I want the Forum's input on what you'd do or do different when building a workshop.

Steel is cheap, labor is available and I'm going to build a shop out here at the farm. All new construction, insulated, climate controlled...

May install a lift at some point but in the near-term, I just need to get my creaky bod in out of the weather and onto a smooth floor to perform the routine maintenance things that always need to be done out here...like oil changes on the tractors, working on an always-broken something-or-other and routine maintenance on the MB fleet.

Post your ideas and suggestions. Dankeschoen!

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Put in tubing for hydronic heat. This isn't something you can go back and do later, and is only a few hundred dollars. It's much more fun to lay on warm concrete.
Make the floors level, and when needed use a squeegee to remove water. A floor drain is outdated with modern EPA regs, since you'll need to have an oil separator and monitor the runoff.
Do a large apron outside the doors, and a covered wash bay is a very nice thing to have.

If you're contemplating a future lift, make sure you design the floor slab for the additional load where the lift posts will be placed. You don't have to make your whole floor that thick, however, just the area where the posts will be.

And if you don't know precisely where they will go yet (who does?) just design in a 3' x 3' section around where they _might_ be placed for the heavy duty slab part. Chances are the posts will go somewhere in that area.

But you probably knew this already!

Rgds,
Chris W.
Would love to have a detached garage / shop.

Strongly agree with putting in the tubing. Even if you don't use it initially.
They take longer to heat up a room, but you'll appreciate it.

I wish I had when we added the garage, but it was expensive 15 years ago.

You'll have to plan a bit, where are the lift posts going to go ??
Consider extra think pads or ?? at those locations.

Lots and lots of Light and Outlets.

Can you put a small shed or an enclosed area inside to put a compressor.
Then plumb the room with copper(my preference), steel or plastic for ports around.

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

all of these cost more money but are nice to have.

make your door/doors as wide and tall as you can afford, never fails something is 1" too tall to fit in the door. and manuvering out an 8 wide is a PIA whan you have a large building.

Make your door an inch or two higher than the slab in front with a long smooth transition, then water goes out but not back in no matter how hard it rains.

plan to seperate work and storage areas, nothing like having dirt from the shop accumulate on parts

plan for high storage later, you can build elevated rooms in steel building and double your floor space, nows the time to get the extra pads and anchors in the floor if you need them.

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1982 300CD Turbo (Otis, "ups & downs") parts for sale
2003 TJ with Hemi (to go anywhere, quickly) sold
2001 Excursion Powerstroke (to go dependably)
1970 Mustang 428SCJ (to go fast)
1962 Corvette LS1 (to go in style)
2001 Schwinn Grape Krate 10spd (if all else fails)

Do not plumb air with PVC, it's actually illegal by OSHA standards and is dangerous- Think plastic shrapnel. Galvanized or black iron is the way to go, constantly sloping away from the compressor after your initial rise, and the quick connects should be off a tee about 12-18" above the bottom of the drop with a drain at the bottom of the drop. That way you don't have to worry about moisture getting into your air tools and also don't need to put high maintenance dryers at every drop.

Install a good cast iron mop sink with large drain boards on each side. Make the faucet like those found in laboratories that allow enough room under it for big objects.

Install a toilet so if needed you could convert the place to a 'granny flat'.

Install lots of electrical plugs. Don't forget a couple 240 volt for welder, etc. Instead of buying a lot of expensive welding cable so that you can weld outside, but a 50' piece of 3 core 6 or 8 gauge so that you can roll your machine to the job. Much cheaper.

Make a heavy duty steel welding table where you can mount a 6" vice. I made one out of 2 pieces of 2'x3'x1" plate welded together and 4" dia. sch. 80 legs. Nothings moves it.

While you are pouring cement make a 20'x30' slab attached to the shop for a pole barn. Connect it with an 8' wide roll up door.

Install lots, like 8 fixtures, of lights.

i'm actually in the planning stage for a 40x60 pole building with at least one 14 ft high door.i need it for my 5th wheel camper and truck.i talked to a hoist rep and for the 2 post i want to use they recommend 4 inchs of #4000 concrete.i will be pouring 6 inchs.the hoist rep noted that at that thickness i could run my waterlines under the entire floor as the lines will be below the 4 inchs needed. i'm setting the building up for future use to store semi tractors,or payloader.at $100 bucks a yard i'll have about 1200 more for the concrete but you just don't skimp on the man cave.i'm also burying the power supply to the building to eliminate overhead power lines.and i have a guy lined up to spray insulation on the walls and in the ceiling.one other suggestion from a buddy of mine.he thought his 35x50 was huge when he built it,but now wishes he went 40x60

I think some windows on the southern exposure. I have windows on the north and west side. The light in the winter months comes from the south. I think that windows on the south side would help heat up the building.
I do like my epoxy coated floors. I wish my place was bigger. Who doesn't. I built 10 ft walls on the first level, with a 8 or 9 ft garage door. That is fine for my needs. Since you are planning for a lift, I'd say 12 ft min and 14 ft better.
I went with florestent lights. I think they do OK for general lighting. Then I want incadesent lighting at the work area.
Tom

I'd say this makes a pretty complete list. I have built my dream garage at least a dozen times over the past 10 years ( on paper), and what has been posted pretty much agrees with what I have come up with.
Windows are an item that you need to evaluate in light of your local security situation.

How about a working couplula that serves as a forced air vent? You'd have to rig up a fire system to shut it in case of fire, but it would help with ventilation until you need to run the heat or A/C.

I'd make it deep enough for a bench and work area at the end, and still have enough space to walk around whatever car I put inside. I'd also have a separate shop area off to one side of the bays. Allow plenty of room to walk around all vehicles with all the car doors wide open. In this case size does matter, and bigger is better.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags