I'm getting ready to build a shop and I need advice

[2000silverz28]

I'm getting ready to build a 36x40 shop with 12ft ceilings. I'm really going back and forth on how to lay the doors out. I'm gonna have two roll up doors. Also debating on heat and air options. Had thought about a wood heater but I could run gas out to it. As far as cooling I thought about just a window unit and shop fans.

Give me your opinions and pics would be even better!

[KyBowtie]

Those heaters that run off rabbit pellets are pretty cheap to run


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[anthonyshaw]

friend of mine just built a 32x40 and did one door centered on the short wall and another on the long end furthest away from the short wall with a door. Personally I would run the gas lines out to the shop, but use a wood/pellet stove. If you don't like it, at least you're already plumbed for the gas should you choose to upgrade. Shop fans and windows/doors should suffice unless you get ridiculously hot, not sure how bad it gets there in TN

[Unlucky2005]

We have a 64x40 with two 8x10 doors. Had a wood pellet stove in there but sucks cause u have to fill up the hopper at least ever other day. Three years ago we got a waste oil furnace. Keep it about 50-60 in winter - unless we're out there them we can turn it up. Like the waste oil a lot better. And u can usually find enough ppl that will give you oil for free. We get enough to sell about 500 gallons a year.

[justavillain]

I just use the 2 roll up doors on my barn and don't have a Window unit. But in the garage I do and a pair of shop fans helps.

As for heat I see gas as expensive when I always have wood from the Orchard... So I have a residential fuel oil and wood burning heater. I don't have any fuel oil hooked up just capped the lines and start a fire and use it to heat up to 65/70.

It's a 40x60 with a 28x40 attached to it but it's the old barn we added on some years ago. That is the farm though

One thing to think of is make sure you get 4" floors because you'll need then for a lift as I understand. My new house is all set up with one already in its 28x32 and that is heated by a timberline radiant heat wood stove in the far corner heats everything but the 15x15 addition that was a dog kennel that I turned into the tv/beer room

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[Cknight199]

My shop has two radiant heat gas heaters that run parallel across the roof. I love them because they heat objects so tools, metal, plastic, ect warms up rather than air. The downside is its $50 a day to run, but I click them on and off when I need them and they heat up within 5 minutes. But my shop has more square footage so yours may not be as expensive. My city fire station runs them in their shop In a circle and its inexpensive for the heat they put out
ImageUploadedByAutoguide1357178871.419307.jpg
You can see the heaters attached to the Ceiling.


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[DieselLuver]

Window units are junk, don't waste your time. I've got an older shop and if you block the sun out and with the concrete floor it stays nice and cool.

[2000silverz28]

What about lighting? What do you recommend for that? I'm still planning right now. I have a builder lined up and he just need the green light to start. I'm trying to make sure I have everything ready when he starts so I don't have to go back and redo anything later.

[baconstruction]

I have done a ton of sheds. roll up doors are nice but are hard to seal compared to standard garage doors. If you have the room a door in the back is always nice so you can pull right through if you need too. Most of the sheds we do here have heat by wood stove. Most of them have coils in the floor. The others will usually get a furnace they found from a dealer who pulled it out of a house or anywhere they can find one. Instead of running tin duct work cause that can get expensive they will build it out of plywood and convert it into lp cause its cheaper then gas. like mentioned above if you keep the sun out the crete keeps it pretty cool so ac is not usually needed. You can always add a window unit later even if you just cut it into the wall somewhere. Remember the more lights the better just put them on a few switches so you dont have to use them all at once if not needed.

[2000silverz28]

It gets up in the 90's and sometimes over 100 degrees here in TN in the worst part of the summer. I'm thinking I'll need some kind of cooling to keep it halfway comfortable.