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Above 1200 Sq/FT Project not an eyesore

Wokspaces above 1200 squarefeet.

Weldman

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Joined
Nov 27, 2022
Messages
104
Location
SE Montana
Yeah, a little peeved about that one. I told concrete guy I wanted saw cuts and he said his guy was coming next day. Never showed up. By then it was too late.
Never too late, get a circular saw and get after it with a masonry blade with some water. Did my slab with 2 blades, 43' x 32' slab.Relief cuts.jpegRelief cuts1.jpeg
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
To my understanding all benefits of control joints are gone if you add them after the initial 24 hour period. I'm going to double check that in case I can save myself some stress.
 

Weldman

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 27, 2022
Messages
104
Location
SE Montana
Heard the same thing, though I just cut mine anyways within 72 hours so come summer when it expands it has somewhere to go. Yet to see a crack here.
I was born and raised in SE Texas so I know the climate well there.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Decent productivity this weekend. Both man doors hung. Got the last roll up door in place. Got everything but one of the big pieces hung on the back side which based on the terrain is the hardest part. A buddy of mine came to help on Sunday and once he showed up we really started flying. He is most definitely invited back and to use the shop when it's done.

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In order to maximize use of an extra person we focused on the big panels and left the wainscot to be put in later. This week I'll focus on some tidy up and filling the trench as much as possible. The pile of dirt is unsightly and I'm really past what is okay with the neighbors.

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As one would expect, by the time the job is going is when you actually start getting some systems in place that help you. Using this board on the string line and "tucking" the piece has been a huge time and effort saver.

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Regardless, it's starting to feel like a real space and getting excited. Will need to have that energy boost in order to push through in the next month.

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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Another weekend of cosplaying a construction worker done. Saturday was a lot of tedious work on figuring out how to do all the work on the roof efficiently and safely. This is not my full time job and it's a good thing at the pace I work.

Major props again to my dad who has been gung ho and fearless about helping on the project. Never afraid to jump on a ladder, especially now that he has medicare :LOL:.

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Building the easily moveable "Ladders" out of extra sheets of panel has been a key to moving safely up there. Thankful that Mueller included some extras in the shipment.

Unfortunately, by end of day Saturday we didn't have much to show for our efforts even though it felt like a full workday.

Sunday morning we woke to puddles from an overnight rainstorm and wet metal panels. Getting on a roof slippery was out of the question until it evaporated, so we took focus on wall panels for safety and an emotional victory. By afternoon it had dried up enough and we had figured out the flow that worked best for us. By the late afternoon we were getting down to around 20 minutes a roof panel. 12 down, 52 to go.

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What mattered more than anything is we have a bit of a place to put materials so they don't get soaked in upcoming storms. It feels massive but I have a feeling it's going to get cramped quickly if I'm not careful.

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Thanks to a generous vacation policy at work I'm off for the rest of the year starting Tuesday, and hoping I can take advantage of the time off to at least get it closed in so I can run power to it. Weather and family obligations permitting of course.

Oh yeah, couple of minor updates. Pool company appears to have finished the back steps and tile work. Next steps is to pour and equipment pad and install the deck coating.
 

jbrentd

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Joined
Jul 8, 2015
Messages
1,039
Location
Northeast Oklahoma
Your vision is coming along now. That pool/patio combo is going to be a sweet place to hang out!

I can't remember...was it always your plan to install the panels yourself? Or did it come about because of the troubles you had with contractors?
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Thanks! I am getting pretty excited about the end product.

Yes and no on hiring out. Originally I had it in my head to hire out, but the initial numbers I was seeing from people was in the neighborhood of $8-$10/foot to assemble the structure. Using that math based on the size it was worth it to do myself several times over. The first concrete contractor walking the job and essentially having to pay for that twice helped force the decision. Learned a bunch, been mostly a blast, and can put more money put toward things like insulation and interior sooner.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
With the weather turning nasty this week and having guests over the weekend, had to spend a few days last week cranking out what could be done on closing up the shop. The roof once we had the system up and running started cranking along quite quickly. Right when we got to the ends we ran into a bunch of things that slowed us down.

- There were some angle iron pieces that were part of the frame that we could not figure out for the life of us where they fit on the roof. The "eh, we'll figure it out later" came back to bite us in fighting to retrofit.
- Had to field cut the wall sheets before we could lay the last roof pieces down.
- Wind. We were ready to put the last pieces of sheet up on the roof and the wind started picking up something fierce. Decided it was best to quit while ahead and not get hurt.

It is agonizingly close to being dried in, but will likely have to wait until next year based on obligations and weather conditions. Having the space and is going to be so much better than any shop I have ever worked in.

