I Hate My New Neighbor...

[RowdyRebel]

By far the WORST neighbor I've ever had.

Worst part is, he JUST moved in 15 minutes ago and he's already getting on my nerves.

Not sure how much more of his crap I'll be able to deal with.

I think I'm going to knock his house down....ANYTHING to get rid of him.

[Gambi80]

By far the WORST neighbor I've ever had.

Worst part is, he JUST moved in 15 minutes ago and he's already getting on my nerves.

Not sure how much more of his crap I'll be able to deal with.

I think I'm going to knock his house down....ANYTHING to get rid of him.

Wassamatta..?? Just talk to Rob, from the sounds of it he knows how to deal with an unruley neighbor.

[RowdyRebel]

Wassamatta..?? Just talk to Rob, from the sounds of it he knows how to deal with an unruley neighbor.

My boss bought the house next door to me. He's a real a$$ to work for, too.

[Double L]

I thought you lived in a field?

[RowdyRebel]

I thought you lived in a field?

The field is the neighbor to the north. My boss just bought the house to the east.

[Gambi80]

My boss bought the house next door to me. He's a real a$$ to work for, too.

Wait...I thought you were your own boss...?? lol

[RowdyRebel]

Wait...I thought you were your own boss...?? lol

yup...

[Double L]

From the sounds of it, it sounds like Rebel bought a man cave for when he gets in trouble with the ole lady.

[RowdyRebel]

From the sounds of it, it sounds like Rebel bought a man cave for when he gets in trouble with the ole lady.

Nah....doubled the size of my property, though. My house sits on "Lots 3 & 4, except the southern 32 feet". I just bought lot 2, plus the southern 32 feet of lots 3 & 4. The house that currently sits on lot 2 will be torn down (making my house the ONLY residence on this corner of town) to make room for a shop so I can work on my truck in a warm, dry environment with plenty of light no matter what time of day or what the weather OUTSIDE is doing.

[Double L]

Nah....doubled the size of my property, though. My house sits on "Lots 3 & 4, except the southern 32 feet". I just bought lot 2, plus the southern 32 feet of lots 3 & 4. The house that currently sits on lot 2 will be torn down (making my house the ONLY residence on this corner of town) to make room for a shop so I can work on my truck in a warm, dry environment with plenty of light no matter what time of day or what the weather OUTSIDE is doing.

There ya go!

[Gambi80]

Ahh...how I wish I had the funds and space to build a shop. Heated floor would be a must so I can crawl underneath my truck in my skivvies if I wanted to on a cold winter's night.

[RowdyRebel]

Ahh...how I wish I had the funds and space to build a shop. Heated floor would be a must so I can crawl underneath my truck in my skivvies if I wanted to on a cold winter's night.

I'm thinking 100' long by around 30 or 40' wide...maybe a 10-15' x 10-15' area in one corner for a washroom (wash tub, crapper, shower, water heater, etc...) and an "upstairs" room the same size where I can put my "office"...file cabinets, desk, computer, etc. to keep my business stuff from cluttering up the house. As soon as grandma is done needing her house, I'm snagging the in-wall 'lectric heaters...those are going in those two rooms to maintain comfortable temps. I've already got a pretty good size wood stove to go in the main shop to heat it if I'm going to be working in there. I'm thinking I'll put a 20' wide x 15' tall door on the north end of the building to pull the truck in and out...and on the west side at the south end, I'll have a second door 20' or so wide and maybe 11' high for my pickups and personal vehicles to go in and out. In the summer, with the two doors open, I ought to have a decent enough breeze blowing through.

I've got the general idea for what I want in my head...just got to tear the house down and stake it out so I can see how the lay-out looks in full scale...then put my thoughts on paper and get some bids on the project. The truck will probably be paid off before shop construction begins, though...only 2 1/2 years left to pay on it.

[Gambi80]

My brother and I park our trucks in an old Kwanzut (not sure on spelling, they're the half round kind) shed...mainly because it's too old/small/outdated to park any of our farm machinery in. It works fairly well though, 12x12 door and 60ft long I can get my truck w/long dump hooked to it in all the way. I re-wired it last spring and quadrupled the lighting and outlets. When my wildest dreams come true, the shed will be torn down for my 100x80 shed with everything for everything complete with a hot floor.

