From my previous post about shops, you can tell that I am in the process of building one. I have gotten started – sort of. I am still digging in the dirt and taking down trees.
I was thinking about posting pictures as I progress. That is if everyone has no objections.
This is the first. I have been clearing the area where the shop will be.

We have a little fire wood ready for the winter. The shed is filled 6 feet deep behind the first layer that you can see.

Awesome, you'll never regret it a day in your life.

Watch out for the chain saw. That is my knee. It just nicked me – that was toooo close.

two words: Kevlar chaps.

Reminds me of the time about 20 some years ago when my wife and I were ... alone ... and my brother knocked on the door. Had to take him to the ER for MANY stitches for the same accident, just much deeper into his thigh. Twenty inch Homelite versus thigh flesh and blue jeans, no contest.

Congrats! I put in a shop last year and doing a barn now. It sure is nice to have room for the toys!

Laying out the foundation. Take a look at my help.

Looks like a typical supervisor.....:lol:

[Times New Roman']Actually, I have two “supervisors”. If you look at the first set of pictures you will see both of them. Sam on the left, Jake on the right.

Actually, I have two “supervisors”. If you look at the first set of pictures you will see both of them. Sam on the left, Jake on the right.

Sounds like a State contract then....:lol:

Nice dogs. Do they know how to fetch beers yet?

Doing the final lay out. I had some help on this. That's me on the right.

Starting the forms.

Going up with the forms.

I see that supervisor is workin hard! :lol: Im surprised he doesn't have his water dish out there.

It sure takes a lot of bracing to hold concrete!

The last of the forms until I get the dirt in place.

The dirt has arrived!

Got the dirt in place. Dug the foundation. Covered it with poly in case it rains.

I finally have concrete. Took them ALL day (until 9:00 at night).

The last project for the cement was stripping the forms. Boy this has been a lot of work but I am finally up out of the dirt.

Since you did a monolithic pour, why did you build up the base then cut out the footers? Why not just dig the footers and level (after removing topsoil)?

I am afraid I do not quite understand what you mean by “why did you build up the base then cut out the footers”. I simply dug down into the undisturbed soil and then built up the forms until everything was level all the way around. It is 10 inches high on one end and 44 inches on the opposite corner. The perimeter wall is 1 foot thick all the way around.

Got the dirt in place. Dug the foundation. Covered it with poly in case it rains. My question stems from here. From your pictures, it looks like you formed it up, brought dirt in to level the forms, then excavated again for the footer rather than excavating everything in undisturbed soils and not having to build up the forms so high. (Digging in rather than building up)

You are correct in that I formed it up, brought in dirt, and then excavated the dirt out around the inside of the forms. During this excavation, was when I went down into undisturbed soil. This gave me a void 12 inches wide all the way around the perimeter, which was filled with cement. That is the only way I knew to do it. Anyway, I have 36 yards of concrete sitting on top of and around 115 yards of dirt.

Oh, OK. No biggie, just didn't understand, now I do. Locally, dirt is getting harder to come by and price prohibitive too!

price prohibitive too!
What in Maryland that has anything to do with houses/real estate isn't getting price prohibitive?

Good question. Nothing that I know of. Drove by a new subdivision sign yesterday, 1 to 2 acre Estate homes, priced from the upper 800's :eek: . More houses, less farmland and the mom and pop stuff is quickly falling by the wayside :mad: . If we weren't established here, I would have to live somewhere's else.

I haven’t posted in a while. I have been having some trouble with the cement. For some reason, as yet to be determined, the surface of the cement is cracking off. The surface contains voids about 1/8 inch thick and the surface just cracks off. At the present time I am sort of in the middle of a finger pointing contest between the contractor and the cement plant. Someone has to foot the bill to fix it. The plan right now is to put 2 more inches of cement on top and refinish that.

Did the concrete freeze?

it was probably the dogs:ro) .........looks like freezing the surface water to me too

I have been having some trouble with the cement. For some reason, as yet to be determined, the surface of the cement is cracking off. The surface contains voids about 1/8 inch thick and the surface just cracks off. At the present time I am sort of in the middle of a finger pointing contest between the contractor and the cement plant. Someone has to foot the bill to fix it. The plan right now is to put 2 more inches of cement on top and refinish that.
That stinks. Are they planning to scrape off the top layer before adding more?

No, it did not freeze. It started that the day after it was poured. Everyone says that the guy finished it to quick and did not let the water come to the surface first. The concrete contractor is going to put 2 more inches on top and refinish that. It is going to be his problem. I hired him to finish it smooth and obviously, it is not. In theory, he is coming tomorrow and start. That is a good thing, because the materials for the building are coming tomorrow also.