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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Simultaneously a minor and a monumental update on progress. Shop is officially at dry-in phase. Would not believe the level of effort to get the last 6 panels and ridge cap in. The main problem was there was some soffit angle iron that was supposed to be in place before roof panels. Unfortunately based on the blueprints we couldn't figure out how they went in. Needless to say, when the plans say to get something done in order, don't say "eh, well figure it out later". Took us 10 times as long to get the last bits in.

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At this point in the build it's looking like an exploitation of my dad, but it's more a point of pride and lack of photos of me. He has been the safety czar the entire project, but interesting to see him at at 68 willing to ignore basic OSHA safety standards to get things done.

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Doors look great but seriously lacking in air sealing the building. Will be replacing them later. There is quite a bit left to do in trim, gutters, painting red iron, foam sealing. But at this point I am ready to call the electrician to setup the main panels. In short this isn't the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning.
 

Balor

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Joined
Feb 2, 2014
Messages
452
Location
Florida
Simultaneously a minor and a monumental update on progress. Shop is officially at dry-in phase. Would not believe the level of effort to get the last 6 panels and ridge cap in. The main problem was there was some soffit angle iron that was supposed to be in place before roof panels. Unfortunately based on the blueprints we couldn't figure out how they went in. Needless to say, when the plans say to get something done in order, don't say "eh, well figure it out later". Took us 10 times as long to get the last bits in.

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At this point in the build it's looking like an exploitation of my dad, but it's more a point of pride and lack of photos of me. He has been the safety czar the entire project, but interesting to see him at at 68 willing to ignore basic OSHA safety standards to get things done.

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Doors look great but seriously lacking in air sealing the building. Will be replacing them later. There is quite a bit left to do in trim, gutters, painting red iron, foam sealing. But at this point I am ready to call the electrician to setup the main panels. In short this isn't the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning.

I like the idea but would have matched the house.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
I like the idea but would have matched the house.

Yeah, there are a couple different schools of thought on the subject among friends and I get the perspective. Luckily my wife and I are on the same page for the industrial look and like it for now. When I poured the slab I made sure to include a stone ledge in case I wanted to match with stone and stucco. It is for sure the best looking metal building on the block already lol.
 
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jcarapet

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Not much to report on the shop stuff but want to keep things alive.

- Have the trench filled up for gas and electric
- Equipment pad poured for pool equipment and propane tank. pool equipment scheduled for delivery on Monday. Propane tank should get set in a couple weeks when the pad is more up to strength.

- Started working on the lighting layout. I am going to go with Primelights as they have dimmable lights and are a local company to me. I am targeting 100 Footcandles for the max light output. Leaning to 4k color but 5k is still an option.

- Biggest thing. I hired out an electrician to pull the wire from the meter pedestal to the panels in the shop. Power company comes next week so I should be able to start wiring and get other things setup. So excited for it.



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HogDude

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2020
Messages
229
Location
Nebraska
On another note, I got my first shop assistant this last week at 9 lbs 8 oz and 22 inches long. Going to be a little while until he is trained up enough to be useful, but I’ll cut him some slack.
Congrats!
Nothing like quality time in the shop building skills and creating lifelong memories.
You are truly blessed.
 
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jcarapet

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Not much to report with life getting in the way. Go back to work next week and should take advantage of the time off, but just haven't.

- Propane tank set. Filling tomorrow. Running a precautionary pressure test on house system and will plumb house and pool after that.

- picked up about 40 feet of 6" culvert to run under future shop driveway. There is a pooling point along the shop slab that is going to necessitate I run it there and away from the foundation.

- Started on shop wiring with running the EMT. Starting on the 110 line around the perimeter. 2 gang boxes every 5 feet, 2 different circuits to split load ( I have the capacity). I'll run a separate 30 and 50 amp 220 run along main wall after this. Still working out some of the rest of the wiring.

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Rented a trailer and finally got a second extension ladder so I can get some of this trim up taking up room in my shop. Along with this.

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There is a lot of dirt work left to do with the driveway that I now intend to do myself in order to recover some costs from concrete fiasco. Tractor is my dads and I am trading him free secure storage for free usage. Borrowing a box blade from my friend down the road which should help.

- More pool Shenanigans. They came and installed the pool equipment to get ready for plaster. Except they didn't install the pools heat pump heater. Wasn't even onsite. "Oh, must have missed it". Yeah, well I paid for it so get one. Further debate on spacing, wiring, etc that has me reading and quoting installation manuals to ensure pool equipment is covered under manufacturing warranty. Ice storms plus whatever delays mean that the heater won't be installed probably for a couple more weeks. We are at the end of our rope with this company and I'm about ready to write a demand for performance letter.
 
