Above 1200 Sq/FT My 36x60 Post & Beam Shop

[Wombat Ranger]

This site is fun.

2020 I bought my current place, which I hope to stay at for life. Good little spot in the woods, no neighbors for a mile in any direction, hop over the tracks and we are at the edge of the river. It had a house, a couple sheds, and a post frame 18x24 camper-cover-carport, but it needed a SHOP. Well, 4.5 years later it's still not even close to done.

I started out with big visions of a 40x80 with single pitch attic trusses, but quickly found I could not afford that. I ended up buying a building that had been dissembled in Whitefish MT, made a deal with the seller which included delivery. He dropped off a mess of a pile of 40+ y/o timbers, a few extra sticks to replace damaged pieces, and a substantial pile of used metal siding & roofing. Here's a few pics of the race to get it erected before snow.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

 

[Wombat Ranger]

 

[Wombat Ranger]

2021 we got the 2 out of 3 sections of floor in. This pic is winter 2021.


Very little progress was made since then, we've had 2 kids, grown business, bought investment properties, added animals (blue thing is a chicken coop on a trailer), kept the house running, and built out the other garage which started as the camper-cover, now fully insulated, double sheathed, lean to's added, concrete floor, etc. Maybe pics of that another time.

Anyway, I've grown tired of the shop project not completing itself. This year we stripped the roof metal and purlins, beefed up the rafter fastening program, laid down a deck of 5/8 OSB, 4" uninterrupted ridged foam insulation, and another 1.5" over that with purlins 30"-OC in between. 32" end wall overhangs, 24" east (high) wall and 36" west (low) wall overhangs were all framed at the same time. A deck of 1/2" plywood went over that, then a layer of "microfoil" insulation as it is known around here, and finally a 100% hidden fastener 1.5" standing seam metal roof package topped it all off. We install a lot of these roofs in differing configurations, I sure do like them.






The building was "shored up" before the installation of the metal roof, as it was not entirely straight, some timbers sagging etc.

About the time the metal roof was finally going on, I got wind of a clearance deal on some beams down at the local custom beam mill. I went down and loaded up 8 of them. I have always disliked the 10'-OC post spacing, it is too tight getting my work truck in and out. I wasted no time getting them in place, which brings us to just this week. My custom log house build did not need the telehandler this week, so I took it home and put it to work.




Please try not to judge the mess. It's difficult to build a place while you live in it. This winter I have high hopes for getting some walls started, but I still do not even have the 3rd section of concrete poured. The last section will have insulation, drains, and slopes in it for a butcher shop that will be built in the front 20'x20' space. Which is one of the reasons I will not be opening it up like the other 2 (now 20') bays.

 

[68400BIRD]

Looking forward to more updates. I like the inside much better with most of the beams removed. Makes the inside space much easier to use.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

Small update.
Bought 20' container to move 'stuff' out of the way so I can build my stupid shop. Lots to move and I have barely begun.
2/3 of east/back wall has girt/framing. Progress is progress.






Next week I plan to get the North wall (next to container) framed, and finish the North/South overhang structural support. I would not trust the overhangs to our snow load here as they currently are.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

Time for an update.

This year we got the last of the concrete put in, with drains located for the butcher shop area location, and a trench drain where I plan to park some cars.




Utilities all got moved around, propane tanks relocated, lines run to house, garage, and shop. All new power system (no power company service here) got hooked up and run around as well. I spent a lot of the year building that out, it's basically done with a few more bugs to iron out. So gas and power are dropped at the shop.

This fall (and winter just started) we've been able to spend a little, (too little, ugh) time working on the wall plan. Winter seems to be allowing me a bit more time to put towards it, but I just had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, which obviously has an affect.





This last pic was taken this afternoon.

The 1x6 wood stripping has 7" timber screws running all the way through the 4.5" of foam insulation and into the 2x4 girts on the posts, tying everything together tight. This wall plan eliminates all thermal bridging in the wall framing, though obviously not the rafters and bottom sill plates. Even the door and window frames have a gap between the 1x6 strips that will be filled with spray foam.

 

[Meames01]

Utilities all got moved around, propane tanks relocated, lines run to house, garage, and shop. All new power system (no power company service here) got hooked up and run around as well. I spent a lot of the year building that out, it's basically done with a few more bugs to iron out. So gas and power are dropped at the shop.

This fall (and winter just started) we've been able to spend a little, (too little, ugh) time working on the wall plan. Winter seems to be allowing me a bit more time to put towards it, but I just had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, which obviously has an affect.

It's been a very long time since i've seen an AMC Eagle....

 

[Jon69RagTop]

That’s coming along nicely, good look with your recovery too

 

[Wombat Ranger]

Got a little more help yesterday, north wall insulation is done, ready for 1x6 strips to tighten it up and hang siding from (after a few gaps are filled with spray of course).





Got a start on South wall girt and window framing.









Just for fun, a picture of my "day job." Taken on Wednesday.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

Yesterday was another Friday when I got some help at my place. Every day's work is a little more progress.

North wall is just about ready for siding. Windows final installed, all gaps sprayed, wood stripping in place.





I decided to do the bottom with a 24" strip of 3/4 plywood, for strength and rigidity behind the siding, and to protect the foam board insulation. I will need to remove the bottom strip along the back (east) wall and move a bit of snow to make that change there.




This had been a very low snow year so far, this was about 6" on the building when it came off. I have seen 4 feet on this building, and it all came off at once. It was a very high pile. This was the main reason I decided to beef up the bottom strip program with the 2' plywood strip.



And the south wall framing is almost complete.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

More help today though not much visual progress. East/back wall windows final installed, and 2' plywood strip installed along bottom of wall.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

South wall framing complete, windows flashed and installed. The windows all came from some form of 2nd hand source. Craigslist, the dump, habitat for humanity.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

Time for update.


















We are working on wrap and J-channel today, soffits on deck.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

Nothing goes quickly enough when your project is the filler work, but it looks like good progress since I don't post often!





I am going to use a traditional OH door in the 14W x 10H opening. The 12W x 13'7" opening to the far North however is a challenge. I am kicking around a few options. There is not enough space for a typical OH style door.

Electrician came over on Saturday and we got a good start on the wiring. He won't likely be back for another couple of weeks, but that's okay. I am patient.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

I need a little help spec'ing a door for this opening. I need this height so I can drive my backhoe in with the boom locked up.



Due to the roof & beam arrangement, a traditional OH door will not work. I have considered fabricating a swinging double door set using aluminum U-channel and rigid foam board inside. It would be affordable, but challenging to build completely flat/straight. They would be huge wind sails when opening. We do not get constant wind here but this spring we saw over 80mph winds. I don't really like this idea, but it is a potential solution.

I am talking with this company and have received a quote. https://findoor.ca/products/folding-doors/
It's not cheap, they require I pay for their installation, and it's ugly. But the marketing looks good.


Anyone got any other good ideas?

 

[JuncleJohn]

Powerlift Hydraulic Door? powerliftdoors.com

Just a thought.

John

 

[Wombat Ranger]

Thanks, I reached out to them for a quote.

 

[Wombat Ranger]

I ended up ordering the FinDoor. We have a local customer with one, I went over and checked it all out, it's a VERY nice door. Cost was about half of the powerlift door quote. It will be a 4 panel door, I spec'd it with windows in the middle 2 panels only.