Building a shop

Nwcid · Feb 11, 2014

So we are trying to do some remodeling and running into some snags.

If we try and just remodel my house and add on space gets kinda funny. One of the things we are trying to make space for is all "my stuff" as she puts it. In the long run I want a shop and that is where all "my stuff" will go. So it seems semi silly to try and add space that is really not going to be needed in the long run.

So one option I put forth is to build part of the shop in a way it can be added to later, but would get "my stuff" out of the house now. But my house still needs lots of fixing up, just won't be adding on to it.

So my basic idea for the shop is to have some rooms down the sides with a large open middle. So for now I was thinking about just building one side of the "rooms" so it would basically be storage for now. There will not be any roll up doors, just man doors. It is going to hold all our SCUBA gear, my tools, Fire/EMS equipment and I was considering my guns. The largest thing I own right now is my 30' enclosed trailer so I am planning on a shop that is 40' long. So right now my plan is building a 20' wide by 40' long section to start.

I have a few questions. First what is the most cost effective building? I have looked at steel, traditional and then I did see some pre-formed concrete. I will be doing the majority of the work on my own, with help from friends/family. The second question has to do with the "gun room" part of it. I know a military ammo bunker would be best but I can not afford that. So I was wondering about the difference between pouring concrete walls, doing cinder block walls, or just heavy duty walls (say 5/8" plywood outer, 5/8" plywood inner finished with 5'8" sheetrock). The room will be 20'x20'.

Any thoughts would be great.

deadeye · Feb 11, 2014

Just build a basic pole barn type shop with insulation/vapor barrier on the underside of the roof and same on walls. You can pour the concrete before closing in the front if no roll up doors are being used. Build the rooms with wood but use 2x6 for ceiling with plywood over them for storage space also easier to put doors in vs concrete/cinder blocks. Use insulation on the firearms room and maybe install a small in wall heater. Use plywood inside/outside of rooms so hanging items is easier for organization. A good alarm on the man doors/windows and a well anchored safe would also be beneficial.

SCARed · Feb 11, 2014

My vote for the gun room would be concrete walls with full length rebar INSIDE conduit. Then you could add a vault door, or some type of heavy duty door and your pretty set. If someone tried to cut thru the wall, they'd start to get into the conduit and the rebar would just start to spin inside. Pretty much rendering the saw useless.

Whatever you do make sure someone couldn't just cut into the ceiling and go over the wall and jump down into the room.

jbett98 · Feb 11, 2014

If you build a pole barn type structure, a vapor barrier on the ceiling and walls is a must, otherwise moisture condensation will get everything inside wet.
Another thing to consider is make sure you close off the bottom of the sheet metal walls where they meet the floor, because mice love pole barns

coctailer · Feb 11, 2014

Could you make a sketch of the property, the proposed location on the property,and size, to post up here?
OPSEC kosher of course.
Maybe we could help ya design the man-cave.

CoastRange57 · Feb 11, 2014

I drew plans for a 30 X 40 shop. Clear span. Roll up automatic doors, 3 offices or conference rooms ( bedrooms) along with full bathroom / living quarters on the level above the conference room/offices. Gas heat with wood back up. 220 wired multiple outlets. Probably 25 110v outlets. 15 foot ceilings, full concrete slab. Translucent panels on roof and high up on the walls. Sprayed on foam insulation. Flood lights on all 4 exterior corners.

Large enough to get a good size RV in, store a tractor, car lift, and some pallet racking for storage. Could even get a light aircraft in there. Poured concrete slabs entire front of the building 20 feet out. If I was going to store guns, just going to secure a very heavy duty gun safe to the interior slab. Ham antenna on the roof peak, some reinforced windows surrounds up higher for "observation" purposes. Probably a good floor safe as well, as big as I could afford.

Heavy pole construction, wood trusses. Heavy gauge metal siding and roofing. "Offices and conference" rooms sheet rocked, with wood stove capability. Reinforced people doors on each side. Vinyl windows for light and sight lines

This would easily be a $ 120,000 to $150,000 shop, but why screw around. Never did get to build it thanks to the silly old "recession" we had.

jbett98 · Feb 11, 2014

Talk to your county permit center. You might get by on an agricultural building permit if you aren't within a cities boundaries.

bmgm37 · Feb 11, 2014

I also say go Pole building, goes up fast and cheaper. Just got mine done a while back 40x48x16 with insulated vapor barrier.

Nwcid · Feb 11, 2014

All great ideas guys. If I had an unlimited budget I could go crazy and it would be awesome. Right now I have a budget of $20,000 for the start of the shop. I am doing this without going into debit so keep that in mind.

I have as much room as I need, I am out in the country.

So here is the a couple of similar ideas to what I have, stolen far and square from the internet.

Both of those examples are built with shipping containers but they are not wide enough for what I want. The center would be open, just a place to park the trailer, boat, ext in the winter. Then the other side, when built would be an actual garage with roll up door for working on stuff.

bmgm37 · Feb 11, 2014

FYI, mine cost $40k and I didn't lift a finger. What bumped the cost up was the 16' eaves. My motorhome was 12'-6" so the door had to go to 14' which meant the eaves had to go to 16'. The good thing is I can add a loft that I can stand up in.

Caveman Jim · Feb 11, 2014

I designed and built a 30x48x12 pole building before I hurt my back. I priced everything out & picked all of it up except the trusses. I found 2 10x10 commercial roll up doors for the front gable with a man door on the side. I built a partition wall in the middle with French doors to close off the woodworking operations in the rear.