Finally building the Ultimate.

[mws444]

I have been lurking and learning from everyone for quite a while, and am finally taking the plunge and getting started on my own version of the ultimate garage. I still have a million questions to ask as things move forward, but here is what I have planned.
It is an insulated steel building measuring 80' x 125' with 18' endwalls. I am planning on spliting it into three sections. so 25 x 80 will be for dry strorage , 50 x 80 will be for enclosed truck parking, and 50 x 80 will be airconditioned and heated for a shop/meeting. The meeting/break area part at one end will be two floors, the top one being one bedroom, a full bath, kitchen and greatroom. I am still working on plans for the bottom floor but have a half bath, and washbay/paint booth planned so far. I am kinda leaning towards a old fashioned soda shop theme . The rest of it dedicated towards my passion of working on cars. I will end up with about 2500 sq. of shop area for a two post lift, tire equipment, welding ect....I will post up pics of the first day's work on the pad site and building plans tomorrow and going forward as progress continues.
Cement needs to be poured this next week as the building is being delivered the first week of Aug. Man I got a lot of work to do!

 

[marty_p]

Damn, but call ME jealous!

Please keep us posted.................

 

[Red Leader]

Wow,

Lots of space to work with. 'Ultimate' is not a bad way to describe it

 

[JC23]

80 x 125???


SBJ!!!

 

[tinbender 66]

Speechless.

 

[jimmie jam]

i'm in on this one!

 

[mws444]

Sorry for being so slow with an update and some pictures. That darnned work thing is kicking my ****, Here are some pics from the first day to completion of the pad site today. It took 39 semi loads of primary screenings to get er done.

 

[mws444]

Hey I had a question I hope someone can help me with. For you guys that have the intior of your garages walls covered with metal, how is the noise? I am trying to figure out if I should do the interior dividing walls with one side metal and one side drywall or both sides metal. Since I am dividing up the building into three parts with the center one being the shop.
Thanks for the insight.

 

[neonnblack]

oh.. oh my.... oh my god... need to go clean up, thanks

 

[archirelic]

This build is going to be EPIC

 

[Nighttrain]

wow can't wait to see this. When it starts with heavy equipment with laser level device thingys it going to be good.

 

[mws444]

wow can't wait to see this. When it starts with heavy equipment with laser level device thingys it going to be good.

Thanks, I hope it all turns out nice. I actually read the thread on your build a few months ago. It is a great build! Metal building and in Texas, we have a lot in common already. This forum has been a wealth of information and inspiration for me. Seems like most every build has given me an idea, or anwser to the million questions running up to this point.
The laser and John Deere are some of my farm equipment. My trusted contractor brought over his skid steer loader to supervise the pad site building. He has built three other buildings and is top knotch!

 

[BMacD]

soo...are you looking to adopt anyone? haha

Sounds like this build is going to be awesome!

 

[mws444]

Here is an attempt to give you guys what I am doing via google layout. I tried to show the general layout and the upstairs meeting area in the shop.

 

[mws444]

Sorry guys I am trying to figure out how to get the pic above to display on the thread. Any advise?

 

[bobemmerich]

Holy ****! That "garage" is bigger than my whole lot, including the space my house is occupying! Thats gonna be a cool place. keep us posted...

 

[mws444]

Hey guys sorry about the delay in updates. Contractor is busy trying to finish another job, and just got his buys back on my site to start framing the forms for the slab. We are doing a 6" slab with 12" x12" footings around the perimeter, and tying in the main beams across the slab with the same kind of footing. under the main beams we are doing a 24" x 4' deep footing. Planning to use 3,000 psi concrete with fiber over wire mesh, with rebar in all the footings. I am guessing my description and terminology is sketchy at best. I will post up some pics when they get the forms done.
Bad part is they are predicting rain all next week so I don't know if we will get the cement done or not in the next week.

 

[wolflrv]

That's ok...I hear ya'll need rain in Texas badly...so let it rain! Native Texan here..living in TN atm! Definitely want to see more pics as they come though..this is gonna be a huge shop!!

 

[Nighttrain]

Rain next week in Texas? Are you drinking? Man I hope we do, I haven't even looked at the weather since TS Don passed us by without a drop. We have had only one rain shower in 7 months. Not good at all since I am on rainwater collection for the house. The tank is empty..

 

[mws444]

In the last three weeks we have had about 2.5" prior to that it was last October.
I am in the El Paso area so this is monsoon season for us. This was the first time I have seen a mesquite dye from lack of rain in my 48 years. Heck even the catus are looking pretty bad.
I hope it hits you guys soon, I drove through there a few weeks ago and it is pretty sad.

 

[mws444]

Just thought about it and instead of beams, I should be saying columns.

 

[Bronson]

Hurry up and start concrete work, We need the rain. I used to be in construction, and every time We said "concrete" it started raining.....

