Building a K5 Shop

[ashman]

Epoxy coated concrete slabs can get very slick after some water,coolant and or oil gets spilled on them--my friend regrets having coated his slab under the lift,it makes for hazardous working conditions when your trying to install a tranny,etc......

This is why I didn't coat mine. I worked on jets in the air force when I was younger and all of the hangers were epoxy covered and I hated it. Sure, it made clean up a breeze and it sure looked nice but any moisture at all and you were taking your life into your hands. No thanks!

 

[FOR MUD]

I have considered the clear sealants before, but never looked in detail. I think it would hold up better or at least not look as bad if they get scratched. You also need to consider the slip hazard though.

The only problem with a sealant is you have to reapply every couple of years ( Even sooner if you use a water based sealer ) Where if you use a penetrating sealant it's a one time deal....But not as glossy.
There is a slip resistant powder you can put in sealers, mostly used around pool decks where water is always present

 

[skunked]

I like the epoxy floors but I'm a bit on the OCD side. I haven't noticed the grinder sparks leaving any marks but a welder can. My floor has been down for 9 years and still looks good.

 

[rjfguitar]

1. He doesn't need any kind of heat in his shop, he is in San Diego, and that is what I presume. I'm in a cooler area of CA than him and I hardly ever use a heat source.

2. His building will likely come with skylights. All of my buildings did. Again, I would advise against windows. After while they begin to look bad anyway, cob webs and dust seem to collect on them.

 

[jekquistk5]

1. He doesn't need any kind of heat in his shop, he is in San Diego, and that is what I presume. I'm in a cooler area of CA than him and I hardly ever use a heat source.

2. His building will likely come with skylights. All of my buildings did. Again, I would advise against windows. After while they begin to look bad anyway, cob webs and dust seem to collect on them.

Keeping up with a shop is half the battle. Shopvacs make quick work of cobwebs.

 

[Chief Brody]

If I were building from scratch, I'd make a "closet" for my air compressor and have the threaded rods embedded in the cement. A clean small baffled room for the air compressor would allow you to think while it is running. Don't forget about dryers and water seperators...

 

[jekquistk5]

If I were building from scratch, I'd make a "closet" for my air compressor and have the threaded rods embedded in the cement. A clean small baffled room for the air compressor would allow you to think while it is running. Don't forget about dryers and water seperators...

When I get a new compressor, I am going to do what Eric suggested. Pour a small 4x4 slab on the outside and build a insulated house for the compressor outside the barn/shop.

 

[Dirsuper]

I really appreciate all of the great inputs. We (well, the guy doing the grading) finally broke ground this morning. It killed me to leave for work, but I don't want to be 'that guy' driving my General nuts with questions and 'suggestions.'

I hired the guy who is known to be the best in my town. He's built a lot of shops, barns, houses, etc in my town and nobody has a bad word to say about him. Hell, he's in the middle of restoring a '70 Chevy short bed for his son, so I know he has good judgement!

A lot of your inputs will be incorporated into the build. Can't wait to get home tonight and see the progress!

Thanks again guys. I send some pics when there is something worth taking a picture of.......

 

[rjfguitar]

This will be the fun part, it's not complicated like building a house, so the headaches are minimal when you have a contractor doing the job for you.

You will be amazed how fast the red iron goes up. You will go from a concrete slab to all the red iron up in one day, I remember I left for work in the morning with just a slab and came home to an actual red iron structure.


Oh...... here is another BIG tip. If you bought your building from a building dealer like I did, DON'T buy your doors from them. Buy your doors from a local door business. That way, they cover all the doors, door tracks, and open/close equipment through their warranty. You will likely need them to install the doors and get them all setup for you anyway, most general contractors don't like messing with roll up shop doors and HD openers. It's just easier that way, if there is a problem in the future with a door you can call them and work directly with them, rather than getting the run around with "we can't warranty our work with customer supplied doors and equipment." kind of BS. That way, it's their doors, their labor, and their problem to get out and fix a jammed up door on a Friday afternoon. Don't ask how I know.

 

[76zimmer]

great post....If we could build a CK5 shop it would be 100x150...16' walls and three or four lifts...and all the goodies listed...and cost 300K to do it.

I would go with what you NEED to get the building up and functional, keeping in mind things that can't be changed and spend money on sq. ft now, then add other "accessories" as $$$ allows.

I've done my work out of a 32x24 shop w/ 8' walls because that's all my township would allow without an expensive variance proposal. I've made do. Sure a "dream shop" would be nice, but if I waited to build that, I wouldn't have any projects done, but would have a nice empty shop.