NY Shop

[Lisa Starr]

Matthew, I also have a shop with approx. 8' ceilings. I mounted OSB on the bottom of the ceiling joists for durability. When doing my lighting layout, I made sure all my strip fixtures ran parallel to the joists. Then I made a recess 4" deep x 14-1/2" wide by slightly longer than the intended fixture into which I mounted the light. This arrangement has saved several bulbs over the years.

[Art Mann]

I have OSB on the walls of my new shop and I absolutely hate it. It is ugly and hard to paint. I would use external Masonite boards or T1-11 if I had it to do over again.

[Matthew Jaskula]

Matthew, I also have a shop with approx. 8' ceilings. I mounted OSB on the bottom of the ceiling joists for durability. When doing my lighting layout, I made sure all my strip fixtures ran parallel to the joists. Then I made a recess 4" deep x 14-1/2" wide by slightly longer than the intended fixture into which I mounted the light. This arrangement has saved several bulbs over the years.

That sounds like what I would do, but no ceiling. What advantages does the ceiling provide?

[Jim Becker]

Matthew, a defined ceiling will reduce the volume of space you need to heat/cool and provides some opportunity for sound mitigation. You can certainly do an insulated envelope without a flat ceiling, but that volume of space above where you might normally put a ceiling also has to be heated/cooled so it will affect sizing of your HVAC system. One of the best things I did in my shop when I insulated was to put inexpensive acoustic ceiling tiles in...the noise reduction was "yuge".

[Matthew Jaskula]

Matthew, a defined ceiling will reduce the volume of space you need to heat/cool and provides some opportunity for sound mitigation. You can certainly do an insulated envelope without a flat ceiling, but that volume of space above where you might normally put a ceiling also has to be heated/cooled so it will affect sizing of your HVAC system. One of the best things I did in my shop when I insulated was to put inexpensive acoustic ceiling tiles in...the noise reduction was "yuge".

Ahh, that HVAC volume change makes sense. Though I wonder how much of a difference it will be for me. There’s really not much space above the ceiling level in this garage. At the back it’s basically 0, and at the front, maybe a foot and a half. I haven’t gotten a chance to measure it yet. I’ll make sure to take this into account when planning the HVAC.

[Matthew Jaskula]

Ahh, that HVAC volume change makes sense. Though I wonder how much of a difference it will be for me. There’s really not much space above the ceiling level in this garage. At the back it’s basically 0, and at the front, maybe a foot and a half. I haven’t gotten a chance to measure it yet. I’ll make sure to take this into account when planning the HVAC.

I was wrong it’s more like 2.5 ft.

[Lisa Starr]

Matthew, I have the ceiling for insulation purposes and less volume to heat all winter. As I have blown in cellulose 24"-30" deep, I wanted a substantial ceiling.

[Jim Becker]

Ahh, that HVAC volume change makes sense. Though I wonder how much of a difference it will be for me. There’s really not much space above the ceiling level in this garage. At the back it’s basically 0, and at the front, maybe a foot and a half. I haven’t gotten a chance to measure it yet. I’ll make sure to take this into account when planning the HVAC.

I wouldn't worry so much about it, then...if you had a "regular" truss roof/ceiling, there would be a lot more "extra" space involved. That's clearly not the case with your particular roof line.

[Tom Bender]

Hi Matthew

That little building is really nice, I'm sure your shop will be a real gem. Here are my thoughts;

If it's going to need a new roof it's good to get that over with while it's empty. A contractor will get it done in half a day so don't do it yourself.

When you insulate against the roof will you provide airflow at the top?

Drywall is nice in a shop but not as durable as cheap repainted paneling. Maybe just adhere 2" foam then paneling and no studs.

Definitely put your lights up into the truss space. Put some outlets there too. Don't give up any overhead clearance.

My basement shop has only a 36" door and it's been fine. You might remove both garage doors and wall it up. That will help with inside space and layout. If you are really concerned you could make a removable wall section 5' x 8'. Zip out a few screws and move whatever thru. Probably never happen but you will be able to do it.

Jim's wide window sounds good but I might go with a few smaller ones that can be opened in nice weather. And I'd place them low enough so I could enjoy the view. Worry less about security and more about enjoyment. Install bars or shutters if needed.

Did you run only one conduit under the driveway? If two then you might slide a small gas line thru one for a small heater. It doesn't take a big gas line to provide a bit of heat. How wide is the pavement, and how tough is the ground. Maybe you could wash in a line like a horizontal well. Wait, you're in New York not sandy Michigan so that probably won't work.

Now an important question, the answer can affect the whole spirit of the place. What color are you going to paint the outside?

Congrats on the great project. Please keep us posted.

Tom

[Mark Daily]

Sure...at double the price and having to cut down the insulation to custom width to account for the narrower space between the "studs" because they are twice as wide.

There you go Jim- making perfect sense again!

[Jim Becker]

There you go Jim- making perfect sense again!

Dirty job...somebody's got to occasionally do it. LOL And I have as many misses as I have hits.

At this point, if I were doing the same job, I'd buy the 2z2 material already cut, even if it cost a little more than 2x4s. Ripping 2x4 construction lumber is often a thankless task given the "quality" of such stuff on the market.

[Frank Pratt]

Dirty job...somebody's got to occasionally do it. LOL And I have as many misses as I have hits.

At this point, if I were doing the same job, I'd buy the 2z2 material already cut, even if it cost a little more than 2x4s. Ripping 2x4 construction lumber is often a thankless task given the "quality" of such stuff on the market.

Been down that road. And it seems like about half of the resulting 2x2's end up about as straight as a pig's tail.

[Jim Becker]

Been down that road. And it seems like about half of the resulting 2x2's end up about as straight as a pig's tail.

True. And while you can beat them into submission while nailing them to the block walls, it's just plain simpler (and safer) to buy 2x2 and beat those into submission without the saw throwing the lumber across the room first.

[Jim Andrew]

About the ceiling, when I built houses, the framed house built up a lot of heat during the summer, and as soon as we got a ceiling up, made the place much more comfortable to work in. A VENTED attic is what you want.