A guy in my old hometown built a commercial shop and had a similar problem. The end result was that he had a beautiful ?plastic? polymer?? top applied, was about 1/2 inch thick if I recall. Not a paint. Held up wonderfully, looked beyond awesome, and was very expensive but paid for by whoever was the responsible party.
Point is, there are coatings that can be applied to fix this type of problem. It might be an option for you. Sorry I have no more information than that, but if it was really important, I might be able to track down the information.

Well my building showed up today. It doesn’t look much like a building yet, just a pile of stuff.

Regarding the polymer top I mentioned above, I saw the same stuff in the Busch garages at Talladegha Race track. Good enough for NASCAR.

I would be "very" leery about having a 2" layer added on top!! I think you would have separation problems with that down the road. I would look into the responsible party cleaning up the cracking stuff really good then apply some sort of finish like the ploymer stuff, if it were me.

The cement contractor FINALY showed up to fix my slab. They formed it up 2 inches and chipped all the bad stuff off. Not a Green Card in sight.

The cement contractor FINALY showed up to fix my slab. They formed it up 2 inches and chipped all the bad stuff off. Not a Green Card in sight.

Right there is the problem. Taco sauce is know to cause cement damage. :)

Jim

Theres a joke here somewhere.:cool: Is this at the Alamo?;) It's what Davey Crockett said when he topped the hill at the Alamo, I didn't know we were pouring concrete today.:eek: :eek: :lol: :grd:

Well, I got a two inch layer of cement yesterday, after 7 weeks. It looks good so far. I am keeping it wet for 72 hours.

I haven’t posted in a while. I have been having some trouble with the cement. For some reason, as yet to be determined, the surface of the cement is cracking off. The surface contains voids about 1/8 inch thick and the surface just cracks off. At the present time I am sort of in the middle of a finger pointing contest between the contractor and the cement plant. Someone has to foot the bill to fix it. The plan right now is to put 2 more inches of cement on top and refinish that.

Whenever I've seen this it was because the concrete was overworked and brought to much "creme" to the surface. I see they used a power trowel. It's easy to do this with one of those. Thanks for sharing. Keep em coming.

I don't know much about concrete but have helped pour it a couple of times, but that last picture looks a little wet to me and it also looks like there are some nice puddles. It doesnt look like it was smoothed out very well. I just started reading this but I would have never let any one pour concrete on top of existing.
Like I said I don't know much about concrete but over time that cannot be good.
I would make him tear everything up and if he says no just tell him you are calling immigration.

The crew (5) showed up this morning (Sunday December 4, 2005). They hit the ground and started slinging stuff in all directions. They got the sill plates and the posts in place. They decided to go home because the weather in going to be bad later. They will be back Tuesday. They seem like nice folks and definitely know what they are doing AND no Green Cards required.

Whenever I've seen this it was because the concrete was overworked and brought to much "creme" to the surface. I see they used a power trowel. It's easy to do this with one of those. Thanks for sharing. Keep em coming.

I have experienced this same problem when there is too much fly-ash in the mix.

Well, the outside is all finished. They completed it in the rain yesterday (December 9, 2005). Now I have to get busy cleaning everything up and finishing the inside. That will be quite a project in its self.

Looking nice!

Well, the outside is all finished. They completed it in the rain yesterday (December 9, 2005). Now I have to get busy cleaning everything up and finishing the inside. That will be quite a project in its self.

So far, looks great. Do you like the sliding door option? What size building is this?

The building is 30 x 50. The sliding door seems to be ok. I am going to have to figure out some way to seal it around the edges so I can heat the place.

I moved my first piece of equipment into my new shop the other day. I thought you might like to see a picture of it. Seriously, I have been having some (more) problems. I am trying to do the wiring and get it inspected. It turns out that the wiring, the breaker box really, in my HOUSE is so old and outdated that I am going to have to replace it also before I can get the shop inspected. Since it is the end of the year, the stores are doing inventory and they do not have the parts I need… Soooooooooo I am just sitting and waiting until after the first of the year. I have the breaker box installed in my shop. I have EVERYTHING (wink wink) installed I am going to have in my shop. If you have sharp eyes, you will note two circuits. One feeding a GFIC the other feeding a light switch. That is all that is needed for inspection.

I have -- er, had -- the EXACT same electrical arrangement in my shop for inspection, based on the advice of an electrician and the inspector himself. That isn't illegal, it is just being "reasonable." If you demonstrate you know how to install those two circuits, they probably feel better that you will continue to show good judgement should you ever need to install additional circuits.
Looks like you built a machine shop. I see you have a milling machine.

Oh, OK. No biggie, just didn't understand, now I do. Locally, dirt is getting harder to come by and price prohibitive too!

