Another shed topic

I’ve read through many of the historical posts on various garage/storage shed projects, so I don’t mean to waste anyone’s time.
However, in the depths of February with little to do and the building season approaching, perhaps there are a few others wanting to chat on the topic.

I’m looking at a 40X60 on a level piece of property I already own. My home is across the street and small, so aside from storage, this will also be a bar/game room/general hang out area. Initial need stemmed from the accumulation of toys, needing a spot for the Yetti, SxS, sleds, boat, mowers, blowers, etc. Those will likely take up 1/2 the shop, with the balance dedicated to the rec area.

Initial thoughts: Concrete slab with in-floor heat (have it in the house, love it, crazy efficient, have nat gas), with a Hot Dawg or something similar for rapid recovery. Would likely keep the floor thermostat around 45 or 50 and simply crank up the forced air when I know we’ll be hanging out. Will have half bath and wet bar, drains on the ‘storage’ side of the building. Thinking a single 16×12 (or in that ballpark) overhead door along with regular entry door. Would like shortest sidewall possible (12-14?) with that size door for heating purposes.

That’s sort of the gist. Big question, as it always seems to be – Stick or post frame? I have no opinion either way as I’m an infant when it comes to knowledge in this space. That decision will ultimately impact insulation approach.

Any thoughts from others who have gone through the process? Things you’d do differently or things you love about your own?

LPG

I’m in the planning stages of my build as well. Mine will likely be a 26×38. We’re required to do stick frame in the city limits here and will upgrade the walls to 2x6s. It’s going to have a fully insulated monolithic slab and will install the tubing for in-floor heat as well but likely won’t get that running this year, will install a Hot Dawg type heater. I’ll be doing most of the work myself, the one thing I’ll need help on is the slab pour, and concrete crews are difficult to come by in this city. Most are booked for the year already.

I have a 40×60 just like what your interested in. It was built stick but that really does’t matter would be much cheaper post frame. I have in floor heat a 16 x 10′ door and a 9×10′ door has 12′ ceilings. I have a drain in floor, its trough so about 25′ wide. Both Stick and post doesn’t matter. If I built I would do Post. The shop came with the house I am adding a hot dawg type next year I use a salamander to heat up when I am in the shop. I am on propane so not the best in cost option so I limit the heat in shop to 50 all year to keep things warm. The inside is all metal. If I did it myself I would have done OSB on the lower 8′ so flat to screw cabinets etc. I have water in it which is needed for the in floor heat to add to boiler. Might be able to have a supply tank not sure. Nice to wash boat and trucks too.

What I have been told by 2 contractors that build nothing but post frame buildings is that if you’re finishing the interior of the building in a conventional manner, it matters and here in the tundra, post frame is a no-go.
Separately, both told me that there is just too much movement in post frames when finished interior walls, drywall is attached, cracks, jammed doors, etc are just a matter of time.

I have been told it would be possible to do a “hybrid” approach where stick framing was used inside of a pole construction to provide a finished area that is not tied to the movement of the pole frame. For what I needed, this approach costed out at more money than just doing the whole building stick framed, but in a 40×60 that may not be the case.

littlepineguy wrote:

Initial thoughts: Concrete slab with in-floor heat (have it in the house, love it, crazy efficient, have nat gas), with a Hot Dawg or something similar for rapid recovery. Would likely keep the floor thermostat around 45 or 50 and simply crank up the forced air when I know we’ll be hanging out. Will have half bath and wet bar, drains on the ‘storage’ side of the building. Thinking a single 16×12 (or in that ballpark) overhead door along with regular entry door. Would like shortest sidewall possible (12-14?) with that size door for heating purposes.

Personally, I’d just look at installing a forced air furnace on the man cave side of the building. Lot quieter and more comfortable than the garage heater and I’d want to keep that side of the building warmer because you can’t really heat up everything in the rooom as quickly as the air temp increases, so everything you touch will be ice cold long after the room is 70 or whatever. Sitting on an ice-cold, frozen couch is not a great way to watch the game. Doing a forced air also opens up the future possibility of air-con for summer use.

Also, install an app-enabled wifi thermostat so you can turn the heat up before you go out there.

Grouse

Currently I don’ t plan to partition off the rec area from the garage, just one open space. I wonder on the incremental cost in keeping the entire building at 60-65 vs 50? If it’s inside of $100 or so or month in a normal year I would maybe just go that route. You’re right, the hot dawgs tend to pause all conversation when they kick in. It sounds like the plans for interior finishing will weigh heavily in the post vs. stick debate, I hadn’t considered that.

