Advice on 5000 sq ft hobby bldg

[747driver]

I did my own site prep. Its easier if you can do it before starting to build. You are going to have a big foot print in layout. I added 10 ft all the way around the perimeter of the building so the builder had plenty of room for equipment. That made me clear some trees out of the way !! Make sure you get the ground to drain away from the building properly. Know where your final grade and top of concrete is going to be in relation to water drainage. I put stone ( 57s ) down first and then started the construction. Putting the stone down keeps it from becoming a muddy mess if it rains. Poured the concrete floor 2 weeks later when all the construction was done. OVRSZD is correct...when building barns, shops etc no 2 buildings will be the same in terms of sq. ft price. To many variables ( doors,windows,hvac,electrical ) to compare prices. Make a detailed list of things that are a must have. Look forward to your progress !

 

[ovrszd]

I did my own site prep. Its easier if you can do it before starting to build. You are going to have a big foot print in layout. I added 10 ft all the way around the perimeter of the building so the builder had plenty of room for equipment. That made me clear some trees out of the way !! Make sure you get the ground to drain away from the building properly. Know where your final grade and top of concrete is going to be in relation to water drainage. I put stone ( 57s ) down first and then started the construction. Putting the stone down keeps it from becoming a muddy mess if it rains. Poured the concrete floor 2 weeks later when all the construction was done. OVRSZD is correct...when building barns, shops etc no 2 buildings will be the same in terms of sq. ft price. To many variables ( doors,windows,hvac,electrical ) to compare prices. Make a detailed list of things that are a must have. Look forward to your progress !

Good points about the pad. Over build, over build, over build. I had access to a large Sheeps Foot which I used to pack my fill as I added the dirt. No reason to not have your pad level. And as you stated, with proper drainage. Really hard to correct these things after the building is there!!! Good points!!

 

[bigtiller]

The first thing I thought of was the ceiling. Unless you have the equipment for the job, have the contractor hang the ceiling and lights. That's a tuff job with 16' walls.

 

[ovrszd]

The first thing I thought of was the ceiling. Unless you have the equipment for the job, have the contractor hang the ceiling and lights. That's a tuff job with 16' walls.

Yep, in a 14' I paid the builder to hang the ceiling panel liner. I did the wiring. I had two very good scaffold units to work from.

 

[MickeyDBC]

I am building a 40'x100' now and went with 26 gauge roof and side panels instead of the 29. DDM, who we are getting the metal from, said there is very little price difference between the two and the 26 gauge holds up a lot better. 26 gauge weighs almost a pound a square foot while 29 gauge weighs about .6 pounds, why a lot of contractors try to sell you on the 29.

 

[johncanfield]

My 50x50 shop and RV port is a weld-up, the sheet steel is 26 gauge. 29 gauge sounds too light.

 

[fried1765]

My 50x50 shop and RV port is a weld-up, the sheet steel is 26 gauge. 29 gauge sounds too light.

Morton Buildings advertises that they use 19 gauge steel.
That is one he11 of a lot better material than either 29 gauge or 26 gauge!

 

[747driver]

Good points about the pad. Over build, over build, over build. I had access to a large Sheeps Foot which I used to pack my fill as I added the dirt. No reason to not have your pad level. And as you stated, with proper drainage. Really hard to correct these things after the building is there!!! Good points!!

Thanks ! Lucky you on the sheeps foot roller. It took me a yr in my spare time to get the hillside leveled off and 5 big trees removed. I leveled my site off in 4" lifts and packed down with my tractor. You only get one chance to make the building pad level and stable.

 

[EddieWalker]

Couple of things jumped out to me in your description of what you want. First thing is about your builder? Have to talked to other builders and have you looked at other projects that he has done? Every building has "their" way of doing things, so what some of what you are saying he will do is probably what he is comfortable with doing and not necessarily what is the ideal way of doing things.

There are 3 basic ways of building a shop or a shed or a barn, that is basically a rectangular shell.

Pole building has poles in the ground and trusses spanning the roof. This is the most cost effective way to build. If you are going to finish off the interior walls, which will require framing, and if you are going to pour concrete, then stick framing becomes more cost effective. If you want maximum span and height, iron buildings are best.

From what you have stated, I think you should consider stick framing on top of a concrete foundation. Install metal on the ceiling and then blow in insulation. R10 isn't worth the money, and fiberglass batts in the attic for insulation or horrible inefficient because of all the gaps between them. One foot of blown in AttiCat insulation will give you R30. I personally prefer 2 feet for R60. I also don't think 29 guage metal should be used on metal building. It's too thin and easily damaged. It's cheaper, but in the long run, it will be more likely to give you issues over 26 gauge. I've also heard a few things about US Steel that causes me to be hesitant to use them. From what I understand, it's sales person driven company that farms out suppliers after they get you to agree to buy from them, and you rarely know who that is until it arrives at your location. If you have any issues, then you have to deal with the supplier. I wouldn't put any faith in a warrantee from any company. Best case scenario is that they give you replacement material, but usually you have to jump through hoops for that, and if they agree to give you the replacement materials, it's then up to you to do the work yourself or hire it out. This is true with every warrantee for every home product that I've ever dealt with, from flooring, to faucets, and everything else.

 

[EddieWalker]

What type of dogs does your wife have?