24' x 50' Shop Build in VA

[BobG_in_VA]

Hey bob g you are close to me though. I am in Powhatan. I just built a pole barn as large as the county would let me build and not be commercial.

Hmmm..? How big is that? Mine is 30'x60'...didn't want to have to pull any permits (I understand as long as its not over 2500 sq. ft... and you are zoned Ag. (A-1...we are), you don't need one.. I'm west of Goochland Court House out near Georges Tavern...Where in Pow. are you? Bobg in VA

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Stoneburner built my FIL polebarn.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for the update and the pictures. I'm looking forward to hearing about those trusses. I've been thinking of using that style of truss for a hay barn sometime in the future.

 

[jcook5003]

Since, this building will be vaulted, I have some questions about lighting. How are you guys hanging lights in vaulted shops?

And with a big high vaulted ceiling, and 12' sidewalls, how many lights of what type will I need, hoe should I hang them? Suggestions?

 

[dstig1]

Phillips used to have a really nice lighting calculator that I used a year or two ago. It seems to be gone, with no good replacement on thier site, which stinks because it was easy to use and helpful. And free.

Here is what i did. 13' high flat ceiling (not vaulted). My 32x80 shop is divided into 32x30 and 32x50, roughly. I used 8' T5 HO fixtures that use 4ea T5 4' bulbs. That means there are 2 rows of bulbs, 2 in each row. The smaller side has 6, the large side has 9. I can't complain about light at all. Mine are screwed to the ceiling with basic reflectors.

For vaulted, I would think you would want to hang from chains to keep them pointed the right way (flat), though you could also stick them to the ceiling on the angle.

Attached is a pic of mine. This shows 6 of the 9 in the bigger side, with the other 3 overhead/behind the lens.

 

[jcook5003]

Got the pad site leveled, skirt boards installed and braced and 36 tons of gravel spread. Concrete guys will be here today to prep for their pour tomorrow! Exciting times on this end.

I'll be attaching photos of the pour process tomorrow if I manage to sneak out of work on time.

 

[rswyan]

Lookin' good ... :thumbsup:

 

[dstig1]

Did you compact that fill? You really need to...and i don't see a compacter anywhere on site.

 

[jcook5003]

Fill finished, screet poles in places, fill compacted and remesh in place. Should be pouring as I'm typing.

 

[EddieWalker]

Wire mesh in a slab is one of those things that I consider a no no. While in theory it's great, it's impossible to install properly. To work, it needs to be somewhere between the lower third of the slab, to the middle. To do this, it has to be supported and then not walked on. What they contractors tell you is that they pull it up as they spread the concrete, and in most cases, they will do this at first for pictures. Once the job gets going, they quit pretending, and focus on getting everything smoothed out.

Look at it this way, a 200 pound man walking on wire with a six inch spacing is always going to be standing on wire while working. It is 100% impossible to stand on it and pull it up into the middle of the concrete, and keep it there while walking on it. '

When the job is done, the wire will be at the bottom of the slab and totally worthless.

If it was my barn, I would either fire the contractor and find another, or tell him to remove the wire and use rebar.

 

[flusher]

Fill finished, screet poles in places, fill compacted and remesh in place. Should be pouring as I'm typing.

Here's what the slab prep for my 24x42 ft shop looked like before the pour. That's 10 mil plastic vapor barrier (Visqueen) on top of the gravel.

 

[STERLING351]

Wire mesh in a slab is one of those things that I consider a no no. While in theory it's great, it's impossible to install properly. To work, it needs to be somewhere between the lower third of the slab, to the middle. To do this, it has to be supported and then not walked on. What they contractors tell you is that they pull it up as they spread the concrete, and in most cases, they will do this at first for pictures. Once the job gets going, they quit pretending, and focus on getting everything smoothed out.

Look at it this way, a 200 pound man walking on wire with a six inch spacing is always going to be standing on wire while working. It is 100% impossible to stand on it and pull it up into the middle of the concrete, and keep it there while walking on it. '

When the job is done, the wire will be at the bottom of the slab and totally worthless.

If it was my barn, I would either fire the contractor and find another, or tell him to remove the wire and use rebar.

I agree with this. I just had a slab poured and i choose to order extra rebar for the project to help. 24x40 shop with 75 pieces of #3 and 30 of #5 for the beams. I will have a car lift one day along with alot of other heavy stuff.