You have to understand that in the South, we don't have the best soil conditions. We have to worry about Yazoo clay (capable of expanding 12 times it's size when wet and contracting back when dry), it will tear a concrete foundation to pieces. I'm sure that was his reasoning for digging down and bringing good soil in. That is what I had to do when I built my house anyway.

No, it did not freeze. It started that the day after it was poured. Everyone says that the guy finished it to quick and did not let the water come to the surface first. The concrete contractor is going to put 2 more inches on top and refinish that. It is going to be his problem. I hired him to finish it smooth and obviously, it is not. In theory, he is coming tomorrow and start. That is a good thing, because the materials for the building are coming tomorrow also.

That is exactly what happened, 99% of all resedential concrete problems are the with the placing/finishing method.

If the concrete was bad it would be everywhere.

Actually, I had quite a bit of drop in the land where I put the shop. I think it was around 42 inches. I had to fill to get a level place for the slab. I dug down below the original surface to get into undisturbed subsoil that would be stable.

I finally got power to the shop today. It has been a real fight. I had to replace the breaker panel in my HOUSE. It was a good thing I did however. The panel was really bad. Who ever wired it was a real idiot. It is amazing that the place didn’t burn down. At any rate, I am now in compliance with code, both the house and the shop. I have two 200 amp disconnects on the outside of my house, one feeding the house, one feeding the shop, two new 40 circuit breaker panels, four new 8 foot ground rods. I should be in good shape for a while.

You also spent money you hadn't planned on spending. That is the story for almost every project I undertake...
I'd say it was money well spent. Good, safe electrical supply is a great thing and makes for much better living.
Nice job!

I am rapidly approaching the point of putting up walls in my shop. I am going to use Oriented Strand Board OSB. I have been wondering which side I should put out (the side you will see). One side of OSB is large chips or strands and I think it has a slightly water resistant coating on it. The other side is more uniform in appearance and has millions of tiny pits in it. Which side should I put out?

Put the rough, bumpy side out.:)

Josh

For benefit of others; after having to fight the power issue on 2 different shops on 40+ yrs old homes where electrical was at capacity, I found it easier to pull a separate service for the shop itself, that way your shop can be set up for up to 200 amp if you think you might want to do some HD stuff down the road and not ever have to worry about power being an issue.

Somewhere down the line you may want heat & air, hot water, shop air, welder/welders, woodworking or metal working machines. Also don't settle on a big enuff shop, my 1st was 14x 24 X 10 outgrew that one fast, just big enough to work on my old Subarau Brat and that was about it, now barely managing with what I thought was plenty 16 x 30 x 12, just handles my GMC C1500 short box if I leave 1 end hanging out so I have room to access tools. Buying the lot next door for a full shop large enough so I can work on anything.

Zoning requirements may limit size for some, but this is one case where biggest you can get/afford is best.

OSB= Wuz Wood, wuz wood once,

pretty good stuff for the cost just make sure to get it primed/painted (oil base for longevity or very good latex if ease of clean up is an issue) before it gets wet too many times (don't scrimp on paint repeated water exposure to water with wuz wood will cause it to delaminate), also think about some product like a Texas Phaltic, a copper based primer that keeps bugs/rot from getting at the wood, here in South humidity & termites & other wood eaters make this a must, maybe not a big problem in your area but something to check out in advance

I have been working on the interior for about a week now. I have moved most of my tools and things into the shop and am slowly getting things organized. It is a big job setting up a new shop. I am putting insulation and poly in the walls. I am covering everything with OSB. It is going to make thing very tight and weatherproof.

Look's awesome. I cant wait to see what it looks like at the end?

I am rapidly approaching the point of putting up walls in my shop. I am going to use Oriented Strand Board OSB. I have been wondering which side I should put out (the side you will see). One side of OSB is large chips or strands and I think it has a slightly water resistant coating on it. The other side is more uniform in appearance and has millions of tiny pits in it. Which side should I put out?

Dad has used OSB to panel the interior of his shop. The first we put up, we put the rough side out because that is the side that is really supposed to be out. But, it got sort of dusty and dull looking, so the next section we did we put the smooth side out. None of it is exposed to wet conditions, and the smooth, shiny side has remained looking better over the years. Now if you're going to paint over it, it becomes a bit of a moot point. He has also put styrofoam insulation behind all the OSB and it really makes for a good insulation, if a bit more spendy than fiberglass. Sure a lot nicer to work with.

Why don't you just save yourself the headache of painting and up keep. Go with Bright White Liner panel (Steel)!

