Design/Layout my shop please!

[oldgreen51]

I am planning to build a new shop for my personal use in the near future and value you guys input.

Here are the known parameters to work within:

1) 40'x60'x16' Metal Building w/concrete floor
2) 2-14'Hx12'W Roll-up doors--one on each of the 40' wide ends (for ability
to drive in one end and straight out the other)
3) 1-12'Hx12'W Roll-up door on same side as office area, with easy access
to "attic area" stairs. To be located on one of the 60' sides. I.E. I want
to be able to be outside the roll-up door opening and walk inside the
building and immediately go up the stairs to the storage area.
4) 100% climate controlled--Building will come with the standard "plastic-
backed" insulation with exposed beams/support poles. I want the
building as "insulated" as possible. I'm thinking of putting studded walls
inside and insulating these walls with batt insulation--so sort of a "box-in-
a-box" design...but am open to any/all suggestions!
5) Planning on central heat and air
6) "Finished" perimeter walls 8'-10' high (drywall, plywood, ????)
8) Office/bathroom space in one corner with "attic" space storage above
with 5' wide steps going up to storage space. I don't need "sleeping
quarters" in the office space...just an office space (maybe with a couch)
and bathroom

So, here are the "requirements"...anything else you suggest is appreciated.

 

[sberry]

What climate are you in, what type of work will you do? I have designed a few and looked at a lot. One thing is that many features that seem great in design stage are near useless when done especially regarding door locations.
This has a lot to do with property layout too but in small buildings I may really consider seeing if I could do it all with a single large door and this may be easier than you think. I may take a hard look at trading the expense of multiple doors/drives etc for some extra square foot. Every foot wider here is relatively cheap per sq ft as so many of the costs are fixed to a building like this, going from 40 to 50 is really a huge leap in working room and so much easier to do layout.
I do have a side in mine which I do use due to the property, in the winter pretty much function thru 1 front door and although I have a back for "drive thru" really don't use it in that fashion. But,,,,,,,,, my shop is a business deal, its 80x80 and I could have went to 100 long for the extra space along the walls. I really don't need extra floor and the walking is already a lot, if it was a hobby deal would have been looking at 50x60 most likely.
I should have office windows but it is in the front with the entrance just off the walk door, in the winter I only need to plow the front.

 

[oldgreen51]

I am in the deep south (Mississippi)...I am going to use the shop for restoring my antique truck.

Now that you mention it, I may just go with one door in one end instead of the "drive-thru" version. Even if I pull my truck/trailer combo into the building I can always (slowly) back it out instead of driving through (Or alternatively I could back the truck/trailer combo into the building and then just drive back out)

One of my main questions is regarding the insulation...I want the sucker INSULATED WELL!!! So, as i get older and older, i can work in comfort with heat and air...lol

Thanks for any input!!!

 

[bczygan]

I am planning to build a new shop for my personal use in the near future and value you guys input.

Here are the known parameters to work within:

1) 40'x60'x16' Metal Building w/concrete floor
2) 2-14'Hx12'W Roll-up doors--one on each of the 40' wide ends (for ability
to drive in one end and straight out the other)
3) 1-12'Hx12'W Roll-up door on same side as office area, with easy access
to "attic area" stairs. To be located on one of the 60' sides. I.E. I want
to be able to be outside the roll-up door opening and walk inside the
building and immediately go up the stairs to the storage area.
4) 100% climate controlled--Building will come with the standard "plastic-
backed" insulation with exposed beams/support poles. I want the
building as "insulated" as possible. I'm thinking of putting studded walls
inside and insulating these walls with batt insulation--so sort of a "box-in-
a-box" design...but am open to any/all suggestions!
5) Planning on central heat and air
6) "Finished" perimeter walls 8'-10' high (drywall, plywood, ????)
8) Office/bathroom space in one corner with "attic" space storage above
with 5' wide steps going up to storage space. I don't need "sleeping
quarters" in the office space...just an office space (maybe with a couch)
and bathroom

So, here are the "requirements"...anything else you suggest is appreciated.

None of those are requirements.

Requirements are things like, space to store a car, space to paint vehicles, space for metalworking, etc.

Get a list of specific requirements and all the things you listed will flow from that.

