New House, New Workshop Build.

[deema]

We have decided after nearly two decades in our previous home that it’s time to move. The kids have flown the nest, and it’s time to indulge and buy the home of our dreams, well my wifeys dreams
The new house doesn’t have either a garage or a building suitable for a workshop. Something that I have to correct to stop me going mad! Or at least any more insane that I am at the moment!
I was very lucky that I build a 1500sq ft rectangular workshop at my previous home, and inevitable filled it with treasure, or junk as some may call it. So, ideally I would have liked something larger and the same shape. However, the new workshop will be adjacent to the house, and not in a field next to to house so aesthetically needs to be ’pleasing‘. I’m also going to build this under permitted development rights, so I’m constrained as to how far I can go to the boundary and also the maximum ridge wall height. Ideally I would have preferred walls that were 10’ tall, rather than losing the 2’ in this design. However, the prospect of waiting probably 12 months to be told no, and potentially having permitted development rights removed by the planners just because they can, I’m going to build within the restrictions.
The proposed building will have the potential to be a garage and a workshop / office / what ever, however, it will be in its entirety a workshop. I think I’m going to add underfloor heating as this will be I suspect the cheapest way to heat it and keep it a comfortable temperature whilst stopping any worries about rust. To achieve this it will be insulated to ‘house’ standards.

The roof will be completely open internally, without any internal beams to maximise the head room.

So here is the proposed design. I’d appreciate any comments or suggestions for improvement as at the moment it’s just a design.

 

[deema]

With a designated area for the workshop we need to determine what sort of ground we are going to be building on. Ideally I’d like the floor to be able to accommodate some of the larger machines I hope at some stage to buy. At the moment my largest machines are a maximum of 1.5 tonnes and I’m looking towards 3 tonnes for small CNC mill / lathe.
I have commissioned a ground survey, where they drill a number of bore holes to determine what the ground is like and to enable the foundations to be designed before we start to dig. The drill as they call it is a small ‘pilling’ machine that knocks the sample tubes down to around 4 or 5 meters or deeper depending on what they find. I won’t get the results for a few weeks.

 

[deema]

I need to decide what type of garage doors to install. They need to be insulated, draft and mouse proof. Anyone got any recommendations?

I’ve used insulated commercial grade roller shutter doors in past, however these are rubbish for drafts and the mice just walk around the edge of them. I also want them to be industrial grade, primarily for security.

 

[Spectric]

On your front elevation which I assume is the one facing the road it is all garage doors, will this not look to industrial as there are no windows ?

 

[deema]

@Spectric thanks for your insight. I will look into it, it’s a good point. The front elevation is actually hidden, you can’t see any of it from the road. You can’t see any of it from anywhere inside the house either, or when approaching the front door. The only part that can be seen from the garden is the back / south elevation. This will also be just visibly through trees from the road.

 

[Ollie78]

This should be an interesting project, I am quite envious of your position of starting from scratch, you should be able to have all the features you always wanted.
Design looks great, can't have enough good light so the rooflights are a good plan.
I always think its good to do a 3d model in fusion or sketchup or something, this way you can play with the layout and check stuff before commiting to a design.
For the garage doors what about sideways rolling on a track, make them from 44mm timber in sections, aquamac between leaves.
I worked somewhere which had them and liked the way you don't have to open the entire thing just to walk in, just open it as far as you need. They ran on a little metal track in the concrete. Could be part glazed as well.
Only trouble is they need an internal space to open into along a wall, but you could build a false wall for it to hide behind.


Ollie

 

[stigg]

I see you have a heat pump on the drawings. My advice is to install the insulation under the concrete slab and heat the whole slab. This will mean that the heating takes longer to heat it up but once it is it will be more stable. Also better for loading. Heat pumps are better at long and slow anyway.
I have recently completed a passivhaus standard 'shed' - its not certified, just built with those principles and am doing the same to the house. It works better than I could ever have wished. Personally I would save the money on the heat pump and put it into the passive details. You hardly need any heating if any depending on what you have running internally. My shed is mostly heated by a fridge and a freezer but yours is admittedly bigger. Still the heat requirements should be very low and that makes the payback period of expensive heat pumps impractical. Roller shutters will be an issue that will need some thought as airtightness is paramount.
Its worth some thought at this stage.
Dan

 

[Fitzroy]

Some thoughts:

• Dust collection, an external sound insulated space for the machine/collector, much less workshop noise and no mess internally when dealing with full bags.
• MHRV. Humidity builds quickly in my now well insulated and sealed workshop, with the workshop only at 14-16 degC else it's too warm to work I find I have more humidity issues than I did when it was cold and draughty. Condensation at corner of windows etc. A MHRV will enable you to control air changes without losing the energy of the warm air to the environment.
• Hopefully the 2CV is not actually in the purchase list, they had their day but are a liability now!

Very envious!

Fitz

 

[stigg]

Have you given any thought to the roof structure? Since you want it open you will be putting in some sort of ridge beams -probably steel?
I have used a Fitch plate design to good effect and am using it again on a new kitchen extension. Keeps things very open and compared with steel ridges and particularly gluelam beams almost invisible as its all within the rafter space.

