Garaging A FLU,,what do you do? STEEL garage companies experiance?

[lurkMcGurk]

Kind of tangential to this FLU419 ownership but I suppose its here or nowhere to post this question. I am building a garage hopefully this Summer, next Summer if I get sidetracked. Its to house The Mogs, tools, woodworking, my sanity etc.etc.etc. I have been trying to find a STEEL building supplier that someone, anyone has used in the past to deliver on a solid red iron type building, NON QUONSET.

The MOGS are compact enough but the structure needs to be 15-16' H at the walls with a good pitch for snow and tall enough at center to put a mezzanine in the rear. 18 gauge should do the trick with my snow loads in Maine. If anyone houses there SEE's in a structure like that I would love to see it for reference. Also going 40x60 with lean too attached and on an unheated slab. <<<like This


I will pour a slab but looking for an INTERIOR SUPPORT system like the above picture. Where does everyone else store there FLU's ? I'm not much for participating in the show your garage threads I see elsewhere. That being said they are great for reference and when I'm done I will post pics!!!

I know what I would like for the most part but don't see anyone with quite what I'm looking for in my area. Maybe you Midwestern folks know where this Steel building connection is? I don't see any special adaptations necessary for a FLU in a garage that regular heavy equipment workshops would not have.

A Garage would be pretty standard but perhaps there might be features possibly unique to these machines better suited to a steel building
-a place to remove and store loader and hoe
-strong building supports to hoist from
-punching bag for working through mog related issues and/or frustrations
-walls capable of trapping a lost German Unimog engineer to explain some of the finer points of Mog maintenance and function!

honestly don't know just looking for peoples experience with Steel Garage companies or comparable well built workshops for the layman. because I not only dislike my current tarp treatment I have had to contend with mice and squirrels. I have found a pretty badass electric trap that has more then earned its keep so far!
So let me know if you have found a STEEL garage supplier of competency and good value or what. Also witty banter and good ideas for a shop encouraged! thanks

 

[The FLU farm]

Naturally, I don't remember the name of my metal garage now, but I'll try to remember to look at the sign in the morning.
In the meantime, my main suggestion would be to go as large as humanly possible. Rob a bank if you must, but build it big.

Also, I'd recommend a heated floor (go back, but to a different, bank if you must).
I'm really glad that I finally added a lean-to outside, as I prefer to work outside, but in shade and not being rained on.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
A lot will depend on what part of the country you are in. Take a look at a local airport. Look up at the eaves. Most companies put there name plate there.

Butler is one name which comes to mind.

I would expect any out fit which builds the structure will account for location, (Maine) and roof pitch and snow load. Most buildings can have tons of options. Man doors, windows, barn doors, swing, aviation style bi-fold doors, split sliders.

Most will build to spec. Whatever height, and overall dimensions will be by your wallet.

wow, just google "steel buildings maine"

 

[BEASTMASTER]

I moved down here 3 years ago, thought the 30x30 metal building would be great to work on the beast, and keep it out of the weather. boy was I in for a surprise. with the humidity down here, within a month , all my tools started to rust, and the floor is always damp, I mean you can slide around like you were on ice. of course they say it can be fixed by insulating the building, but that would lower the wind rating and I'd have to anchor the building to the ground, no guarantee. I would'nt have another one , that's for sure. the next one, if there is, would be wood for sure, and "BIGGER "
do some research, good luck.

 

[Shark Bait]

No matter how big you think you can get by with, make it BIGGER! Lol. 7,000 square feet and I wished I had went bigger. I did not do heated floors and wished I had.

 

[lurkMcGurk]

Thanks for the input so far Gents. I will check out the airport idea this week and "Butler" but for now I'm going to guess that the local big steel building company built that. I spoke with there VP a few weeks ago and they do not do residential structures or know of anyone that does. Yes I have made several google searches and using Maine as a keyword and have had no local success just google bots and spiders directing me to whoever was clever enough to leave all 50 states listed anywhere on their page. The majority of the time I come up with folks from away that would like a deposit and will "mail" me plans. I have received a few mailers to date but no plans. It would appear there are several middle men in this market with a special deal for today and today only and not as many manufacturers. Also some questionable structures made from tubular steel and skeletonized supports like carports and also Quonset hut type constructions. Closest I have to an actual residential steel construction company is a built structure on craigslist and the seller lists that company that built his workshop is out of Cortlandt, NY. Still waiting on a call back but may ask a friend down that way to see if they are still in business.

