My man cave build

[rfuerst911sc]

Hello everyone I have a couple of topics running regarding various items for a garage I'm building . I thought I would start one post to document the build in hopes that some info can help others . I am starting with this 24 x 28 pole barn had it installed a few months ago . It has 12 ' tall walls and is now prepped for the concrete pour . That will happen the week after Thanksgiving . It is framed up for a 5.5 " thick floor with two areas aprox. 36 x 36 that are 9 " deep that is where the two post lift will be installed .

I have been driving on the dirt for two months plus with my garden tractor and my dually to pack that red GA. clay down . Did a final grading and pulled in some # 57 gravel . Spread that out and then covered with 6 mil vapor barrier . Sent pics to my concrete guy he was happy with it just gotta wait until after the holiday.

I already purchased a used Ammco two post lift she's waiting to be installed . And I also purchased a Mitsubishi mini split to heat/cool the space . I will install radiant barrier under the rafters forming a 3.5 " air space and will have vented soffits the full length on both sides . Already have a full length ridge vent with the metal roof . I'm pretty sure I will go with metal ceiling and a good 6 - 8 inches of insulation . Walls will be 2 x 6 . Pretty sure I will go with a 18 ' wide x 10 ' tall insulated garage door . No windows in the garage and there will be one 36 " entry door.

Two concrete pads will be poured on the back of the garage on the perimeter of the floor , one pad will be for the air compressor and one for the mini split . The air compressor will be framed in but will be " outside " of the interior space to keep the noise down . Other than the concrete and the electrical I plan on doing the majority of the work myself as I am officially retired as of 12/1/17 !

Interior cabinets will be the Gladiator cabinets I previously had installed in the garage of the house we recently sold . They were almost 3K and I was NOT going to leave them behind ! Lighting I'm leaning towards LED track lights I also had those in the other garage and liked them a lot . I also pulled from the other garage three wall mounted adjustable fans for when the AC/heat are not needed . Sorry for the long post but wanted to get the basic story out there . Hopefully others can benefit or at least enjoy the build Here are two pics to kick things off .

[Rich Lambert]

sub'd

[masraum]

Why no windows? Security or simplicity?

I'm thinking if it's essentially a simple box, then having windows in the back and/or on the sides would allow a breeze to blow through which might be nice.

For cutting down the noise of the compressor, maybe something like the stuff below? Or just not necessary since it will be "outside".

[rfuerst911sc]

Masraum I was thinking no windows mainly for simplicity and partially as bad guy entry points But we are in the country and very low crime area so may have to rethink that as you bring up good points about ventilation . When I say the compressor will be " outside " it will basically be a mini room off the existing building with an entry door from the inside . That way I can roll the compressor in or out if needed it already is sitting on a 4 wheeled platform I built for it in my previous garage .

So yes your diagram is basically how the building and the compressor room will be built . The studs will be 2x6 with plywood on the exterior and house wrap and OSB on the interior . Standard fiberglass insulation is the plan . Probably vinyl siding on the exterior for minimal maintenance . I will insulate the back of the compressor room door for noise suppression and even thinking about leaving a open space on top of the three perimeter compressor room walls of maybe 3 - 4 " and cover with window screen/hardware cloth of maybe 1/8 " or 1/4 " grid . My thoughts are two fold: one it will allow some noise to escape and two that will allow intake/cooling air for the compressor pump . Have any of you guys done something like this ? I would size the roof over the compressor room to allow coverage so wind driven rain would not come in .

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by masraum

For cutting down the noise of the compressor, maybe something like the stuff below? Or just not necessary since it will be "outside".

Interesting on the double layer of drywall.

Does code require the 5/8's drywall for a detached building? Would be cool to have two layers up to 1 1/4", but why? Not a push back. Just asking.

R3 per half inch sheet or thereabouts. Say R4 for fire sheetrock.

[Seahawk]

Do windows...put in bars if need be. Natural light is gold.

