Well I started on this shop project almost a year ago and have just not taken the time to write this up. So I got the money together to build this shop and I started on it right away. Due to my bill of assurance I am limited to the size of out building I can have on my property (480 sqft.). Not much right? It is the size of a two car garage (20 x 24). But I have never liked working in a two car garage. Have you ever tried pulling an engine in one? By the time you get a cherry picker in front of the car, you don’t have room to move it back. So I decided make it longer and narrower (16 x 30). That way you have enough room to move around the vehicle and still move an engine hoist back. With 20 feet of drive way in the front.

I decided to build my shop out of insulated foam panels made by a company a few hours away. These panels are two inch thick and three feet wide, tongue and groove construction. They have a 26 gauge corrugated steel shell and a solid foam core with an R14 rating. The panels are completely self supportive or up to 16 foot lengths. The manufacturer makes them for use in large commercial structures, like stadiums. But a nearby company purchases the damaged products (with dings on the skin or tongue and groove) and sells them to the public.

Here is all the material stacked up against the house for nine months.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN1890-1.jpg

I built the concrete forms back in October of 2008, and shortly after we got so much rain, and the soil got so soggy I could not pour the concrete until June of 2009 (the ground would not support the truck).

And a fes picks of the forms flooded for umpteen months.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN1886-1.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN1887.jpg

I finally got the slab poured and began to make progress.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN1982.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2002.jpg

I had some obligations to take care of during the summer so I did not get a chance to put up the shop until this month. So when I did get a chance to work on it I got some of my family out to the house and started to put up the panels. We put down (Red Iron) angle down around the base of the shop to secure it to the floor and started at the corner of the building. Once we made a good square corner we built the walls from there.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2131.jpg

After we built the back wall and made two corners, we cut the gable pitch. This was the end of the first day.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2133.jpg

One of the problems with buying second quality material, is that not all the panels are the same color, and will need painting. Luckily for me I only had about five pieces that were a light yellow when the rest were gray.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2135.jpg

On the second day we got the rest of the walls up and framed up the door with 2” x 2” x 3/16” Angle.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2138.jpg

Looks good those panels are great! They insulate really well.

We got some of those "seconds" Pine Bluff or Sheridan can't remember. To build a River house for my grandpa on the little red.

Ours were different colors as well. I power washed and used DTM latex paint and applied with a airless sprayer it turned out pretty good.

Are you going to use them as ceiling panels as well?

Getting there :smokin:

I agree that any shop is better than none :D

Looks good those panels are great! They insulate really well.

We got some of those "seconds" Pine Bluff or Sheridan can't remember. To build a River house for my grandpa on the little red.

Ours were different colors as well. I power washed and used DTM latex paint and applied with a airless sprayer it turned out pretty good.

Are you going to use them as ceiling panels as well?

Yes, but they are a different style of panel. They have a tall ridge where the tongue and groove meet... They feel a lot stronger and look like a standing seem roof... and the place is in Sheridan. Its surprising just how sturdy these panels really are.

Getting there :smokin:

I agree that any shop is better than none :D

Perhaps, but that is one TINY shop! I would get claustrophobic in there quickly.

Perhaps, but that is one TINY shop! I would get claustrophobic in there quickly.

Size isn't everything.... Its the quality of work you do with it... :laughing:

If you don't mind about how much did the panels run you?

I too am wondering about the cost,also how much wind will this type of structure put up with.
Thanks
Mike

If you don't mind about how much did the panels run you?

The Foam panels cost me $2.00 a square foot. So for a 3' x 12' panel it was $54.00.

I too am wondering about the cost,also how much wind will this type of structure put up with.
Thanks
Mike

Check these links for that.
http://www.centria.com/ProductSpecifications_Anon/Versawall%20Spec%201-29%20-07.pdf
http://www.centria.com/LoadSpanTables_Anon/vw36.pdf

But I Live right in tornado alley, and I know many people who have built this style of shop and had stand up for years and years without any problems. However you don't want to make too large of a building without some kind of sub structure. Its good stuff, but not a miracle maker my any stretch.

I'm assuming you are going to come thru and add some structure to help with wind load?

Day Three we started by doubling up 2 x 10’s to span the 30’ ridge of the shop. After we assembled the beam (sandwiching 5/8 plywood with the 2 x 10’s) I attached some 4’ channel iron with rollers on the end to the top of my A-frame hoist. We used these extensions as a pulley block to help lift the beam into place. So after attaching a couple of come-alongs to the hoist frame and the beam, we lifted it up and rolled it into place. I had fabricated some two piece beam hangers out of 12 gauge sheet metal I had at work to help secure it to the building. That took us most of the morning to put in.

