New garage time!

[fried1765]

This is why I wanted no posts. 24x44 of unobstructed space. I can park one car in the middle if I want. Sure there will be a workbench and tool chests in the back. But that still leaves lots of open space.

I totally understand your thinking.
My 36 x 48 and 40 x 50 buildings both have no posts!

 

[dodge man]

My shop is 28’x30’. My two mistakes, only 8’ high side walls, I should have gone at least 12’ and no oversized garage doors. I should say I should have put in on oversized door.

 

[fried1765]

My shop is 28’x30’. My two mistakes, only 8’ high side walls, I should have gone at least 12k, and no oversized garage doors.

My (40 x 50 ) bldg. can be heated, and has 10' walls.
The unheated one (36 x 48) has 14' walls.
Works out just right for me.

 

[airbiscuit]

I get having a clear span with no center posts. I was only suggesting increasing the smallest door width from 8' to 9' That avoids a lot of scrapes. Nonetheless, I think the OP is doing a great job.

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

Waiting on more updates. I pour concrete for a living and always find it "interesting" when people do it themselves.

 

[fatjay]

I hope I don't become an example of how not to pour concrete. I've seen a couple videos on it

Got my drill press and miter saw running to make the rebar chairs. Mark every 2" for cuts, drill every 4", cut every 2" after it's drilled. The drilled hole is cut in half making a little channel for the rebar to sit in. Returned the $250 of chairs to home depot, and bought $65 worth of schedule 40 3" pvc. Had the wife mark it up for me since it was on the ground and she's closer to the ground at 4'9" and I didn't want to bend over. Cut in half, drilled 5' sections, then on the 10" miter saw and cut it down to many 2" sections. Put them in a box and sent the kids out to put them under the rebar. Finally a job they can do and I don't have to.

6ga wire mesh is going on top of the rebar, then the pex stands will clip to the mesh and then pex will clip into the clips. Hopefully laying the mesh tomorrow or wednesday, weather permitting.

Drill Video: https://i.imgur.com/48ETPyQ.mp4

Miter video: https://i.imgur.com/hNcGeo2.mp4

 

[fatjay]

Thinking on it, I may move the pvc over a couple inches from the joint, so it will be more likely concrete will fill it. As it stands it only takes a couple of stones to clog it.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thinking on it, I may move the pvc over a couple inches from the joint, so it will be more likely concrete will fill it. As it stands it only takes a couple of stones to clog it.

I like it... haven't seen that technique before. Moving it off center sounds smart.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I put an 18' x 8 overhead door in my shop. 16' standard is too narrow IMO.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I see you have them playing rebar "hop scotch" ...

 

[fatjay]

I like it... haven't seen that technique before. Moving it off center sounds smart.

I was trying to come up with something as everyone was 7 days shipping and no one had anything in stock.

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

That's a pretty neat method for elevating rebar.

BTW, I'm late to this thread, but whoever told you to keep the pex within 1-1.5" of the top of the concrete doesn't know what they're talking about. It should be that much from the bottom.

 

[dodge man]

I also have problems with the pet being that close to the top of the slab. If it’s to shallow the concrete could be weak and crack. I would take a long hard look at that plan.

 

[EddieWalker]

Interesting idea on using PVC pipe for chairs. I would have waited for chairs. I hope you are not creating weak areas by using the pipe which will stop the concrete from being as strong there compared to the rest of the slab. Are you going to tie the rebar together after you install the wire?

 

[deezler]

Since you didn't lay the PEX yet, I'll chime in: Don't put it within the top 2 inches of the slab.

Concrete is pretty thermally conductive (more than water, even). No matter where the PEX is in the slab, the concrete will conduct heat throughout its entire mass to achieve a nearly uniform temp. Yes, with the PEX at the very top of the slab you might get heat into the building a touch sooner on startup, but then you will still pump heat into the entire concrete mass. But putting the pex at the top puts it very much at risk! You know that you need to cut control joints in your slab to control the cracking, right? You should cut these joints 1/4 of the slab thickness. This would intersect with your PEX plan. You may also want to anchor things into the slab later (risky, but if you know how deep the PEX is, you can get away with it).

In my 30x36 pole barn with 4-6" slab, I put my rebar on 2" chairs and tied the pex directly to the BOTTOM of the the rebar. I don't even really understand using mesh, btw. Solid rebar on a 1-2' spacing accomplishes all the slab control you need, mesh doesn't do much above that. But I did add fiber to my concrete mix (cheap!).

Nice improvising on the chairs, btw! I think that will work nicely. I bought mine off amazon, they were readily available as of 3 years ago anyway. Also my rebar ties.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm still wondering how to walk around on the mesh laying and tieing pex. Anxious to see that part.

 

[MossRoad]

If you use rebar wire and tie it at each rebar intersection, you can put the PVC chairs under the upper rebars instead of the lower rebars, like in the picture. What that'll do is lower the entire rebar grid by the diameter of whatever it is. So you'd gain 3/8" or 1/2" or whatever it is above the rebar grid, thus lowering your hot water heat grid by that amount down into the concrete.

 

[fatjay]

Since you didn't lay the PEX yet, I'll chime in: Don't put it within the top 2 inches of the slab.

Concrete is pretty thermally conductive (more than water, even). No matter where the PEX is in the slab, the concrete will conduct heat throughout its entire mass to achieve a nearly uniform temp. Yes, with the PEX at the very top of the slab you might get heat into the building a touch sooner on startup, but then you will still pump heat into the entire concrete mass. But putting the pex at the top puts it very much at risk! You know that you need to cut control joints in your slab to control the cracking, right? You should cut these joints 1/4 of the slab thickness. This would intersect with your PEX plan. You may also want to anchor things into the slab later (risky, but if you know how deep the PEX is, you can get away with it).

In my 30x36 pole barn with 4-6" slab, I put my rebar on 2" chairs and tied the pex directly to the BOTTOM of the the rebar. I don't even really understand using mesh, btw. Solid rebar on a 1-2' spacing accomplishes all the slab control you need, mesh doesn't do much above that. But I did add fiber to my concrete mix (cheap!).

Nice improvising on the chairs, btw! I think that will work nicely. I bought mine off amazon, they were readily available as of 3 years ago anyway. Also my rebar ties.

Definitely some interesting points. I got most of my information here: How to install PEX Tubing in a concrete slab

Couple youtube videos as well. I can understand warm stone logic, and the weak cement arguement. I'm going to have to think on this a bit.

 

[dodge man]

The reason I wouldn’t want the pet that shallow is minimum cover for the concrete. Say you want 2” of cover, which might be ok but say it gets pushed up a little during the pour. Then the concrete is too thin above it.

Mesh? I’m retired but I worked for a civil engineering firm for years. We still speced it but it does end up getting pushed down. On the other hand a good rebar mat tied correctly on chairs can be walked on and is really solid.

My garage is 28’x30’, no footers but a rat wall around the edge. No rebar but mesh, 6” thick. It has a few hair line cracks you can barely see. Its not that critical of a design unless you are putting heavy stuff in there. I’d just hate to see yours not last because the pet ends up to shallow.

 

[dodge man]

Duplicate this rebar mat and it will hold up you building. This is for a wind turbine.