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Well after years of saving every possible nickel, I finally made the decision to get a new shop; one that is outside of the living area.
When we bought this old home ten years ago, I setup shop in the basement and that seemed to work out okay for awhile. But about five years ago, there was a serious fire that destroyed a large apartment building a few blocks away and the prevailing winds saturated our neighborhood with a lot of smoke and fumes (one of those idiots who decided his apartment was a great place to have a meth lab...he's in jail now). Since then, my wife had become super sensitive to any wood smell and all work in my little basement shop came to an abrupt. So I haven't produced any sawdust in quite some time now.
My two-stall garage is pretty much occupied by the two vehicles, and the 8 x 20 side storage area there, is filled with stuff. I had solicited a few bids earlier this summer to see how much it would cost to have that storage area expanded to 12 ft wide and 24 ft long. That would require tearing out two of the existing walls in that area and pouring new concrete roughly 4 x 20 and 4 x 12 in an L-configuration. One wall would need to be extended about four feet and two new walls erected, and a new roof. Price was draw-dropping at between $21,000 and $26,000; and that was just for framing, as I would do everything else (wiring, insulation, shingles, siding, etc.). Additional complications were that because I was going to tear down something, the city required a third party inspection from a certified environmental expert and paperwork being filed with the State EPA, plus fees, further inspections, files, etc. Periodic inspections during the process, etc.
So, long-story-short, we opted for an Amish-built 12 x 20 work shed. I still had to go through the building permit process and also had to make a presentation to the Zoning Board of Appeals, because the city only allows a shed of 16 ft in length. That wasn't a particularly big deal, as I've made plenty of presentations in my lifetime. So filled out the forms, made the drawings, provided illustrations, photos, and even a Google Earth photo to show the exact location as well as all the other sheds, garages, etc. in the neighborhood. It took about a month, but I did get approval and ordered the building. That was about three weeks ago, and so now I'm looking forward to delivery within the next couple of weeks.
I've got the lot leveled out (there was only a six-inch difference because of a slight incline), the trees cut back, and this week I'm ordering the gravel. Got a quote on that last Wednesday... not bad at $65... but add another $200 for delivery!
The layout is done and I'm pretty sure how I'll position my woodworking tools. When it arrives, the first thing will be to wire the place, pretty much have that worked out too, I think. Four circuits at this point, brought in from the garage which is only three feet from the left end of the new building. This coming summer, I'm planning to attach to the garage with a passageway. I had a 100 amp service run to the garage about three years ago, so no problem there, that I can see. After I get the circuits wired, I'll be insulating the walls and ceiling and then installing a combination of drywall and OSB, with the OSB lining the overhead storage lofts at each end.
Challenge at this point will be heat. I know I'll have to run a gas line (I think NatGas is to most cost efficient) but that is probably going to be the biggest expense, and at this point this year's budget is shot. I've already talked to the gas company, and they told me where I can tap into the line, but I'll need a sub-contractor for that. The heater alone is some about $1400 or so, not firm on that yet, and then there's the installation fee, piping, excavation etc. Seems like close to $2K, just for heat, is a bit much for a part-time hobby.
Question at this point is what do any of you recommend? The building is only 12 x 20 with a 10' 6" high Gambrel roof. Floor space-wise, that's only 240 sq ft. That doesn't seem like a lot of space, but the supplier that I talked to about the wall heater tells me I'll need at least 30,000 BTU's.
I'm open to suggestions,
CWS
When we bought this old home ten years ago, I setup shop in the basement and that seemed to work out okay for awhile. But about five years ago, there was a serious fire that destroyed a large apartment building a few blocks away and the prevailing winds saturated our neighborhood with a lot of smoke and fumes (one of those idiots who decided his apartment was a great place to have a meth lab...he's in jail now). Since then, my wife had become super sensitive to any wood smell and all work in my little basement shop came to an abrupt. So I haven't produced any sawdust in quite some time now.
My two-stall garage is pretty much occupied by the two vehicles, and the 8 x 20 side storage area there, is filled with stuff. I had solicited a few bids earlier this summer to see how much it would cost to have that storage area expanded to 12 ft wide and 24 ft long. That would require tearing out two of the existing walls in that area and pouring new concrete roughly 4 x 20 and 4 x 12 in an L-configuration. One wall would need to be extended about four feet and two new walls erected, and a new roof. Price was draw-dropping at between $21,000 and $26,000; and that was just for framing, as I would do everything else (wiring, insulation, shingles, siding, etc.). Additional complications were that because I was going to tear down something, the city required a third party inspection from a certified environmental expert and paperwork being filed with the State EPA, plus fees, further inspections, files, etc. Periodic inspections during the process, etc.
So, long-story-short, we opted for an Amish-built 12 x 20 work shed. I still had to go through the building permit process and also had to make a presentation to the Zoning Board of Appeals, because the city only allows a shed of 16 ft in length. That wasn't a particularly big deal, as I've made plenty of presentations in my lifetime. So filled out the forms, made the drawings, provided illustrations, photos, and even a Google Earth photo to show the exact location as well as all the other sheds, garages, etc. in the neighborhood. It took about a month, but I did get approval and ordered the building. That was about three weeks ago, and so now I'm looking forward to delivery within the next couple of weeks.
I've got the lot leveled out (there was only a six-inch difference because of a slight incline), the trees cut back, and this week I'm ordering the gravel. Got a quote on that last Wednesday... not bad at $65... but add another $200 for delivery!
The layout is done and I'm pretty sure how I'll position my woodworking tools. When it arrives, the first thing will be to wire the place, pretty much have that worked out too, I think. Four circuits at this point, brought in from the garage which is only three feet from the left end of the new building. This coming summer, I'm planning to attach to the garage with a passageway. I had a 100 amp service run to the garage about three years ago, so no problem there, that I can see. After I get the circuits wired, I'll be insulating the walls and ceiling and then installing a combination of drywall and OSB, with the OSB lining the overhead storage lofts at each end.
Challenge at this point will be heat. I know I'll have to run a gas line (I think NatGas is to most cost efficient) but that is probably going to be the biggest expense, and at this point this year's budget is shot. I've already talked to the gas company, and they told me where I can tap into the line, but I'll need a sub-contractor for that. The heater alone is some about $1400 or so, not firm on that yet, and then there's the installation fee, piping, excavation etc. Seems like close to $2K, just for heat, is a bit much for a part-time hobby.
Question at this point is what do any of you recommend? The building is only 12 x 20 with a 10' 6" high Gambrel roof. Floor space-wise, that's only 240 sq ft. That doesn't seem like a lot of space, but the supplier that I talked to about the wall heater tells me I'll need at least 30,000 BTU's.
I'm open to suggestions,
CWS
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