Shop build questions

[Gomer pyle]

I'm finally starting my shop! I've decided on a 36'x48'. I plan to put two doors on the 36' side, a 16' in the center and a 10' or 12' on one end for a lift. I've also thought about a smaller door and/or windows on the back side for a draft. The final picture has a 24' lean to off the back for storage and tractor/equipment parking. I plan to stick build it with 2x6 walls on 2' centers with battin insulation. I have already dug the footer and now need to start on block(my 8 yr old thinks he and I need to lay them ourselves)
A couple of questions I have:
1. How tall should I build the walls? I originally thought 12' but now I'm leaning towards 14'
2. I've planned to go 3 block high on the walls(filled with concrete) and then build on top of that. This would keep moisture off my wood, protect from an accidental fourwheeler bump, and allow me to wash it out if I ever wanted to. Is this a good/bad idea? Should I do 6 block high instead?

I'm sure my list of questions is going to go up as I get farther into the build. I have kept up with some of the other builds on here and have gotten a lot of ideas from them. I'm trying to pay as I go on this so it is going to be slow but I won't owe in the end.

 

[RNeumann]

Typically walk height is about 2’ above door height. You can do most things with 16’ walls. If you don’t have a specific need for tall doors (typically a special RV) then 12’ door left and 14’ walls would work. A 12’ door will get most boats and most RVs inside. The higher you go not only drives cost to build but also heating. Plus you are doing some tricks to get lights changed at 16’.

I typically curb my garages and shops 2-6”. It varies as I also slope the floor. I see no interior advantage to going above a few inches. The only exception would be someplace with a fork lift etc- then I’d go 3’. Honesty you won’t have much blank wall for things to run into. Give yourself 6-12 months and magically all the walls will be covered/blocked with your crap......wasting the need for block walls.

 

[ovrszd]

Mine is 39x48. 14ft eaves. Two 12x12 overheads in one end with a glass panel in each. Two man doors, one each side, near the end where the overheads are. Four 4x4 windows scattered around the other three sides. I have a four post hoist setting in line with one door but at the rear end of the building. Can park a vehicle in the bay behind the hoist.

Not sure how well your door ideas are going to work. 36ft building minus 28ft of doors = 8ft. This 8ft will be divided into three pieces. If you use 2ft between the doors, which would be minimum, this leaves you with 6ft divided by two. So your door openings are going to be 3ft from the side walls.

What is the purpose of the 16ft door?

I would try to avoid a 10ft wide door. That's very narrow for a full size truck with trailer mirrors.

My building is on poured footings with a slab on them. Then 2x6 stud built on top of the slab.

 

[ovrszd]

This is the best pic I've got in regards to door spacing from the inside. Gives you an idea of how critical door spacing is from the exterior side walls as well as space between two. Keep in mind I hadn't moved all my stuff in yet when this was taken. And you are 3ft narrower than this.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've planned to go 3 block high on the walls(filled with concrete) and then build on top of that. This would keep moisture off my wood, protect from an accidental fourwheeler bump, and allow me to wash it out if I ever wanted to. Is this a good/bad idea? Should I do 6 block high instead?

I've seen something like this for livestock. Pretty sure I've seen it done on a dairy farm that a friend of a friend owned. But why would you wash out a shop? I'm on my second shop right now and I've begun clearing the trees for my ultimate shop, which will have 12 foot walls with 2x6's for studs on 16 inch centers bolted to the concrete slab with either plywood or OSB on the interior walls,. I have zero plans of ever washing out my shop, or hosing anything off in there. It will be full of tools, so sweeping will be never ending, but that's about all I'll ever do to clean it up.

My current shop has a 10x10 roll up door. That's proven to be a mistake. It should have been 12 feet wide like I had in my previous shop. It's a huge difference whey trying to back a trailer into it with a pallet of concrete sacks and the thunder storm has already started!!!!

 

[Tractor X]

I'm finally starting my shop! I've decided on a 36'x48'. I plan to put two doors on the 36' side, a 16' in the center and a 10' or 12' on one end for a lift. I've also thought about a smaller door and/or windows on the back side for a draft. The final picture has a 24' lean to off the back for storage and tractor/equipment parking. I plan to stick build it with 2x6 walls on 2' centers with battin insulation. I have already dug the footer and now need to start on block(my 8 yr old thinks he and I need to lay them ourselves)
A couple of questions I have:
1. How tall should I build the walls? I originally thought 12' but now I'm leaning towards 14'
2. I've planned to go 3 block high on the walls(filled with concrete) and then build on top of that. This would keep moisture off my wood, protect from an accidental fourwheeler bump, and allow me to wash it out if I ever wanted to. Is this a good/bad idea? Should I do 6 block high instead?

I'm sure my list of questions is going to go up as I get farther into the build. I have kept up with some of the other builds on here and have gotten a lot of ideas from them. I'm trying to pay as I go on this so it is going to be slow but I won't owe in the end.

why not a monolithic slab with a brick ledge (1 pour), then add either brick, stone or concrete wainscoting. i would recommend balloon framing walls either 12' or 16' for and better yield on 4x8 material, osb, plywood, drywall etc.

