new slab shed

xlogger · May 02, 2019, 06:46:10 AM

I got the roof on and concrete trucks coming next week to pour floor in my new shed (30x60) that I'm going to display my live edge slabs in and also wanting to move my planer and dusk collector if I get a generator to power it. Not sure what finish I want on the floor. Smooth like in garage or light broom finish so maybe not slippery. It's going to be open on 3 sides so I can get in with forklift with slabs out of the kiln.
I know Robert (YH) did about the same but maybe totally enclosed his, looking for suggestions?

Crusarius · May 02, 2019, 07:30:34 AM

you can always add anti slip to the floor but you can't always smooth it more. Smooth floors clean very easily. rough ones do not. I would recommend smooth finish.

how much is the concrete going to cost? Thats my biggest fear when it comes to building my shop.

Ruffgear · May 02, 2019, 07:42:35 AM

I agree, smooth.

WV Sawmiller · May 02, 2019, 07:59:32 AM

Are you planning on covering the floor? If so I agree with the smooth floor concept but if you plan on people walking directly on the concrete I'd go with the broom finish if it was me. Is it going to be completely enclosed with climate control? if even partially open you may just use a leaf blower or hose to clean up the dust and such. How are you going to display the slabs? Good luck.

nativewolf · May 02, 2019, 08:12:06 AM

Quote from: Crusarius on May 02, 2019, 07:30:34 AM
you can always add anti slip to the floor but you can't always smooth it more. Smooth floors clean very easily. rough ones do not. I would recommend smooth finish.

how much is the concrete going to cost? Thats my biggest fear when it comes to building my shop.

I'm also curious. Building my pole barn this summer and would love to have a slab floor.

WDH · May 02, 2019, 08:13:17 AM

Does not sound like it will be climate controlled if is open on 3 sides. Is this shed meant for long term storage?

xlogger · May 02, 2019, 08:14:21 AM

Quote from: Crusarius on May 02, 2019, 07:30:34 AM
you can always add anti slip to the floor but you can't always smooth it more. Smooth floors clean very easily. rough ones do not. I would recommend smooth finish.

how much is the concrete going to cost? Thats my biggest fear when it comes to building my shop.

$7500 ouch, I had one guy cheaper but he wanted 1/2 up front. I told him I would give concrete company my credit card but no money till job was finish. He said that was not the way he did business and I said it was not the way I did also so the deal die quick.

xlogger · May 02, 2019, 08:16:27 AM

Quote from: WDH on May 02, 2019, 08:13:17 AM
Does not sound like it will be climate controlled if is open on 3 sides. Is this shed meant for long term storage?

I hope not too long but slabs don't sell as fast as I cut display them. I made a mistake on my post, should of said closed on 3 sides.

xlogger · May 02, 2019, 08:16:55 AM

Quote from: xlogger on May 02, 2019, 08:16:27 AM
Quote from: WDH on May 02, 2019, 08:13:17 AM
Does not sound like it will be climate controlled if is open on 3 sides. Is this shed meant for long term storage?
I hope not too long but slabs don't sell as fast as I cut and display them. I made a mistake on my post, should of said closed on 3 sides.

Crusarius · May 02, 2019, 08:33:17 AM

xlogger I agree. if the contractor wants cash up front I would not trust them. Makes me think they may do shotty work and you get stuck with double the expense have to have it removed and re poured.

I hope to do radiant floor heat when I do mine.

Mike W · May 02, 2019, 08:53:29 PM

I've been pouring and finishing concrete since the late 80's. I would go with a "sweat" finish, final troweling via either hand trowel or power trowel leave the trowel face real flat and it will give a smooth finish without the slip factor of a burned in slab like a proper garage or commercial floor like Costco and such. even a light broom finish will catch the fine saw dust and such and a bit more labor intensive to keep clean. With the finish mentioned above, you get a rather non slip finish without the fine ridges left from a broomed finish. My motto was to ask the customer "you want a slip or trip finish" :D.

