My new metal steel garage

FL_Javelin · Sep 27, 2006

Thought I would share pics and progress on my new metal garage. Glad I found this forum. I would love to hear from any other metal garage owners on how they designed and furbished thiers

My garage is 25wide x 30deep made by Orlando Steel
http://www.orlandosteel.com/metalbuildings.html

I settled on a metal garage for a several reasons. I would have preferred a concrete block building but the costs were way high. Building costs here in SW Florida have skyrocketed, I was getting quotes of $30k to $35k. I liked the metal frame over wood frame. hurricane rating was as good as any structure plus the low maintenance. I have friends with metal garages and all like thiers.

I was worried about permitting on residential zoned property since others had problems but that was never an issue. Some issues did arise but Orlando Steel and my supplier went out of their way getting them fixed. It took me 3 months for the permits.

Heres the slab after the pour. The large tree was removed prior to construction for fear of hurricane damage. My concrete guys did a perfect job on the slab which needed to be dead on for the building to fit

Building construction was completed in 2 days.

Heres the completed structure. As it sits here, all costs included is under $16k

Yesterday I poured the driveway out from the garage to the existing driveway. This was more concrete and expense than the slab but I'm glad I did it. It was broom finished

My happy car. Note plastic and carboard under car

I hadnt planned on moving the car in before the floor was finished but a potential hurricane forced me to.

Next on my list is to epoxy the floor where I will have to etch the slab with a grinder since acid will compromise the metal according to everyone I talk to. I will be installing all the electrical and lighting too. An air compressor line system, work benches, a 5' overhang extension, final grading, the list goes on.

Any advise is welcome and appreciated. More to come later

junkman104 · Sep 27, 2006

I thought about going this way but when you go to insulate and wire it I went with a pole building instead, cost was close enough between the two styles. It does make a nice quick and affordable building though.

Inetmonkey · Sep 27, 2006

Damn! It's so amazing how fast these buildings go up. How do you insulate and wire something like that? Is it the same as doing a wood-framed building or are there big differences?

Congrats on the great new garage FL and welcome aboard. Keep those pictures coming! :thumbup:

HotRodderAZ · Sep 28, 2006

Oh my concrete drive way, wow. Great job, enjoy the new space.

wilbilt · Sep 28, 2006

Inetmonkey said:
Damn! It's so amazing how fast these buildings go up. How do you insulate and wire something like that? Is it the same as doing a wood-framed building or are there big differences?

I suppose it could be insulated pretty easily using rigid foam sheets. Those would have to be covered by something non-combustible, though?

Wiring would be simple if you don't mind exposed conduit (I don't).

The cost is pretty attractive....

FL_Javelin · Sep 28, 2006

wilbilt said:
I suppose it could be insulated pretty easily using rigid foam sheets. Those would have to be covered by something non-combustible, though?

Wiring would be simple if you don't mind exposed conduit (I don't).

The cost is pretty attractive....

True, I have looked into insulation although my situation is a little different than most of you, cold is no problem, its the heat. Thats why I went with a white roof here in SW Fla. During the hottest part of last month inside temps never got above 96. Gable vents and a high roof helped.

You can also spray foam insulate. For mine it would have been $3k plus for someone else to do it, $2k +/- for do it yourself kit. Varying reports on how this holds up, some say it looks nasty but others say it really tightens up a building and seals a metal bldg well. A friend did the solid foam insulation, I was thinking of doing just the roof, the inside of my building does look nice now, hate to cover it.

I will be running metal electrical conduit about 4' high all around the bldg with quad outlets on every stud. I have no problem with the looks, pretty easy actually. I will run a seperate circuit for the lights and another for the compressor and welder.

One note on metal buildings if you are considering one. Get the roof style I did where the ridges run parallel with the slope. The roof styles where the ridges run perpendicular to the slope have a tendency to hold water and develop leaks. This was told to me by the building erectors who were independant contractors not working for the building company.

Get this style roof

not this style

FL_Javelin · Oct 25, 2006

I did my floor. I used Rustoleum Epoxyshield Professional. Because of the metal construction I could not use acid so I rented a floor grinder from Home Depot. It came with a huge vacuum that really helped keep the dust down.

