underground workshop

[ZRX61]

Damn, that's a lot of work, why didn't you just build a stud wall?

 

[tachikomaster]

Thank you guys!

Looks like you're back on track. Motorcycles can be very distracting.

Indeed

Hi Michael.

You have done fantastic work so far - your space is really coming together well. Where in Slovakia are you? My Mom's family is from Slovenska Ves, a small village near the Tatra mountains, close to the border with Poland. I had a chance to visit with my relatives there a ways back and it was the best trip that I ever made!

Wish you all the best with your project! Would be great to share a pivo with you to celebrate your project!

Take care,
Randy

Thanks Randy!
I'm living in small village called Svaty Jur, close to our capital Bratislava. Slovakia is really nice country, especially the nature is stunning around Tatras mountains. It's certainly worth the visit.
Thanks again, drop by any time for a cold one

Damn, that's a lot of work, why didn't you just build a stud wall?

It shure is, but I hope it's worth it. I was playing with the idea of drywall before, but it wouldn't solve my problem with old crumbling plaster and I wouldn't be able to mount on it heavy stuff like spare wheels shelf.

 

[Kustas]

I would've left the brick walls sandblasted as they were and just repaint them for the cool visual effect, I mean who really cares how straight a workshop/man cave wall is, right?

Awesome job mate! Cheers.

 

[jb3]

maybe you can use that gap at the top to run recessed power conduit or air lines, and just trim it out with some board painted to match the wall. i cant imagine how you are gonna fill that space with concrete, unless you mix it really thick and apply with a putty knife.

 

[Crazy Backyard Builder]

The amount of work is staggering, I feel lazy !

 

[Geek]

subscribed. Pass the popcorn

 

[jsherid1]

Welcome to GJ--very cool project and I am really impressed with both your commitment to doing things right and the sheer amount of work you have done. I'd second JB3's suggestion that you leave the top section open and use it for electrical and air lines and use wood trim to cover the gap. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

 

[tachikomaster]

Thank you guys!

I would've left the brick walls sandblasted as they were and just repaint them for the cool visual effect, I mean who really cares how straight a workshop/man cave wall is, right?

Awesome job mate! Cheers.

Thanks!
I like the looks of the brick walls, but I decided that the new plaster would be much more simple solution. I kind of care, but it's just my "OCD"

maybe you can use that gap at the top to run recessed power conduit or air lines, and just trim it out with some board painted to match the wall. i cant imagine how you are gonna fill that space with concrete, unless you mix it really thick and apply with a putty knife.

That's exactly the problem I'm thinking about right now, how to fill that space. I like the idea with power and air lines, but the gap don't have the same depth around the room, don't know if it would be enough in some tight spots. It would be much more simple to fill it with thick plaster and run the lines around entire room on surface. There is one wall, door and window space where I need to run it on surface anyway.

Here are some pictures from last few days.
I have finished the removing of crooked concerete:

When I was trying to mount the shuttering, I found my first problem:

There is no room on the step to bolt down the supports:

My solution in few self explanatory pictures:

It didn't go without fails. This happens if I drink too much beer:

And I needed to compensate for my shaking hands when I was drilling the step:

But ultimately it's working fine:

Added some plank to the corner:

And filled it with fresh concerete:

Thanks for watching!

 

[sunsation288]

Many thanks for taking time for sharing picture !!!
subscribed !

 

[tachikomaster]

Hi guys!

I'm back from my summer break and I started working on my workshop again.
Here's where I left it, first stage of last wall done:

Second stage shuttering:

Second stage done:

Third stage shuttering:

Third stage done:

I decided that the space left on top of poured concrete wall will be filled with thick plaster. So I got hold of suitable material and began:

Maximum recommended thickness of one layer of this material is 2 cm, and 10 days of curing. But I managed it with 3 thicker layers and about a week of curing, without any excessive cracks.
Here is first layer:

I had embedded some conduit from one side of garage to other, just as a spare for future use:

And as from today rough work on walls is officially done!

Next will be fine plaster and hopefully pouring floor.

Thanks for watching!

 

[Farmall450]

Wow very nice.

Just read through your entire thread - you certainly aren't afraid to break a sweat!
Subbed...

 

[4AudiQ]

Very nice.
I'll be following this thread.

 

[tachikomaster]

Wow very nice.

Just read through your entire thread - you certainly aren't afraid to break a sweat!
Subbed...

Very nice.
I'll be following this thread.

Thank you guys!

I started with fine plaster on the walls.
First step was to even the rough concrete surfaces:

Next step was fine plaster and fiberglass mesh:

Finished wall:

Then I evened other two walls:

And did some work around window:

Hopefully I'll be working on other walls soon because I'm a bit sick.
But stay tuned for another update

 

[s2kattracks]

Wow! That is one a heck of a project!!

Its really starting to look great! In due time, the work will be well worth it!

 

[tachikomaster]

Thanks!

Yesterday was the building where I work without electricity, so I had a day off.
But I had a very productive day in my workshop. I managed to finish fine plastering the rest of the walls. There is just one tiny spot around the window I need to do, but walls are finished!
Here are few pictures:

Next comes sanding of the walls and preparation for floor.
Stay tuned!

 

[tachikomaster]

Hi guys,

Nothing much happened in my workshop from last update. I'm gathering materials and preparing for the concrete floor.
I have evened the gravel, soaked it in water and compacted on half of workshop, where the first concrete will be poured:

Eventually after discussion with one guy from construction business, I won't be using epoxy paint on the floor as I wanted. It's because I can't sufficiently isolate concrete from moisture on my budget, and I don't want to ruin expensive floor finish because of it. I will try a PVC flooring first and see how it perform in the long run.