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jcarapet

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
On a more fun note, I installed a fun toy for the living room space as I have been sitting on the couch on dad duty lately.

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Phillips Hue Sync system. It intercepts the HDMI signal from devices and adds ambient light in line with the tv picture. I have been wanting something like this ever since I saw a raspberry PI project do this. The advantage of this one is it can pass through ARC for my soundbar which is needed based on behind wall specifications.
 
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ned911

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Messages
80
Location
Austin, TX
I've got a 1,000 gallon propane tank buried in my front yard. Came in handy last week as no power from Tues-Sat but I had hot water and could cook/boil water for coffee :)

It's also what heats the spa.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Yeah I wanted to do buried, but supposedly would have required a survey plus extra cost made it a good goal to go above ground.

You nailed it on goals Ned911. At the moment it's just going to run a fireplace, but potential to power a standby generator as needed. The pool will have two systems. Heat pump for the main pool, gas to run the spa and secondary heat source. The heat pump is significantly cheaper to run for the larger system which is why I wanted both.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Work in light of other obligations is slow and steady, and I'm generally okay with it. There does appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel on the big stuff.

Shop:
- Used the tractor to even out the giant dirt pile and have a more usable driveway. Good start for when I do the driveway work.
- installed brush seals around rollup doors and painted jambs to stand out a bit less.
- applied some zip tape and ridgid foam in the soffit areas to take care of larger gaps and have redundancy to spray foam
- installed soffits and trim on pool deck side. I am tempted to hire this out because I am slower than molasses at the moment. Going to take us weeks to get it done.
- Started painting the pool porch frame. If it's getting covered by trim or roof, or will be too hard to hit after all is installed it's getting painted.
- electrical is on hold but did wire the pool sub panel disconnect.

Pool:
- We are officially on month 13 but looking likely to wrap up this month.
- pool equipment is wired with lights.
- Pool deck coating scheduled for Monday. Plaster to follow shortly after. Then all that's left is miscellaneous cleanup and surprise repairs.

Misc:
- Fence is going in and should be done in the next week. Quality seems good just slow. There is a young guy running the show and doing most of the work work, but the rest of the crew seems content to sit around on their phone until it's time to take orders. Not my place, but I would tell the guy to get better crew members if he can.
- Wilbur is dissappointed he cannot free roam to the neighbors yard to play with the kids anymore.

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eastmtn

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Joined
Feb 28, 2019
Messages
335
Location
Western Washington
That's alot of work. I missed out on watching your growing pains and growing family 😄 but I'm caught up now. Your project is starting to look like your drawings. Nice work!
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
That's alot of work. I missed out on watching your growing pains and growing family 😄 but I'm caught up now. Your project is starting to look like your drawings. Nice work!
Thank you! It has been a heck of a process but will be so worth it in the end. I am ready to take a break and enjoy the spoils when I hit a stopping point.

Just kidding. I'm fooling myself if I think I will ever stop. We are bringing in a landscape designer this next week to help us figure out the next steps. As my father in law says "It's a sickness"
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
General note. I have plenty of up high ceiling work in my future in the shop. Based on how quickly I work renting a scissor lift isn't exactly cost effective. People have a recommendation on a good quality brand of scaffolding that can go up to 15 feet? I don't mind spending good money for a more stable base, and can sell after I am done.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Nothing major here before the weekend. I am done with HALF of my first run of 110 boxes. Taking about 45 minutes a box. Nobody would ever confuse me for an electrician :LOL: . I might have to hire our some help if I want to get the main wiring done in 2023.

Pool guys finished applying the deck coating. It's an interesting approach. Essentially it looks like self leveling concrete shot through a drywall texture gun and given a knockdown. IMO not very attractive, but anything above that is a significant expense increase. Now we are waiting on a scheduled date for plaster and we can finally be rid of the pool bozos.

Not much will progress this weekend. Have my Grandpas 94th birthday party that will eat up a day and don't think I have a hand for Sunday. Really hoping to get the porch roof on soon so I can move some clutter out there and put down the floor sealer.
 

jbrentd

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Joined
Jul 8, 2015
Messages
1,039
Location
Northeast Oklahoma
Sounds like the pool will be ready just in time. Did you get regular "cooldeck" (at least that what I've heard it referred to)? We have it and have been pleased with it. We also picked it because the other options were so much higher.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Sounds like the pool will be ready just in time. Did you get regular "cooldeck" (at least that what I've heard it referred to)? We have it and have been pleased with it. We also picked it because the other options were so much higher.
Yeah it's the traditional "koolcote" brand deck style. They had an option to do concrete pressed like stone or tile, but it was a $7500 add on for a mediocre imitation. Just decided to let it ride.
 