We burnt down the house that was out at that farm this past august. Someday I'd like to build out there, but that's a whole 'nother story...the local and surrounding fire depts did a practice burn and I had the chief talked into letting me suit up and go into the fire but the head training guy nixed the idea...some pix of the fire...

[other dog]

My brother and I park our trucks in an old Kwanzut (not sure on spelling, they're the half round kind) shed...mainly because it's too old/small/outdated to park any of our farm machinery in. It works fairly well though, 12x12 door and 60ft long I can get my truck w/long dump hooked to it in all the way. I re-wired it last spring and quadrupled the lighting and outlets. When my wildest dreams come true, the shed will be torn down for my 100x80 shed with everything for everything complete with a hot floor.

We burnt down the house that was out at that farm this past august. Someday I'd like to build out there, but that's a whole 'nother story...the local and surrounding fire depts did a practice burn and I had the chief talked into letting me suit up and go into the fire but the head training guy nixed the idea...some pix of the fire...

[Rob]

Wassamatta..?? Just talk to Rob, from the sounds of it he knows how to deal with an unruley neighbor.

You know what they say; "Practice Makes Perfect".

I don't have any problems with my neighbors, I have in the past, just once, but not any more.

Rob

[vanscottbuilders]

If I were going to build a new shop for my big toys -

I would probably use a 44' or 48' width by the 100' you are thinking of. The overhead doors should be a minimum of 14' high and 10' wide, and should go on the gable ends of the building. Doors on each end are preferable to allow drive-thru access.

The 44' width lets you get two full size tractors and trailers in the building with generous work room around the trucks, and a third full length work bay for projects, shop equipment, benches and the pre-requisite bathroom. (The 40' width will work, but it gets tight quickly if you are parking more than one truck inside)

I would use "attic" type roof trusses, which will give you space upstairs for an office and storage including under-eave storage if you want, without significantly raising the cost of the building. (You might also consider putting the bathroom on the 2nd floor) The attic trusses are also easy to insulate and finish with drywall. The stairs will take up more room than most people realize - just be sure to account for that space in your plan. (With attic trusses, using a 20' eave height puts the 2nd floor at around 19'6" over the concrete floor - so it's a big set of stairs)

One serious consideration has to be the eave height. Here I wouldn't skimp at all - 16' would be a minimum, with 20' a better choice if you will have any overhead lifting equipment. (The bridge crane in our shop is the best investment we have made for doing lifting, moving and assembling of big parts inside) Another advantage to the 20' eave height is that it allows for "shed" type roofs along each eave side of the building. These areas can be great for covered outdoor storage of vehicles, equipment, firewood, boats etc., with no loss of shop floor space. (Using the 20' eave height might require "killing" the high look of the building. These shed areas can be brought down in height to give the building a more proportioned look, and still provide a 10 or 12' ceiling height for drive in storage.) Another thought, to potentially save some money, might be to put the office space in one of these "shed" areas, and put the workshop area in the other, thereby substantially reducing the total size of the 20' high truck shop area.

As for in-floor radiant heat - it's really nice, and it's really expensive. It would be my first choice, if money wasn't a consideration. But, I think the money may be better spent insulating the walls and roof really well, and using a pair of seperately controlled ceiling hung gas fired heaters. You probably will use a creeper when you are under the trucks anyway. Heating a 4,000 sf concrete slab takes a substantial boiler system, and a pretty extensive network of tubing laid out in a knowledgeable pattern for the heat distribution to be effective. If you were working in the shop full-time, it might be worth it; but for a hobby shop, it's a big nut to crack. Upstairs you might consider a furnace and duct system that allows for central air conditioning. That attic office space is going to get hot!

Windows are also nice. The natural light does make a shop feel a lot better, although there may be security issues to consider. Windows do not insulate - not even on their best day. Keep that in mind.

Lighting is huge - and needs to be considered carefully. Personally, I am at an age where I can't have too much light. Consider wall mounted continuous perimeter lighting at at least one constant height about nine feet from the floor, with two continuous rows of lighting being better. Supplement this with perhaps ten ceiling mounted high intensity shop lights. We have tried lights mounted in the floors under the center of the truck bays. They are not really all that great. Don't bother.

Last, but not least, seriously consider hiring a design professional to help you lay out the interior spaces. You might be surprised at how an outside professional organizes the workspace. And they are normally not very expensive. We build a lot of buildings for many different purposes, and I wouldn't consider doing a shop for myself or anyone else without bouncing the concept off of an architect or a space planner of some sort.