Meanwhile I was thinking about first basic workshop layout:

What do you guys think?

 

[madoc1]

looking really nice! are you going to paint the walls, or do a color finish coat of plaster?

jim

 

[tachikomaster]

looking really nice! are you going to paint the walls, or do a color finish coat of plaster?

jim

Thank you!
I'm going to paint the walls white for best light reflection. Maybe I will add some green stripe around the room, but I didn't think about the colour scheme yet.
Something to go with Hammerite's hammered deep green, which I would fancy on my equipment

 

[hoyt]

Keep up the great work!

 

[Madhatter10-6]

This looks so overbuilt I really dig the steel beams and how you mounted them.

 

[jb3]

I cant believe how well those walls came out!

You have gone from medieval to modern with your impressive concrete work. Looking forward to the floor!

 

[tachikomaster]

Hi guys,

I'm back from long pause. Yesterday I started working on floor slab again.
I have a small concrete mixer, so I'll be doing it in four stages.

First I made a 7cm tall fence:

Then some foam to separate the floor concrete from walls:

I decided to add painting foil under the concrete to make it more watertight:

Rebar:

Sitting in air:

It was slow, this is one mixer:

Half way done:

All done, it took 9 mixers of concrete:

Full 2 hours I spent smoothing it. But this is result from this morning:

I'm fairly happy with it. For a first time its quite straight

Stay tuned for second part.

 

[bagged89s10]

nice work and you are saving a ton by doing the concrete yourself.

 

[Farmall450]

Good to see you back at it again.

 

[tachikomaster]

Thank you guys!

With big help from my GF we did another quarter today.
It went fast this time because we did all preparation yesterday:

My GF mixing concrete. She really don't like when I take pictures of her

End result:

I'm really motivated this time. It's shame that I won't have much time next two weeks to work on workshop due to work.
Hopefully I would do some preparation for next quarter.

Stay tuned!

 

[coma13]

Very impressive! I've got some concrete work to do in a basement in the not too distant future and this is definitely inspiring.

 

[aaron77]

Very good job! Are you going to apply an EIFS finish to the walls as well or just the basecoat & mesh?

 

[tachikomaster]

Thank you!

Very good job! Are you going to apply an EIFS finish to the walls as well or just the basecoat & mesh?

If I googled properly and EIFS stands for Exterior insulation finishing system, then no. What you see on pictures is final form, on that will come paint later, but thats it.

 

[tachikomaster]

Hi guys!

Today I had a bit of time so I removed excess foil from walls and leveled other half in preparation for next concrete job:

Then I soaked it with water to make it more compacted before laying concrete.
Stay tuned for more!

 

[vekster]

wow, that a lot of work!
Looks great...keep the pictures coming.

 

[56rpm]

An amazing amount of drive, skill, time and a love for the place has gone into this build. Congrats and good luck.

 

[aaron77]

Yes you did google it correctly. You are doing a fine job. Looking forward to seeing more updates!

 

[tachikomaster]

Thank you guys!

Yesterday I had prepared things for another quarter of floor concrete:

And today I have made it:

Still last quarter to do, but then it's end to all concrete work. Hopefully

 

[Charlie9000]

Your effort is humbling. Well done.

What's the coldest temperature your area gets to in winter time?

 

[tachikomaster]

Thank you!

I think the historical extreme was -36C (-32.8F), but -20C (-4F) is average coldest temp in winter. Why?

 

[Charlie9000]

Thank you!

I think the historical extreme was -36C (-32.8F), but -20C (-4F) is average coldest temp in winter. Why?

I was just thinking about the insulation comment someone said earlier.

We get a bit colder here, so it may not be too much of an issue for you. At my last house we had an uninsulated room in the basement and it wasn't very pleasant in the winter. Frost would even form on the parts of the walls above grade. But I guess it is different in a workshop also, I keep my garage around 5°C in the winter, and unless I have an all day job out there, I rarely turn up the heat.

Very impressive build so far, that room looks like it could double as a bomb bunker. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tachikomaster]

I was just thinking about the insulation comment someone said earlier.

We get a bit colder here, so it may not be too much of an issue for you. At my last house we had an uninsulated room in the basement and it wasn't very pleasant in the winter. Frost would even form on the parts of the walls above grade. But I guess it is different in a workshop also, I keep my garage around 5°C in the winter, and unless I have an all day job out there, I rarely turn up the heat.

Very impressive build so far, that room looks like it could double as a bomb bunker. Thanks for sharing.

It's not very usual to insulate underground spaces here. Bare walls are sufficient if there's no air comming from outside. In the garage next door is about 10°C all winter, even with barely insulated garage doors.

Thank you. I wouldn't be so sure about the ceiling in that case

 

[NUTTSGT]

I haven't checked out your build since you started last year. I'm impressed with the progress that you have made through hard work. Keep it up.

 

[BBChevro]

Just discovered this thread today, you've put a lot of effort into the walls and floor.

 

[tachikomaster]

Thank you guys!

As from today I'm finally done with the concrete!!!
But from beginning, this is how the third quarter has come out:

Same day I started preparations for last quarter:

Which will have this in corner:

We have a high groundwater level around here. Sometimes in spring, when the snow is melting and it's raining we have a water coming inside through walls. It didn't happened for few years, but this hole is in case it will happen again. First I hoped there would be soil to absorb water, but its all stone. So it could be used at last for submersible pump.

This is preparation from yesterday:

And concrete work from today:

This means I can finally start looking for suitable flooring solution and start with electrical wiring.

Stay tuned!