Stealth Gloat -- Progress Pic's

[Tony Falotico]

Well, it's been three weeks and one day (seems like three years) work began on my shop building today. Plans were to complete the base, but a torrential downpour at 4 pm halted work. He will continue tomorrow.

The walls have been prefabbed, the trusses are made, so he plans on being complete by the end of the week. Will post more pic's as work progresses.

[Bart Leetch]

So what are the dementions. It looks like about 20' x 24'.

[Tony Falotico]

You got a sharp eye Bart, it's 20' x 28'.

[Tony Falotico]

Well after a week of bad weather and other misc delays, work progressed again today. The wall panels were prefabbed, the trusses were built, so it went pretty fast. Hopefully complete by end of week.

[Ted Shrader]

Tony -

Congratulations on getting started. I hope you will continue to show us pictures of the progress.

The house wrap looks like a giant ad for Lowe's. :D

Ted

[Doug Jones]

Tony, I'm envious. I would really like to have a shop that big. Keep the progress coming in.

[Don Farr]

Looking great Tony, keep us updated with Pics.

The fun will really begin when you start stocking it up with tools. :D

[Tony Falotico]

Had to go to Pensacola today (drive there + conduct business + drive back = 11 hrs.). This is what I found when I got in this evening.....

Any ideas / suggestions on how to finish the ceiling? My first thoughts were conventional insulation & sheetrock, but now that I'm looking at it I want to keep it open so I have the height between the trusses. Any Ideas on how to insulate & finish it? I want it to look good, but then again, it's not my living room ceiling.

Thanks for any suggestions, and thanks for looking and sharing my excitement.

[Jason Roehl]

Any ideas / suggestions on how to finish the ceiling? My first thoughts were conventional insulation & sheetrock, but now that I'm looking at it I want to keep it open so I have the height between the trusses. Any Ideas on how to insulate & finish it? I want it to look good, but then again, it's not my living room ceiling.

Thanks for any suggestions, and thanks for looking and sharing my excitement.

Let me just toss out an option (granted, it's a bit salty, and not the best looking, but may serve your purposes). For somewhere around $1-$2/sqft., you should be able to get a specialty insulator to come it and spray foam on the underside of your roof. The cost is usually per inch per square foot, or R-value per square foot or something like that. After that has sufficiently cured, you could then spray it with a flat white latex paint for good light diffusion in your shop.

[Jim Becker]

Let me just toss out an option (granted, it's a bit salty, and not the best looking, but may serve your purposes). For somewhere around $1-$2/sqft., you should be able to get a specialty insulator to come it and spray foam on the underside of your roof. The cost is usually per inch per square foot, or R-value per square foot or something like that. After that has sufficiently cured, you could then spray it with a flat white latex paint for good light diffusion in your shop.

The spray-on foam insulation still needs to be covered with 'rock for fire reasons--it is very, very flamable stuff when exposed to the best of my knowledge!--but it's really nice for this kind of application as it doesn't require you to leave an air space. It may be possible to use the spray on fiberglass stuff typically used in industrial buildings (it is usually fire rated), but it may be hard to get it done for a small job. But it can be left exposed.

Tony, that's going to be a great shop! Congratulations. 'Can't wait to see the end results...

[Jason Roehl]

The spray-on foam insulation still needs to be covered with 'rock for fire reasons--it is very, very flamable stuff when exposed to the best of my knowledge!--but it's really nice for this kind of application as it doesn't require you to leave an air space. It may be possible to use the spray on fiberglass stuff typically used in industrial buildings (it is usually fire rated), but it may be hard to get it done for a small job. But it can be left exposed.



Hmmm...I'm thinking that about half the new commercial buildings going up are extreme fire hazards, then....

I don't know what you're thinking about, but the stuff I've seen comes in 2 parts (in 55-gal drums), uses an expensive spray rig which mixes it at the tip, and it only flammable BEFORE it is cured, not after. It is used alot of times to seal crawlspaces and basements on older homes, too. I guess that's the benefit of being "in the trades"--I get to see alot of this stuff first hand.

[Jim Becker]

Hmmm...

You're undoubtedly correct, Jason. My information may be dated given my years in the insulation contracting business were quite awhile ago. I, of all people, should realize that technology marches on!

[Lee Schierer]

You're undoubtedly correct, Jason. My information may be dated given my years in the insulation contracting business were quite awhile ago. I, of all people, should realize that technology marches on!

When I purchased my house 26 years ago I noted that the basement was foamed and not covered. I removed a piece of the insulation and took it home. I used a propane torch on it and it would disintegrate when the heat was on it but would would not support combustion once the flame was removed. I painted the foam and it looks like a nicely textured surface.

[Carl Eyman]

Let me add some out-dated information, too. While out dated this may be food for questions you can ask the supplier. I managed a candy factory with spray-on insulation. I believe the insulating medium was cellulose (probably old newspapers). We did have a fire. The insulation survived fine, but the sugar dust that had adhered to the rough surface burned like crazy allowing the fire to spread. Would sawdust do the same? Secondly, the life span was about 20 years and it began to drop off.

How would it be if you got some foil backed foam board similar to what is used to insulate air ducts and fastened that to the 2x4s?

Keep us posted. Carl

[Brad Schafer]

carl - the newer spray-on stuff doesn't have a "20-yr breakdown" problem like older stuff did. friend's dad did his body shop in the old stuff when i was in high school (25+ yrs ago), and it has started to deteriorate a little.

the newer stuff (another friend did his house with it) looks today (attic only) just like it did 5+ years ago. the house is almost TOO tight.

i'd guess that dust would not be an issue if the place was properly ventilated (read: dust collector and blown out via airhose or shop vac a couple times a year).

my limited experience,


b

[Steve Clardy]

Lots of good advice here, but let me throw you another one. Now if you are set on leaving your trusses exposed, instead of foam insulating, its great stuff, seals well, etc.
Now, if you had not already had the tin on, you could have gotten the 1/2" foil backed insutation board, which is around a r-13, and applied it to the top of your rafters, then applied the tin. Putting this on with the tin from the underneath side on would be a pita, and would not seal all the cracks, etc.
Now just a thought for you here, price the spray foam, then price the ridgid foil backed sheeting. Now this would involve removing your tin to do this. Now, is your tin roof nailed on or screwed on? If its screwed on, then you would have no loss of the tin removing it and tearing it up.
You would have to add in the labor to remove and re install the tin also . Steve

[Tony Falotico]

Steve, you and I are thinking somewhat alike. What if I just cut the 1/2 foil backed insulation board to fit between the trusses and applied it to the underside of the 1x4 purlins. I could seal the edge of the board to the truss with aluminum AC tape (or duct tape?) / or maybe the can spray stuff / or ????? This would leave the 3/4" air space under the tin, with the crimps in the tin providing airflow between the purlin & tin. Then fill between the trusses with standard pink stuff & apply a ceiling cover (wallboard). The soffits provide ventilation and there is a continuous ridge vent along the peak.

Sound reasonable? I'll try to attach a sketch. I'll follow the upper truss rafter to the peak, leaving the cross-brace exposed.

[Steve Clardy]

Sounds like a plan Tony. Will be lots of ladder time, but sounds good. Anything to keep the heat in and cold out.