Ceiling Height

[Tom Dixon]

Just a thought, I don't know how practical it would be, but if new construction, you could have a 10 foot ceiling in a corner of the building, or even higher if the ceiling was unfinished, for storing lumber vertically, and then 8 foot the rest of the building.

Truly the cost difference in cost between an 8' and 10' ceiling is negligible in the grand scheme of total building cost. Not finishing one corner would allow your heat to escape through that uninsulated area. I wouldn't do this.

[Andrew Seemann]

In construction the lumber comes in 2 foot increments. Meaning 8 feet is not enough with the ducting so next step up is 10 foot. Where will you buy 9 foot studs and dry wall? You won't so you cut off one foot from each piece and throw it away. Too short for blocking or anything but firewood.
Bill D

Precut studs are available for 8 foot, 9 foot, and 10 foot wall systems. OSB is also available in 4 x 8, 4 x 9, and 4 x 10 sizes, drywall also. I used a 9 foot wall, as the cost wasn't much higher than 8 foot. It might be special order some places, fortunately here it was off the shelf at Menards. 10 foot was a bit of a premium over 9 foot though.

[Mike Kees]

There is also 54'' wide drywall available for 9' walls. My vote would be 10' or even 12' high walls. the extra headroom is useful for everything.

[Steve Fish]

I agree with Tom. The difference in framing costs from 8’ to 9’ ceilings are negligible. If I were building all wood, I’d go for the 9’ pre-cut studs (readily available) and follow the rafter bottoms like a vaulted ceiling to get me up to the 10’+/- ceiling height. If you are using a steep pitch roof you might get away with 8’ studs.
If you have a dedicated layout of your new shop , a dormer could be framed over the lumber storage area to bring the upper ceiling height to an outside wall.
I will be using this construction hopefully in the next year to build my new space. Only difference being, my walls are concrete and block. I hope you get the shop you want when all is said and done. Hopefully we’ll get to see some of the construction. Happy New Years

[Tom Dixon]

FWIW, when I built my shop a couple years ago, I designed it so that the bottom section was brick and block and a concrete floor inside the block on a deep compacted bed of gravel. This gave me a little over 2' inside the shop to the block/brick edge. A 12 inch sill plate was bolted on and the walls above it were 8' 2x6s for the extra insulation and support for a 10-12 pitch roof with a full attic. this gave me a bit over 10' high ceiling. there is also a nice little handy 6" ledge all the way around the shop which is sort of a catch all shelf for stuff I don't know where to put yet but want to keep off the floor. (See the photo below).

DSC03185.jpg

[Jim Becker]

Tom, I've seen quite a few utility/shop/garage buildings built that way with the block apron and an 8' framed wall above.

[Jerome Stanek]

In construction the lumber comes in 2 foot increments. Meaning 8 feet is not enough with the ducting so next step up is 10 foot. Where will you buy 9 foot studs and dry wall? You won't so you cut off one foot from each piece and throw it away. Too short for blocking or anything but firewood.
Bill D

I used metal studs for my cnc room they come in 8 9 10 and 12 feet

[Jeff Bartley]

If you insulate well the higher ceiling won't cost much more to heat. And if you put in a hydronically heated floor it'll be warm at the floor. I've worked in a bunch of spaces and having 10-12' ceilings is really nice!

[mike stenson]

My last shop had an 8' ceiling. I hated it. The shop that is in process is between 12' and 9'. I'd not go shorter than 10' over-all personally.

[Philip Glover]

The higher the better when it comes to ceilings.
I built a new shop (36' x 36') four years ago here in New Hampshire.
I went with radiant heat in a 6" thick concrete floor, 2x8 engineered studs, fully insulated walls, plywood for wall and ceiling covering, 24" of insulation in the ceiling, and a 14 foot high ceiling.
I set the heat at 64 degrees and it is always warm in the the shop; even when it is below zero outside.
So, the up-shot is use radiant heat in the floor and go for a high (12'+) ceiling. You will not regret it.

Best regards,
Phil

[John Lifer]

I had a metal building in MS with 10 ft wall height. Lights just at that height. I could swing a 2x4 8' around and not worry about hitting anything.
My current shop is a stick built. 8 ft walls and sheetrocked and stippled ceiling. Panel wals. I hate BOTH. Lights are below the ceiling. So I have to watch everything I move that has a height to it. Gets old. I'm replacing the lights slowly with hanging led shop lights, but I'm not dropping much. I'd love to do recessed lights but don't want the hassle. Go with 10 ft if you can. Or make sure lights are at ceiling height.

Oh, PANELING WON'T HOLD [things] AND i JUST HATE IT TOO. Who stipples shop ceilings anyway?

[Jim Andrew]

You can buy scissor trusses to give you a higher ceiling in the center part of the building. My shop has 9' ceiling, and it works fine for me, with 6" pipe hanging from the ceiling for the DC. I framed a cathedral ceiling in my storage room, so I could stand up longer lumber. If you have to match the looks of your house as in a HOA, the scissor trusses would work well.

[Tom M King]

The last shop I built, I used 10' 2x6 studs. With those sitting on a 2x sole plate, and doubled top plates, allowing for 1/2" ceiling, that put the ceiling height at 10' 4". I wouldn't want less than that.

[Roger Feeley]

When we built our house it would have been a problem to dig the basement deeper than 8’. Something about the water table. I would have preferred 10’ because finishing a 10’ basement is easier. The upside of my 8’ ceiling is that it’s easy for me to stick stuff up into the truss joists. I’m tall and I can easily reach an 8’ ceiling. All my outlets are nailed directly to the joists. If I had a 10’ ceiling, I would have to hang my outlets or something.

Still, I would take the 10’ if offered. I do bang into the lights from time to time.

[Jim Andrew]

Roger, always had envy for tall guys. I am 5'8" on a good day. Was in construction business of homes for 30 years, and always had to drag a ladder around. There was a framing crew that had a guy everyone called "Stretch", who could nail double plates flat footed on the floor. 8' walls.