I have redone an old barn on the farm and added windows on one side, decided not to on the other.

I will have windows put in.

[Robert Adams]

Do awning style windows at the upper height of the wall if security is an issue. Don't go lower than 5-6 feet from the floor. The awning windows crank out for fresh air and the light is amazing. Gives privacy but you still get natural light.

[DanielDudley]

There are no wind braces on those poles. If it is going to stay that way very long, add some cross bracing.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by Robert Adams

Do awning style windows at the upper height of the wall if security is an issue. Don't go lower than 5-6 feet from the floor. The awning windows crank out for fresh air and the light is amazing. Gives privacy but you still get natural light.

Nice way to go on this style of building. Looks GREAT !!!

[rfuerst911sc]

You guys have convinced me to rethink the windows . I'll look into some vinyl double hung insulated . I can frame up any size but will look for something smaller like 18 wide by 24 tall or whatever is close to that size at the box store .

In regards to wind bracing not going to add any because as soon as the concrete is poured the 2 x 6 walls are going up , that will be my bracing along with the exterior plywood . It has been like this for several months and several storms including hurricane Irma and has stayed rock solid .

I do appreciate the feedback guys so keep it coming .

[RKDinOKC]

Looked at a home that was for sale that was built by the seller. The exterior walls were built with 2x6 instead of 2x4. The entire attic was decked with 1/2in plywood. The house was on a corner of a highly trafficked 4 lane street. You could not hear the traffic at all unless you opened a door. He had built in a gun safe with hidden door in the back wall of a closet. The wall slid open to reveal the large gun safe. He said there was another safe in the house he would reveal if I bought the house.

Besides the attached 2 car garage at one end of the house there was an unattached garage built the same way. It was tall enough it had a lift and would fit an RV. Was wide with two tall doors. You could basically drive a golf cart around the RV and 2 cars and had workbench and cabinets across the end. It had a drain on the side with the lift. It was a car guy's dream garage.

Would be living there except for being on that corner with the major 4 lane street. Told him he needs to take if off the market and list it in the spring or early summer when you don't see all the road grime in the front yard from the 4 lane street.

Also watched another home being built that the exterior walls were styrofoam forms and filled with rebar and concrete. The forms were designed with tabs to attach masonry on the outside and framing on the inside. So the house had rock veneer, the layer of foam, 4 nches of concrete the layer of foam and then regular framing. Had a large closet that had 12in thick concrete walls that was to be their hidey hole. The exterior walls of poured concrete with the styro forms was pretty interesting.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

I'm starting the building of a man cave and a man shed, where I live we build em strong, my end of our village is a conservation area which means no match stick house builds allowed.

Cave will be an outer course of 8" thick stone, a middle course of 4" concrete blocks and an inner course of 4" concrete blocks, about 2ft thick including insulation and air gaps.

Garden shed will be an outer course of 8" thick stone, 4" concrete block and 6" insulation as when my wife is not using it for gardening I'll use it as a spray booth and carbon fibre oven

Mr Wolf can huff and puff but he aint getting in to this little piggy's house

[masraum]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

So yes your diagram is basically how the building and the compressor room will be built . The studs will be 2x6 with plywood on the exterior and house wrap and OSB on the interior . Standard fiberglass insulation is the plan . Probably vinyl siding on the exterior for minimal maintenance . I will insulate the back of the compressor room door for noise suppression and even thinking about leaving a open space on top of the three perimeter compressor room walls of maybe 3 - 4 " and cover with window screen/hardware cloth of maybe 1/8 " or 1/4 " grid . My thoughts are two fold: one it will allow some noise to escape and two that will allow intake/cooling air for the compressor pump . Have any of you guys done something like this ? I would size the roof over the compressor room to allow coverage so wind driven rain would not come in .

I tihnk you're maybe missing some of the details.

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Interesting on the double layer of drywall.