Being a general contractor since 94, I always required a deposit to even consider doing work on any contract. There are a lot of soft costs as well as hard costs prior to even stepping foot on a site to perform work. Pending the State your in, once material and equipment is left or put into place on an owners property, it is in their possession and has ownership of such. Everyone loves to use the saying "contractors are a bunch of crooks. yada yada yada." Well there are just as many or more crooked home owners looking to get something for nothing and still sleep at night. I cover my material costs and as much of the initial soft costs associated with performing work on any project, if I find myself having to force payment for work performed i would rather just fight for the labor lost then the hard costs of materials i pulled out of pocket to procure. sure you can file a mechanics lien on the property, the only ones that make out on those situations is lawyers, your lucky to break even at best. not having hard costs out of pocket on a situation allows latitude to pursue or move on to making money on better projects. Long past, it used to be a simple hand shake, everyone (or most) had honor and it worked, then the aforementioned customers became more common and the contract requirements came into the norm, now contracts are so convoluted and arduous for most to decipher the language without having a law degree themselves, the never ending catch 22.

best way to protect yourself, and the possibility of eliminating good contractors for a better price over a hang up on deposits, is check with the local licensing department on any complaints or actions filed against any contractor, ask for referrals and follow up with those, speak with those referrals on the quality and integrity they experienced, and no matter what get at least 3 bids to mull over for price and quality which will net the best value from you $$.

Ruffgear · May 02, 2019, 10:37:58 PM

Well stated Mike.. it depends on the project, but i try to at least collect some or most of the material cost up front.

xlogger · May 03, 2019, 05:42:11 AM

Thanks Mike, I'll talk to the guy today. He's coming over to set it up for concrete Tuesday. On the other guy, I did understand he didn't know me or I know him. I did tell him I would pay concrete company but not him till he did job.
I looked up sweat finish on youtube, is the spinning of the finish what you are talking about. How much labor is that, in case the guy complains?

Crusarius · May 03, 2019, 09:27:48 AM

Well said mike. WHen I do custom fabwork for ppl I started asking for 50% down because I cannot tell you how many times I bought the materials, started the job, then the customer shows up with a shiny new whatever I was building for him already installed and bragging about it.

I got burned enough times to get a deposit. If the customer doesn't want to leave one then I do not want their business. It usually means I will get stiffed one way or another.

barbender · May 03, 2019, 10:37:48 AM

I'm of the 50% down for jobs, too. You can't go laying out thousands of dollars in materials that immediately become the costumers "property", to get stiffed on it.

barbender · May 03, 2019, 10:44:15 AM

Now from the property owners perspective, there's no way I'd fork over money beforehand unless the contractor was well established with a good reputation, and a very detailed contract.

xlogger · May 09, 2019, 06:07:59 AM

got slab poured Tuesday with light brush finish, now time for board and battens. I've been cutting all the boards so far at 8" and battens at 3". Wonder if I mix up the boards from 6-10" and got the most out of the logs. I don't think I'd want any over 10". Anyone done this, wondering on the look?

thecfarm · May 09, 2019, 06:32:51 AM

I saw a building done with 10 inch boards and 4 inch batterns. Took me more than 6 months driving by on the way to work,before I saw someone outside to get a closer look. I just like the looks of it.

WV Sawmiller · May 09, 2019, 06:48:23 AM

I wish I had a picture but a customer of mine re-did the walls on an old shed a couple years ago and he ordered some pine and poplar and I think I cut them from 1X4 to 1X10 and it worked out I had about the same number of each size board in the mix. He did B&B with them with the same sequence each time and it was beautiful work for an old rough storage shed. I don't remember what size battens he used.

WDH · May 09, 2019, 07:00:57 AM

Personally, I like the random width look. Cannot do that with store bought lumber without significant waste.

xlogger · May 16, 2019, 06:13:58 AM

started on sides this week and put in around 35-40 live edge slabs so far, with lots more coming. Too much work for this old guy. Puts me to bed early.

WDH · May 16, 2019, 07:15:41 AM

Nicely done. Those look like some fine slabs.

WV Sawmiller · May 16, 2019, 09:07:05 AM

I like it! What did you use to make the racks? Are those pipe or rebar or what? I'd love to see more detail on them if you can include a picture or two.

xlogger · May 16, 2019, 07:53:59 PM

all the rack is a 1x6 attached to wall with floor flanges that you screw into and what you see most are 1" pcv pipes screw into them. The pvc will not hold up good. I'm slowly replacing them with 3/4 steel pipes cut into about 18" long. I when this afternoon and pickup 4 more pipes 21 feet long that I'll cut for new holders and start replacing the pcv a little at a time.

Crusarius · May 16, 2019, 08:42:19 PM

be great if you can put the pipe on the wall then a pvc sleeve over it. I have not had good luck with metal touching wood. it likes to leave black lines.