I'm building a shop!

[Robert Morse]

I’ve always had an interest in building, fixing and DIY.  Our family would spend 3 months a year in a very remote fishing village in SE Alaska, so maintaining/building/fixing seems to run in the family DNA.  In 2009, we bought our first home – right off a busy street, but super close to my work.  It had been a rental for 30+ years before we bought, so there were LOTS of projects… I made cabinet doors, cased windows (so many windows...), remodeled our wood stair case with new pine treads and risers, built a deck, built a bed for one of the kids, and many other projects.  Projects need tools, which then allow you to build more projects.  I also built tall mirror frames, and other finish pieces for the family.  I discovered a passion for woodworking during that time – it relaxes me, and lets me use my hands to create.  We also had 2 kids, and about 2 years ago, we decided to sell and move a little way out of the city so the kids could play outside and we wouldn’t have to hear traffic.

 

In early 2016, we bought a new house situated on a little over an acre. Part of the move was to give space for a shop, so I could continue to tinker, create and build, and allowing the Wife to park in the garage for the first time in our 9 year marriage (sorry Babe, just a few more weeks).  Once the transaction closed on the new property, we started getting quotes and figuring out what needed to happen to enable to the shop to be built. 

 

I had some ideas about what I wanted:

• 24x36’, 864 sqft.  Big enough to park in if necessary, and still have a mostly functioning shop space.
• Pole building (for cost)
• Tall interior ceiling height with limited interior roof framing to cast shadows and interfere with work.  We’ve elected to go with a shed style roof with glu-lams/LVL's so there’s minimal interior roof structure hanging down to cast shadows and interfere with tall work. The low side will be about 9’ on the inside, while the tall side will be around 15’.  
• Single garage door, I didn’t to lose wall space, and I am not planning to park inside it anyway.  I’m also concerned about preventing theft, so minimizing the number of potential entry points was high on my list.

 

My design ideas were influenced by Frank Howarth’s shop, ideas from BubbaEstes’ build, as well as other shops I’ve seen on here and other places, along with our own needs and desires for how the shop should sit on our property, and what we want to do in it.

 

Getting ready to build has taken a year, and we signed our building contract back in June.  We had to take care of some septic requirements, namely getting a reserve drainfield identified, having test holes dug, and inspected (“yep, those are holes”).  We also had to get some electrical work done, like replacing the panel, setting up for a generator and the shop sub-panel. We were warned to expect the permit process to last for 4-5 months: it was completed in less than 3 weeks. Everyone from the inspectors to the builder were shocked by the speed.

 

In the middle of November, our site prep was completed. One of our main concerns was maintaining the forested nature of our lot: we didn’t want to remove many trees.  We took down a couple of tall, thin trees which I'm pretty sure were cherry, a fir, a cedar, and a decent sized maple… the maple will become a Roubo bench someday, and I’ve got a small pile of cherry logs waiting for me to chainsaw mill them down to size. The guy with the excavator did a phenomenal job – the site is cleared and graded for drainage, and he laid down a layer of crushed asphalt as a building pad. I've been pleasantly surprised at how well the asphalt compacts down - it's REALLY solid under foot. 

 

We called the builder on 4 December to let them know our site prep was complete, and they told me to expect materials deliveries beginning on Monday 11 December. That same evening (one week early), a guy pulled up in our driveway and dropped off our steel entry door for the shop… Then on Thursday at 6:45 am while at work, I got a phone call from a truck driver, asking where I wanted him to leave the metal panels.  By end of the day Thursday, most of the building materials were organized strategically about the site, 3 days early.

 

Construction starts the week of 18 December. I'll keep posting updates and pictures of the build over the next few weeks.  Here we go… J

[Chet]

I am looking forward to following this Robert.

[Brendon_t]

Good write up. I'm excited to follow it. Your lot is also a very beautiful backdrop.

[Chestnut]

Yep I'll follow along. I'm excited to see what you make of your space, and hope everything goes smoothly.

Did you have some strict stormwater considerations you had to make?

[Robert Morse]

1 minute ago, Chestnut said:

Did you have some strict stormwater considerations you had to make?

