

 

[matt_i]

To answer your question, the LVL guide has information about "minimum bearing length" which could be either top plate or jack stud, depending on how its installed.

I would worry a lot more about the beam-to-beam connection in the "T" shape. To me that says steel-weldment thru bolted to both beams. I think you will see why having a column there is a lower cost option, but at the same time, its not a requirement. Enough structure could easily be built to do what you show above. It will just be more expensive.

 

[kinigitt]

To answer your question, the LVL guide has information about "minimum bearing length" which could be either top plate or jack stud, depending on how its installed.

I would worry a lot more about the beam-to-beam connection in the "T" shape. To me that says steel-weldment thru bolted to both beams. I think you will see why having a column there is a lower cost option, but at the same time, its not a requirement. Enough structure could easily be built to do what you show above. It will just be more expensive.

So jack studs? Good.

For the beam connection, aren't there top mounted straps and structural fasteners to accomplish this?

If it's all too much expense, I can handle one central post for the floor to bear on. Not the end of the world.

I'm gonna mess around in sketchup some more to design those stairs.

Thanks !

This brings up another question:

Is it acceptable to build the walls shorter where the loft will be, have the joists bear on the exterior walls, then tie them to the taller walls with a top plate?

 

[kinigitt]

Alright, no responses so I'm gonna try again.

I modelled my LVL idea with actual lumber dimensions, aside from the garage headers and trimmers, which are a rough approximation.

This model has 10' walls on the "lift bay" side of the shop.

9' walls at the loft side, with 2x12 joists stacked on top with a rim joist. The idea is to cover the gap with the appropriate thickness of plywood flooring, and then another 2x6 top plate. Then, join the 2 wall sections with a double top plate, overlapping at least 4'.

I've been trying hard to find answers about joining a wall of this type, but I honestly haven't seen anything relevant so far. Is it idiotic or could it actually work. I much prefer 10' walls to 12'+ walls, but if 12 is easier, then 12 it will be.

The question stands. Is it doable (and sane?) to join 2 different height walls in this fashion?

 

[kinigitt]

Some more tail-chasing...

I modelled the loft with 22" floor trusses, based on a span table I found. The models are just to show outside dimensions. It sure simplifies the design over the LVL setup.

According to the charts, it would be a good deal stiffer too.

Anybody here want to weigh in on I joist vs. 2x12 & LVL vs. floor trusses?

 

[kbs2244]

This is how they built them in the old days.
Those with hay lofts were designed to carry literally tons of weight up there.

http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/extpubs/planlist97.htm#Machinery and Supply Storage Plans

 

[kinigitt]

This is how they built them in the old days.
Those with hay lofts were designed to carry literally tons of weight up there.

http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/extpubs/planlist97.htm#Machinery and Supply Storage Plans

Which ones specifically?

 

[bczygan]

OK,

I'm back looking at this build again. I have a few questions, but first:

One thing that strikes me is the gigantic mount of wasted volume above the open to the ceiling side. A lot of unused volume to heat and cool and generally condition. Hard to keep the floor level climate stable.

You only really need slightly more than a 12' high ceiling for a lift. And probably a third of the floor area.

What is the biggest vehicle that will be lifted. And what kind of lift? 2 post? 4 post? Will a vehicle be stored on a lift above the working space?

Bill

 

[kinigitt]

OK,

I'm back looking at this build again. I have a few questions, but first:

One thing that strikes me is the gigantic mount of wasted volume above the open to the ceiling side. A lot of unused volume to heat and cool and generally condition. Hard to keep the floor level climate stable.

You only really need slightly more than a 12' high ceiling for a lift. And probably a third of the floor area.

What is the biggest vehicle that will be lifted. And what kind of lift? 2 post? 4 post? Will a vehicle be stored on a lift above the working space?

Bill

2 post lift. Biggest vehicle would be a 3/4 ton quad cab. Lots of trucks in this town.

So a full on second floor makes more sense? Would 12' walls + top and bottom plates be enough room for a fully extended 2 poster?

Also, no long term vehicle storage up top. Maybe overnight once in a while.

 

[bczygan]

2 post lift. Biggest vehicle would be a 3/4 ton quad cab. Lots of trucks in this town.

So a full on second floor makes more sense? Would 12' walls + top and bottom plates be enough room for a fully extended 2 poster?

Also, no long term vehicle storage up top. Maybe overnight once in a while.

Let's start over a little bit. When I design a building, I start with the existing conditions....all of them.

First, I need to look at the lot. Got photos? Lot layout? Mortgage survey? What's the topography? Existing buildings? What is the subsurface? Location of and type of ALL utilities? Any easements? And what EXACTLY are the regulations governing what you can do? This isn't the usual case, so I need to know what they really are. Any zoning? Setbacks? Height restrictions? Etc. Etc. We need to note all the constraints.

Than the second step is what so you want to accomplish.....in detail! What machines, now and in the future? What vehicles, now and future? What storage? Yard equipment and supplies? Other? In other words, look into the future and see all possible functions to accommodate. Imagine how you will use the space and tell me all the permutations.

Then I take all these puzzle pieces, along with a budget and fit them together in the best possible way to accomplish your goals.

