Chris Padilla approved? "MAJOR RE-GLOAT"

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I last posted about my new shop after arriving home from vacation. My contractor finished it while I was away. My wife kept the cameras with her in Illinois and I was informed about the inappropriateness of my gloat...so.....here goes......

The first picture is the outside of my new 30'x24' shop. It's 2x6 construction with hardiboard siding, an 8x10 overhead door, 9'4" ceiling height, a 36" entry door and 3 4'x3' insulated vinyl windows. Most of the building's exterior is primed and waiting for me to caulk the joints and prime a few cut ends. Then paint the exterior. Following that.......on with the electrical service installation.

The 2nd photo show the interior as if it was a raw canvas waiting for me to dab on some paint. The pile in the middle of the floor contains the sandbags from my pickup(it's July and I didn't think I needed them in the truck for a few more months) and the Square D "QO" series 200 amp service panel, the 2/0 and 1/0 copper service entry wire and appropriate hardware for installing the service panel.

The 3rd picture is taken looking east just to show the "plainess" of the building. Kinda like me!

SWMBO arrived home this morning at 0230 and I am still working on the "Honey-do" list. I hope to start the caulking and painting this weekend!

Anyway, Chris I hope this is now appropriate and approved? :eek: :p :rolleyes: :D

[Tyler Howell]

Congrats Ken, looks like a lot of good stuff could come out of there!!!! Enjoy the process.;)

[Michael Ballent]

Congrats!!!! Looks like a great setup you have there... I am curious as to why you did not choose to have some more windows??? Thanks for sharing :D

[Jim Ketron]

Looks Great Ken!!
I hope my shop looks as good as yours when it gets finnished!
Are you going to finish the interior of yours?
I think I will hold off on the interior in my shop for a while after its finished, But Im going to put up the insulation.
Jim

[Jack Hogoboom]

Wow,

Ken, I am so jealous. I have a basement shop and sometimes I feel like a cockroach scurrying around in the dark. What I wouldn't give for some sunlight.

Do you mind sharing info on costs?

Enjoy!!

Jack

[Chris Padilla]

Clap, clap, clap, clap.... :D

Fabulous, Ken, just fabulous! :D

[Waymon Campbell]

Sweet :)

Ken - We WILL be expecting full disclosure on further developments. Failure to comply fully with details and pictures will result in immediate disciplinary action (like tell'in your wife about you hiding the honey-do list). :D :D :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks guys!

Michael, windows take up wall space where I plan on putting cabinets. I'll have to heat the shop 5-7 months out of the year, thus windows would just be increased heating costs. My wife who could have retired this year is working an extra 3-4 years to pay for this and thus sticking to a very tight budget was mandatory.

Jack, I got 3 bids from 3 different contractors and the cost to build it ranged from $12,000-24,000. The contractor I chose to go with bid $15,890 and with changes I made during construction it cost me $16,160. The walls are 2x6. The floor is poured footing, wall and floor construction. I didn't want a monolithic slab. I chose a better "disigner" 30 year composition shingle for the roof and elected to have a window in the door. I am going to put some motion detector lights in the shop and the side with the doors is closest to our house. If someone was to break in, the lights would be activated and I would be able to see the lights through the window in the door.

Jim, I have enough money budgeted to finish it this fall as work allows. The one exception might be the gas heat. I might be a few hundred dollars short for that. My employer sold a complete hospital radiology department to nearly constructed new hospital and another MR scanner to a group of doctors locally. These are due to start installation next month. Once these installation start, free time away from work can be missing. While free time may be short, I am on salary plus overtime, therefore the money for the gas heat should be forthcoming. I will be doing the electrical, insulation and finish work on the shop. Yes, I am planning on finishing this fall and possibly winter.


Waymon, what did I do to make you want to threaten me? :confused: :eek: :D You realize that informing my wife about the locaton of the hidden "Honey-do" list would dramatically reduce the amount of time I'd have to finish the shop and broken fingers make it difficult to take and post pictures anyway!

Thanks guys for the interest!

[Tony Falotico]

I am going to put some motion detector lights in the shop and the side with the doors is closest to our house.

Hey Ken, looking real sweet there, you will enjoy it. I put a dusk to dawn / motion sensor on my shop and am VERY happy with. At dusk it comes on at 20% power. If it detects motion, she switches to 100% power for 5 - 10 minutes (time is adjustable) then drops back to 20%. In the morning it turns off and starts all over again at dusk. I really like it because if I want to go get something after dark as I approach the shop it lights up. No need for a flashlight. The difference between 20% and 100% is very noticeable, you will know if someone is out there. I special ordered the unit from the local electrical supply, arrived in about three days and cost about $45. As I said I'm very pleased with it, plan to put a second one on my garage. I have two lights wired to it, I believe you can put more than that.

You may want to check it out at http://www.rabweb.com/catalog/smartbox.pdf

I got the Good NightLight Mini Sensor

No relation, no affiliation, just a happy customer.

[Frank Pellow]

Tony, thanks for this recommendation and for the reference. I think that I will probably purchase it for my new workshop.

[Jerry Olexa]

Great Job! Good Planning. Great Results Now Enjoy it fully. Jerry PS I reco a lot of lighting to brighten up the great projects sure to follow!!

[Keith Starosta]

Ken, I am super-jealous of that beautiful new shop. You should be proud. One unsolicited suggestion...

If it were my shop (which it ain't :( ), I would take the time now, while it is still good and empty, to epoxy that floor. Go grab one of the kits at the Borg, and have at it. I keep meaning to do that in my gara.....errrr......shop, but haven't gotten around to it. Anyway, congrats again!!

Keith