So what would you have done different with your new shop?

[cmyoung2]

Things I like in my shop-25x40 US Steel building. Electric-200amp, plenty of breakers, all wiring in conduit. Outlets every 4', 3 walls. each outlet is a double duplex box, each duplex outlet is on a separate circuit. So, down the south wall, the outlets are labeled A/B, A/B every 4', North wall is C/D. All 20amp. All overhead lights are plugged into outlets, 4' tubes, being replaced with LED. Also have a couple of high bay400 watt big lights, don't remember what kind.
Bathroom with hot water, I would not do with out that. 16x9 door with a man door at each end. 16' is big enough for a one car garage, not for 2. I have a 18'x3'x6'deep grease pit. I like it, but it is too deep. I might put a lift in my next shop(if there is one).
Concrete floors, with drains. heat in the floors if you never, ever let it freeze. Insulate and vapor barrier under the concrete. Big concrete pad out front. Parking and workspot when you can't get tin the shop.
Things I would change. BIGGER. have storage space outside for wood/metal/parts/equipment. I will probably go with more conventional construction next time so I can use the walls and be able to insulate.

 

[flingwing1969]

I am trying to figure out the room for the compressor and dust collector. Since the beginning I had planned on it being outside, in an attached shed. Just had a friend say that with mice and rain, the dust collectors do better inside a closet inside a building, not outside.

I would build my closets - one for each - outside the building proper. That way, 1. they don't take any room away from the shop, 2. you can install sound insulation between the shop wall and the closet and noise will be held to a minimum, 3. the little bit of dust leakage from the system will be held outside, 4. you can make them vermin tight - at least as tight as your shop-proper is anyway.

 

[flingwing1969]

Things . I have a 18'x3'x6'deep grease pit. I like it, but it is too deep.

Have you considered putting a duckboard floor in the bottom of the pit to bring it up to a better height for working under a vehicle? Wouldn't need much, depending on your height and the duck board sections could be pulled up to let a taller person work if necessary - or to find the tool/part that inevitably drops in the wrong spot. The duckboards could also be covered with those stall mats they sell at the farm stores so small items won't drop through.

 

[EddieWalker]

Would you buy a roll up door or a "Panelized Door" I am looking at Panelized because it is inulated but also it can have windows. Downside is when up it is going to block my celing lights.

Roll up doors leave you with more ceiling space for lights, or access to the attic. Garage doors have a HUGE jump in price when you go taller then 7 feet. Both can have automatic openers operated by a remote control or a button. Garage style panel doors can be very attractive looking, but that's another big jump in cost. Neither seal very well or insulate very well, but you will probably have better results with a Garage style panel door.

When I add on to my house I will be building a new three car garage and I will use Garage panel type doors there. When I build my barn, I will be using roll up doors. My main door will be big enough to get my backhoe into there, so 14 feet height is needed, which is why I will go with 16 foot walls. I will have a workshop on one side as in the lean to wing and I wil be putting a roll up door there. I will also put roll up doors on the other end of the building so I can enter from either side, or drive right through it.

I want the main part of the building to be wide enough to drive down the middle of it, from end to end and have enough room on either side for parking tractors and implements. This is my goal.

 

[9973720wb19]

built a closet for my 60 gallon air compressor and piped air within the walls to provide for various connection points throughout the building

 

[flingwing1969]

Roll up doors leave you with more ceiling space for lights, or access to the attic. Garage doors have a HUGE jump in price when you go taller then 7 feet. Both can have automatic openers operated by a remote control or a button. Garage style panel doors can be very attractive looking, but that's another big jump in cost. Neither seal very well or insulate very well, but you will probably have better results with a Garage style panel door.

When I add on to my house I will be building a new three car garage and I will use Garage panel type doors there. When I build my barn, I will be using roll up doors. My main door will be big enough to get my backhoe into there, so 14 feet height is needed, which is why I will go with 16 foot walls. I will have a workshop on one side as in the lean to wing and I wil be putting a roll up door there. I will also put roll up doors on the other end of the building so I can enter from either side, or drive right through it.

I want the main part of the building to be wide enough to drive down the middle of it, from end to end and have enough room on either side for parking tractors and implements. This is my goal.

Good points there on door selection. Having that ceiling space where a panel door would otherwise have been can be valuable for sure. I have panel doors in my shop (I bought the property with the shop on it) and I have indeed found them limiting - not to the point where I've considered replacing them, mind you, but I would do roll-ups if I was building it again.

 

[flingwing1969]

built a closet for my 60 gallon air compressor and piped air within the walls to provide for various connection points throughout the building

Like electrical outlets, one will love having many compressed air outlets scattered around the building - inside and outside. Just remember, that also means more places to leak air.

 

[GLyford]

Oil pits aren't allowed here, but a friend's Dad has a shop building on a side hill, one leg of the driveway loops around as a ramp. When it gets to about 2' high, there is a level concrete section that runs perpendicular and meets the shop apron, with a gap in the middle.

Sorry the pic is a little weird, it's from google maps "3d".

 

[flingwing1969]

Oil pits aren't allowed here, but a friend's Dad has a shop building on a side hill, one leg of the driveway loops around as a ramp. When it gets to about 2' high, there is a level concrete section that runs perpendicular and meets the shop apron, with a gap in the middle.
View attachment 545707
Sorry the pic is a little weird, it's from google maps "3d".

Yes, they are a bit dangerous. I had a ramp like you show, built out over a driveway that was three or so feet lower than the one uphill that I could back out on and have a "pit" to service stuff. I don't have any slopes on my current place, however, so that isn't an option. It does work really well if you have the topography for it. Then there is this option for a "lift"

 

[flusher]

I built my shop in June 2005 with metal frame, sides and roof 24x42 ft with 12 ft walls, two 10x10 ft rollup doors, one man door and one window. The slab was 6" thick, 4000 psi concrete with #4 rebar on 24" grid.



Today I would choose a red iron metal building 40x40 ft with 15 ft walls, two man doors, several windows and skylights. There would be 20 ft wide x 14 ft tall doors centered on opposite walls (a pull-through design). The doors would be either two-piece sliding or hinged.