Some things I would consider:
Requirements in your area for insulation and weatherproofing.
Since you plan to have some R&R space, are there any outside views to take advantage of.

And even if you have few requirements from authorities, will you have a mortgage? Will they want construction to a certain standard?

A couple more things. A 2x6 wall that tall, and especially with a second floor will need at least a thickened and reinforced edge to the slab, if not an actual foundation wall. What is standard practice in your area?

What does the existing house look like, and buildings on surrounding properties. There is a local vernacular that should be looked at and complemented or contrasted.


Bill

 

[kinigitt]

Let's start over a little bit. When I design a building, I start with the existing conditions....all of them.



Bill

I will get you all of that information, as well as pictures.

Thanks Bill

 

[bczygan]

Kinigitt,

I've been on the Kahnawake site, looking around.

VERY very interesting! I feel privileged to assist you on this.

Bill

 

[kinigitt]

Kinigitt,

I've been on the Kahnawake site, looking around.

VERY very interesting! I feel privileged to assist you on this.

Bill

It's definitely different than most towns, that's for sure.

I have a couple of pictures to start with, to get an idea of the lot.

The lot is 80' wide by 140' deep. The yellow lines are the boundary lines, where the pins are. The bottom of the picture is South. Road is North.

There is 14' between the eastern side of my house and the property line. That goes straight out onto the road. There is a gravel driveway at the front as of now.

Notice the building sticking into the yard on the right. That's my grandfather-in-law's shed (He owns the lot next door) This is my wife's lot. My land option was limited to a quarter acre out by the tracks. This is a nice street to raise kids on so it was a no-brainer to build here instead.

Aside from that shed that sticks out, it's a straight shot out to the street if you look at the blue square. That would be where the lift bay would be (eastern side of shop)

The shed has been moved closer to the house and out of the way. This google maps picture is at least 2 years old. We didn't even have grass yet (fresh build).

My wife worked for the lands unit here for 4 years. She knows the ins and outs of the legislative side of things as far as building permits goes. In short, if you own the land, you don't need a permit to build, renovate, landscape, add decks, pools, etc.

The only exception is if you have a "lien" on the land, like for instance if you have a mortgage with the local bank to build a house. The land is then titled in the bank's name until the debt is paid. So anything that you would like to build has to be approved by them first. There is a 5 minute approval process to see if it adds or detracts from the value to the property. If it adds, rubber stamp. If it takes away, denied.

It's a live-and-let-live policy and it mostly works. There are some bad apples but most people respect their neighbors. No need for heavy-handed home owners associations and stacks of by-laws.

There are no size or height restrictions. If you wanted to be ridiculous and build right up to the property line and up to 20 feet back from the road, you could. There is nothing on the books to stop anyone from doing that here except common sense. I'll get back to that later.

There is no easement on the property. My grandfather-in-law's shed is technically on my wife's property, but it's been there before we built. It would be shameful to antagonize the man about it now.

This is a town where there are no "neighborhoods". Rich, poor, dirt poor, everyone builds what they like. So there is no local vernacular. You have crumbling shacks next to 4 story brick faced monstrosities that eclipse the sun.

There are no utilities anywhere near the proposed build site. My house gets it's water and drainage hooked up from the street. The power comes from the street as well. There are no gas pipes or anything under the property.

The topography is flat. We had the ground slightly graded from the house after we backfilled. Water doesn't pool in our yard.

Nothing particularly beautiful to look at here. The government ran highways, a bridge, the seaway, and railroads through the town for pennies on the dollar long ago. Kahnawake means "by the rapids" in Mohawk. Well... the Lachine rapids are about 5 miles downriver and cut off by the seaway wall. Residents of nearby Lasalle and St-Constant get to enjoy the views along the water, however. To answer your question, the Mercier bridge is visible from my backyard, so I could get a view of traffic conditions if I had a big window on the eastern side of the loft/second floor.

I will have to get back to you about the soil survey, but the house was built with a full finished basement, and the pit was just soil and rocks. Very little clay. Our soil is pretty damn rocky; you can't drive a spade into the ground anywhere without pinging into a small rock. I know from digging fenceposts by hand.

There is no zoning in effect. Two of my neighbors have shops. One does small engine, the other fools around with speed parts for friends. Sometimes he has "test n tune" sessions past 10pm. The telltale black strips down the road are there the next day. Not that I mind at all.

Anyway, I'd be a mouse compared to him. Muffled, big capacity compressor and closed doors.

This is about as "country" as you can get while being 5 miles away from a metropolis.

Last but definitely not least is budget. For the building itself: For the slab, the shell, the sheathing, the roofing, the siding, the doors and windows, electrical...and nothing else. I'm shooting for 30K (CAD$) if I build it myself. I would hire out the slab and do the rest myself. I have friends and family that are carpenters by trade, that can give me pointers and lend a hand on the heavy stuff. And I have time to learn and research and plan plan plan. This is my five year plan. All my spare money is going into this.

Fancying it up after that would be piece meal, paid cash.