I had the grinder for 12 hours, 10 of which was spent behind it. About halfway through I was thinking bare concrete and kitty litter was a good idea! Even though they did a good job pouring my concrete, the grinder will show every flaw in it. Eventually, you get to the point of diminishing returns where you just have small areas the grinder couldnt get down to. We used a hand sander with 60 grit to hit these areas and next to the walls.

Another full day was spent cleaning the floor. First I blew out as much dust as I could then swept. I mopped the floor many times using a double bucket method to rinse clean. Eventually I got the floor about 95% dust free, I just couldnt seem to get it completely dust free, just an extremely small amount of white chalk when I would rub my hand about a foot across the floor. Time will tell if this will come back to bite me.

I did 2 coats using 1 1/2 kits per coat. I tried to roll it as thick as I could but you can only go so thick with a roller. The first coat, as everyone who has done it has said, was very blotchy. 24 hours later I did the second coat. I spread my chips a little different. I used a peanut butter jar with large holes drilled in it to make a large shaker, worked very well.

24 hours after the final coat the floor looks great, nice gloss. The chips look great, they add an extra anti-slip. I'm curious to see how they hold up after time. I dont plan on doing a clear coat.

Next is the electrical.

sharpshooter · Oct 25, 2006

wow that flooring drastically changes the appearance.......NICE :thumbup:

TopFuel · Oct 26, 2006

Cool garage but I have to comment on the Javelin. I used to have a 1973 Javelin AMX.....F4 Daisy Yellow. It was a P Code car, factory 360 4bbl dual exhaust car. Go-Pack car too with cowl induction hood and the other goodies. Chirped the wide rear tires on factory 15" rallye wheels with Twin-Grip rear differential on the 1st to 2nd gear shift no problem. Very impressive to me as a big Mopar fan used to 383 and 440 big blocks. Love those 1971-74 Javelins! Most people don't even know they exist and the ones that do don't have a practical knowledge. Very unique styling too...inside and out!

FL_Javelin · Oct 27, 2006

Thanks Topfuel. This is my 3rd Javelin, the other 2 were Javelin AMXs, this one isnt. I couldnt find one (Javelin AMX) in nice enough shape in my price range and this one was too nice to pass up.

Heres my Javelin web site in case you want to see more pictures and see my other 2 Javelins:

http://www.neoreality.com/archery/amc.htm

There were many people surprised by AMCs at stop lights, thats for sure.

As for my garage floor, it seems to be curing well after 3 days. I may bring in some stuff this weekend and the car next week.

FL_Javelin · Feb 5, 2007

Finished my electrical work this weekend. I did all the 1/2" condiut work and I pulled all the 12/2 wires myself. I set the 8/16 panel. An electrician friend did the tie-in to the panel. We brought in 100 amps which should be more than enough. Here are some pics.

Heres the 100 amp panel and the 220 compressor and welder outlets along with an extra 110 outlet at the door.

I have outlets for all the overhead lights, easy to replace this way. I have 10 overhead lights, 4 controlled by one switch, 6 on another so I can controll the amount of light I want. I also added outlets that were'nt switch controlled for pull down cords and garage opener.

I have dual duplex outlets at every stud (5') so hopefully I'll never be in need of an outlet. Each of the 3 walls is a different circuit.

This is the work I did, the electrician made the outlet connections. I pulled all the wires and left a 12" loop at each box. We started at the end and pulled the exess back to the panel. One note, if the person at Lowes/Home Depot wants to roll all the wires together, dont let them, do each color on its own roll otherwise you'll have a twisted mess when pulling them. I know you electrians may know this, I didnt. Lay each run out your driveway too, much easier that way.

The drape material I found at a fabric store. I used left over elec conduit for the rods. I still need to sew them.

I still have lots of organizing to do but heres a start. The cabinet was free from work and painted silver with red bottom and casters added, worked great.

The happy Javelin. I still need to fix the small oil leak now that I have time so I can remove the cardboard underneath.

The epoxy floor is holding up great.

Next on the list is building a workbench and a bar for the social area and just organizing everything.

tintoptexan · Feb 5, 2007

"I had the grinder for 12 hours, 10 of which was spent behind it. "

Is that you behind the grinder? or is that the better half running it? Credit where credit is due! Back to the finish. I put a hard steel finish on my concrete and plan to work on it as is, however that finish you put on looks damn good. You might be costing me some more money. Hope the wife doesn't see what you did. I might be in for more work.

