I blew it!

[koditten]

I guess I should have spent more time going over the rules and usage of the forum befor I went from my lurker status to thread poster status.

I am sapposed to introduce myself first. Here I go.

I live in the central lower peninsula of lower Michigan and attempting to start my dream shop/garage. The wonderful, smart and beatiful wife has given me the go ahead to start the ball rolling on this process. Now that I have a budjet that is much larger than I was expecting, I do not know where to start.

For an outline, I am what you would call a skilled, amature welder by hobby and an industrial boiler operator by profession. My hobbies are to rebuild late model automobile wrecks and to build new utiliy trailers. My first love is to work on cars, but have become a specialist in trailer building and repairs to fund my hobby. This was not intentional, people just keep calling me to build them a trailer. Fortunatly I love doing these trailer projects.

Well, after 15 years and 3 homes later, it is time to build me my perfect "theopy zone".

I am thinking along the lines of a 30x40x10, 2x6 stud built. My problem is do I want to add the extra engineering for a bonus room above the work area?

Of course, because I deal with boilers daily I have to have hot water heat in the floors. Because I work on cars as a hobby I will demand a lift and finally because I am averse to spending money I will have to super insulate the building.

One of the reasons it is taking me so long to make up my mind is the fact that I have moved into the city. With that comes a lot of regulation that I am not used to dealing with. I have spent the previous 40 years of my life living in the country, when you wanted to build something, you got a permit and you built it. The city requires a bit more paperwork. Fortunatly I picked up a house that sits on .94 of an acre. I just am not familliar with the "variance" process.

I hope this is what I hope you guys had in mind for a personal introduction.

Later
Kirk

 

[craigontheboat]

Kirk I had a similar situation. I just built a 32 x 40. I live in a neighborhood in Port Clinton Ohio, (Catawba Island) My varience was denied so I drew in an open breezeway so my garage was now (not an outbuilding) but an extension of my living space. No need for variance now. Mine is built and I am happy.

Check out the past link
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18176&highlight=craigontheboat

 

[TheEquineFencer]

I was just looking around the board and found this. It cracks me up the way building codes go. I started to build my shop, 40 X 60 X 16 with a 12 X 60 shelter on the side and the inspector was putting me through the wringer on code stuff. I live out in the country. I was talking to the farmer next door and he told me how to get around it. Changed the building description from "shop" to "Agricultural Building", ****, no more problems with the inspections for the most part until I told him I was putting in a bathroom, then I had to have the building completely finished before he would let me get power. The bathroom was my significant others idea, she's the county health director and wanted it so she did not have to walk to the house for relief. You would not believe what it took to get it put in, but she paid for that. The ground would not perk at the site, 1200 gallon septic tank was added with a grinder pump and then it's pumped about 1/8 mile to the other tank at the house and then to the drain field. All this for one sink and a toilet. It had to have enough "reverve capacity" in the event of a an extended power outage. All had to approved at the state level to avoid the appearance of her getting shown "special treatmment" by the Sanitarian working under her. 3 month delay. When I poured the floor, I had Pex in the concrete for the hot water heating, it caught the inspectors eye. He asked someone on the site what it was for? They told him they didn't have a clue. When he asked me I answered, "why is there a code against it, I really don't want to open another can of worms, so if there's not a code against putting piping in the floor let's leave it at that"? I think he figured he really didn't want to go there after I figured out how to get around the first problems he gave me about building a "shop'". He's been back to my "Agricultural Building" now that Linda has settled into her new job as a guest and is quite impressed with the place. He jokes with me about "Why I didn't put in a 400A serrvice?" I'd l'd tell him becuse it's an "Agricultural Building" for working on my tractor!

 

[TexasT]

When the going gets tough you find out who your friends are. Sounds like you need to do something nice for the neighbor. It's not what you know but who you know. I think it is very nice of him to share the info.

 

[v8garage]

Welcome to the forum Koditten. When you get a chance post some pictures of your projects.