New shop build, beginning stages with questions

[ovrszd]

I did some research before preparation of my floor. My hoist manufacturer specifies 4" of 3000 mpa. I used 5" of 3500 mpa and put a footing 2'x6'x8" directly under the slab where the two posts will sit with extra rebar. The rest if the floor sits on 2" of styrofoam. 1/2" rebar was put in 10"x14" squares, and using the concrete chairs I used, it will sit in the centre of the slab. The 1/2" pex sits on top of the bar which is suggested as the best height. The pex held pressure while the concrete was poured and it seemed that the crew walked on top of the bar without any problems. I am satisfied that everything is reasonably good. Including the fill underneath, the floor cost near $10,000 and a lot of my labour. I didn`t want to scrimp.

Yep. Good stuff. The debate about PEX placement is never ending. I think the end result is the same.

 

[grsthegreat]

i have a friend that installed pex in a 40x40 shop. he was told a waterheater and circ pump would be enough. it was not. he ended up shelling out $3,000 on a boiler system. that same boiler has broken down 3 times in the past 10 years. i used to be jealous that i never heard of pex heating when i did my shop, and used to be sad i did not install it in the floor. years later my boxed furnace that hangs from the rafters is still working strong. so who knows.

 

[not2old]

Next door, he installed $300 worth of pex in a floor similar in size to mine with no insulation. A coil in his wood stove does almost nothing. Another friend did it similar to me. It has worked for a few years just fine, using one 2000w electric element and a circulation pump. I don't know the cost of electricity for that but it's my plan to start. If I have any money left, I'm hoping to use a waste oil boiler. It should heat my shop, add heat to my house and part of my driveways and sidewalks. People pay to get rid of waste oil here. I may not live that long, but it gives years of something to do with my time.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Still waiting on a reply to my email, will probably call tomorrow...

Got the driveway compacted and went over everything again inside and the whole floor is within 1" so likely good for what I'm going for... I'm not too stressed on the compaction but it makes it much more obvious when going over everything with the laser level...

I made a point to mark the stupid hole on the driveway since it's very squishy, don't want a concrete truck getting buried there... It's way too wet to get it compacted, the jumping jack doesn't appreciate compacting mud, it's pretty violent there... I'll have to work on it for a few years I imagine...

 

[two_bit_score]

Still waiting on a reply to my email, will probably call tomorrow...

Got the driveway compacted and went over everything again inside and the whole floor is within 1" so likely good for what I'm going for... I'm not too stressed on the compaction but it makes it much more obvious when going over everything with the laser level...

I made a point to mark the stupid hole on the driveway since it's very squishy, don't want a concrete truck getting buried there... It's way too wet to get it compacted, the jumping jack doesn't appreciate compacting mud, it's pretty violent there... I'll have to work on it for a few years I imagine...

I’ve read through most of this thread. Looks like you are building a very nice building. With the lift you are putting in I was wondering if you have planed any chain pots in the floor to allow for tying down anything you might want to pull on to repair?

Now would be the best time to put them in.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Yes I am planning on that, I need to get the material for it rounded up...

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Thinking it over again, I'm gonna talk to the guy, might take him up on the quote for rebar if he'll give me a week after rebar so I can get the PEX in... I attached a picture of my first go at the PEX layout in LoopCAD, two openings on the bottom are rollup doors, open box is 4'x13' for the lift about 12' from the door, box in top right is office/bathroom/loft space. I'm not used to the software yet so getting dimensions is difficult, I don't know if the big doors or box are in the right spot or size...

the first loop that runs along the outside then in front of your over head doors(believe color is purple) is going to get its butt kicked on temp lose. There is or I have done different ways of getting around it. if you haven't put it down yet put it out to the pex supplier. If you change the spacing closer on the outside further apart on the inside. I have done that.

There is just no good way to stop the thermal bridging on the slab by your over head doors.

If you baulk a changing the spacing you can correct it at the manifold. They make away to control the temp in each loop and then you run a variable displacement pump.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

I have done just what you are doing.
The last one I did which I have not put heat too yet, on the out side edge I ran 2" foam on bottom and sides in 4' on the outside edges then I used 1" It is hard to get gravel level doing it that way won't do it that way again. Then there is a tool for stapling pex to the insulation. That worked slick! Then fiber glass rebar. I cut wood blocks to space up the rebar. You could walk on the rebar stayed right where it was. For the small over head door to stop the thermal bridging, I ran the foam up the sides, then I am going to come back and cover it with a chunk of steel. Go 5 inch skip the fiber, it looks better on smooth concrete with out the fiber.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Lay out for your lift. Then when you first put heat to your floor, use a thermal imaging camaca to find where your lift goes. If you do it when you first turn the heat on and floor is cold the loop stands right out.

 

[ovrszd]

Lay out for your lift. Then when you first put heat to your floor, use a thermal imaging camaca to find where your lift goes. If you do it when you first turn the heat on and floor is cold the loop stands right out.

It's critical to determine lift location before the PEX is laid. The bolt spacing on the legs makes it a necessity that there be a blank area. Can't simply drill between loops.