Build A Garage...cheaply

[RB]

Here is my dilemma:
I want to build a garage/workshop, but i have very limited funds. I can do ALL the work my self...except pouring the slab.
I am looking to make a structure 24' x 30' approx.

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas on materials to use and a source that would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if you have any suggestions about amenities (overhead airlines, floor drains, lifts) please feel free to comment also.

I have tons of construction experience, just not using alternative materials, or thinking outside the box.

BTW, i live in Baltimore, Md. so we do get cold winters, and figure i would get an old wood stove to heat the area when i need too.

Thanks,
RB 

[Slag]

I really liked the hay bale idea from the greenhouse conversation.

[T]

Join freecycle and request building materials.

[Pakhan]

Maybe elevate the floor so you don't get the cold ground chilling the place.  Also instead of a slab floor maybe large paving stones (24"x24") could work, it would also allow draining underneath the paving stones since they are usually elevated.  That means no drains or pipes to deal with, just a pitched floor.  I would also recommend a reinforced beam near the ceiling for a chain hoist which should be able to get most things done.

[RB]

thanks a bunch guys, keep the ideas roling!

RB

[pndwind]

If you have access to saw and trees you can try cord wood building. Its a process where you use firewood in a masonary wall. Theres also a method called dirt bag building where you build walls with polypropylene bags filled with dirt. 

[Slide Panda]

Not any revolutionary ideas here, but overhead air (as you noted) and over head electrics.  A ceiling fan would be nice.  If you're planning on doing finish work, some side lighting is handy.  Central vac/dust collector?  That's probably more clutch if you're planning a lot of wood work... 

Some way to keep off the slab in winter will be a biggy.  When I helped my Dad renovate a house in Colorado, we elevated the floor on a lattice of 1 by's and put the big 4'x8' sheets of the foam blue board in between the lattice and topped it off with ply.  Not very costy, but did a lot to keep the heat in. 

Surfing this site might give some inspiration
http://www.carguygarage.com/

[DesmoDiva]

I really liked the hay bale idea from the greenhouse conversation.

[rant]
It was STRAW bale.  And yes there is a big difference.
[/rant]

I agree with Slag.  I worked on a straw bale municiple building (work shop and truck garage) in Bowie, MD last summer.  This construction technique lends itself well to garage use. 

If you have access to saw and trees you can try cord wood building. Its a process where you use firewood in a masonary wall. Theres also a method called dirt bag building where you build walls with polypropylene bags filled with dirt. 

I know these techniques as well.


PM me if you would like to discuss these options. 


edit:

You can prevent the cold slab problem by insulating under it as part of a shallow frost protected foundation.

[cbartlett419]

I have an idea for a structure that I have plans to build for myself using shipping containers. they are fairly cheap for the sqf and they are steel so manipulating them would not be rocket science. I have also seen people use them as a portion of a structure and built from/around it to enclose the desired sqf.

[Capo]

You should insulate the slab, rough pour then sheets of polystyrene then the screed.

[triangleforge]

I'm in the same boat, so am watching this thread avidly. 

Two of the issues with strawbale I've heard are:

1) Local building codes tend to be exclusive, in that they say "if this construction technique/material isn't on our approved list, it's forbidden." We're lucky in that the chief building inspector for our town also teaches alternative techniques (he's a big straw proponent) at the local college.

2) I've also heard (and it may be a rumor -- please debunk!!!) that insurance companies can be very leery of alternative building techniques even if they're allowed under building codes, basically because they have no idea what they're dealing with and hence don't know how to calculate risk.

Strawbale would be my first choice for our garage, but I'm also looking into cob construction, adobe brick (we're in Arizona, though up in the mountains), structural insulated panels (SIPs -- pre-manufactured panels that are both structural and insulating, usually expanded polystyrene panels clad in either chipboard or shotcrete)  and other approaches. 

Lots of good info and links to more in depth sources at this website, though Firefox seems to do some funky stuff to the site layout, at least for me -- on the individual pages, all the info dumps down to the bottom, below the left-hand nav, and often appears mashed together:

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/index.htm

[Monsterlover]

Love this thread.

That is all.

[FatguyRacer]

Radient heat flooring. when I build my garage thats what will be installed. And a 2 post lift too.

[Bun-bun]

RB, I think the cheapest way to go is to stick build with 2x4 and OSB lumber. In my area, I can build and
sheath an 8'x8' wall for right around $30 in materials. The equivalent size wall made of straw bales costs $55 not including the rebar needed to attach the bales to each other.
    Here are some convenience/cost saving measures I employed in building my 20x30' garage several years
ago;
1) Build the walls to a height of 10'. The extra 2' of height allows you to spin 8' lumber without hitting the
ceiling joists/lighting. It also allows you to hang things out of the way without banging into them. I've got
bikes hanging from the walls, and a kayak hanging from the ceiling on a pulley system.

2) Install the biggest doors you can. My entry door is 36", and both my vehicle doors are 8x8', instead of 8x7' which is normal. Also, build your own vehicle doors. I built swinging doors from 4x8' 3/4" plywood and 1x6's for $100/each. The cheapest, uninsulated rollup door I could find for 8x8' would have cost $425, more than twice the price.
3)Insulate under the slab. A layer of 6mil plastic over 1" poly boards is a big help on those cold winter nights. In areas where sawdust will not accumulate, use waste carpeting to insulate and cushion your feet. Almost any carpet store will gladly give you old carpet from their next job. Some of them will even deliver it to you.


You do realize that we will need photos, right?

[Fresh Pants]

Strawbale would be my first choice for our garage, but I'm also looking into cob construction, adobe brick (we're in Arizona, though up in the mountains), structural insulated panels (SIPs -- pre-manufactured panels that are both structural and insulating, usually expanded polystyrene panels clad in either chipboard or shotcrete)  and other approaches. 

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/index.htm

SIPs is a pretty cool way to go. I have a friend (fellow architecture monkey) who built his own house, almost entirely out of SIPs. Went up very quickly, and was pretty simple to detail. We've used it on a few projects, but I haven't had an opportunity to do much of a project with them. But, I think it's a pretty efficient construction panel system. Only problem that my friend had was not being able to put in recessed can lights in the panels, since the ceiling panel was essentially the roof. But that doesn't really matter for the average garage.