 

[stigg]

Some thoughts:

• Dust collection, an external sound insulated space for the machine/collector, much less workshop noise and no mess internally when dealing with full bags.
• MHRV. Humidity builds quickly in my now well insulated and sealed workshop, with the workshop only at 14-16 degC else it's too warm to work I find I have more humidity issues than I did when it was cold and draughty. Condensation at corner of windows etc. A MHRV will enable you to control air changes without losing the energy of the warm air to the environment.
• Hopefully the 2CV is not actually in the purchase list, they had their day but are a liability now!

Very envious!

Fitz

mvhr and dust collection will only work if recirculating air back into the workshop. I am going to be extracting to the outside once I have built the 'extractor shed' and just take the hit on the heating in the workshop.
If I was doing my workshop from scratch now I would do things differently.
The MVHR in my utility 'Passivshed' works well and reacts to excess humidity keeping the place very stable.

Dan

 

[deema]

@Ollie78 thanks for you input. My workshop layout / machines keep evolving. I have changed my machine a few times, usually from learning / envy! / restoring kit and finding it better than what I have. Equally my collection of metal working machines is also evolving, when I started out in my old workshop I didn’t envisage doing anything other than woodwork, these days I spend far more time at the mill and lathe creating man glitter than I do making sawdust. Thats a long way of saying, that I’ve found that having floor space that’s versatile is what’s important to me, and although I can do a layout, it will I’m sure change within a few months as machines change!

 

[deema]

Have you given any thought to the roof structure? Since you want it open you will be putting in some sort of ridge beams -probably steel?
I have used a Fitch plate design to good effect and am using it again on a new kitchen extension. Keeps things very open and compared with steel ridges and particularly gluelam beams almost invisible as its all within the rafter space.

The project is being designed by an architect, I have asked for the roof to be open with no internal bracing or support. Im not sure exactly how the roof will be designed! I believe however that this can be achieved by using engineered wood beams and fitch plates rather than steel I beams as you suggest which aesthetically will be nicer and it’s also more cost effective. I also like wood compared to steel as it’s more tolerant to fire.

 

[deema]

@stigg I hadn’t thought about using MHRS, that’s a really good suggestion. Right now, I know next to nothing about the requirements/ benefits of mechanical heat recovery systems.

 

[Sideways]

Your solar must be going ground mount down the garden. There's no room for panels in among all those nice rooflights....

 

[deema]

Your solar must be going ground mount down the garden. There's no room for panels in among all those nice rooflights....

The fun and stress of planning the build which is on a schedule is the learning curve of all the various bits. My bandwidth is narrow, and I’m finding it more stress than fun! I will have to live with the decisions for while!!
Solar is another rabbit hole, but I do have a very good friend who has researched this and is IMO an expert in this subject…..is your facing colouring up a nice shade of rouge yet? Who I’m hoping will guide me through this conundrum. The roof lights or PV? The PV built into the workshop roof or popped on the main house roof?? I’m lucky that the main house roof is facing about 1 degree off due south and is large enough to accommodate PV and or Solar Heating tubes. It could also be ground based…..

 

[Sideways]

Ground mount
Shorter ladders if anything needs maintenance.
And room for shade loving plants below.

Roof lights will add a lot of benefit to the workspace so don't lose them.

 

[Pedronicus]

Ground mount
Shorter ladders if anything needs maintenance.
And room for shade loving plants below.

But Planning Permission will be needed for ground mount.

 

[stigg]

The current thinking is to heat water with solar PV rather than tubes. A more flexible arrangement according to my research.
Roof lights good for light but not so good for your roof integrity or insulation. Also I tend to work at night anyway so left them off. One less thing to worry about. I do have a lot of lights though which is so much better these days with LED strips. Still not as good as daylight but that only happens when its... well light.
If I ever get round to solar it will be ground based. Currently because of the EV tariff we are on there is no point in solar - unless you want to feel the green glow. Battery storage for overnight is debatable.
I am planning a water thermal store for the house. Heat overnight and used for heating and hotwater during the day. A combi boiler will buck the temp if need be. - debating on leaving this off.

 

[Inspector]

If your architect uses scissor trusses you don't need ridge beams as they span from one side to the other. Your roof shapes may make full use of them more complicated. My shop has them and the external pitch is 4/12 and inside closer to 3/12 pitch. They are also lighter and can be placed on the walls by the delivery truck with a folding crane, a telehandler forklift or lifted by hand. I would also skip the skylights because of cost, lowered insulation values and they are a source of future leaks. LED lights can be like being outside at noon if you pick the right ones.

Have fun
Pete

 

[MF1000]

I need to decide what type of garage doors to install. They need to be insulated, draft and mouse proof. Anyone got any recommendations?

I’ve used insulated commercial grade roller shutter doors in past, however these are rubbish for drafts and the mice just walk around the edge of them. I also want them to be industrial grade, primarily for security.

The liberal use of bristle strips to seal the bottom edges & sides etc solves the mouse and draught issue