Western WI Toybox

[swaterbenny]

Well it all started in April of 2009 when we bought our house as a short sale, it was the nicest house we looked at, but had the smallest garage by far, so we made the decision the best thing to do is build more garage.

Shortly after looking for the easy way I started a thread here asking the best way to fund a garage, while I kept telling myself saving was the best I was really hoping somebody would have a more thrilling option. There were none. The thread can be seen here http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52147

Well the time has finally come, I have saved enough, and in Feb. I ordered my new pole shed.

My old garage was 28'x40'x8' while most would be happy with this, it has been packed since we moved in, and way too short for the 2 post lift I have always wanted. Since my 2.25 acre lot is mostly hilly, other than where my septic system is it was obvious the best choice to just tear down the original garage with it's 3 tab shingles, rotting overhangs, and damaged siding from previous owner.

New pole shed will be 40'x56'x14', I'm having it built by a contractor due to it's height and large items.

 

[sublime68charger]

Will be following this

Good luck

 

[bmes1982]

Sounds like a nice size, I'll be following your progress.

 

[swaterbenny]

UPDATE 6-3-15

Been a while since an update, not too much happening, but some.

Two weekends ago I had a bulldozer come out, and level out the land behind the slab, and bring it to about 10" below the finished slab level. The guy has removed some stumps before for me, and I just keep calling him back because he only charges about $70 an hour.

Last week I met the contractor the lumber yard set me up with, and he marked out where the concrete needed to be removed for the poles.

Last weekend I rented a walk behind concrete saw and cut all the lines, and cut it into more manageable smaller pieces, I thought I would be able to just chip the pieces out with a chipping hammer from work, but the saw only cut about 5" deep, and the haunch in some spots is 12".

So, the plan is this weekend coming up I will be renting a jack hammer, to get the rest of the pieces out, that I can't get with the chipping hammer.

Contractor said build will start the week of the 15th or the 22nd, so getting close, and I'm getting excited.

 

[sublime68charger]

Making progress

Will be following this along

 

[swaterbenny]

Materials arrived, contractor said he is starting on Monday 6-29. Got the tractor to help with landscaping when the sheds all done, and to help fill it up my wife says!

Getting excited!!! Can't wait. Ben

 

[swaterbenny]

Contractor got started today. 6-30-15

 

[swaterbenny]

Day 2.

 

[captain14]

Ok how many has this Contractor built since the lumberyard recommended him?

 

[swaterbenny]

He builds 5-6 sheds year, typically is a custom home builder. When I first met him he told me it would take longer than a contractor that builds just sheds, because he is more particular about a quality product. After seeing the first few days of work, I have faith in his work. They also shoot to work just 8 hour days, because they work year round, where a typical shed builder in the area is off 4+ months a year. Any more questions feel free to ask.

Ben

 

[swaterbenny]

Day 3

 

[sublime68charger]

Making good progress keep the pics up

 

[swaterbenny]

Monday rained most of the day, so they only worked 5-8:30
AlsoTuesday 7-7-15

 

[swaterbenny]

Wed. 7-8-15 Not much progress, because 2 of the 3 guys were gone finishing another job.
Thursday 7-9-15
Friday 7-10-15

 

[swaterbenny]

Saturday 7-11-15
Got my panel installed, and the wire ran back in the pipe.

 

[sublime68charger]

Slow and steady progress.

Looking good though!

 

[swaterbenny]

Slow and steady progress.

Looking good though!

Thanks, they said the building would be done Monday, but I'm doing my own doors, and I got them from Menards, and of course atleast 1 is damaged.

The transformation of your garage is simply amazing!

Ben

 

[swaterbenny]

Almost done, one piece of steel is short on the front, I'm not gonna bring it up in hopes that they just know that that's not okay. Ben

 

[sublime68charger]

Pretty sure that corner will be taken care of.

Looks real good

Thanks for taking the time to check out my little build.

 

[swaterbenny]

Yeah, there is a short piece of siding in the front at the top, it's kind of hard to see in the picture.

 

[bigredmf]

Just a question.

Why doesn't the slab extend out to the edges of the walls. Seems like it should so the walls were anchored to it.

Thank you

Red


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[hemifalcon]

curious... For the setup of the structure--what'd that cost you?? I'm over on the opposite side of the state from you--and minus small differences in construction plans and slight size difference--I'll be building a similar structure..
-JOhn

 

[swaterbenny]

Just a question.

Why doesn't the slab extend out to the edges of the walls. Seems like it should so the walls were anchored to it.

Thank you

Red

It's a pole shed, so it's built without any concrete required. Mine was just built around my old slab because I had a stick built garage before.

curious... For the setup of the structure--what'd that cost you?? I'm over on the opposite side of the state from you--and minus small differences in construction plans and slight size difference--I'll be building a similar structure..
-JOhn

Shed from lumber yard $16,500
Labor to build $7000( I'm hanging my own garage doors, otherwise that was $500 more)
Garage doors, and man doors $2500 (I already had 16'x7' door to reuse, the reason I got my own doors is because the lumber yard wanted twice as much for the exact same stuff.)

The overhang adds a lot of $$, also I went with the shelf girts which adds a little also because they use 2x6 instead of 2x4.

Any more questions just ask Ben

 

[swaterbenny]

There is one piece of steel to be replaced in the front, due to being cut short, but otherwise contractor is all done.

 

[KULIWOBBY]

Any updates on this project?

 

[swaterbenny]

Yeah, it's quite a bit different now, but a long ways from done. Will try to get some pictures.

Thanks, Ben

 

[NTCRS]

Following!

