Workshop build from scratch

[AreBee]

Hello Wise Welding folk,

Anybody tell me where I can get fabricated steel roof trusses suitable to build my own workshop from? I have found websites which all seem to be aiming at the commercial sector as oppsed to domestic, which is understandable.

I'm lucky enough to be able to plan to build a workshop of a suitable size on a plot of land I just bought to extend the plot my house stands on. I haven't settled on the size as yet as I need to see what it'll cost. But I'm looking at a minimum footprint of 10m x 6m and would like it to be around 3.8m at the top of the gable so as to fit a high access door. I was thinking of wooden construction but as this building will house a tractor, quad, paddock maintenance equipment (bloomin horses!) and my racing car plus room to set up a full functioning workshop I have tended to go towards an all metal construction (am I doing the right thing?)

I will want to install a hoisting system in the workshop and the height needs to be enough to fit a car ramp in. I have a budget of around 10K but this needs to include a base and I plan to do the construction work myself. Can anyone recommend a fabricator for the roof truses and vertical supports I'm going to need. I can get the Z purlins and sheeting locally. I do know I can buy prefabicated workshops but I can't help feeling I can save a few bob by sourcing all the material myself. I'm in the East Sussex area and your advice will be appreciated

If I'm way off kilter, someone say?

RB

 

[Shox Dr]

I think you need to be looking at 3-6x 10x6. to house that lot.

I would start by adding up the space each piece of kit will take up plus about 20% so you can at least get to stuff. Workshop space. I have a 8x5 workshop and that is small, once you get a lathe milling machine a couple of welders, tools boxes, other misc kit access etc etc.

As for the building you can buy second hand portal frame building for not a lot of money, last time I priced up a building it was 30per sq meter. Not including ground works

 

[Photog Keith]

Hi RB

If you want a metal structure a friend of mine owns his own company doing just that sort of thing in West Sussex (he also does all the repairs to Worthing Pier). If you give him a buzz and mention Keith (the RAF Photographer) he will know who you mean. His name is Ali and his number is 01903 215655

It's a small, friendly business and he'll be happy to chat

 

[Photog Keith]

Oh, the business is called KD Engineering >> http://www.kd-engineering.co.uk/

 

[mac1967]

My current Garage is made the same, way i bought it bepsoke at 7mx6mx3.1m 2 roller doors and a security door, without the footings, it came in at £6500, thats the best of 5 quotes from various companies. Then a 6 inch slab base comes in at another chunk. I erected it myself which saved a bit, it wasn;t too hard just a b8ll ache to lift.

you u want to know any more, PM me.

cheers
Mac

 

[AreBee]

Cheers Guys,

As I said I can big up the size as long as I can afford the materials. I did think about the second hand option but as often as not the seller would expect me to dismantle and transport (unless there are dedicated sellers to this market in the same way there are reclamation yards). And yes there is a fair amount of gear that will need some careful planning to store correctly. I do expect to remove the tractor every time I use the workshop as I only see it as a space to store the tractor when the workshop is not in use.

Cheers Keith, I’ll certainly give KD a ring and see what he can do for me, Only just got the land and there’s a forest to clear before I can get cracking and to exacerbate the storage problem further I just ordered a wood chipper! But it is useful to build a database of contacts at the earliest stage and I appreciate the contact info.

Mac, I did search for companies that supply the self build buildings and I come up with a similar price. I’ll PM you to see if it’s the same outfit. I do have a front loader on the tractor so hope that will assist. It’s been a god send in all kinds of lifting problems in the past and I hope it will be the saviour with this.

 

[Shox Dr]

The biggest costs are ground works and roof, the bit in-between is cheap so
another way, is to fit a mezzanine floor, with a 4post ramp, to act as a work platform and also to get to the 1st floor to store cars stuff etc

 

[AreBee]

Cheers Shox,

I had an idea that would be the case. I'm lucky enough to have the facility to play around with the orientation of the work shop and its location in my garden. Access won’t be an issue and I'm going to do all the work myself but just may just call in Ready Mix or I could call in a local guy from Hastings called William the Concreter (get it?) who mixes and I lay. I’ll just dig out footings for block work to floor height and infill, hard core, concrete and screed. I make it sound simple I know and there will be affair amount so I expect a good percentage of the cost of the build to go here.