I've done my homework here and preliminarily the easiest route seemed to be a Morton building (if you live in the South). Snow loads and building codes in the Northeast seem to deter most of these middle men or brokers. My local building code officer cant think of a single residential steel garage in my area and I cant say I've seen anything like what I'm after. I will keep looking but again if anyone here knows of something that may fit the bill I'm all ears. If I can't find what I'm after I may have to go stick built. Not the end of the world but not my first choice.

Also trying to heed the build bigger and heated floors chorus, there has to be some truth there! Sharkbait if you have the steel interior frame like my original picture please let me know who you went with. Thanks all, Cheers.
​

 

[Shark Bait]

Mine is wood Andy was built by an Amish outfit out of Ohio. It's 50'x120' with 16' ceilings and a 1,000 sq ft second floor. Morton was 40% overpriced in my area to build the same shop. I had it put "under roof" by them, tgey did the concrete work, and then I finished the inside myself. I did 400 amp service, a 200 amp panel down for each side. I've only finished out half of it because of the price of OSB sky rocketing. My plan is to finish the rest of it this year.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,
No company will send you the plans. Not until some money has exchanged hands. You ask for samples and pictures of structures built. They can all be called pre-fab and all shipped from Pittsburgh for all you know. The important portion is going to be the local contractor crew to erect the unit. The design is whatever you can imagine. Clear-span, types of doors, length, width, height etc... The type of material, insulation or not, roof pitch, snow load, whether you want them to clear and level site, clean-up.
They handle the permits, or you do, inspections etc..
They do it, or you do it. Dirt floor, cement floor, radiant heated floor, electric plumbed, water plumbed would all be what you wallet decides.
After a finalized signed contract and stuff, you would then have plans, designs, materials list and start and finish dates and a total $$$ amount.

It depends on what local contractor works with what companies. I have a few Morton buildings and a steel building. I measured out the site area and did all the grading work. A truck showed up about 2-3 weeks before the start date and starting off-loading materials. I knew it was close when a Johnny-Blue was dropped. 4 days later a crew showed up and started in.

 

[The FLU farm]

Okay, mine's a Utility King, and I'm very happy with it.

As Daybreak pointed out, decide on what you want, find the best possible contractor, and go at it.
We also have a few Morton buildings, plus the Utility King, and the procedure was about the same. Morton is far more expensive, but takes care of everything. Although, I've had fewer issues with the metal building, and Morton insists on having a permit.

Lastly, get taller doors than you think you'll need, and do consider plenty of skylights.

 

[frank8003]

?
https://irishspanindustries.com/

 

[peakbagger]

First thing to do is call your local building inspector and get the ground snow load and wind zone classification. If you talk to someone who doesnt ask for these its hint that they don't know what they are doing or are going to lowball you. Structures built for down south don't worry about snow load but you really do. There should be no reason to rake off a properly designed roof.

Consider if you want to be able to hang point loads to the roof structure like a trolley rail or bridge crane in the future. This adds load to the roof, its not that hard to design in the loads but a bear to add it in afterwards.

Next read the PDF and watch this TV show excerpt that was filmed in Orono Maine on Frost heaves http://www.hotandcold.tv/frost_heaves.html. This should get you up to speed on how to insulate the slab correctly.

Another thing to note is if you want to put down a fancy epoxy floor coating, the slab needs to have vapor barrier installed underneath it. A typical slab guy hates a vapor barrier under the slab and will try to avoid it or poke holes in it as it takes longer for the concrete to set up which means he cant float it as quick.

Radiant heat tubing in the slab is good thing to consider even if you don't hook it up right away.

Good discussion, I want to raise my garage so I can work on my SEE and my 1300.

I really like galvalume siding and roofing with Kynar topcoating. It does seem to last a long time.

