Starting a new woodshop.

[Richard Wolf]

So we moved again to a newer house with less property and no workshop. So now I must start over again with a new shop. No HOA but some covenants, mostly a brick front. At 71 years old I decided I would have contractors build the building instead of doing all the labor myself. I still do some stair and railing work and this is one of the builders that I work for and they gave me a reasonable price. Unfortunitly they are very busy and the weather in NC has been extremely wet the last few months. But today was the day, finally got the excavation and form work in and tomorrow the concrete gets poured. I also need the driveway extended and some walk ways around the back of the house, so the numbers keep going up. I really hope this is the last one and while I'm looking forward to having a shop, the work ahead of me is daunting.

The shop will measure 20' x 36', 15' feet to the peak with vaulted ceiling. Insulated, rocked and spackled, 100 amp service, one overhead door (16' x 7') one man door and 4 oversize windows. I'll try and keep you updated.

[michael dilday]

20x36 WOW that sounds like it will be a great size shop. Hope it all goes well.

[Jim Becker]

Congratulations, Richard! That's going to be a very nice shop to enjoy at your new property when it's finished!

I'm starting to think about this kind of thing as part of what's becoming our "five year plan". We'll likely downsize our property because the younger daughter will have completed college and be off on her own and (hopefully) our older daughter will be able to live independently by then, too. (Special needs adult) Professor Dr. SWMBO is thinking about the "when" for retirement or semi-retirement, depending on how health insurance works out. (Sadly, we have to consider that as part of the plan) I'm looking forward to see your build of this great shop so I can dream a little!

[Mike Wilkins]

Congrats on the new playhouse. I'm in eastern NC and the weather has been mushy this winter. Better than snow. Glad you got a break in the weather to start the foundation. Things will start to look up when you get a a firm footing in place to begin framing.
Jim. I just went through the insurance dance since I'm hitting the big 65 this month. Enough info to make your head explode considering plans/deductibles/etc.

[Jim Becker]

Jim. I just went through the insurance dance since I'm hitting the big 65 this month. Enough info to make your head explode considering plans/deductibles/etc.
It's even more of a dance when you have young adults still on the plan...but I have just over two more years for the Medicare thing to hit me and Professor Dr. SWMBO is only turning 61 this year. So the matter is really more about keeping what we have (at least) if she decides to retire early. She hasn't checked out the packages yet. She also earns very good money along with the great benefits and has tenure, so she doesn't "have" to retire anytime soon. It would be elective. That said and in keeping with Richard's thread topic. I am starting the planning for what comes next and it may very well require the same kind of thing that Richard is working on as there is a chance that the "right home for us" may not have the "right accommodations for my woodworking", based on my scanning of various real estate resources. What a horrible thing to have to build a new shop... :D :D :D

[Richard Wolf]

The difficult thing about relocating, particularly in NC, is that almost all new homes in subdivisions have HOA's. Not to start a battle of the good vs. bad of HOA living, but if you don't fit into that cookie cutter, it's difficult to survive. I'm not the kind of person that lets other people tell me what I can do, so they are not for me, but that really limits your choices. People can be real jerks, I moved into this house in August. I dropped some trees that were questionable health wise and one fell in the wood line behind the houses which is common area, but behind my neighbors house. Now I have been living there for 3 months and I have never meet him. So while I'm out there cutting thing up he comes out. He's 20 feet away from me and never says a thing. So I go over and introduce myself and assure him that I was planning on cleaning up the parts that fell behind his house. Now that the work has started on the shop he is harassing the workers for parking on the street in front of his house and for stepping on his property. Some people just can't function in society. Oh well, one less person that I have to talk to.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, that's a good point, Richard. On the "really broad short list" I started for my planning, "no HOA" is in the "must have" column. :) I'm not fond of them in any way, shape or form. Fortunately, they are less ubiquitous here.

Your neighbor sounds like a...well...wonderful guy. :) :D Sheesh...

[Curt Harms]

In addition to the HOA situation, check on local zoning as well. Richard's neighbor sounds like someone who fits right in to a restrictive HOA neighborhood.

[Jim Becker]

In addition to the HOA situation, check on local zoning as well. Richard's neighbor sounds like someone who fits right in to a restrictive HOA neighborhood.
Oh, yea...we had much fun with Buckingham Twp when we put on our addition in 2008. That was in the days when they still had their inspectors as employees, unlike now where like most townships, they use a third party inspection service. (Outsource) Our first experience meeting him was with the dude driving up and yelling about something before he's even seen any of the work he was there to check off on. That man cost us a lot of extra money with demands that went beyond code...and caused a very really religious subcontractors to actually say four letter words associated with various orifices. :D

[Jack Frederick]

Don't worry about that neighbor Richard. He will likely be over to borrow tools soon enough. Congrats on the new shop.

[Thomas Wilson]

Lovely surroundings. Looks pretty flat. Are you building on slab?

TW

[Von Bickley]

Congratulations on your new build. Keep us posted with lots of pictures.

[Charlie Velasquez]

Lovely surroundings. Looks pretty flat. Are you building on slab?

TW
If so...
you mentioned insulating, are you considering putting Foamular down before pouring?

[Brian Tymchak]

Congratulations Richard! ... I'm so green with envy...:)

[Richard Wolf]

Updated pics. I've been trying to upload some pics, find it challenging sometimes. Progress has been slow, the weather is still not cooperating. I am pushing the contractor to get moving.

[Jim Becker]

Nice progress, Richard!!

[Richard Wolf]

More pics.

[Mike Wilkins]

That concrete buggy is the bees knees. My contractor used one when I had a new driveway poured last year. He didn't want the concrete truck driving over the compacted ground so this buggy transported the mud over several trips. That space looks promising.