New 3 stall shop suggestion requests

[fidowanttobe]

Planning stages for a 40' wide 34' deep 3 stall shop with my hoist being in the middle stall.
3) 10' wide 8' tall doors with 1 entry door and 1) 3x4 window in the 3 other walls.
4" slab with thickened edge, 3) floor drains, and 2) dead-man anchors.
2x6 walls, closed cell spray foam, OSB interior and exterior sheeting with pole barn tin.
Blow in 34R cellulose ceiling insulation with tin ceiling and roof. May spray the ceiling instead, depends on $$$
Forced air electric furnace with off peak rates.

How TALL??

Ceiling height needs 12' for the hoist, doors only need 10', I really want the heat down low and experience in other shops tells me 12 walls have a lot of heat up there.
So, . . 10' walls and box out rafters above the hoist?
10' walls with scissor rafters?
Or 12' walls?
North Dakota winters and I will be constant heating to 45 degrees and raising when needed. Reeeeaaally want to keep the heating costs down.

What am I forgetting or doing wrong?

 

[workinonit]

8' high doors may be good for you but they wouldn't work at all for me. I assume you are going with rollup doors. They are the only doors that make any sense at all. I'm about to have to replace my garage door on my house and I'm going with a rollup. The rest is really whatever floats your boat. Make sure you double the thickness of the concrete under the lift legs.

 

[fidowanttobe]

Yup on the hoist piers.
Not a fan of overhead doors? Why? Mine will need to be insulated so yes, they will be overhead.
I have been eyeballing my friends wall mount opener though. Like that no opener is in the middle of the bay ceiling.

 

[zzvyb6]

I'm pretty happy with propane powered ceramic infrared ceiling heaters. Just heat the tools and 'stuff' in the bay(s) you are working with. My FOUR bays 30' deep are still not enough space for tools, shelves, metal shop, welding area, boat storage, tire changer, rotabins, refridgerator...
Make sure the ceiling is high enough to clear any vehicle, tractor, or container that you may way to park on the lift in a fully raised position.
Consider a 'mezzanine' as a partial 2nd story for storage of seldom used 'stuff'.

 

[JJT]

I have a similar setup, 3 bay 28'x44', with a lift in the 3rd bay. 12' side walls, vaulted ceiling, 10x10 doors. I can put a full size truck on the lift and run it up to 8'. I went with 6" floors. Highbay T5 lights, (would be led if I did it today). Lots of outlets and widows. I have no issues heating it with a 100kbtu kerosene heater.

I'd recommend bigger doors, and the lift on one side, not the middle. I have 4'+ of clearance around my 4 post lift, no access issues.

 

[WM75Guy]

I have 2 8'X10' doors on the garage and 2 10'X10' rollup doors on the shop. I wish I had gone with 12' wide doors on both. Backing a trailer in or even pulling in one of the pickups with the camper/towing mirrors is tight. But hopefully this is the last place I will ever build from the ground up so I will live with it.

 

[dodge man]

That’s a great size and a good overall plan. You might want one of the overhead doors bigger? 12 foot high ceiling, that’s a no doubter in my opinion. I might also look at a 6” thick floor also. Mines 28’x30’ with a thickened edge, that works fine, but mines closer to 6” thick. Mine also has a short wall, maybe 4” high around the edge just to get the lumber off the floor.

 

[BigGG]

I'd strongly recommend 9' or preferably 10' high door. My little Kubota L35 just barely clears 8'.

 

[repete]

I have a side winder door motor on my 10' by 10' door with a lift in the bay. The side opener allowed me to have the door go up much higher and really hug the ceiling, even matching the vault angle if the vault is perpendicular to the door opening.

A 6' interior height cargo trailer is only going to clear an 8' door by maybe a couple inches.

Since I knew I was going to have a lift, I dug out the areas where the two posts would go and poured a monopour slab with 2' x 2' squares dug out to set the lift anchor bolts in. I have kids working on cars and I wanted 0 doubt about it moving. It said it could sit on a 4" slab but 12" bolts into a 24"x24" block was way better with a rebar cage. I may switch the 9000lb lift to a 12,000 pound lift in the future.

On another thought when building, I installed a wire from my lighting circuit down to a box by my compressor outgoing line. In the outgoing line I installed a solenoid valve that opens with electricity. Since I have multiple yellow drop lines and air hose reels I was concerned about blowing a line when I was not in the shop. With the solenoid valve activated by the light switch, any time I leave the shop, the entire overhead air system is shut down. If I blow a hose, only the air in the down side of the solenoid drains and the compressor does not run. Cheap insurance. Another benefit is if I come in the shop in the morning and I turn on the lights and hear the system charge from the compressor, I know I have a leak to take care of.