It has been a while since I posted anything about my shop. I have gotten far enough along on it that I am actually using it to work on “things” instead of just working on it. I have my tools all moved in now and have enough shelf space to hold most everything. I have most of the electrical complete including two 240 volt outlets for welders and other big tools. I also have the lighting about like I want it. I have three rows of four florescent lights. Each row of lights is on its own switch and each light plugs into a duplex receptacle in the ceiling. That makes it easy to rearrange the lights if I find I need to. I have started working on my office which will be a 10x15 at the back of the building. I am particularly proud of the shelving I built. It is 10 feet high and 20 feet long (so far) and each unit has 8 shelves. I scrounged everything for the shelving except the 2x4 uprights, the nails and glue. I am starting to rely enjoy having the shop. On thing, I am getting a lot more exercise moving around inside because it is a lot bigger then my garage.

I built the shelves pictured above and found out that even though I am 6’5”, I was still not tall enough to reach the top shelves when they are 10 feet high. I got tired of moving a step ladder back and forth so I built a “library” ladder that rolls back and forth. It works quite well and is quite sturdy.

Good thinking on the ladder system. I'm sure that'll handy. What keeps it from falling back on you though??

Well, nothing keeps it from falling back except your weight. It is leaning into the shelves so when you are on it, some of your weight is transferred horizontally into the shelves. I have not had a problem with it wanting to fall. The only problem I have had is when I get off, the last step tends to make it want to roll. I think it is just the way I put my foot down on the floor, I tend to give a little sideways push. Whatever, it is a lot better then trying to move a step ladder back and forth.

saw a library ladder the other day they used sliding door track just like your shop slider door to hold ladder inplace . thought it was clever. Just install track on the top of shelving and attach wheels to top of ladder. by the way nice job. don't forget the sign for yourself on the shelving.
"If it here for 2 years and has not been used it needs a new home" I have 30 year old stuff on shelves that I just can't throw away may need it someday. never know when i will need and exhaust manifold for a 72 chev pu.

Very old school, but nicely done.
Try a rubber cleat (spelling) device and put the wheels on springs so that when weight is applied to the stairs the rubber cleats make contact with the floor and keep it from moving around on you when you are on it.

Looks like a typical supervisor.....:lol:


Very true!:exactly:




:joke:

I know its too late now but I would have done a couple of things before topping that first pour.

1. The contractor "should" have set a bunch of pins in the existing slab about every 4' square about an inch high. This would have structurally tied the 2 pours together better. Then I would have had him lay wire mesh over the top and wire tied it to the pins wherever he could. Then a latex primer base should have been sprayed on top of the existing slab to help adhesion of the new top coat of concrete.

2. Then instead of using standard 3/4" concrete I would have used a 3/8" washed rock mix .. sort of a grout mix that would be compatible with the primer base. The concrete plant should have been able to design this mix for you.

Like I said, I know this is too late but "if" this ever "delaminates" from the first existing pour, this would have helped prevent that and the pins/wire would have kept it integral.

For what its worth, I dont think it was the finisher that caused this problem unless if the mud was curing too fast and they added water on top during the finishing phase, concrete should never spall up like that unless it froze, was a bad design or too much water was added during finishing. A high slump could also cause this. It looks like your 2nd pour had a pretty good slump .. 5" or more?

You havent posted in awhile .. how's your project going and how did the concrete turn out?

I have not been doing a lot on the shop itself; I am actually using it, not just working on it. I am slowly building my “office’. I have a 10x15 foot room set up in the back of the shop. I am putting up the ceiling now and will be insolating the walls and putting the OSB on the walls sometime in the near future. Right now, I have a lot of “other” projects going. I just completed a 9x20 foot set of shelves for my wife to put her sewing stuff on and this evening, I planted out 48 tomato plants, to be followed by about another 50 in the morning, to be followed by corn, beans and cucumbers. It is a very busy time right now.

At least you got the Boss on your side. I think that is tougher to accomplish than getting the city to sign off on the building plans.
Sounds like the sky is the limit for your shop.

Here are some pictures of my “office”. I have almost gotten finished with it. I think it is going to be good to have a place “of my own” where I can lay out papers and things and to have someone come along and misplace them for me. Oh yes, they ARE loaded.

Well, at least your office is well protected with those rifles hanging on the wall. Looks Good!

How is the floor holding up?

I was reading you posts regarding the initial pour and had a few questions.

1. What was the mix you ordered (strength)? Did the contractor add water before he placed it in the forms?

2. When he was finishing, did he add more water?

3. How was it cured? Compound? Water?

With respect to the 2" overlay you put on, as long as the surface was rough you should get a decent bond. I would think that you had that since his men were busting all of the bad concrete off the slab prior to the overlay.

-Wardster

Wardster

With respect to your questions, I am afraid I do not know the mix ordered by the contractor. I hired him for his expertise and abilities. I did not worry about what or why. I hired him to do the job and left it to him. He screwed it up and eventually fixed it after I (actually my wife) threatened him. I will give him all the free advertising he can stand in the future. As to the curing, I cured it for 72 hours, wet, and I mean wet, I kept a sheen of water on it all the time.