Shop pics

[Todd Burch]

I've been studying your interior shop pictures. I see no headers over any doors or windows. What's up with that?

Todd

[Joe Angrisani]

Quite amazing, Steve. Before you know it "another couple years" will be behind you and you'll be enjoying that enviable shop....

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I've been studying your interior shop pictures. I see no headers over any doors or windows. What's up with that?

Todd

That was one of my first thoughts when I got the walls opened up too. The old timers that did it used 2x4's on everything, and framed it so the load was transferred straight down from rafters to studs around the openings. it was actually a pretty clever job of being cheap. There was one double window that somebody in the 50's added and did not reframe, which was not like that. It had sagged and was just eliminated. I thought initially that I would have to add all those headers, but everything was still squareish and no issues besides that one window so I went a different way. You can see a large "header" that I added on the support walls, its actually two 2x's that made me feel more comfortable about the load. I wanted to make more insulation room, so in essence there is a wall system inside of the old wall, all attached together. PITA, but it works.

We have serious winds here. A couple months ago it blew 70mph plus for parts of two days, sustained average was in the 50mph range. I live in a brick house, and i could feel the structure vibrating from it, and of course it made me worry a bit about my unfinished woodshop. To set my mind at ease, I spent some time in there just observing, and I honestly think it is more stable than my house. I think it's because the roof is more rigid.

I'm pretty sure if this building had to withstand an inspection, there would be plenty of noncompliance because of the nontraditional thinking required for adapting the new construction to the old. That's the stuff that makes it fun though.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Quite amazing, Steve. Before you know it "another couple years" will be behind you and you'll be enjoying that enviable shop....

Thanks Joe, the last two years flew by, so you are probably right. Looking forward to watching it snow while making sawdust!

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I had to rebuild the old building that is my shop, and am sure it would be easier to build a new building than rebuild an old one. Of course, in yours you have a basement. Not many build a basement under their new shop.

Jim, what was your building before?

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Man that is an awesome set up. You have more sq footage than I live in LOL. As to the basement, the one big advantage is you can run air, dc and wiring under the floor and they are easy to reposition.......

Bryan

I really wish the basement was under the whole thing, but I'm not complaining!

[Jim Andrew]

Mine was just an old pole shed, 26 wide, built about 50 years ago now. Amazing the poles haven't rotted off. The "trusses" were 2-2x6 rafters with an X of a pair of 1x8's. Had to put a bottom cord in under the rafters and build them into trusses in place. The "trusses" were not laid out on an even spacing, so I just sheeted the roof over the existing sheet metal and shingled it. Did not want it to sweat like metal buildings do. I built an overhang on the end, reframed the end walls and framed in windows, put siding on it, hung garage doors, looks like a building planned for a shop.