The insulation kits for many steel buildings are sometime overpriced rolls of vinyl coated fiberglass. Ask around and maybe get in touch with Tom Gocze (yup the guy on the video) down in Searsport for options. Either that of give him a call on his radio show Saturday mornings on WVOM.

 

[frank8003]

https://www.absoluterv.com/metal-buildings/steel-buildings-by-state/maine-metal-buildings/

just click the link

https://www.google.com/search?num=2...64.psy-ab..3.24.1716.0..0i131k1.0.nQbHm9NkA6s

 

[crunchylicenseplates]

Make sure to check the building codes for your area, neighborhood where you live some municipalities require a certain distance from the edge of the property.


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[BEASTMASTER]

hey guy, you might want to look into the quanset type buildings. if theyr're good enough for the military .they might work. I knew a guy up in mass. that had one and he was pleased with it.

 

[czechsix]

Good thread, and I'm in the same boat - but up in Alaska. I've also found that getting steel building info is tough. Takes lots of time, and there are lots of useless sites out there. I need to run a minimum 30x60, heated floors, wood/oil heat and spray foam insulation. Also planning on a pit and a trolley hoist. After all this research I'm also going to take the time to see what a stick built would cost....

 

[Jbulach]

All the research I did when I built my shop, you had to go over a 50’ span to justify the cost of steel over wood. Also, don’t forget to add the cost of the concrete foundation for a steel building. I wen’t with an 60x75, A&S building. If memory serves, they are just off I75, on the KY/TN border near Jelico. Back in 1999 they would spec the build to meet your local requirement, but not design or provide any info on the footing required.

 

[lurkMcGurk]

This Gentlemen did one of the best descriptions of a 40x60 with concrete slab I have seen to date, this is what I'm planning for size. the youtube video https://youtu.be/u1gdtR-bV3M Guy is out of Texas and the best part was he put the price in the description and was nice enough to answer people questions. $43,500 if I recall correctly building was built in 2016 I think. A waste of time is a nice way of putting what most internet steel "companies" are. They are middle men between manufacturer and purchaser and IMHO much is lacking.

So far I have had a few quotes and from what I'm seeing it would seem every builder has jobs lined up but will then throw out a crazy number to see if someone bites. If someone does then it seems a builder will make it a point to build that one too. Just got a crazy 100K+ "estimate" best part was this didn't include the slab or site prep,,,or anything else amazing. Unbelievable, others are realistic but have me biding my time. I can't beat a Texas price in the Northeast for sure but I'm not one to waste money willy nilly,,unless for headlight fluid, muffler bearings and putting summer air out of winter tires and winter air in, because that's just smart to do!!

So the looking, pricing etc continues and thanks for great info so far .

 

[cucvmule]

Whatever you build, will never be big enough. Overbuild, man doors, overhead doors, ceiling joists. Concrete floor thickness, foundation, reinforcing steel in concrete.

Wood, concrete block, metal, or all three, you can always add on additions. So think ahead about where would be the best direction to proceed, and plan ahead.

Underground service trench, above ground lift. Electrical Service, how many amps for all of your equipment. I would also use two different service boxes, saves some problems later when adding on more powered equipment.

Build for maintenance and storage of the FLU, and storage area for FLU parts. That will give you a base cost for the building and then do not deviate from initial plan. That is how a builder makes the coin, upgrades, changes from the original design.

If by chance you can build yourself or have shell built, then you finish. Then you can add on some frills later, but stay with initial plan and stay on budget. Once you start to muddy up the water by changes, add on's you have lost rudder control, and costs will rise faster then expected.

Good Luck and just remember that what ever you do it will never be big enough to yourself, but way to big to the Wife until She starts to use it also. That way the next addition, or lean to will be all hers.

 

[The FLU farm]

This Gentlemen did one of the best descriptions of a 40x60 with concrete slab I have seen to date, this is what I'm planning for size.

That one looks a lot like mine, except my end doors are at the far end from the front of the garage, not centered.

Seeing that one also reminded me of one inexpensive option I really like; eaves. Even just a foot makes a difference in looks, I think, and it does keep some snow a bit farther away from the doors.