Just as a reality check - the average cost of a bare-bones pole barn with a 6" reinforced concrete floor in our area is around $25.00/sf for the first floor, the second floor area can add around $15.00 or $20.00/sf of finished area for basic finished space. Insulation, electric, gas, heat, venting and plumbing all add to the cost. A final cost for a really nice, well finished shop and office is probably $50.00/sf with the sky as the limit.

One of the nice things about a shop building is that it normally can be finished in stages, as long as you have a good plan to start with. That can take the sting out of the finished cost, and get you in your new shop much quicker.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Paul Van Scott

[RowdyRebel]

If I were going to build a new shop for my big toys -

I would probably use a 44' or 48' width by the 100' you are thinking of. The overhead doors should be a minimum of 14' high and 10' wide, and should go on the gable ends of the building. Doors on each end are preferable to allow drive-thru access.

The 44' width lets you get two full size tractors and trailers in the building with generous work room around the trucks, and a third full length work bay for projects, shop equipment, benches and the pre-requisite bathroom. (The 40' width will work, but it gets tight quickly if you are parking more than one truck inside)

I would use "attic" type roof trusses, which will give you space upstairs for an office and storage including under-eave storage if you want, without significantly raising the cost of the building. (You might also consider putting the bathroom on the 2nd floor) The attic trusses are also easy to insulate and finish with drywall. The stairs will take up more room than most people realize - just be sure to account for that space in your plan. (With attic trusses, using a 20' eave height puts the 2nd floor at around 19'6" over the concrete floor - so it's a big set of stairs)

One serious consideration has to be the eave height. Here I wouldn't skimp at all - 16' would be a minimum, with 20' a better choice if you will have any overhead lifting equipment. (The bridge crane in our shop is the best investment we have made for doing lifting, moving and assembling of big parts inside) Another advantage to the 20' eave height is that it allows for "shed" type roofs along each eave side of the building. These areas can be great for covered outdoor storage of vehicles, equipment, firewood, boats etc., with no loss of shop floor space. (Using the 20' eave height might require "killing" the high look of the building. These shed areas can be brought down in height to give the building a more proportioned look, and still provide a 10 or 12' ceiling height for drive in storage.) Another thought, to potentially save some money, might be to put the office space in one of these "shed" areas, and put the workshop area in the other, thereby substantially reducing the total size of the 20' high truck shop area.

As for in-floor radiant heat - it's really nice, and it's really expensive. It would be my first choice, if money wasn't a consideration. But, I think the money may be better spent insulating the walls and roof really well, and using a pair of seperately controlled ceiling hung gas fired heaters. You probably will use a creeper when you are under the trucks anyway. Heating a 4,000 sf concrete slab takes a substantial boiler system, and a pretty extensive network of tubing laid out in a knowledgeable pattern for the heat distribution to be effective. If you were working in the shop full-time, it might be worth it; but for a hobby shop, it's a big nut to crack. Upstairs you might consider a furnace and duct system that allows for central air conditioning. That attic office space is going to get hot!

Windows are also nice. The natural light does make a shop feel a lot better, although there may be security issues to consider. Windows do not insulate - not even on their best day. Keep that in mind.

Lighting is huge - and needs to be considered carefully. Personally, I am at an age where I can't have too much light. Consider wall mounted continuous perimeter lighting at at least one constant height about nine feet from the floor, with two continuous rows of lighting being better. Supplement this with perhaps ten ceiling mounted high intensity shop lights. We have tried lights mounted in the floors under the center of the truck bays. They are not really all that great. Don't bother.

Last, but not least, seriously consider hiring a design professional to help you lay out the interior spaces. You might be surprised at how an outside professional organizes the workspace. And they are normally not very expensive. We build a lot of buildings for many different purposes, and I wouldn't consider doing a shop for myself or anyone else without bouncing the concept off of an architect or a space planner of some sort.

Just as a reality check - the average cost of a bare-bones pole barn with a 6" reinforced concrete floor in our area is around $25.00/sf for the first floor, the second floor area can add around $15.00 or $20.00/sf of finished area for basic finished space. Insulation, electric, gas, heat, venting and plumbing all add to the cost. A final cost for a really nice, well finished shop and office is probably $50.00/sf with the sky as the limit.