 

[swaterbenny]

Got my liftmaster openers installed last winter, they are awesome. I have added the wifi adapter, so I can check on my phone from anywhere to make sure my wife closed the door.


Had a shelf in this same spot in my old garage, so I added one to the new garage also. This wall still needs to be finished painted.


Got this wall halfway done with osb, this will be all until spring, since I prime it first, and the weather is turning cold.


Kinda messy in the garage right now, but you can see the general color scheme/design I'm going with.


I went with barn lights on the outside, which are operated by a dusk to dawn sensor, and have led bulbs in them.

 

[emktx]

Nice pole barn. If you get a chance could you post a picture or two of the barn lights in the daylight, especially the mount detail through the steel. I am a little south of you, in Trempealeau, next to the Mississippi river. I built a 30x40 with a 18x8 and man-door on the gable side and think two gooseneck barn lights would look nice. I have been kicking around mount ideas and am always interested in how others put theirs up.

 

[swaterbenny]

Nice pole barn. If you get a chance could you post a picture or two of the barn lights in the daylight, especially the mount detail through the steel. I am a little south of you, in Trempealeau, next to the Mississippi river. I built a 30x40 with a 18x8 and man-door on the gable side and think two gooseneck barn lights would look nice. I have been kicking around mount ideas and am always interested in how others put theirs up.

I got the barn lights at Menards for like $25 a piece, They are made to accept a ****** into the side, so I cut a longer 1/2" npt ******. After that to mount them all I did was mount a 2x6 directly inside tin, and drilled a 1/2" pipe hole(7/8" hole) through the tin and the 2x6. Then I went inside and drilled a hole in the osb big enough to get a 1/2" locknut in, and put the pipe though and into the back of a 4 square electrical box, put a lock nut and bushing on inside and wired up. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[swaterbenny]

Been a busy few weeks, hit a deer on the interstate on the way to work.

Only took about an hour to tear all the old parts off

Still need a windshield, and a plastic clip for the door handle, that I messed up, and maybe a car wash.

Managed to get this wall painted before the weather turns too cold to paint, it was taking forever to dry though, and the painters tape didn't want to stick

 

[swaterbenny]

Been very busy the last 2 years, missed a lot of pictures, but the garage is almost done! I will try to bring it up to speed best I can.

After I hit the deer, I worked on digging out the back in prep for the slab, but the frost beat me to it, and I didn't quite get it done. So of course spring comes, and it turns into a indoor pond. After pumping water, and it drying up I got my gravel moved in.

Of course stuff never stops following me home, like this atc70.

 

[swaterbenny]

Once summer of 2017 came along, got on the concrete schedule. They did the final compact, and leveling. I had them go thicker on the 2 spots that the 2 post lift will go.

It was a busy time for them, so it took about 1.5 months before they got to it.
Price for concrete was $5,000, out of 4 people I called only 2 companies replied, and they were within $300 of each other, so I went with my gut. It turned out great so, I'm happy.

 

[swaterbenny]

After the slab was poured, while I waited for it to cure, I came to the decision if I was gonna heat/cool the shop area I have to section it off, so I built a wall down the middle.
Once cured I filled the cut lines with caulk like stuff, and applied sealer to the slab.
Then I spent the rest of the fall trying to finish the walls, and build the compressor closet but it was slow due to having our second child.

 

[swaterbenny]

Before the winter I got the compressor closet painted, a bunch of electrical for the bench top area done, and tools moved to where I wanted them for the time being.

 

[swaterbenny]

Winter 2017-2018
Then as always winter hit. All I really worked on was insulating the walls, and on the snowmobiles.

 

[swaterbenny]

Then spring came, and it was time to get back at it. I finished hanging most of the osb on the wall to start with.

Then I rented a 19' lift for 5 days to hang the ceiling joists, steel, and lights.

Took me Thursday and Friday to install all the joists, install some conduit, hang j channel, insulate the walkway, put osb on the walkway, and frame the access hole.

Then on Saturday & Sunday I had a friend come over, and help hang the steel which took about 16 hours.

Then I spent Sunday night, and Monday morning hanging lights. I was beat for sure, by the time I returned the lift.

 

[swaterbenny]

Over the summer we get pretty busy, so it was slow.

I ended up renting the lift again to hang the center hi-lift doors, and convert the rear door to hi-lift. Once you rent it, it's hard to get motivated to work off a 12' ladder. The hi-lift doors are all bar wound springs at 10 turns per spring, 2 per door, so it's quite a arm workout. While I had the lift I also finished wiring the lights, hung the barn star, hung the ceiling fans, and hung the heater.

After that I finished the heater venting, and gas run.I started organizing, and making the shop my own. Started on my air lines too, but I didn't document any of it.

I ordered my lift late September, and picked it up like 2 weeks later. My trailer that was nicknamed "Patches", may need more patches after hauling the heavy lift. I didn't realize all the weight is just on the ends.

 

[swaterbenny]

Got the lift unloaded at home, no pictures because it was all hands on deck. I used my engine hoist to unload the post one by one.

One night I decided to try and stand the two posts by myself with the engine hoist, and right as I had one far enough tipped that I was starting to struggle, my wife pulled in and helped me stand it by hand, then we repeated with the second one. I put a few anchors in the lift, and then the lift install was on hold ,because I didn't have enough shims.

After camping season my friend, and his kids came over, and we blew in 54 bags of insulation in the attic.

 

[swaterbenny]

That brings us to the last few weeks. Been working on Christmas gifts, got the lift assembled, general clean up, and finishing the move in progress.

The heater easily keeps the garage at 50, which is what I like while working, so I can wear a sweatshirt. The dog doesn't even mind the garage now that it's heated.