Round shop?

[jmarkwolf]

I met a guy recently who is considering a 50ft diameter grain silo for his retirement home. Apparently they come in "kits" of flat sections and create a space nearly 2000 square feet (pi x r^2) and 9ft tall. He said the "kit" is about $1000. Don't know if that includes a roof, probably not.

I thought it was an interesting idea for a shop. Buy two kits and stack 'em if you need more height. Condensation might be an issue, but any steel building might have the same problem.

Years ago I worked with a guy who was given a standing 12ft diameter grain silo. He disassembled the silo, tile by tile, re-erected it on his own property, and built a beautiful barn next to it. He put three stories in the silo with a ladder on the interior wall, and he and his wife lived in it for two years while he built their house. A lot like a single-wide standing on end.

Food for thought.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I saw pictures a while back of an old round barn that had been converted into a luxury garage. It was pretty neat, but was also large enough to allow cars to be driven in through a door and then parked in a circle around the perimeter.


The main problem with round structures is that most of our possessions are rectangular. I had a friend who lived in a condo that was a rehabbed commercial grain silo, and the rooms were all pie-shaped with a rounded outside wall so there were no square corners. Furniture doesn't fit very well in a place like that. I also once visited a rehabbed farm silo that had been converted into a home; it was pretty nicely done but the diameter was small enough that you basically had one room to a floor - living in a place like that will require a lot of walking up and down stairs all day.

 

[Brian.Rheeder]

Never have any dust collect in the corners though ����

 

[MarlynOC]

Look at sparkplug lighhouses. Lived on two back in the 1970s. Erected about 15 miles from any shore line. Surrounded by water.

https://www.delawarebaylightkeeper-friend.org/brandywine_shoal.htm

https://www.delawarebaylightkeeper-friend.org/miah_maull.htm

 

[lis2323]

I’ve been considering installing a 20 foot diameter silo for a blacksmith shop. Maybe put it adjacent to my existing shop and join it with 6x10 foot enclosed “walkway”.

The roundness isn’t a concern for efficiency in a blacksmith area as all fixtures and benches would be free standing. It would actually lend to a nice layout.

I saved this internet pic I found a while back.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Stuart in MN]

Look at sparkplug lighhouses. Lived on two back in the 1970s. Erected about 15 miles from any shore line. Surrounded by water.https://www.delawarebaylightkeeper-friend.org/miah_maull.htm

There was a story in the news here recently about a guy who bought a lighthouse in Superior, Wisconsin (just across the bay from Duluth, MN.) He plans on renovating it into a vacation home that he'll use a few weeks a year and then rent out as an air BNB.


https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/09/05/historic-superior-lighthouse-sold-at-auction

 

[fitter30]

I would have a good excuse why im always walking in circles.

 

[58Yeoman]

When I was a little kid, we passed a round barn, and my brother told me that a guy died looking for a corner to pee in.

 

[pancho400cid]

There was a story in the news here recently about a guy who bought a lighthouse in Superior, Wisconsin

That looks awesome. $159,000 seems like a great deal! Wonder if the light still works?

 

[MarlynOC]

The lamp room would be property of USCG.

 

[Fueler]

Living in tornado country I have noticed that empty metal grain bins are the second most favorite target after mobile home parks.


A friend converted a large cement silo long ago. Really nice set up.
All the utilities were on the ground floor. Something went wrong and caught fire.

You guessed it. The silo turned into a chimney. Took no time at all to burn out all the floors in no time. Fortunately no one was at home at the time.


Moral of story is if you build something like this be proactive in considering worse case scenarios.

 

[Stuart in MN]

That looks awesome. $159,000 seems like a great deal! Wonder if the light still works?

The lighthouse in Superior is decommissioned. Access to it, which is across a long thin strip of riprap, may be a factor in the price - especially in the winter.

 

[kbs2244]

For home decorating ideas to a search on Chicago's "Marina City."

 

[ItsNemo]

Bonus points if you could put a turntable in the floor in the center and then have bays in every direction around the outside...that would be pretty awesome.

 

[MarlynOC]

At least they can walk out and back from the light. We had to go by boat and jump to the ladder and climb up to the main deck. Then use a davit to bring aboard supplies.

 

[MushCreek]

I go to a round church so the Devil can't corner me!

I was thinking about a small silo for a she shed/guest house on our property. I can put up buildings up to 200 sq ft without a permit.

 

[Falcon67]

Round house is great until you try to tell your kids to go stand in a corner.

 

[pancho400cid]

The lighthouse in Superior is decommissioned. Access to it, which is across a long thin strip of riprap, may be a factor in the price - especially in the winter.

Wow! Talk about a PITA when you forget to get bread at the grocery store LOL!

Sorry - Hijack over.....

 

[bimmer1980]

I met a guy recently who is considering a 50ft diameter grain silo for his retirement home. Apparently they come in "kits" of flat sections and create a space nearly 2000 square feet (pi x r^2) and 9ft tall. He said the "kit" is about $1000. Don't know if that includes a roof, probably not.

I thought it was an interesting idea for a shop. Buy two kits and stack 'em if you need more height. Condensation might be an issue, but any steel building might have the same problem.

Years ago I worked with a guy who was given a standing 12ft diameter grain silo. He disassembled the silo, tile by tile, re-erected it on his own property, and built a beautiful barn next to it. He put three stories in the silo with a ladder on the interior wall, and he and his wife lived in it for two years while he built their house. A lot like a single-wide standing on end.

Food for thought.

The problem with "round" is that it complicates the matter of windows, doors, insulation, sheet rock, wiring, etc. If you just want a structure to get out of the rain, sure, go for it....

I am familiar with grain bin construction as I grew up in the mid west. They work great for their intended purpose. They actually build them from the top down. i.e. they build the top of the grain bin (silo), jack it up, add a section, jack it up, repeat until it is as tall as they planned. Due to the nature of the grain in the bin, they need the hoop strength for the pressure exerted on the side walls.

Of course, there are ways to make it work, but have you really gained that much over a tradition structure? and at what cost compared to other options?

I suppose you could get two grain bin structures, one that is two feet smaller than the other and build with one inside of the other and simply fill the void with blow-in insulation.....

 

[NUTTSGT]

Something like a blacksmith shop would be cool but for a regular shop to work out of, I'd pass.



Although, if you did any welding, you'd have a good ground all around.