Posted by Arthur P. Bloom on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 at 3:35PM :
In Reply to: Re: OT Building a work shop posted by MoparNorm on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 at 10:38AM :
Mopar Norm has given you very good advice. As a builder, he has probably seen it all, the good and the bad.
Remember, basement space is the cheapest space to build, and to pay taxes on. If you can situate the building into a hill, then you can build what's known as a bank barn, with ground level entrances on two sides, into two different storeys.
I built a 24 by 36 foot barn this way, using a little cheating on the final grade to achieve the 9 foot difference required. The wooden floor of the main deck is accessible via a ramp entrance, which is a very slight grade, and which will support just about anything. I built it on 2 by 12's, one foot on center, every-other one doubled up to make 4 by 12's.
Decking is two layers of one-inch plywood. It doesn't sag a bit. The main floor has 12 foot ceiling height, good for lifting engines, etc. The "basement" is a 3-car garage, on slab, with about 7.5 foot headroom. Rental of 2 of these 3 little garage spaces pay for the taxes on the whole property.
(We live in PRNY: People's Republik of Nueva York) Taxes are always a consideration here, maybe not where you are.
Arthur