Shop Build...should be a fun journey...

[Jim Becker]

320 amp!!! I'm jealous!
I've been following this and is an interesting build.
I've helped build barns, sheds and shops before.... But that 1 day build still amazes me they were able to get it done that fast!

That's not for the shop, Eric. The service to our home is being increased from 200 amp to 400 amp and that calls for a 320 amp meter housing for whatever reason electrical math dictates. The supply will be split after the meter...200 amps to the house via the automatic transfer switch for the generator as it is now and 200 amps to the shop via a disconnect (independent main breaker next to the meter). The supply line will traverse about 115' of conduit, underground other than about 25' at the house.

[Jim Becker]

Concrete base prep passed inspection so things are good for the pour on Monday morning. I got the vapor barrier down and taped while it was raining (cold front came through) so I can move on to getting the foam insulation down. I may do a little of that today, but a friend I met on the TDPRI forum (guitars) who moved into the area is coming tomorrow to help with the foam. I'm thankful for that as my sciatica has been, um...ornery...

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[Steve Jenkins]

Sounds like things are going in a good direction. Sorry about the sciatica.

[Jim Becker]

Sounds like things are going in a good direction. Sorry about the sciatica.

Thanks, Steve. I apparently "overdid it" when I was helping with cleaning up the lot next door after the house was demolished, so I'm largely responsible for my wayward nerve pain. For this project, it will be there for the start of the day, but seems to abate and leave me alone unless I spend time sitting. So I spend a lot more time standing now, including actually using the "standing" position of my desk. LOL

[Keith Pitman]

I find Aleve helps, especially Aleve PM overnight.

[Frank Necaise]

Good luck with the weather and pour! Nice time lapse video.

[Greg Quenneville]

Jim Do the concrete cookies go below the frost line? I helped build a pole barn in Canada about 50 years ago but the posts were already in place before I showed up.

Since I now live in termite nirvana not much wood ever touches the ground.

Greg

[Jim Becker]

I find Aleve helps, especially Aleve PM overnight.

I have an oral version of Voltaren that was prescribed for my general joint issues and it helps with this, too. I can't take other NSAIDs, but can use acetaminophen for pain if needed. Nature of the beast. Otherwise, it's stretching exercises I was taught in PT the last time this smacked me a few years ago.

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[Jim Becker]

Jim Do the concrete cookies go below the frost line?

Yes, they are at the bottom of the holes below frost line...not that we really get much frost here in SE PA anymore. 36" is the depth requirement here and a good bit of that is more about physical support rather than frost.

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Today, my friend Helmut came over and helped me knock out the foam insulation. It was not a difficult job at all. That will be included in the next time lapse for the entire floor process, but here are a few photos. I pretty much cannot do anything more at this point until the floor goes in on Monday and the insulation gets sprayed on the 6th. So I may work on the frames I'll need to suspend the audio speakers I'll be using in the shop...they've been waiting since about 1996 to actually get used. These are Soundolier flat panel audio/music reproduction speakers original designed for dropped ceilings and they came out of a conference center I helped tear down when a former employer moved to a different building.

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[Aaron Inami]

Just out of curiosity, what is the reason for laying down insulation before you lay down concrete? I'm not knowledgeable in construction, but my assumption would be concrete foundation goes right on top of soil/prep.

[Ron Selzer]

insulated a garage floor back in the late 90's. in the winter I used a round kerosene heater on Saturday running hard all morning, setting back in the afternoon and shutting off at night. Sunday morning within 2 hours garage was warm and kerosene heater was on low setting and then turned off after lunch. Concrete floor carried the garage nicely. Did not heat during the week. Nice warm floor to work/walk on all day long.
Ron

[Jim Becker]

Just out of curiosity, what is the reason for laying down insulation before you lay down concrete? I'm not knowledgeable in construction, but my assumption would be concrete foundation goes right on top of soil/prep.

The simple answer is a warmer floor during cold weather. Concrete directly in contact with the ground can act like a heat sink just as concrete with radiant heating can do the opposite in climates where that heating method makes sense. "Radiation" goes both ways. The R10 insulation foam isolates the concrete from the ground to make for a more even environment since my floor is not heated directly. This would also be the way a residence on a slab would be handled these days (including with a monolithic/Alaskan slab) and some "super insulated" versions use 4" or more of foam for much higher isolation.

The net effect is more comfort overall.

[Kyle Stiefel]

Jim, really enjoy the documentation and congrats on the meter socket and at a better price to boot! After like 9 months I finally got an electrician which happens to be the same group that did my place of employment to help finish the shop. The shop started 3 years prior, put on hold and the initial guy ghosted me that finished the garage side when the time came for the shop. It will take several months as they are doing it between other jobs. They are trying to track down the elusive meter socket as your guy was having issues with earlier. It sounds like a number of breakers are currently unobtainable as well.

[Greg Funk]

Looking good. Do you also plan to put some steel mesh down? We had 6x6 mesh it on our slabs and used it to secure hot water heating pipes. Not sure if it was for strength or to allow the pipes to be attached.

[Adam Grund]

The simple answer is a warmer floor during cold weather. Concrete directly in contact with the ground can act like a heat sink just as concrete with radiant heating can do the opposite in climates where that heating method makes sense. "Radiation" goes both ways. The R10 insulation foam isolates the concrete from the ground to make for a more even environment since my floor is not heated directly. This would also be the way a residence on a slab would be handled these days (including with a monolithic/Alaskan slab) and some "super insulated" versions use 4" or more of foam for much higher isolation.

The net effect is more comfort overall.

Out of curuousity, do you know if the “squish” of the insulation would pose a problem with the concrete if you drove heavy vehicles over it regularly? Honestly I’ve never heard of doing that, and my mind went to right what I’d be using a garage for, working on cars.