Surprised you say the roof though as the walls are constructed in the same way as the roof using Z purlins and covered with box profile sheets (well that’s how I was planning to do it?). And there is a large door to fit too.

RB

 

[awemawson]

Where are you in East Sussex? I'm tn33 if you want to see what I did for a workshop. DON'T use William the C - I've had one load from him and it was on the point of going off on delivery, and a friend took him to court over the slab for a house development. Presume you're near Battle? I'm 2 miles east of Battle.

 

[AreBee]

Hello mate,

No, I’m a little further over in Horam near Heathfield (TN21).

Thanks so much for the heads up with W the C. I used to see his ads in the Friday Ad and thought that if I ever did any large scale concrete work I might just give him a go – Not now!

I would like to take you up on the offer so if you want to PM me I’ll pop over when I get a moment and take a look. The budget is the deciding factor in this so whilst I have an idea of what I want I am prepared to compromise the design to suit. Any ideas from those who have gone before is welcome in my book.

RB

 

[Shox Dr]

The roof has more steel in it, plus you have guttering, flashing, seam tape, getting the sheets up there etc etc

 

[AreBee]

Good Point Shox

In my mind (and it is only in my mind’s eye at present) I had 4 steel “portals” (2 verticals and one roof truss per portal) with each vertical beam bolted into the base. All tied with Z purlins both on the walls and roof. The 1m wide profile sheets would then be bolted and stitched to the purlins in much the same way as shown in the picture from the website a company called Cyclone that Mac has used. Obviously in this picture the application is commercial and the scale is bigger but it’s pretty much what I had in mind.


The gutters and the ridge are going to be used on the roof only and I do agree the roof truss itself will probably have more steel than that of vertical beam but I was thinking the roller shutter door along with the steel that it would need as a frame (or whatever I decide regarding main door) could go some way to offset the price differential from walls to roof?

 

[Coo]

Sounds good - keep us posted with pics of the build
Great to see things being built !

 

[AreBee]

Will do. Heres the first picture.

There is the jungle I need to get cleared which, if the chipper arrives tomorrow, will get underway Saturday morning. This is where the workshop will probably go. And before anyone tells me that I'll need planning to chop it all down, I won't as the trees are less than 20 years old and at 1.5m less than 750mm in diameter so according to my planning office website, can be cut without planning consent. There are some bigger which I intend to keep as part of the landscaping to the remainder of the land which will be an extension to Mrs B's garden (project No2!!!)

Now where did I put that chainsaw?

 

[Photog Keith]

Be careful with the chipper AreBee, you hear some terrible horror stories of people being dragged in to them <<shudder>>

 

[AreBee]

I'm Chain saws, Mrs B is on wood chipper !!!!!

(seriously, you're right hence the model I have bought has a stop bar all around the feed)

 

[Photog Keith]

Make sure she's trained up and keep an eye on her, the worst story I've heared was a family doing the same as you and the husband went missing. It wasn't until an hour or so later that they noticed mince hanging out of the chipper chute! The safety bars only work if you are standing in the right place too.
I've got my chainsaw ticket and I often shudder watching people use their chainsaws... my Mum had a guy in to cut down some Leylandii which he did in shorts and trainers! May as well have had a live organ doner card!

 

[AreBee]

Thanks for the concerns Keith. I was kidding re the Missus. I too have my CS ticket and take PPE very seriously. I have the correct equipment and wouldn't dream of using this type of kit without a sensible approach to safety.

We ex-fireman types have seen death in all its gory details and I have no desire to emulate those who have gone on to try and get nominated for the Darwin awards

RB
(Ex SUB Officer - LFB)

 

[Photog Keith]

That's good AreBee! I always warn people of the dangers as for some reason some people don't always link the ability of tools to cut through trees with the ability to remove limbs!

I'm guessing you know plenty about risk assessment being in the LFB! I used to do all the photography at RAF Manston, the MOD fire training school. Had great fun up there!