The Shop

Our first building priority has always been to get a shop space built.  I have tools, materials, hardware, antique light fixtures, paint, stain, and all kinds of odds and ends (not to mention record albums, furniture, old toys, electric trains, and a rock collection; thanks, Lola) stored in locations up to 800 miles apart. The first thing I need to do on our property is provide a save, dry place to store and use all my crap.  So, we have been slowly, but surely working toward that goal.  To make this go as quickly, efficiently, and cheaply as possible, we decided to build a conventional pole building.  We hired Rick Ward, a pole building specialist to build the shell. He has agreed to build the shell for us in stages.  First the walls will be set, which should be done in just a couple of days.  At that point, Jason (son-in-law) will bring his crew in to pour the slab floor.  Without roof trusses set, concrete trucks can back right into the building and pour directly; no concrete pump or wheel barrels!  Then Rick can come back in and set the trusses, roof and finish the walls.  That's the plan and it's scheduled to begin August 6.

Rick has been very accommodating and seems willing to do whatever we need to get what we want.  He has agreed to install windows that I provide.  I'd spend my time finding a deal, rather than have him order full retail.  I want awning windows (hinged at the top, bottom swings open) so that they can be open in the rain.  They are also a bit more secure; difficult to climb into.  I found that no one stocks awning windows, special order only, so no easy deals are to be found.  I searched the internet for discount suppliers for hours. I found a place in West Virginia that we were traveling near, so gave them a call to check their inventory.  "Oh ya, we've got them.  We've got all kinds of windows."  When we got there we could only find one tiny awning window.  When I asked where all the awning windows were, he said," Here, just take these casement windows and put them on their side.  It's just the same.  I do it all the time."   Welcome to West Virgina!!!!  I can't understand why people make jokes about them.

This past weekend, we took a trip to Minnesota to celebrate Jan's daughter, Cammie's wedding to Josh Broberg. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Broberg!!!!!

Cheapskate and scrounge that I am, I checked the internet for cheap windows near Minneapolis.  Woo-Hoo!  I found "BMO, Building Materials Outlet" in East Eagan, MN.  So we drove my truck 1100 miles (one way) instead of Jan's Passat.  (That's ok, even though she gets much better gas mileage, her radio only works part time.)  BMO is a liquidator of surplus building material.  The place was incredible! Acres of stuff in warehouses, thousands of doors, tons of cabinets, and hundreds of windows.  Awning windows were still rare.  We dug through piles of windows, and found 6:  3 matching clad Andersens and 3 other off  brands of similar size.  We also bought a 3 panel window (center fixed, 2 sliders) about 5 feet long by 2 feet high.  Seven nice windows for $900.  (plus gas).  I think we will be going back there on other visits to Jan's girls.
 

The floor plan has evolved over these past months.  Early, we planned to include an apartment.  Instead, we will be putting that effort into building a small house (call it the cottage) that we will live in while continuing development of the property (earning money to help pay for all this, possibly building a spec house, and planning and building a larger, but not-so-big, house). The final shop plan (until this week) was to be a basic rectangle 30 feet wide by 40 feet long with a 16X24 foot open sided roof shed addition on one side.  After the wedding weekend in Minnesota, we drove South to set the final placement of shop on the land.  Jan and I messed with it for quite a while.  It just wouldn't quite fit.  Every way we pushed it, or spun it, it ended up too close to a tree or the garage door was blocked.  The answer was to get rid of the shed roof addition.  It would be nice to have covered storage attached, but if we just separated it from the building, everything would work.  We already had a contract with Rick, the barn guy, so we needed to see what he thought.  No problem.  It's nice to work with real people who just want to please us and are grateful for the work.  Now we have a site plan with the shop building at a slight angle from the road and an open storage shed off to the side backing toward the road.  In the next few weeks, Jason will get back out there with his Bobcat and work on the grade.  He will cut and fill so that the building pad will be closer to level (right now, 2.5 foot difference highest corner to lowest) and the surrounding land will drain away.

The other general features of the shop that are (pretty much) settled include an 14 foot wide overhead door in the end wall, a basic bathroom with slop sink, built-in shower and (future) toilet, an enclosed 10 foot wide heated space across one end with storage above, a wood stove to heat the main area.  The color scheme is tan walls with green roof.  I know, bore-ing.


The next big date: August 6.  That's when the building should start to rise from the ground.  About the same time:  water pipe, hydrants, rough-in shop plumbing, power to shop, fence and gate.  Then wiring, framing, insulation, plumbing finish in shop, gravel, clear driveway and house sites.