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jcarapet

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May 22, 2017
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280
Location
Texas
Well I guess you can call me a liar. Got some help on Sunday and was able to get quite a bit done. My sincere hope was that we could get the process setup and maybe get a couple panels up, but ended up flying and being able to knock out the main panels. That was a much needed win, but still so far to go.

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Even had some time to go and have a nice date night with the wife. was fun to look out at the porch and remind myself that this is what we were going for when we moved out here.

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Bonus photo of grandpa and new grandma meeting the kid for the first time.

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pennsylvaniaboy

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May 28, 2014
Messages
417
Dude, kuddos on the journey. Looks like all that will provide years of fun and relaxation(both in the shop and pool).
Also impressed that you have such a supportive lady to put up with all the extra hours.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Both you and I have no idea how lucky I am to have such a supportive woman. I would not be able to do a tenth of what I have done without her help. sometimes I have a moment of lucidness and realize how much she has contributed silently to the projects success and my insane ideas. I'm looking forward to hitting a stopping point on all this to return the favor for her.
Dude, kuddos on the journey. Looks like all that will provide years of fun and relaxation(both in the shop and pool).
Also impressed that you have such a supportive lady to put up with all the extra hours.
 

Meames1

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Messages
11
Well I guess you can call me a liar. Got some help on Sunday and was able to get quite a bit done. My sincere hope was that we could get the process setup and maybe get a couple panels up, but ended up flying and being able to knock out the main panels. That was a much needed win, but still so far to go.

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Even had some time to go and have a nice date night with the wife. was fun to look out at the porch and remind myself that this is what we were going for when we moved out here.

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Bonus photo of grandpa and new grandma meeting the kid for the first time.

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Dude, He's 94 ?! There is no doubt I won't look that good at 70. Kudos
 
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jcarapet

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May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Dude, He's 94 ?! There is no doubt I won't look that good at 70. Kudos
Yeah, that's about the time he stopped aging visibly. I'm not convinced there isn't a painting of him aging for him in an attic somewhere :LOL:
 
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jcarapet

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May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Not officially at the end of the pool project, but we have water in the pool and are on the final punch list of tasks Don't have some great photos but have to say it feels like it's going to be a good setup. We are continuing the process with the landscape designer and hoping some of it can get installed this year which will make this place a real winner.

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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
On shop stuff had a decent amount of stuff done.

Have made a selection on a spray foam contractor and target install date is the week of May 20th. Going with 2" closed cell all around an additional 5.5" of open cell on the ceiling. I was originally planning on installing batts in the ceiling but decided me not having to be up there is a good thing. This unfortunately means I have a huge list of tasks to accomplish to get the shop ready for then.

Ordered my lights. 10 Primelights USA highbays. Max output should be at 100 footcandles, and dimmable for when I don't want that much. More expensive than I was planning, but they had a good reputation and their facility is less than 10 minutes from the house. Felt good to support a local business.

Picked up 3 sections of scaffolding to get lights installed and some minor cracks sealed up before foam.

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Got a couple of my 220 outlets wired up and fired up the welder to make brackets for the minisplit condenser. I am horribly out of practice with my welding so hopefully they will hold. Need to get some more C25 and buy a bottle of argon for the TIG I bought.

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Put in a subpanel on the opposite side of the shop so I can more easily run outlets and electrical for the porch. No photos for that, but here is a bonus photo of me teaching the new shop hand safety 1st!

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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Did your landscaper work with your overall architect to incorporate everything?
While it would have been wise to, we have not hired an architect for this. It's been us working it out along with some consultation with friends, family, and Pinterest. The design with the landscaper has been very collaborative and was a referral from a family member who used her. She (landscaper) has been very good at advising around our lack of green thumb and our requirement for water management on the property.
 
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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
Some good things have happened in shop land.

Had to bust **** to get a lot of the things in place before spray foam. That included external outlet runs, overhead and outdoor light EMT, and a few other odds and ends. Nobody is going to hire to run conduit, but I am more than happy with my amateur work and what I learned.

Finished up the brackets and mounted AC compressor

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Eventually I had to move everything out of the shop and lay down some floor covering before spray foam. This will likely be the last time it is ever this clean again.

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jcarapet

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Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
280
Location
Texas
As for the spray foam crew I have no reference point on a good vs. bad crew, but the tangibles tell me these guys did a good job. They showed up when they said they would (and early in the morning), they kept me informed on how and when they were going to do stuff, and finished on time and to spec. I might have paid more than I should have, but based on the result and me not having to manage them I am a happy camper.

Next up will be floor sealing, lights, and likely a long hiatus to get a better plan of attack.

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