Changing Cold Storage to Warm Work Area

[Rich Aldrich]

I am in the process of finishing off my cold storage area of my shop. It is an additional 20 ft wide x 24 ft long. This makes the total shop 20 ft x 52 ft.

Picture #1 - Shows the shop from the main door and is looking the length of the shop.
Picture #2 & #3 - Standing where the old end wall was looking into the new portion of the shop.
Picture #4 - Shows the corner where I plan to store 3/4 standing on the 8 ft edge on a shelf with lumber underneath.
Picture #5 - Standing in the corner shown in Picture #4 looking the length of the shop. Notice the vertical sheet storage rack - it will be eliminated.

The most difficult part of this job is working around all the stuff in the room. It seems like it is constantly in the way. I have completed sheeting the walls in the back corner for the sheet and lumber rack, so I am going to build the rack and move stuff. Then I will be able to finish the rest witout having to climb, trip and move all the stuff again.

[David G Baker]

Rich,
suggestion, paint it before filling it. Something I didn't do.

[Rich Aldrich]

Good suggestion. I was thinking about doing a wall and ceiling section at a time. The first area will be where the sheet and lumber storage is going to be. Most of the stuff in this area either lumber, sheet goods or a few items that don't belong in the shop. Then, the remaining walls and ceiling will be clear to paint.

[Michael Heffernan]

Rich,
The shop is looking great. Can't wait to see the finished product.
I retrofitted my garage (20' x 20') this past winter into my workshop. I started by trying to move things around while building the insulated walls and wiring. In the end, I bit the bullet and rented a storage pod, parked it outside my garage door and loaded all non-essential tools and stuff into it. The construction process went so much faster, that I was able to finish it up in a month. It was cold in there until I put in the gravity fed gas furnace.
Are you planning on heating the shop? Makes the world of difference during the cold months.
Here's a couple of shots of my shop:
127801

127802

Good luck with the rest of the project. Looks like you are close to getting back up and running.

[Joe Wiliams]

Michael,
Do you have any more pics of your perimeter storage shelf that you can post? I'm going to do the same thing and looking for different ideas, specifically how they are mounted & supported.

Thanks

[Rich Aldrich]

Michael,

I do heat my shop - I have an outdoor wood boiler that heats my house, hot water, and shop. The existing portion of the shop is 20 x 28, so with the additional space, it will be 20 x 52. I am a little concerned on the extra heat it will take, but it has 6" side walls (R19 insulation) and 13" in the attic (R38).

Last year, we started the boiler on Sept 30 and shut it down around the begining of June. It gets cold here and stays cold for too long.

It will take me a long time to get my shop looking like yours. Your shop is clean and organized.

[Michael Heffernan]

Rich,

Sounds good. Wish I had the space that you have! I have shop envy. Definitely post more pics as the project progresses.

[Michael Heffernan]

Joe,

The perimeter storage loft is relatively simple. It is a 'U' shape, attached to three walls. I constructed it in three sections with 2x4 frames (like building a wall). There is a ledger board on all three walls, screwed into the wall studs (16" O.C.). The three frame sections are placed on the ledger boards, screwed to the wall studs and screwed to eachother where they meet.
The outer edges of the loft are attached to the ceiling joists with 3/8" threaded rod at three points. The rod is bolted through the outer edge 2x4s and attached to the ceiling joists with 3-1/2" Sammy Super Screws. These screws have a lag screw thread on one end (for attaching to the joists) and a 3/8" threaded nut on the other end (to receive the threaded rod). The deck is 1/2" MDF, so that the deck is smooth and easy to slide things in and out on the loft.
Here is a tech drawing of the frame construction. I will take some more detailed photos of the loft, including the anchor connections and post them for you.

127842


Michael,
Do you have any more pics of your perimeter storage shelf that you can post? I'm going to do the same thing and looking for different ideas, specifically how they are mounted & supported.

Thanks

[Joe Wiliams]

Joe,

The perimeter storage loft is relatively simple. It is a 'U' shape, attached to three walls. I constructed it in three sections with 2x4 frames (like building a wall). There is a ledger board on all three walls, screwed into the wall studs (16" O.C.). The three frame sections are placed on the ledger boards, screwed to the wall studs and screwed to eachother where they meet.
The outer edges of the loft are attached to the ceiling joists with 3/8" threaded rod at three points. The rod is bolted through the outer edge 2x4s and attached to the ceiling joists with 3-1/2" Sammy Super Screws. These screws have a lag screw thread on one end (for attaching to the joists) and a 3/8" threaded nut on the other end (to receive the threaded rod). The deck is 1/2" MDF, so that the deck is smooth and easy to slide things in and out on the loft.
Here is a tech drawing of the frame construction. I will take some more detailed photos of the loft, including the anchor connections and post them for you.

127842
Saved and soon to be copied!:D

I was planning on using the threaded rod too but wasn't sure how to hang them. Those Sammy Screws look like the right ticket. I may have one length up to 30' long, was thinking ~10' spacing for the rods. Not expecting anything too heavy. Good idea using the MDF for smoothness.

Sorry for hijacking your thread Rich:o

[Rich Aldrich]

Here are updated pictures of the shop addition.

Pictures #1 and #2 show my Clearvue Cylcone. I relocated it and mounted it to this interior wall that I saved which was part of a partition wall between the warm area and the cold storage area. My ceiling was 94.5" high, so I had to make a cut out for the motor to go into so I had enough height. The cyclone was mounted on the outer wall, but that is the eve side, and it was too high to allow proper ventilation with the insulation in the attic.

Pictures #3 and #4 show my sheet goods storage with lumber storage underneath. #3 also shows some extra shelving for other storage like extra plumbing stuff and electrical stuff in the copier paper boxes and storage for plastic tool storage boxes.

Picture 5 shows the length of shop standing in front of the double personnel door.

I am in the process of rewiring and connecting the dust collector. Then the table saw is going to be moved back toward the double personnel door. I also have to finish the ceiling where the cyclone used to be mouted.