No - the inspector from the county was surprisingly pretty laid back - didn't require silt fencing for construction, and said as long as the splash blocks were in place, we should be good.  We are working hard to not add any more impervious surface than necessary to the lot.  I was concerned they were going to require a drywell, or something else, but so far, so good.  Its hard to see in the photos, but there's a 4' drop to the left of the berm of dirt - drainage is decent in that area of the lot. 

[Alan G]

Looking forward to following along. What a great setting!

[Chestnut]

2 hours ago, Robert Morse said:

No - the inspector from the county was surprisingly pretty laid back - didn't require silt fencing for construction, and said as long as the splash blocks were in place, we should be good.  We are working hard to not add any more impervious surface than necessary to the lot.  I was concerned they were going to require a drywell, or something else, but so far, so good.  Its hard to see in the photos, but there's a 4' drop to the left of the berm of dirt - drainage is decent in that area of the lot. 

Nice, i thought practices in your area were quite strict but it appears that due to the small development you have very reasonable requirements. I am a municipal engineer and the differences in regions interests me a lot. I'm for some of the more strict regulations, ecosystems can be fragile and trees grow in ecosystems and i like woodworking so it all comes full circle.

[Robert Morse]

4 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

Nice, i thought practices in your area were quite strict but it appears that due to the small development you have very reasonable requirements. I am a municipal engineer and the differences in regions interests me a lot. I'm for some of the more strict regulations, ecosystems can be fragile and trees grow in ecosystems and i like woodworking so it all comes full circle.

We're pretty lucky to be just outside city limits - the area we're in still has many multi-acre lots, and quite a few folks with pocket farms/barns/outbuildings (although not necessarily on our street).  The county seems to be far more willing to work with homeowners while protecting the ecology of the area, rather than the more adversarial nature we saw and heard about from other folks in town and dealing with city code compliance.  

I share your concerns about making sure the ecosystem is sustained as much as possible - we love our trees and the deer, bears, bats and birds that come with them. 

[JosephThomas]

Looks wonderful.  Which side of the sound are you on?

[Robert Morse]

17 hours ago, JosephThomas said:

Looks wonderful.  Which side of the sound are you on?

we're on the right side, between Duvall and Woodinville. 

[ClassAct]

Ah, a shop of one's own. Beautiful, Robert!

My FIL has his standalone shop right at the intersection of Woodinville-Duvall Road. If you're interested in a shop tour, LMK!

[Pondhockey]

Awesome!  My brother built (well, the building never stops, really) a house and shop in Tenakee.  I built a pole building at my last house in McCall, Idaho.

I like that you didn't rob wall space (I've done the same) but you might invite discussion about natural/raking light.  I like your high windows.  My pole building had a gravel floor, which had advantages, but eventually I would have paved it.  I had no water supply or drain - I really like having that handy in my current shop.  I think a drain might be easy to install.

This will be fun to follow.

[estesbubba]

What an awesome setting to build a shop - I’m looking forward to following this!

[Robert Morse]

9 hours ago, Pondhockey said:

I like that you didn't rob wall space (I've done the same) but you might invite discussion about natural/raking light.  I like your high windows.  

We live in western Washington... between the clouds, the rain, and the short days, there's NO natural light for half the year anyway.   Kidding aside, the windows face east, so I'll get some early morning light, but the nature of our lot precluded windows on the west side, and as for the north facing windows, well see my comment about no light outside for 6 months of the year. I'm planning for a LOT of LED shop lights, and when the weather is nice for that one week in mid-August each year, I can open the garage door. 

You had mentioned the floor: we'll have a slab poured as soon as the building is complete. 

 

[Pondhockey]

I went with LED lights (lots of them) in my new shop.  I like them, but I still use a raking task light some times.

[Chestnut]

1 hour ago, Robert Morse said:

no light outside for 6 months of the year.

Yep know what that's like, won't start getting daylight here for another 3 months.

[Robert Morse]

Monday morning update: Things are happening. 

We woke up to rain this morning, so much rain.  At 7am, right on time, the build crew showed up and started driving stakes and laying out lines for the building perimeter.  Today they'll dig, and put concrete in the bottom of the holes.  They'll also schedule the inspection for the holes. Speaking with the foreman, he mentioned he has some scheduled time off over the next couple of weeks, but he still thought they'd be done with the building in 2 weeks or so. I'm at work now, and REALLY wishing I was home to watch the process.  I'll try to get some more pictures tonight if I can make it home before dark. 