 

[kinigitt]

As far as usage, and future-proofing the shop... Here's my list for Santa or Lotto Quebec:

Pex piping in slab for radiant heating

Big *** compressor (80 gallons)

2 air hose reels, ceiling mounted

2 120v reels, ceiling mounted

Tire machine

Tire balancer

Waste oil drain tank

Engine hoist

Engine stand

Oxy Torch setup

Bench grinder

Vise(s)

Welding cart

Miter saw

Portable scissor lift or an ATV lift

Spring compressor (wall mounted)

Long workbench

Welding table (rolling, adjustable)

Drill press

Hydraulic press

Bandsaw

Table saw

Hoisting setup safely mounted (chainfall, come-along, winch, what have you.) so handy.

That about covers it.

The shop would be the shop only. Tools and parts, and whatever project happens to be in it. All Yardwork, household stuff goes in the shed or a storage room downstairs. I won't let my wife overrun it with JUNK. Who am I kidding... The second floor will end up full. As long as there is room left over for a couch, a tv, and a mini-fridge up there I'll be a pig in sh%t.

 

[kinigitt]

Just to drive home the common sense issue I brought up earlier, here is an aerial of a residence that was built in the last 10 years.

There is a big old church that tourists come from the world over to see in the frame. This is to give you an idea of scale.

No, there isn't a big family living in that thing. There is an indoor swimming pool and an elevator though!

Some of the neighboring houses have siding falling off and slumping roofs.

If you look closely, you can see the shadows cast by the parapets.

 

[bczygan]

Thanks for the big write ups. It will take me a little time to digest and make recommendations.

I learned a lot from looking around the site. I like that the authorities didn't make hard and fast rules, spelled out as demands, but rather couched things as "Suggestions" and "Recommendations"! I did see a recommendation to keep houses 5' from property lines and 20' from other houses. I seems to be a really nice live and let live kind of community, where things are decided communally. Are you and your wife both members (Or is it not polite to ask?)? I find it all very cool.

Bill

 

[kinigitt]

Thanks for the big write ups. It will take me a little time to digest and make recommendations.

I learned a lot from looking around the site. I like that the authorities didn't make hard and fast rules, spelled out as demands, but rather couched things as "Suggestions" and "Recommendations"! I did see a recommendation to keep houses 5' from property lines and 20' from other houses. I seems to be a really nice live and let live kind of community, where things are decided communally. Are you and your wife both members (Or is it not polite to ask?)? I find it all very cool.

Bill

No problem at all. You're the one helping me out!

Yeah, we're both members. We both grew up here.

 

[bczygan]

Very interesting place! I've never designed anything in another country.....And I'm not talking about Canada!

First thing I'll ask, is do you have any children? If so, how many and their ages, and if not, what plans? What age are you?

This is by way of asking how you will use the entire property. Children's play sets? Sand box? Place for a pool (I see plenty around the area)? Parking for boats, RV or other recreational vehicles like snowmobiles or 4x4's or motorcycles etc. Space for a garden? Any possible future plans to add on to the deck, or install a patio or pond?

Do you have sewer and water coming in from the street? Gas? Electric I see on poles in the front.

Bill

 

[kinigitt]

Very interesting place! I've never designed anything in another country.....And I'm not talking about Canada!

First thing I'll ask, is do you have any children? If so, how many and their ages, and if not, what plans? What age are you?

This is by way of asking how you will use the entire property. Children's play sets? Sand box? Place for a pool (I see plenty around the area)? Parking for boats, RV or other recreational vehicles like snowmobiles or 4x4's or motorcycles etc. Space for a garden?

Do you have sewer and water coming in from the street? Gas?

Bill

We have 3 young kids. Youngest is 3, oldest is 9. No more kids incoming. We closed the factory.

The back corner opposite the build site is our hang out spot, since it's shaded and has trees. We have bonfires out there in the summer and fall, when the bugs aren't too bad.

A boat would be nice. I could see a smallish fishing boat in my future. I have a canoe in the meantime.

A pool is a definite. The summers are horrible here. It would be close to the house, if you can see where the back deck is.

No future plans for an RV. Not our style. Too much money. Too much gas.

I could definitely use a UTV (like a kawasaki mule) eventually.

Yes, we've planted a few small gardens so far. We would definitely like that in the future. We get a lot of sun near the back of the house. I'm kind of worried about building too tall and shading the whole backyard in the process.

I have an old playset to put together for the kids. Takes up about 20'x10'

There is also a red oak sapling that has sentimental value. We planted it when we built the house. I updated the picture with it's location. I read that they need 15' minimum from structures.

Water, sewer, and power come from the street. We have propane tank at the southwest corner of the house.

 

[Falcon67]

Finally found you on Google Earth - yep, lots of individuality around there. A guy could make a good living servicing pools.

 

[bczygan]

You mention a gravel drive on the right. Is it obstructed by the intruding shed?

How much space on the other side?

I've been thinking about an idea, and you might think about it too.

With the freedom you have, to do what you want, I would consider something unique that you might enjoy.

Think about the view you might have from on top of your roof. I was thinking about some kind of deck or widows walk up there, accessible by pull down stair from the second floor. A small area with a table and chairs and umbrella or other temporary covering.

Bill