Bill

 

[CraigStu]

I agree on double thinking the drive through concept. Problem is that extra door loses you that much wall for work benches and cabinets. It also relegates a ton of floor space to driving through space.IE you would need say 12 feet wide by 60 feet = 720 sq ft of floor locked out of any other use. OTOH, how long is your truck and trailer? Maybe 40 feet. If you keep only that open you gain 20x12 of usable floor space. If you keep just 40 ft free, you can quickly pull in the truck/trailer to get it out of the weather. You can also back in just the trailer and still have room to unload it. All i can offer on the insulation side is one experience. 30 yrs ago we had a steel building that had originally been set up for people sitting at sewing machines make something. Steel shell, 2x4 studding, w/ standard fiberglass insulation, and that old time 1/8 inch wood paneling on the inside. Steel beams exposed every 8 feet as they were thicker than the 2x4s. Remember the old drop ceilings w/ the aluminum framework and the 2x4 foot panels 1/2 inch or so thick? We were in southern Pa so no AC but we were very happy w/ the warmth and the cost to heat. You do need to maintain the temp though. If that slab gets cold, it takes a long time to warm it up again.

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

I've had two shops with only a single door, and it never fails that what I need to move is behind whatever is in front of the door.
I've always wanted the drive through option. You dont always have to maintain this space clear, you probably wont, but its nice to have it available, IMHO.
Good Luck

 

[oldgreen51]

Thanks for all the input so far!!!

I am attempting to attach a crude drawing of what I have in mind so far...the corner "office" is 10'x10', the bathroom is 5'x8', there is a 2'x5' "utility" closet on the left end of the bathroom for water heater, etc...above the office, closet and bathroom is intended to be a 10'x15' floored "attic space" for storage...the striped rectangle represents the 5' wide x 10' long stairs to reach the attic space. I envision using the space underneath the stairs as a "broom closet".

The diagonally-striped rectangles in the walls represent the doors--2 4' wide "man doors" and 2 12' wide roll-up doors. If I wanted to, I could add to the design another roll-up door on the right hand wall to give the "drive through" capabilities...

This is what I have come up with so far...Thanks again!!

 

[sberry]

I think 5x9 is a legal bathroom.
I didn't look at the pdf but for a real project truck could park in a back corner and put a hoist in the other back corner so to speak. Drive thru the building to the hoist and park other cars with a hook to the left or right depending on layout. I need to get a sketch program here of sorts.
A benefit of steel is not so much need for headers in side doors and with no snow load not such an issue either. Rolled insulation isn't the greatest but is cheap in some context especially if one can live moderate. If it doesn't need to be hot when its cold and cold when its hot it doesn't take so much energy. If you want full climate control then more is better. But if I was going to build studs wouldn't fart with a steel building that size, I would have a stick frame and simple batt insulation, foam to fill the cracks, well wind braced. Have engineer spec up a pinch in the gable ends and hold downs as well as nail pattern.
One advantage of steel I didn't get to was increased headroom available in the center with shorter walls, this can be a plus with hoist.

 

[matt_i]

I think you are going to far overspend if you try to do a red-iron building and then build another wood-based interior shell inside of that. The typical columns that I have seen are tapered and while the walls might seem easy, framing an untrussed wooden cathedral ceiling structure and then insulating it from the "face" side (not from the attic side) would be the start of a very messy project in my opinion.

I would pay for a proper "Manual J" heat transfer study and size your HVAC based on this to ensure comfort.

 

[astroracer]

2' x 5' is not enough room for a utility closet. A water heater is that big around, there will be no room for installing or working on equipment. Put the utilities under the stairs, plenty of wasted space under there with good access.
Forget the tub or shower also, you will never use it. A stool and a big utility sink will serve you well.
Mark

 

[Grizzly Guy]

Depending on the area where your at, would insulating the slab be to your advantage.This would help in keeping the dampness out.

 

[oldgreen51]

2' x 5' is not enough room for a utility closet. A water heater is that big around, there will be no room for installing or working on equipment. Put the utilities under the stairs, plenty of wasted space under there with good access.
Forget the tub or shower also, you will never use it. A stool and a big utility sink will serve you well.
Mark

Hi Mark....i probably should clarify that I plan to use a "tankless" water heater on gas like here at the house...judging by ours at home, it is mounted in an exterior wall and barely protrudes to the interior...thus I thought the 2x5 closet would be sufficient space...I'll certainly ask the installer what he thinks.

I didn't show it in the drawing, but I plan to have a ~3' wide stainless utility sink on the wall behind the bathroom sink but thanks for mentioning it.

You are probably right on the shower now that I think about it so I'll reconsider that option thoroughly...thanks for the input!!

 

[Captain Spaulding]

You are probably right on the shower now that I think about it so I'll reconsider that option thoroughly...thanks for the input!!

Shower kind of depends on what you do in the shop.

If you weld or grind a lot or work on dirty equipment a shower in the shop is really nice to clean up before you come inside. My neighbor is retired and always building or fixing something. He put in a shower and laundry because he was getting his clothes and himself so dirty he had to undress on the porch before he went in the house.

 

[sberry]

I never get that dirty.