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

13K views 52 replies 38 participants last post by  Broc680 
#1 ·
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!
 
#3 ·
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
 
#4 ·
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.
 
#5 ·
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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#6 · (Edited)
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
View attachment 62227
You can see the heaters attached to the Ceiling.


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#7 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
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.
 
#9 ·
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.
 
#10 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
then look into a furnace. You will get heat and AC out of the same unit instead of two different set ups. If think it will get too warm in summer then the furnace would be way better then a window unit or even 2 units. Make sure you insulate it good.
 
#12 · (Edited)
For lighting we went to inverter florescent lights expensive but last a long time don't need to warm up and are super bright.


Can always try one of the ductless ac units its like what they run for hotel rooms, I'm planning on putting one in my house as I have a boiler for heat.... Surprisingly affordable and just require a few screws and a 2" hole. Looks as hard as mounting a microwave over your range


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#13 ·
If you aren't already, and can afford it, use 2x6 walls. They are stronger since you are going 12 ft and add more insulation. I would also go with a heated floor. Hot water circulating thru a grid of water pipes. Just my .02
 
#14 ·
our shop is 32x42 with both 10x12 doors on the short side. Not that great when you have it full and want to work on a vehicle with the truck doors open. IMO, I would figure how far a door will open, a couple of feet to walk around it, and how much stuff you will have next to the wall (cupboards, benches, etc) so there is room around the vehicle.

We have just a window unit built into the wall and it keeps it fairly cool. At least takes the humidity out which makes a big difference.

Used to be heated with wood, replaced with a corn/pellet furnace, will be going back to the woodstove soon (high corn prices and wood is free). Wood is kind of a pita unless you are there to restock it often throughout the day. If you only start it when you want to work out there, it will take awhile to warm up
 
#15 ·
I would recommend 14 ft sectional doors. This will allow you to store or work on a 5th wheel or Motorhome. Also the sectional doors can be insulated and seal better than the roll up. If you have much snow put the doors on hip side so snow does not slide off roof in driveway. 6 inch walls so you can have good insulation. I have a 30 x 60 and it is -1 outside and 32 inside without any heat so far this winter.
 
#16 ·
I helped a friend build his garage and now use it on a daily basis. His is 48X48 with 12' ceilings. 3 bays, two outer bays have 8X10 doors and the center has a 10X10 door. Heated with a 100k btu waste oil furnace, right now it stays at 50deg but in 15 minutes it can be at 70deg. No A/C needed, this area does not get hot enough long enough to warrant it. Right now there are 3 cars, two trucks, one mini-van, 3 snowmobiles, 4 tools boxes and a drum set inside with plenty of room left.
 
#17 ·
I'm also have looking to do a 36x40x12. Keep this thread updated as you progress, and lots of pictures too please
 
#18 ·
I have radiant floor heat in my shop.Its so nice having the floor warm all the time and you don't have to keep the temp nearly as high to be comfortable.I would also have put in a wood stove to warm it up more when needed but my shop is mostly used for woodworking and the insurance company didn't like the idea.I put in a window AC but hardly ever need to use it,good insulation and keeping doors and windows closed in heat waves is enough most of the time.Floor heat is supplied by a high efficiency LP boiler and my shop is 36x36 with 12' ceiling.
 
#23 ·
I have radiant in-floor heating in my 32x32 shop, works great, I love it. Its really nice working on the ground during the winter.
I was going to suggest radiant as well. We have it in all of our buildings at and would never go back to forced air. Most efficient and cost effective way we have found to heat.
 
#19 ·
You guys make me jealous with your nice ass shops lol. We have those radiant ceiling heaters in our big ass hangers, they work hella good. I dont know how much they cost to operate though.
 
#20 ·
Same here. I work in a huge hangar and those radiant ceiling heaters force me to take my jacket off as soon as I walk in the hangar. But I would hate to see what the bill is to run them.
 
#21 ·
I have radiant in-floor heating in my 32x32 shop, works great, I love it. Its really nice working on the ground during the winter.
 
#22 ·
get some fans with misters.... and a wood stove
 
#25 ·
I have a 40-60 with 12 ft sides, three bays with 10x10 doors. I have the urethane foam sprayed on the ceiling and all walls are insulated with chipboard sheeting. I also have the radiant tube heater which works awesome and is very efficient. I just keep it around 45 degrees, and crank it up when working inside.
 
#26 ·
Up here in the arctic (Wisconsin) I built a 60 x 43 pole shed with 14' ceilings. It is insulated with R-19 in the walls and R-32 blown into the ceiling. The interior walls are steel like the outside, just not as heavy a gauge. I heat the entire shop with a 75,000 BTU Mr. Heater LPG heater hanging from the ceiling. I did put up three 60" fans that I run on low all winter to force the heat down from up high. I heat it to 40 during the winter unless I am in there tinkering, then I up it to 55. It costs me about $125 a winter to heat it, I thought about wood, but the insurance guy told me if I do and it burns down there won't be any coverage (ouch). I also installed a bathroom and don't forget about the kegerator :) I have 2 12' x 12' doors and 12 eight foot florescent light fixtures.
 

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#27 ·
We have had geothermal heat in our shop floor for 8 years no problems. It's a 60'x104. Slightly larger than yours will be but the same difference. We keep it set at about 60 degrees all winter and it's comfortable to work in all season long. As for AC we use a window unit if it's hot enough. Not sure on cost of running but it's definitely nice!
 
#28 ·
i just built a 72x88 pole barn, 18ft eave last year. we put a 24x72 apartment in one end to live in.

we used pex in the floor for our heat for the apartment, i also have the tubes in the shop portion, but haven't put a boiler out there yet. for the heat in the apartment, i am using a high efficiency tank-type water heater to supply the heat. it is very efficient. i would take a look at that for no bigger of an area you will have. i put the pex in on 12" centers and used 2" sub grade rated pink dow board to insulate underneath.

we used t5 high bay fluorescent light fixtures for light. 6 bulbs each, and extremely bright and efficient. the only difference between a high bay and a low bay fixture is the metallic (chrome-like) cover behind the bulbs. i think they recommend high bay for any ceiling height above 14', so you might be able to get away with a low bay fixture.
 
#29 ·
You may want to check into radiant floor heat. It doesnt cost much for the materials for rough-in. Just some pex tubing and stand-offs. I know of some installations where they used a 50 gal. hot water heater for heat source. I use an outdoor wood boiler. and once I got the temp regulated I LUV it.
As for lighting, I am an electrical contractor and we have been installing linear florecents. They put out as much Light as the 400 watt HIDs with a fraction of the power consumption. I believe you can pick them up at the big box stores for around 100 bucks. Hope this helps.
 
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