Im just finished with mine. 40 x 60 x 16. Mine is a hybrid, for a couple reasons. Im a builder in Iowa, with almost 50 years experience. This structure is in South Dakota, where were going to be retiring to as soon as I sell my Okoboji property. I hired the shell done, because the labor rate was less than I am used to, and I dont have access to guys that want to crawl around 16 to 22 feet in the air in South Dakota. Had this been in Iowa, where I have access to a coustruction lift, it wouldve been a different story. My South Dakota contractor bid me pole structure, with two windows, 2 service doors 36″ , and two overhead doors. one 10 by 10, and one 12 by 14 for the camper. When he got the poles set, I poured the floor. Fully insulated and infloor hydronic. 2 zones, the shop and the living quarters. 24 x 30 drain bay in front After the floor was done, he wasnt able to get back to my project until it got cold. (originally, I told him he could work at his own pace, and I didnt need to building till I moved). In the meantime, I got a killer deal on a unit of 2x6s that I could ladder frame the sections in between the poles. I told him what I paid for them, and asked if he would discount the building by that amount, (and keep his original markup) and also, If I could do the ladder framing, just for something to do. Originally as a pole building, it was going to be perlins, and I would have to frame the interior anyway in oorder to finish it. Ladder framing it eliminated the sidewall perlins,(and the associated rodent chases), and allowed me to work on the building doing my part while he wasnt there.

When I got all the ladder framing done, (a day and a half for two guys) he came and set the trusses and finished the exterior.

With that done, I proceeded to work on the interior. Fast forward thru electrical and plumbing rough ins, I then hung the cieling in heavier guage steel to span 7 feet or so to support insulation load. 2 guys, 2 scissors lifts and 2 days later, the lid was hung. I started framing on the 500 sq ft living quarters. , when that was dont, I insulated the sidewalls and lined them with steel.

My building is kind of odd in that the living quarters is in the back of the shop, allowing full parking in front of the living quarters. We will use this to live in until we get the acreage home we bought dozed down, and then build a new home.

Ive had the infloor heat (natural gas boiler/on demand hot water/ 2 zones running since December 10th. My shop is heated to 51 degrees all the time, and the living quarters to 68 full time. My January gas bill was $119, which I was ecstatic about. I must add, I had an inch of spray foam on the attic side of the cieling for an air/vapor barrier and then blew 15 inches of fibreglass loose fill insulation. I also add a mini split in the living quarters for quick heat if needed and AC. Alot of the incidental labor is mine, other than the initial cost of the shell.( $10.32 per sq ft.) Ive got slighlty over 75K invested, including land ($12,500) I love this building..

It sure makes it easier with good help!

Think about tomorrow……not just today.

Build it TALL. Put in a 14′ high door. Get vaulted trusses.

One day you might get a big fifth wheel camper pushing 13’+ high and have nowhere to put it with a 10-12′ door.

If you build a post frame, you can always stick build a man cave inside of it. Beef up the ceiling for loft storage above. It will be the cheapest square footage you can buy.

Or leave the underside open and have the man cave above it on the loft.

(Edit: Ha, just like the pics Reddog just posted!)

B-man wrote:

Think about tomorrow……not just today.

Build it TALL. Put in a 14′ high door. Get vaulted trusses.

One day you might get a big fifth wheel camper pushing 13’+ high and have nowhere to put it with a 10-12′ door.

If you build a post frame, you can always stick build a man cave inside of it. Beef up the ceiling for loft storage above. It will be the cheapest square footage you can buy.

Or leave the underside open and have the man cave above it on the loft.

(Edit: Ha, just like the pics Reddog just posted!)

Only thing missing is the scissors trusses, and I thought about them at the time, but decided against, primarily because once I get the new house built at the acreage, Ill sell this structure (or rent it out) and build a new shop at the acreage. maybe that one will get the scissors..

Littlepineguy –
X2 on what Reddog did/said.

my $.02, Any movement in the building will depend on soil conditions (or you need to put in frost footings) so I wouldn’t use drywall for finishing. Tin, T&G, paneling, etc.
Not quite sure why you would put scissor trusses in an already tall building. If you can’t get it thru the door more ceiling height doesn’t help unless i’m totaly missing something.

BTW – Nice job Reddog.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Littlepineguy –
X2 on what Reddog did/said.

my $.02, Any movement in the building will depend on soil conditions (or you need to put in frost footings) so I wouldn’t use drywall for finishing. Tin, T&G, paneling, etc.
Not quite sure why you would put scissor trusses in an already tall building. If you can’t get it thru the door more ceiling height doesn’t help unless i’m totaly missing something.

BTW – Nice job Reddog.

Thank you. My wife thought she was going to hate this building, but I really think she is digging it now after spending some time in it. One benefit for me with the scissors would give me more headroom above my living area. with a 8 foot side wall and 11 7/8 I joists, Im right at 7 feet for headroom, adequate, yes, but a scissors would’ve had a completely different feel.

All great input here. I would add that two OH garage doors, one on each side or ed make any space larger. In one end, out the other.

Look into floor drains if possible in your city/area…once you have them, you will never go back.

A horizontal opening garage door called Finn Door allows shorter sidewalls. About a wash on total cost if the door doesnt have a motor.