Going up...
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2177.jpg
Guiding in place
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2186.jpg
Installed
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2193.jpg

Once the beam was in place we started squaring up the roof panels and screwing them into place. Once the corner pieces were screwed down the entire building really stiffened up. You can see the different style of panel that we placed on top has tall (about 4”-5" thick) on each end… these are really solid panels. After the first four panels on each side were attached I climbed up and placed a ten foot section of the ridge cap on. We finished about half of the roof by the end of the day. But in the morning the rain hit, and I am on hold till the weekend…

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2200.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2198.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2197.jpg

I'm assuming you are going to come thru and add some structure to help with wind load?

Nope. Once the all the roof panels are secured to the "Red Iron", and the top edge of the wall has some lateral support, these panels are more than solid enough for the size building I have.

that's awesome man, modular garage.

How about pics of the fasteners you are using and how the panels are actually attached to eachother. It looks really cool, and I think the porportions of the building will work out well.

How about pics of the fasteners you are using and how the panels are actually attached to eachother.I'm guessing #8 drywall screws.

Ya Deed restrictions suck but I like your call on going 16x30, it will give you great room around the rig you are working on.

Can you get away with putting a lean-to overhang along the side? Maybe like 16x30 ?


I need to stay in the shop forum here, cause nothing good comes out of me posting in chit-chat...

Do you have to calk between the panels to help seal out moisture? Also, how will you finish the open ends of the roof panels?

How do you finish the ends on the roof sections?

Nope. Once the all the roof panels are secured to the "Red Iron", and the top edge of the wall has some lateral support, these panels are more than solid enough for the size building I have.

That's what I was talkin about...something for lateral support at the top of the pannels other then the trim...looks like its going together well...props to you for thinking outside the box.

How about pics of the fasteners you are using and how the panels are actually attached to eachother. It looks really cool, and I think the porportions of the building will work out well.

I am using #12 self drilling sheet metal screws every six inches. They were only recommended every 12 inches but I've stripped out too many on accident in the past so I added a few.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2203.jpg

Here is a pic from the top side showing the tongue and groove together.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2206.jpg

Ya Deed restrictions suck but I like your call on going 16x30, it will give you great room around the rig you are working on.

Can you get away with putting a lean-to overhang along the side? Maybe like 16x30 ?

Yea, that's exactly what I was thinking. I don't think there is any language in my deed that restricts a carport on the side of the outbuilding.

I'm guessing #8 drywall screws.

I thought about doing that, but the charcoal black color of the dry wall screws would have clashed with the white walls and angle iron.... I'm going for a classic red and white hot rod motif, not to mention the trouble matching the curtains....:flipoff2:

Do you have to calk between the panels to help seal out moisture? Also, how will you finish the open ends of the roof panels?

How do you finish the ends on the roof sections?

Yes there is caulk between the panels, right in the groove as you can see in this drawing. As for the open ends, I have several types of flashing and some large gutters like you will see on most other metal buildings to cover the ends.

So I got the roof on and then spent an entire day scrubbing all the dirt off the side of the building (as my pressure washer did not have enough ass to do it). Then comes the task of putting up all the trim.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2268.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2269.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2271.jpg

I have a few neibors who are electricians, so I had them pick up a few items for me to run the 100 amp service to the shop.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2272.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2273.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2274.jpg

Sweet!

How are you going to ventilate the shop?

I have two building. 18' x 24' (size sound familiar?) Full vent on the eves and full ridge vent. Air movement is pretty good in there.

My main shop is 30' x 50'. One small 10' ridge vent. Just not enough air movement. Machine tools/fab work.

Guess what building does not have a problem with tools rusting. :(

nice build

Sweet!

How are you going to ventilate the shop?

I have two building. 18' x 24' (size sound familiar?) Full vent on the eves and full ridge vent. Air movement is pretty good in there.

My main shop is 30' x 50'. One small 10' ridge vent. Just not enough air movement. Machine tools/fab work.

Guess what building does not have a problem with tools rusting. :(

Dunno yet. I have considered several options. To keep air flow while I am working I want to put a wall fan in on the far back wall (opposite the door) to pull a stream of air threw the shop, but as for ventilation for when I'm not there... May just put in a whirly bird...

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/tdogamadog/DSCN2274.jpg

OMG!!! The Aluminum wire police are going to hang you by your balls! :laughing::flipoff2: