I am about to build myself another pole barn (post and beam), my first was a smaller version (12x16), being used as a storage unit for my tools until it's bigger brother could be built.
I am wanting to build a 30x30x10, this will have side walls at 10 ft high. I want to have half this area as a woodworking area and the other half as an area to work on cars, and other crap.
I wanted to ease the pain associated with standing on concrete for long periods of time and the pain of the price for the concrete pad, so I was contemplating just pouring half the floor at this time for the work area for the cars, etc. and building a wood floor on the woodworking side.
I plan on having the two sides walled off from each other to prevent sawdust from settling on everything. Any pros/cons on building a shop floor out of wood? This would be built like a deck, with joists running across the 15ft width, tongue/grove ply and supported with concrete blocks to prevent sag.
Welcome to the forum.
How much crawl space will be under the wood floor?
Are you talking 5/4 x 6 radius-edge decking? Or 6/4 tongue and groove decking? Are you going with the new pressure treated material, southern pine?
Will the joists be treated as well, and built to inspect for termites?
Should be a comfortable floor to walk on. But I would have to question if it would be better in the long run over a concrete pad.
I'm trying to keep costs down as much as possible and still have comfort for my feet. Since I'm still in the planning phase, I haven't priced everything out yet.
I did called a concrete supplier and was quoted $90US cu yd. and I would need around 12 cu yds. for the 30x30 pad, but when I called a contractor , he told me $3000-3500US for the pad. Thats quite a bit of labor costs!
No forms would need to be laid by him, nor any clearing, just the spreading and floating of the pad. I didn't talk much to him so I didn't ask all the important questions.
I don't or won't do the concrete myself, so someone else has to do the grunt work.
I will be setting the posts into the ground, since we dont have much frost here in central Florida, not sure how deep I need to go, I do have to think of hurricanes though. Would two feet be deep enough? I would like to use a concrete necklass around each post and back fill with pea gravel.
I will use which ever method is cheaper, be it 5/4 x 6 decking or plywood.
As far as crawl space, little as possible. I don't want to remove so much material and have to replace it, if and when I decided too. I would assume PT the joists as well as the decking, even though the decking would not be in direct contact with the ground.
I don't know where in Central Florida you are, but in order to meet the wind load requirements for a 3ft by 6ft - 7 ft high storage bldg, I had to put the 4x4 post 5 ft deep in a one foot diameter hole then fill with concrete. I also don't know if you are required to meet code to be insured. The codes office then inspected the hole before and after the pour. I would not have done this normally, but I was planning on other construction later so I was testing the water with a permit. It (the reqmts ) would have been more if I had added electrical so the inspectors said! When I did do the other construction the State had adopted new codes which where even more strict! I offer this for what ever it is worth to you!
Leo
I'm located in the Spring Hill area, 30-40 miles north of Tampa on the gulf side. As far west as one can go, directly west of Orlando.
A small shed had to have posts buried 5ft in the ground? Wow!
Where can I read these -new- codes that they have adopted?
What did it cost for the permit? Did you have to have an engineer look at your plans? I'm serious. A while back, long while, I thought all one had to do was draw up some simple plans and take it to your local building inspectors office and they would look it over and say, do this, do that and your all set.
I did that with my storage shed and they said take it to an engineering firm, have them study your plans and pay them (engineering firm) about $600-800 , plus the cost of the permit.
****, this prevents a lot of people from building things. I understand the reason why, but how can some follow thier dreams of owning a workshop to putzs around in?
The little storage shed had to have an P.E. stamp and approve the plans ($65.00) ... Then when I later went to get the plans for the shop approved and permited they took over 3 months of "discussions" and a redesign to include now I had to use steel studs! Now I have a great shop with 12 ft ceilings, 2100 sqft in the main shop, 360 sqft for office/storage/Restroom w/shower/Mech room, (I had to relabel the office area to read "Library" on the plans because they were afraid I was going to be running a businees there, even tho I provided a special letter stating I was not going to operate a business there) and a 20 x 30 covered area to work on equipment without bringing it into the shop. I will try to send you a Private Mail with a couple pictures. Part of the problem was the permit office and their understanding of the codes. While going thru all of this, there were many stories pass to me by contractors. I don't remember the cost of the permits but they were not so expensive. One of the problems we faced was timing, since the new Florida Hurricane Codes were just out, the permit office was trying to understand them and to enforce them at the same time. The on site inspections turned out not to be a problem. One inspector said that was because we ironed everything out up front and to a point I would agree with that! The redesign was done by an PE to take it to steel studs. This was required by, as I understand, by an local ordance due to the size of the building and the fact that I was going to have automobiles in it.
Leo
I'm going with the post and beam construction, seem quicker and probably cheaper to boot. Like I stated before, I've already built a 12x16 post and beam for a storage shed for my tool collection, I just need a place to get out of the elements, espically during the summer months.
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