The kids are excited, because they'll get another pile of dirt to play in.  My boy keeps telling us his favorite thing about our old home was the pile of dirt in our backyard he could dig in. Merry Christmas kids, Santa is coming a week early for you!

I spent Sunday morning using a rented excavator to move that maple I mentioned earlier... The excavator was fun and frustrating at the same time because the logs kept slipping out of the jaws. I have a sawyer coming over on Wednesday to slab it out for me.  I'll post about that in Wood forum later. 

 

[Chestnut]

19 minutes ago, Robert Morse said:

They'll also schedule the inspection for the holes

Yep that's a hole. I love those inspections.

19 minutes ago, Robert Morse said:

I'm at work now, and REALLY wishing I was home to watch the process.

Thinking web cam and share the address so we can all watch. Someone that used to frequent here did that for us and it was incredibly entertaining.

19 minutes ago, Robert Morse said:

logs kept slipping out of the jaws

Next time you kind want to curl the bucket so your not pinching it to carry it but holding the log with the bucket. I've also seen operators use the blade in the front of the machine to carry stuff with out the jaw. I'm a professional construction watcher, couldn't carry a log with an excavator to save my life.

[Robert Morse]

I thought about the webcam, but the Christmas prep, the last minute log move and life in general just got in the way... I didn't have time to do the research and make it happen.   I'm off work all next week, and I'll be able to post pictures more frequently. 

Thanks for the tip on curling the bucket - I tried that, but between the log being pear shaped, and my general lack of excavator skill, I found it easier to strap the dang thing to the bucket with the 15000 lb tow straps.  I slabbed up the knuckle where the branches splay out on the bandsaw on Saturday - I'm hoping the rest of the log is as awesome as this part is.

 

[Chet]

26 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

I'm a professional construction watcher,

Arm chair construction worker,  "NO hard hat required in this area".

[Chestnut]

23 minutes ago, Chet said:

Arm chair construction worker,  "NO hard hat required in this area".

Nope still have to have the hard hat, it's squeaky clean and sits on the back seat, but it's there for the clipboard warriors.

[Robert Morse]

Build update: I got a text from my wife yesterday, and the crew started putting up posts, using the Bobcat to lift them into place.  They finished around 3:30pm.  By the time I got home, all the posts were in, but it was getting pretty dark. I did walk out onto the pad - it's SO MUCH BIGGER than the single stall of a 2 car garage I used as a shop in the last house. I was also surprised at just how tall the building is on the tall side - 15'+ is WAY UP THERE - and the posts seem so much taller than when I went out there and held up the tape measure to get a feel for it. When it's done, the shop will block most of the view thru to the street, so I won't have to feel guilty about feeding the dogs in my boxers at 5am, and seeing cars drive by. Sorry ladies, the show's going to end soon.

Before they left yesterday, they laid out the purlins for all the walls.  I expect those will go in today, and maybe they'll get a start on the roof LVLs.  I'm amazed those LVLs haven't disappeared yet, as they're laying on the side of the road (the forklift couldn't get up the driveway with the 28' long LVLs, so they'll have to carry them up manually. 

I'm getting excited. 

[Chestnut]

Yep I've got shop envy.

[wdwerker]

They would have to know what an LVL is , have enough people or equipment to move them plus a truck or trailer big enough. Hopefully they are safe for a few days. But it is sad that we have to worry about such things.

Are you going to have insulation and a sloped ceiling ? Painting a high ceiling white will really improve the light in your shop. Think about this when the right ladders or scaffolding are in place.

[Robert Morse]

4 minutes ago, wdwerker said:

Are you going to have insulation and a sloped ceiling ? Painting a high ceiling white will really improve the light in your shop. Think about this when the right ladders or scaffolding are in place.

Yes to both.  I'm doing that once the building is done. The money for extra labor is gone... in fact, according to my wife, ALL the money is gone  . I have a friend who is going to loan me a rolling scaffold, so that plus a panel lift will help considerably.