Portable Garage Done...

[Dave___in___CT]

Hi...


Inquired here a few months ago about portable garages...

Just completed putting up a 26'wide x 24' deep x 12' high Clearspan "portable" garage...

My girlfriend and I constructed the frame and rear cover in a weekend... I put on the front cover and main cover by myself... with the help of 2 tractors and a truck... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

"Closeout" price about $1,500 w/ delivery... $400 for stone base... ~$200 in extras...
~$2,100 total... + labor...

Seems like a nice unit... all parts went together well...

A photo is attached... and 2 more follow...


Dave...

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Tractor inside...


Dave...

 

[Dave___in___CT]

One more...


Dave...

 

[michaelaz]

Nice looking unit. Did they give you an idea how long the life is?
Michael

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Life...


15 year warrenty on the cover... pro-rated I guess...

Pipes are galvanized & substantial... 1.66" O.D. for main rafters & other pipes... 1.35" pipe for rafter connectors...


Dave...

 

[Junkman]

Great looking shelter. Plenty of room inside for more tractors and implements. How long will it take for you to fill it up???
I didn't see any anchors to hold it down in a storm. You definitely don't want that to go sailing through the air. Once the wind picks one up, there is no guessing where they will land. A friend had one take off and it landed in the front yard of a house about 200 yards away. Mine isn't anchored, but it is surrounded by trees. Even with all this "wind break", it moved the first year that I installed it. In a storm, it does move around a little, but there is no place to go except against a tree. In your case, in an open field, you have no idea where it might go.

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Junkman...


Thank you... & thanks for the anchoring warning...

Yep... It's anchored... every rafter end (hoop) is anchored from inside the building...

Used "Duckbill" anchors... drove 'em down ~30" deep into the ground...
1/8" cable attached to 'em attaches to the rafter ends ~18" up...

Manufacturer recommends anchoring from the inside so the sides don't blow out from a snow load on the top...


Dave...

 

[GerardC]

Nice looking project. Could you please answer.......

What brand is it?

Where did you buy it?

Does it open on both ends?

Is it zipper, Velcro or both?

Do you get very high winds there?

Thanks in advance. G

 

[Dave___in___CT]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Nice looking project. Could you please answer.......

What brand is it?
<font color="red"> Clearspan 2-car garage... </font>

Where did you buy it?
<font color="red">Farmtek... www.farmtek.com
Can request a catalog from them... </font>

Does it open on both ends?
<font color="red">Mine does... (2) 8'x8' doors at each end... but the rear panel was suppose to be non-openable... I bought a "closeout" so guess I got the "wrong" end panel w/ doors... I set it up so the rear doors can not roll up... but can unzip then and walk thru...
I believe you can custom order whatever you want... </font>

Is it zipper, Velcro or both?
<font color="red"> Doors have 2 vertical zippers each... no velcro... but (2) 1" nylon straps to secure the rolled-up door in the full open position... </font>

Do you get very high winds there?
<font color="red"> Yes... it's been thru a couple high-wind thunder storms already... no problem... I'm concerned about snow... it's in Vermont... and I'm in CT... will see this winter... </font>

Thanks in advance. G )</font>


<font color="red"> They have lotsa' other building types/sizes... I compared the Clearspan to the Coverit brand... Clearspan is definately superior in my anaylsis... but more costly... </font>
<font color="red"> Dave... </font>

 

[Junkman]

Dave, I have found that if you keep it clean so the surface is smooth, the snow will slide off of it. One problem with snow is that when there becomes a large enough accumulation on the sides, the there is no way that the snow can slid off. No place for it to go.

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Junkman...


Good points... thanks...

I'm fearing the snow may accumulate on the very top... since the cover is a little concave & flat between the rafters on top...

It didn't cross my mind that buildup at the bottom of rafters may be an issue too as you say... since the snow will slide down the sides and accumulate there...

hmmmmmmmm.....


Dave...

 

[Junkman]

the heat build up inside is what causes the snow to fall off. I have found a tendency for these shelters to want to spread with the weight of the snow. To counter this, I used cheap binder straps between the metal pipes to hold the sides together in the winter.

 

[Dave___in___CT]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...To counter this, I used cheap binder straps between the metal pipes to hold the sides together in the winter. )</font>


Are the straps at ground level or higher up on the rafters ?


Dave...

 

[Junkman]

I have a bar that goes vertical about 15" above the bottom edge. I just hook onto this on both sides and put a small amount of tension on it. This pulls the sides in about a inch and then if there is a snow load on the top, it prevents the bottom from flaring outward. When mine was new, I used to spray the cover with silicone and it helped to shed snow, but in recent years, I have gotten lazy about this and now do nothing. I have a Cover It brand and it is about 10 - 12 years old. The only problem that I have is that one of the heat sealed seams has opened up for about 2' in the rear of the shelter. A new cover is too expensive, so I have just ignored it. I don't store anything of value in there now that I have a garage. It just holds the Junkman's extra junk.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Thanks...

Dave...