FL_Javelin · Feb 8, 2007

Thanks Tin. Though it was a pain, I am so glad I did the floor, looks great and cleans nice. So far it seems very durable. The grinding was a pain, more than the acid would have been but I had to do it.

tintoptexan said:
"I had the grinder for 12 hours, 10 of which was spent behind it. "

Is that you behind the grinder? or is that the better half running it? Credit where credit is due! .

LOL, yea, thats my wife. She did run it for a couple hours but I took it away from her when I found her not sweeping it and cutting "ditches" in the floor. Luckily it wasnt bad. She more than made up for it helping with the cleaning and application.

FL_Javelin · Feb 26, 2007

I got my bar and workbench areas done. Slowly getting things organized. The shop is finally in a state where I can do some constructive loafing in it. :beer:

Heres the bar/social area. The bar was built by my father about 35 years ago, my mother is moving so I took it before the house sale. Got 4 checkerboard stools to match the curtains. The Lite beer light was from when my dad had a bar business. My mini fridge and car magazines are stored behind the bar.

I built this workbench for about $50. I found the silver pegboard at Home Depot. I still need to final arrange the pegs and tools. I probably wont paint it but I'm not sure yet.

My solution to storage. I couldnt afford those expensive cabinets yet so I bought several silver plastic bins on sale and stacked them on a chrome grated shelf, works nice.

I have lots more to do but for the most part its done. I started palnning this garage about 2 years ago. Its been a long journey but its worth it and I'm happy :bounce:

Spiderman · Feb 28, 2007

Looks nice.

You'll want to insulate the steel behind that compressor. That motor noise will be amplified coming off that wall.

mjohnson327 · Jul 14, 2007

That is a great looking shop.I am about to build a 30X30 and i hope it looks as good as yours does.
The Javelin is looking goooood also.
By the way, what's a Hurricane?

Ruff · Jul 15, 2007

It looks like your shop and mine are constructed very similar. Mine is 30X32. I had to go 13.3' on the peak height, (9.5' at the eves) due to setback restrictions.

This is the company that built mine:
http://www.absoluterv.com/Garage_Frame.htm

I went with this for insulation:

http://www.insulation4less.com/highr_FfmF.asp

It was put up before the panels. I am surprised at how well it works. In AZ we really have a heat issue and even totally closed in 110 degree weather it's only about 5 degrees above outside temps. I think you could easily install it after the fact.

I am in the finishing stages right now, plans call for drywall, a 3.5 ton Split AC system and a drop ceiling and I am thinking of this for flooring, mainly for the lifetime warranty.

http://www.flexmarcoatings.com/

Since the side walls are 48" oc, and the front and rear 72" oc, I am going to somehow install more steel studs for the drywall.

I am also going to further insulate the walls with fiberglass after we get the studs/electrical done.

Since the buiding is 250' from my house panel, and the price of copper wire is unreal right now, I'm looking at about $2000 just to get the power to the panel!!

Steve

URY914 · Jul 16, 2007

Looks great. If you ever make it up to Tampa I have several hollow metal doors 4' x 7' x 1 3/4" that would make great work bench tops. They're free. I got a few wooden ones too.

shocksystems · Jul 17, 2007

Great looking garage. You should be proud.

Cheers!

Jim

78fj40 · Jul 17, 2007

Looking good...keep the photos coming......

hdj80 · Jul 19, 2007

G'day

I will dig up some pics of my steel garage and post them soon.

Steel garages are more the norm here in Australia rather than timber and clad variants.
We have some nasty timber eating ants here (white ants) that will demolish a nice untreated soft wood framed house in quick order - so for general use metal frame is the preferred option (although the houses are either hardwood, oregon, steel or a special chemical treated softwood).

Reading through some of the threads it's nice to see that not all of the USA gets temps that require underfloor heating or other heating just so you can use the garage in winter.....it's the depth of winter here and it may get down to 4C tonight before rising to a freezing 20C during the day.

Cheers
Craig
Brisbane Australia.

FL_Javelin · Jul 20, 2007

Just noticed some activity here. Thanks all for the nice comments.