 

[mws444]

Hurry up and start concrete work, We need the rain. I used to be in construction, and every time We said "concrete" it started raining.....

LOL...last night it actually sprinkled just enough to mess up the wash job on my truck. Wonder if that is an omen?
We are planning to pour 60% of the slab on Friday or Sat. and the balance Monday. I know everyone is going to ask why not do it all in one day. It is about 130 yrds total and my contractors crew cant handle that much in this heat and humidity in one day. He is going to use a thin metal expansion joint between the slabs and rebar pins to tie them together. I have used this method on other projects without any problems. Just in case the seam will be right where one of the interior partition walls will go.

 

[flybefree]

MWS: Two words amigo SUB SCRIBED! I think you are not going to be accused, as I, of using hyperbole in the thread title. Yeah, but will there be mini-donks?

Shaun

 

[mws444]

MWS: Two words amigo SUB SCRIBED! I think you are not going to be accused, as I, of using hyperbole in the thread title. Yeah, but will there be mini-donks?

Shaun

LOL....I have been following your build, it is sweet! Your sense of humor is also a breath of fresh air. Keep posting!

My problem is work is kicking my ****! I blew the ****** on my Camaro a month ago at the strip and still havent gotten around to fixing it. It is just too hot to work on it in the evenings as my only lift is in a sauna of a stacker trailer.

 

[wrigh003]

Warehouse Journal is over there -->


Just kidding. Man, but is that going to be one big building. Best of luck, looking forward to seeing how it shakes out.

 

[jake1086]

Subscribed I'm getting close to building my 40 by 80 plus apt. This will be a good ideas thread

 

[mws444]

Well guys we have progress and pics! The first few are of the forms and pad prep. The last ones are of the building being delivered! If you will notice those big white fluffly things floating in the sky, they are scouts. Sent to try to figure out when the concrete will be poured. Keep it betwee us but this Sat. at 5am we are going for it! Will try to finish the second pour next Monday.
You can notice the hay burners in the background, sorry no mini donks. They are all a bunch of chrity cases, one was born without an eye, they were bought for a couple of hundred and really starved, lucky they lived. As you can see they doing well now.

 

[flybefree]

A free loading horse is pretty much like our mini-donks except a horse has a practical application...in theory. That is a lot of building...good luck on the pour.

Shaun

 

[mws444]

Man I hope it never comes to that! But hey they should have good marbling, I know they eat well.

 

[mws444]

Well guys I think the clouds are onto my plan, as I was greeted this morning by lightning, no rain yet. May have to cancel the pour if it looks the same in the morning.
Don't worry about the four horses, they are abosolutely spoiled rotten, along with the 10 dogs and one really fast farm cat. My wife is a complete animal lover who cant look away from a stray.

 

[Nighttrain]

Thats a lot of steel. Who did you go with for the building?

 

[mws444]

THe same outfit as the last three....Mueller. They have never been beat price wise yet. I always look for better prices but they have always won the bid. Great group of people to work with as well.

 

[Nighttrain]

THe same outfit as the last three....Mueller. They have never been beat price wise yet. I always look for better prices but they have always won the bid. Great group of people to work with as well.

Same with me, Mueller on the garage and barn. I thought those trucks looked familiar.

 

[mws444]

Gentlemen we have concrete! Weather was perfect, although more than hot. Started at 5 am and got the 143 yrds poured by 11 am. Should have the rest of the concrete done on Monday. We also got the waterline run over to the new build so we can keep the concrete wet.

 

[flybefree]

Looks good, we decided to pour the pad after the building was up...guess you can't do that on a steel building eh?

 

[mws444]

Looks good, we decided to pour the pad after the building was up...guess you can't do that on a steel building eh?

Sure you can, however by doing the slab first you can create a 1.25" x 1.25" slot to recess the sheet metal into the slab. This allows for the finished building to be flush with the edge of the slab, and a foam closure to make for a tight seal at the bottom. The goal is to keep the sheet metal and base angle from getting wet. I will see if I can copy the detail from the plans to post up to give a better idea of what I am talking about.

 

[mws444]

Man is it hot here! just looked at the weather station at the plant 102 already, looking to top out at 107 today. Using about 1000 galons every two hours to keep the slab wet. That rain must of fell for the rouse clouds just float on by now. Maybe they are headed to give some of my fellow Texans a break form this drought.

 

[mws444]

Ok the concrete slab is done! I will post up a couple of pics tomorrow. Man it is is hot here, you could actually see the water vapor comming out of the fresh concrete like steam today. That is a first for me.
They are going to saw cut in the morning, so far no cracks! Not exactly the most level concrete slab but given its size I will give them an A-. Ended up being right at 230 yards total for the whole thing.
Concrete man wants to swap me the concrete for an aluminum tank that was given to me about 9 years ago. It is made out of 7/16" aluminum and water wise is about 30,000 gallons.

 

[flybefree]

I had no idea about the slot thing...230 yds is...a bunch of concrete!