Goin' Big because I only got one shot at this

[Twentyover]

Good Morning, and welcome to the Intergalactic Headquarters of Stupider Than We Look Racing. Well, kinda, some might see it as just a big ol’ pole barn, but for me, I GOT PLANS. We’re currently getting the engineering to confirm adequate structure to support 150# snow loads (did I mention we see occasional ummmm weather events here? Like about 160 inches last year.) We anticipate construction start probably in late April/earlyMay after the ground dries out a little.

So I have a big, empty toy box that I need to fill. The leg off to the side is pretty committed (think in terms of a big dance floor…er, office over an area that will include my limited, but hopefully increasing, number of shop tools.

Two items I want to have are a 2 post lift and a moveable 4 post lift. Looking for suggestions on where to permanently site the 2 post lift to make sure I get the floor thick enough (I figure since this is my first shot w/ a 2 post- learn from others.)

I welcome any input suggestions, advice, criticism. The internal configuration is kind of open-ended at this time. Thanks in advance for your help.

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I was trying to get a picture of the topography of the area, but I'm in Apache Junction AZ right now trying to get my late Father-In_law's house in order to sell, and it appears that Verizon takes a dim view of providing cell service in the area. Will edit to add a picture when the phone starts cooperating with me

[dhutton]

I would put the two post lift centered on the overhead door at the back. Easy to push a car into it but not in the way.

[Twentyover]

Just to close the loop on this, the building is complete (failed final a week ago because of stair railings) Working the railings issue, but will be gone for the next coupla months preping the SOCal house for sale then a south Pacific cruise Footings for the 2 post are @45 degrees to the rear corner opposite the leg
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[ryeguy2006a]

Building looks great, but the weather looks cold!

[dhutton]

Awesome!

[btmatt]

looks great; looking to do the same in Texas soon

[Vimes]

Nice size, should be big enough to work on 4 cars.

I'd suggest putting two large doors on the bottom, not one, as that single center means some multipoint turns to get a car out of the way of the door as that length will not go as far as one might think.

Put an 8 foot wide freight door in the middle of the lean-to area, and a few windows on that side for cross draft. The freight door means you can get a load in without having to move anything. An entry door on the top would also be a good idea, otherwise if you have to go to the outside back of the shop it's a pretty long haul.

A steel plate in the floor would allow you to bolt a winch to the floor using a receiver hitch plate. Install it so it's flat and level with the concrete when not in use. Tell the builder that you want it to be able to handle a 6 ton load, which means it'll be the strongest part of a winched load and your floor won't be what comes apart if something breaks during winching.

A building that size should also have at least a half-bath in it. Just needs to be big enough for a toilet and sink, and some hand cleaner.

Think about some sort of kitchenette for a coffee pot and drinking water. Again, doesn't need to be large, just a single sink and a single plug on a 6 foot cabinet.

I'll let you know if I think of anything else to spend your money. :razz:

[Lonnies Performance]

Nice build for sure.

One thing I can recommend for anyone designing a new building...
While an "L" shaped building can be more aesthetically pleasing, it is not the most efficient cost per square foot.

You could take the 2 walls that make the "L" & move them outward to make 1 large rectangle with no additional wall material costs.
In the case above, you could have an additional 619 Sq. Ft. for only the cost of roof & flooring.

I do like the separation possibilities between storage & work areas though.
It would be nice to only get a portion of the garage dirty & consequentially everything stored in it as well.

[Twentyover]

Thought about adding water, but I'd need to cross a drain field for septic and code for water is 36" deep (it was -20F for a coupla days this year). I'd need to run about 300 foot around the field- may do that later

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While Lonnie makes an interesting observation about the cost of a L shape vs. a box, I differ with him on the impact on cost. Truss length would go from 36' long to 61- size of the truss member would need to increase, and the roof cost due to the pitch required to meet snow loads (115 lb/sq ft, mines @ 130 lb/sq ft- I'm 2 2250 ft elevation, we get 12-20 ' of snow/year)
So I either spend big on trusses, or put a coupla columns in the deal. True, to achieve the same square footage, a box is simpler and less expensive than an L. But there are always considerations. To make a square, I'd need to take out one or two trees in the wife's garden...

Planning on the second floor on the floor of the L being an office, and the ground floor machine shop/clean room

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This picture is taken from the other side of the property line, the back of the building. We located 10' off the property line, I doubt I will ever go back here except to keep the grass mowed. The adjacent property in owned by the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust- they have NO sense of humor about impingement on their land. They called out my wife for mowing the grass on a few foot paths between the trees.

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First resident

[Lonnies Performance]

Not knocking your build as it looks very nice, but I wanted to alert others of a potential cost efficiency.
Your property layout seems to dictate your design as well as other factors.

I started with intents of building a truss style L-shaped design like yours & ultimately ended up with a "red" steel structure.
I mentioned the rectangular shape because it truly saved me money & I ended up with a much bigger building with a 70ft free span & no internal supports.

I sacrificed having an attic, but I figured my parts hoarding would ultimately have caused a roof collapse anyway.

[srode]

Not knocking your build as it looks very nice, but I wanted to alert others of a potential cost efficiency.
Your property layout seems to dictate your design as well as other factors.

I started with intents of building a truss style L-shaped design like yours & ultimately ended up with a "red" steel structure.
I mentioned the rectangular shape because it truly saved me money & I ended up with a much bigger building with a 70ft free span & no internal supports.

I sacrificed having an attic, but I figured my parts hoarding would ultimately have caused a roof collapse anyway.what is a "red" steel structure building? Pictures?

[Lonnies Performance]

These are pre-engineered steel buildings with structural steel framing inside as opposed to a pole building or wood framed structure.
The steel is painted with a red oxide colored paint so many refer to them as red steel buildings.

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[srode]

Thanks, very nice

[dhutton]

These are pre-engineered steel buildings with structural steel framing inside as opposed to a pole building or wood framed structure.
The steel is painted with a red oxide colored paint so many refer to them as red steel buildings.

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Wow, what a great space.

[Lonnies Performance]

Wow, what a great space.

After 8 years it is quite crowded now.

[Twentyover]

Lonnie- what part of the country are you in? Most outbuildings here in the Cascades look to be pole buildings. May be because so much farming in the area

[Lonnies Performance]

I live near Pittsburgh, PA.
I'm fortunate to have a large back yard that has no size restrictions for a building like this.

I liked the ability to have a full foundation, no wood to deteriorate & a shallow roof to keep the overall height within reason.