 

[geblackwell]

It has been mentioned before on this site that anyone interested in a pole barn should look on YouTube at "R&R Builders". There are hours of information here. This guy builds pole barns like he is dealing with fine cabinet work. I was very impressed!!

 

[ericm979]

Many 2 post lifts need a bit more than 12' clearance. There are a number that fit in 12'. But 12' may not be tall enough for lifting tall vehicles to full height.

 

[ovrszd]

Eddie, I clean my shop with an air nozzle. Catch the wind in the right direction and open the windows and overheads. Blow everything outside.

 

[MFWD]

Hello,
I agree with the statement from "ericm979. Sometimes a 12' ceiling height is not enough for some vehicles.


MFWD

 

[Gomer pyle]

And too little sleep will make me mistype. My doors will be on the eaves (48’). Yes, a 16 and 12 on 36 would be tight.
So, 14’ walls with 12’ doors?

I agree about the washing out and don’t think I ever will but I want to give myself options. Plus, I do think I’ll like the protection.
Thanks for the options and ideas

 

[EddieWalker]

You can always go with a scissor trusses to get more height if you need it for a lift. I don't have any interest in a lift for myself, and I've found that 12 foot walls are about as close to perfect height as you can come up with for a wood working shop. I can pick up and handle sheets of plywood without hitting the ceiling. The walls are three sheets of OSB on the edge. A 10 foot tall door fits easily, but if there is no reason to spend the money on a ten foot tall door, 8 foot works too. Most tractors will fit in in an 8 foot tall door, but make sure before committing to either. What would you drive into your shop that you need a 12 foot tall door?

 

[ovrszd]

I have two pieces of equipment that need 12' tall doors. I wouldn't go narrower than 12'. So that would require 14' eaves.

You can get by with 12' eaves and a lift. You just can't lift all the way.

Wall protection, as in running into them is unnecessary. In six months you won't be able to drive anything against the walls.

For my OSB, I laid the first run down, stood next run upright, finished with a 2' run horizontal. So I had three runs, same as Eddie had. Don't use OSB application to determine eave height.

 

[mqualizza]

Gomer can I ask what your shop cost to build?

thanks.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have two pieces of equipment that need 12' tall doors.

I'm curious on what you have that needs 12 foot tall doors? My Ford/New Holland 555E loader backhoe is about 13'6" tall when the hoe is in the upright, driving around position, so I would need a 14 foot door to get that through if I was to drive it into my shop, but I'm going to extend the roof line out the back of my shop with metal trusses set on 12 foot tall posts that will give me a lot more height then what I need. No walls, just posts and a roof extended off of the shop roof. At least that's my current plant.

 

[ovrszd]

My 555A will also fit in a 10' door. But it's silly in the total cost scheme to fight it. 12'.

The road grader I run is 10'8". Not going in a 10' door.

Everyone has different needs and, more importantly, expectations.

Having a leanto on the back of the shop has absolutely nothing to do with the decusion process involved to determine shop/door height.

I'm anxious to see your build!!!

 

[EddieWalker]

Having a leanto on the back of the shop has absolutely nothing to do with the decusion process involved to determine shop/door height.

Not a leanto. The idea is to extend the roofline behind the building to create a massive porch like roofed area to park things that wont fit in the shop like my backhoe and hopefully a 100hp cab tractor with a batwing farther off in the future.

The reason that I bring it up is to offer other options to building a taller building then needed. While bigger is always better, the taller you go, the slower the build becomes, and the more you spend on materials just to have more "air" above you. With 12 foot walls, you can easily have a ten foot tall door that will be more then tall enough for 90% of what most of us have. Obviously there will be those with something taller, and they can either build the entire building tall enough to handle that one or two pieces of equipment, or find another place to put it. I think my idea solves that issue.

 

[ovrszd]

So your "porch" is going to be the same height as the building eave? So how does this space be effective for taller equipment?

Height definitely has a direct bearing on cost.

 

[ovrszd]

I started with a flat ceiling 10'. Then had a 10' eave all steel with vaulted ceiling 12' 8" at the peak. Now in a 14' flat ceiling.

Hopefully I'll never have to go back to a shorter building. The limitations are overbearing. When the total cost of the building is factored in the equation the extra height cost becomes irrelevant.

 

[Gomer pyle]

I had a 10’ tall door at my last shop with 12’ walls but I used steel trusses, so the center was +/-16’. The 10’ door worked on all my current possessions, except the bucket truck I bring home on call(3” from fitting). I don’t have the truck that often (I let the younger ones bring it) but on an ice storm situation, it would be nice to put it inside. I don’t plan to own a camper but I had thought about 12’ door for just in case(pay once, cry once).
With the slope of my land, my lean to will be taller so I could always put taller stuff there.
I have not thought about scissor trusses, I kinda like the idea of 12’ walls with scissor trusses where the lift will go. I did not like the steel trusses on my last shop due to the heat loss and light placement was awkward.

I’m having to use my phone right now, so I’m sure I’m missing some comments, sorry.