Does code require the 5/8's drywall for a detached building? Would be cool to have two layers up to 1 1/4", but why? Not a push back. Just asking.

R3 per half inch sheet or thereabouts. Say R4 for fire sheetrock.

I don't know anything about the details. It was just the results of a google image search for a technique of sound damping interior walls. Maybe this will demonstrate better for RF.

The point is that the header and footer of the wall are 2x6, but the upright studs are only 4" and alternate which side of the wall they attach to. That way the sound can't vibrate from drywall to stud to drywall because there is a 100% air gap alternating through the studs the length of the wall.

I assume the 5/8" is just to make the wall extra thick and heavy for more sound deadening.

[dad911]

I wouldn't bother with compressor room. Too much space, get a good, large belt drive compressor, quieter and won't run that often. And if you're using air sanders/chisels/wrenches/impact gun.... they are noisy anyway.

[kach22i]

Have you looked into resilient channels?

I like the idea of operable awning clerestory windows protected by a roof overhang.

What about those translucent fiberglass panels, corrugated Lexan, or Monopan?

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by dad911

I wouldn't bother with compressor room. Too much space, get a good, large belt drive compressor, quieter and won't run that often. And if you're using air sanders/chisels/wrenches/impact gun.... they are noisy anyway.

Sorry to disagree but I have an IR 60 gallon industrial two cylinder belt driven compressor and it is fairly loud . I previously had it in my 24 x 26 garage and it is/was annoying to hear it run so a separate compressor room will be built . I don't expect to not hear it running but if I can cut down by 70 - 80 % it's a win for not much money AND it won't take up any footprint in the garage another win .

I'm not going to over think the compressor room , concrete pad with 2x6 walls with fiberglass insulation and one or two layers of OSB/plywood/sheetrock on the interior and be done . That will achieve what I want . There will be plenty of other items to over think . Right now even though I don't have a floor yet I'm struggling with one garage door or two ? Conventional panel or roll up ? I know it/they will be insulated regardless of which style I go with . And I will go with wall mounted openers .

[Seahawk]

My shop is a converted tobacco barn.



The window area was what was called a "stripping room" - they stripped the tobacco leaves from the stalk after it was cured by hanging in the barn. That was my shop for over 15 years.

The wood was getting hard to maintain and the roofs need to be replaced. Wrapped and re-roofed. We left all the original wood beneath the wrap so the barns can be returned to their old glory. I am not into wood maintenance!



The next year I converted the next two stalls into more shop room. Windows, A/C and heat. I hung panel door that slide since I wanted the head room for a lift I never put in. The door were a mistake. The stripping room door is to the left of the Mercedes and it is a pain. The doors will be replaced some day,



The next year I finished out the rest of the barn and used overhead doors on the last open stall and at the end of the barn. I really recommend the overhead doors for you place.



That is the area I am going to add windows to.

One last shot from behind.

[Seahawk]

One other thing. After looking at your site, I would thing about putting garage doors on both ends of the shop, even if the one end does not have drive-in access.

The ability to completely open the storage area in the last picture above has been great for ventilation, in my case drive through and a sense of openness working in the shop on nice days.

I now do all maintenance on that side because of the open space.

[rfuerst911sc]

Seahawk nice work on the old barn and I'm with you on minimal maintenance on the exterior . I will either go with vinyl siding or vertical metal panels for the exterior . I do not want to be painting when I'm 80 years old ! I will be going with overhead doors just not sure panel style or roll up style . With the pole barn construction there will be more framing involved for the panel style for the overhead rails . Plus the intrusion of the rails . I am leaning towards insulated roll up/coil style but I have a long time to think that over as I am far from being ready .

[Seahawk]

BTW, I concur with the separate compressor area. I have a portable I use a lot to clean equipment (blowing down filters, getting farm detritus out of nooks and crannies) and the noise is annoying.

When I get a stand up it will have an insulated room somewhere!

Looking forward to following your progress.

Best.