 

[fidowanttobe]

Thanks Guys. Like I said, In the planning stage.
Please keep them coming.

 

[pokey1416]

Go with raised center bay truss and you can keep sidewall heights lower and still have center bay for higher door and your lift.

 

[dodge man]

Something to think about what on the floor for a finish? Concrete but how smooth, stained, epoxy floor paint? If you do want epoxy paint go with the really good stuff which would cost several thousand dollars for a building that size.

What about lighting? I went with the 4 foot long twin fluorescent fixtures and have a bunch of them. I’ve slowly switched them out to the same sized fixtures but LED.

I saw you considered heat, forced air. A cheap method is one of those units that just hang up in the corner of the ceiling. That’s what I have and it warms the place up in 10 minutes if you keep it about 45 degrees when you aren’t out there. I also run a dehumidifier this time of year and have a cheap portable AC unit. If it 95 outside and humid 80 degrees and low humidity feels good.

What about a waterline, bathroom, internet, air compressor, welder? Lots to think about.

 

[repete]

Something to think about what on the floor for a finish? Concrete but how smooth, stained, epoxy floor paint? If you do want epoxy paint go with the really good stuff which would cost several thousand dollars for a building that size.

What about lighting? I went with the 4 foot long twin fluorescent fixtures and have a bunch of them. I’ve slowly switched them out to the same sized fixtures but LED.

I saw you considered heat, forced air. A cheap method is one of those units that just hang up in the corner of the ceiling. That’s what I have and it warms the place up in 10 minutes if you keep it about 45 degrees when you aren’t out there. I also run a dehumidifier this time of year and have a cheap portable AC unit. If it 95 outside and humid 80 degrees and low humidity feels good.

What about a waterline, bathroom, internet, air compressor, welder? Lots to think about.

Your post on the furnace reminded me that I ran a line from my thermostat to the bay door and installed a limit switch on the bay door. Any time the bay door is open the limit switch cuts off the furnace. Door open no heat.
Another thing was a mechanical timer to shut off the furnace after a predetermined duration. No leaving for the day and leaving the heat on 24/7.

I had three teenage boys with cars.....

 

[dstig1]

Lots of things could be suggested but as one poster already said, make those door 9 or 10' tall, or you will probably regret it. Mine are 10x10. And FYI 10' wide is actually tight for my F250 with the mirrors not folded in.

I went 13' tall to allow a lift and room for lights on the ceiling still. Had to make sure the garage door guys put in high-lift tracks too, or the doors would end up in the way of a (still) future lift.

 

[dlctcg]

Again, there are a lot things that could be mentioned & I agree on larger doors...

The other thing to consider that I didn't see mentioned, is insulating under your slab. Your putting a lot of effort in closed cell & ceiling, so I would look at slab insulation also. The tighter the envelope the less BTU's needed.

 

[duffer]

Go with raised center bay truss and you can keep sidewall heights lower and still have center bay for higher door and your lift.

View attachment 801226

Stole my post! I was just going to suggest this.
Also...I would highly recommend 10x10' doors. You may "upgrade" your equipment before the garage/shop falls down.

And maybe a wood burning stove, with a fan blowing across it. Probably a helluva lot cheaper than paying for elec. (unless you're going with a heat pump). Have you checked into a Mini-split HVAC unit?

 

[workinonit]

I had Liftmaster openers installed on my rollup doors. Love them. My doors are 10x10. I have 2 doors on one long side of my shop and directly across from one of them is the third door. This way I can drive through the shop if I need to or pull something in from the opposite side if the front is blocked.

 

[oldtimer 66]

I have one 12' X 12" wide door on the heated side of my building, 40' deep X 60' wide. If it had been a 10' door I probably be on my third set of truck mirrors and maybe fender or two. The OH door, will it interfere when a van or truck with a cap on when that vehicle is on the lift with the OH door open? You need to layout exactly where the lift will be. As some else mentioned you need extra thick concrete/ and some rebar to support that lift. My compact JD 4320 with R4 tires and cab is 8"2" tall. Just a couple of things to think about

 

[RustyA]

Off peak in floor electric boiler heat with insulated slab. Ceiling mounted propane forced air for makeup heat...or good seer mini split will give you heat in winter and ac in summer. Keeping shop at 45-50 degrees 6" spray foam may be excessive?

 

[fidowanttobe]

Thanks again Gentlemen.
Sigh, I wonder how many times I have edited my plans so far.
Great suggestion on the 10' tall door. I will put one in the middle. 10' width I think I'll stick with.
Anyone have scissor rafters? Concerned on the amount of insulation I can get in there. And then, . . NO ventilation at all? Old school mindset of mine thinks that there needs an attic and vents.
Dirt work has started.
Can't determine if it's anxiety or excitement.