One of the nice things about a shop building is that it normally can be finished in stages, as long as you have a good plan to start with. That can take the sting out of the finished cost, and get you in your new shop much quicker.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Paul Van Scott

Drive-through is a no-go. The lot is 140' (N/S) x 50' (E/W), with a boat shop on the lot to the East, and a church on the lots to the South...and so unless I'm going to drive through the church building, a door on the south end of the building would be useless for anything more than ventilation. I've been thinking and will probably go with 35' or 40' wide and 100' long. I don't want the shop right up against my house, and have to look into how close to the property line I can build. I know the boat shop to the East is nearly on the property line, and it'd be nice to be able to at least walk between the buildings. I was thinking 14' to 16' high x 20' wide door on the north end of the building to pull the truck in and back out through...and probably keep it to the West side of the North wall of the building. On the West wall on the South end, I'll have another 20' wide door, but likely only will be 11' tall. That's the door that the pick-ups & such will use, and 11' will give me 1' more than I'd need if I drop the trailer in the shop and want to bobtail out the other door. In the Southeast corner, I was going to have somewhere between a 10' x 10' and 15' x 15' room...insulated & heated. In it would be a wash tub, toilet, shower, water heater, etc. so that I can clean up BEFORE heading to the house. Above that, a 2nd story room of the same dimensions would house my "office"...computer, desk file cabinets, etc...so that I could keep my "business" stuff out there instead of having it cluttering up the house. The other benefit to having the office on the second floor is the likelihood of floods around here. I'm also planning to lay down at least 1' of rock and then 8" or so of reinforced concrete to greatly reduce the chances of the shop flooding...I'd like it to be a good 1-1/2' to 2' higher than it is now....we DO get rain from time to time...this pic was the second time (in the 5 years I've been here) that I've had water ALMOST reach my garage....

My front yard:

I'll be laying rock along that property line to reach the 20' x 11' door on the west side of the shop.

I'll probably go with a steel building...and I'm hoping I can afford one that ain't butt ugly. I'd like something that looks more like a barn...but I'll take what I can get when the time comes.

[Gambi80]

I'd go with the traditional big red barn with white doors...just to stand out like a sore thumb.

From the looks of it, either you have a big sump pump or no basement.

I don't know if I could handle living that close to train tracks though...looks like they might be the busy kind...I'd prolly have more flatened coins than useable ones. Yes, at 29, I still do that.

[ThaddeusW]

Well you could rent that lake you have there to the boat shop for customer demos

[RowdyRebel]

Well you could rent that lake you have there to the boat shop for customer demos

It's not ALWAYS a lake....sometimes it's a dirt track

[RowdyRebel]

I'd go with the traditional big red barn with white doors...just to stand out like a sore thumb.

From the looks of it, either you have a big sump pump or no basement.

I don't know if I could handle living that close to train tracks though...looks like they might be the busy kind...I'd prolly have more flatened coins than useable ones. Yes, at 29, I still do that.

Floor level of the house is about 4' up off the ground level. No basement...just a crawl space. And ya get used to the trains...I don't even notice 'em anymore unless I'm outside working in the yard. It'll be nice once the shop is built...it'll be a LITTLE farther from the tracks...and inside...so the train horns won't be QUITE as loud.

[Double L]

I'm glad your not of them people who move next to a train track and then complain about the noise from the trains keeping ya up at night.

[other dog]

It's not ALWAYS a lake....sometimes it's a dirt track But when it IS a lake I can fish, and sometimes I pretend i'm a pirate.

I'm glad you got a good sense of humor-or that I live too far away for you to get me!

[Gambi80]

Floor level of the house is about 4' up off the ground level. No basement...just a crawl space. And ya get used to the trains...I don't even notice 'em anymore unless I'm outside working in the yard. It'll be nice once the shop is built...it'll be a LITTLE farther from the tracks...and inside...so the train horns won't be QUITE as loud.

Just put a train horn on your truck and honk back.

[RowdyRebel]

Just put a train horn on your truck and honk back.

LOL...I've got a pretty wicked looking horn that we found in my grandpa's garage...the electrical badge says it's for a 120 volt system. I really need to splice it onto an extension cord so I can plug it in and see if it works and how loud it is. If it DOES work and it IS pretty loud, I'm thinking I'll mount it under the front porch with a relay wired into a door bell switch...