I havent done too much since last update. I did build storage racks to sit in the rafters, 4'x8' chip board, but I had to reinforce them with 2x4s to be safe, they have to span 5'. This really creates a lot of storage. I dont put too large/heavy items up there though, mostly car parts and such.

I added a pully system to hang my kayak from, works great and gets it out of the way.

I added more steel shelving and bins, they work nice and still look pretty good.

The epoxy floor still looks great even after multiple drops.

I'll add pictures of these soon.

To address the comments, I will need to add insulation to the compressor. The steel garage will make you go deaf, one down side to metal. When it rains here, and it rains hard, the sound inside is tremendous. Insulation would really help that.

mjohnson327 said:
By the way, what's a Hurricane?

Shhhhh! We try not to say the H word too much

Ruff said:
Since the buiding is 250' from my house panel, and the price of copper wire is unreal right now, I'm looking at about $2000 just to get the power to the panel!!

Steve

Copper prices sux right now, they have gone up a lot since I built. One tip, shop around, HD and Lowes dont always have the best prices!

Your shop looks great Steve! wish mine was as big

URY914 said:
Looks great. If you ever make it up to Tampa I have several hollow metal doors 4' x 7' x 1 3/4" that would make great work bench tops. They're free. I got a few wooden ones too.

Thanks Ury, If I go, I'll PM you

hdj80 said:
We have some nasty timber eating ants here (white ants) that will demolish a nice untreated soft wood framed house in quick order - so for general use metal frame is the preferred option

Reading through some of the threads it's nice to see that not all of the USA gets temps that require underfloor heating or other heating just so you can use the garage in winter.....it's the depth of winter here and it may get down to 4C tonight before rising to a freezing 20C during the day.

Cheers
Craig
Brisbane Australia.

Yea, the "no rot" quality of steel is one huge advantage. We have termites here and bull ants that can do about the same.

It is hot here though not like you I'm sure. 93-95 deg here now, shop gets just above 100, highest my temp gauge has recorded this year was 105. Once I open the doors/windows and turn fans on, I get it down a lot. Evening are great, the rains cool it down a lot.

FL_Javelin · Aug 27, 2007

Just a quick update.

My solution to kayak storage. Gets it out of the way yet easily lowered. Also my extra storage added to the rafters, only fairly light items go up there.

I added pegboard near the bar area, I like it so much I'll continue it around the carner. I need to make a better area for the computer, takes up too much space on the bar.

all for now

Kilo70 · Nov 12, 2007

Oh man..thanx for the Pics...this is Exactly what I am thinking on building here.
THanks for the info.

FL_Javelin · Nov 13, 2007

No problem Kman. After more than a year of using it, I really like it, hope your project goes well. One tip I highly suggest is to buy the extra height once you find a company. The extra height really helps with heat, storage and overall bigger feel not to mention a future lift if wanted. I was surprised that it didnt add that much more to the cost. mine was just over 2' extra height.

Also, build as big as you can possibly afford and your property/codes will allow, you wont regret it. I already wish I had used the extra 10' width I could have built.

Feel free to post or email any questions.

FL_Javelin · Mar 19, 2008

Just had to share a picture of my AMC dealership sign. This was kind of a temporary place to hang it but the more I see it there, the more I think I will keep it there. I still need to light it.

comp · Mar 19, 2008

sign looks fine :thumbup:

Itzkwik · Mar 20, 2008

Love the sign. Where did you get the Sunoco banner? I've been looking for one.

FL_Javelin · Mar 21, 2008

Thanks guys.

The Sunoco flag came from a gas station, dont ask how I got it

I have it more for the relationship AMC had with Sunoco fuels especially during their success in the Trans-Am championship rather than NASCAR though I am a big NASCAR fan.

Theres one on Ebay right now
http://cgi.ebay.com/SUNOCO-CLOTH-FL...oryZ1332QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

jpkerley · Mar 28, 2008

Did you put any type of anti slip down???

pusbi2 · Oct 17, 2008

Did you ever get the electrical in there? That's at the point I am with my metal garage and curious on how to run the electrical outlets...

FL_Javelin · Jul 8, 2010

Just a quick update. Been 3 1/2 years and the Rustoleum flooring is holding up great. Dropped lots of tools on it and no chipping or fading.

Kilo70 · Jul 9, 2010

Sweet! Glad to hear it FL Javelin .I still love that garage.

My new metal steel garage

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