Shop building advice sought

[oldbiker]

I dunno if it is the way it is poured in you part of the country, but I have seen now less than 7 slabs that were done w/fiberglass. Largest is 36X50. None are cracked. All are smooth as silk. It is had to find anything bigger than a sidewalk that has mesh in it that is not cracked. I will be the first to say that I am not a concrete man. all I have done is look around and listen with an open mind. Nobody said anything about sweeping up anything off their new floors. I was trying to keep the ceiling as low as I could because of the energy costs (heat & air) I need room for 4 vehicles inside at the same time.

[wt4speed#2]

Heat and air ? Dang oldbiker you looking forward at the possiblity of living in it after she finds out how much you've over spent

[oldbiker]

Heat and air ? Dang oldbiker you looking forward at the possiblity of living in it after she finds out how much you've over spent

POSSIBILITY!!!!! I can guarantee it I just finished the PC for it and the TV is on layaway

[oldbiker]

Thanks Hardtail, I emailed about the pipe and now I understand the anchors.

[averagef250]

I see where you're coming from with heat now. A bigger shop does cost more to heat.

I've spent a lot of money on insulation in my 30X40 and I have a monster of a wood stove, but it still takes a few hours to get the whole shop up to 75 when it's 25 outside.

The next shop I build will be much bigger and be heated with waste oil.

I got talked into the fiberglass in my 30X40. I poured it with just a 4" slab because it was what I could afford at the time. The floor is cracked pretty bad now 11 years later and it wasn't long at all before it started cracking.

A good friend of mine builds pole barns for a living and I help him out now and then when he's got a big pour to do (great excercise). Over the years I've helped him do a number of 6" slabs with no reinforcement that haven't cracked a bit.

It's just my opinion from what I've seen that a thin slab will crack and fiberglass won't help it much. Fiberglass may work somewhat, but I'm pretty sure that thicker and no glass is more bang for the buck.

Also, if you want a two post lift or gantry hoist someday go with a 6" slab. To put my lift in it cost me more to cut part of the floor out and pour 12" of concrete than it would have to go 6" to begin with. Most of the cost was paying for wear on the darn diamond blade saw I rented though.

I like the anchor idea now that I've got a visual in my head. I'd have to say though figuring where to put them wouldn't be easy. After having my shop for 11 years there's a list a mile long of things I'd have done different if I could go back.

[71 LONG BED]

Taller ceilings will be better when you want to use a engine hoist to pull a motor out over the rad suport on a bumpside. I had to pull mine out in the driveway because I only have a 7 1/2 foot ceiling in my garage.

[cooltoolguy]

go with the taller ceiling. you wont be disappointed. i my shop i used scissor trusses which gave me about 10 foot at the wall, and 13 at the the peak. its nice to be able to drive the dump in and lift the body. or move things around and not smack the ceiling:thup:

[gbrett]

my dad was in the concrete buissness for most of his life fiber is good for surface cracking but my dad always guaranteed it will crack and no one will steal it