[ponyakr]

Note: This is strictly a low budget build. I'd much rather have a bigger, nicer building, with hydraulic lifts, insulation, A/C, etc. So most will not be interested in this series at all. But, for the low budget guys that can handle a $10k budget build, some of this info may be helpful.


I had them put a "broom finish" on the concrete. That makes the surface a bit rougher, so that you'll be less likely to slip on the inevitable oil spills, water or whatever.

There was rain in the forecast, so the concrete guy said they'd come back in a few days to clean everything up, which they did.

[ponyakr]

Note: This is strictly a low budget build. I'd much rather have a bigger, nicer building, with hydraulic lifts, insulation, A/C, etc. So most will not be interested in this series at all. But, for the low budget guys that can handle a $10k budget build, some of this info may be helpful.

We had a hard rain, which washed away much of the dirt around the slab.

[ponyakr]

Note: This is strictly a low budget build. I'd much rather have a bigger, nicer building, with hydraulic lifts, insulation, A/C, etc. So most will not be interested in this series at all. But, for the low budget guys that can handle a $10k budget build, some of this info may be helpful.



The concrete crew came back and dressed up the dirt, & finished their work & clean-up.

But, as much rain as we get here, I knew there was not enuff of the right kind of dirt to survive. So, I used my Kioti tractor to scoop up some dirt and put it all around the slab. Then, after I packed it all down, we put some old hay, from TJ's horse barn, on top of the dirt. It worked real good. The dirt was unaffected by several more rains we had.

[ponyakr]

Note: This is strictly a low budget build. I'd much rather have a bigger, nicer building, with hydraulic lifts, insulation, A/C, etc. So most will not be interested in this series at all. But, for the low budget guys that can handle a $10k budget build, some of this info may be helpful.

Well, the Eagle Carport guys took off for Easter Vacation. So, they couldn't schedule us til this past Monday, April 16. The crew foreman called Sat, saying they'd be here about 9AM, which they were.

They brought all the pieces to build my shop, plus one for somebody else, on a tag trailer, pulled by an old Dodge diesel pick-up. It was a 3-man crew. They were all of Mexican or Latin American decent. I don't know if any of 'em were illegals or not, and don't care. So, please don't anybody badmouth me for mentioning this, or possibly using the wrong terminology or mentioning their ethnic background.

I will say this: These 3 guys knew what they were doing. You could tell that is was not their 1st rodeo. I didn't see them take a break, or smoke , or spit any tabacco juice, like most white construction crews I've seen.

As soon as they stopped the truck, they started unloading all the parts & pieces. It sorta reminded me of the Erector set I had in grammar school. Some parts were slip fit, others were fastened together with screws. Some were cut to the exact required length/shape. Some were not, & had to be fabbed.

Most of the time, each man was doing a different job. Some stuff required at least 2 guys working together. When they spoke, it was in Spanish, I assume. Don't know if they were talkin about the job, me, women, or what. Talkin did not slow down their work at all. The crew foreman drove the truck, handled the paper work & spoke good English. If the other 2 spoke much English I didn't hear it.

Let me say here that the cheap labor is probably the reason these type buildings are so much cheaper than the red iron buildings. I got a good price quote on a red iron building. But all the guys I talked to wanted $2000 to put it up. That put the price well above the price of the galvanized building. And, the red iron building required anchor bolts in the concrete, in the correct places. So, that would have made the slab cost more.

[ponyakr]

Note: This is strictly a low budget build. I'd much rather have a bigger, nicer building, with hydraulic lifts, insulation, A/C, etc. So most will not be interested in this series at all. But, for the low budget guys that can handle a $10k budget build, some of this info may be helpful.

The anchor bolts are the type that require a hole to drilled in the concrete, then the bolt driven into the hole with a hammer.

The legs of the frame members slip over the stubs welded to the support rails.

[ponyakr]

Note: This is strictly a low budget build. I'd much rather have a bigger, nicer building, with hydraulic lifts, insulation, A/C, etc. So most will not be interested in this series at all. But, for the low budget guys that can handle a $10k budget build, some of this info may be helpful.

The frames for the roll-up doors must be fabricated, on site.

[ponyakr]

Note: This is strictly a low budget build. I'd much rather have a bigger, nicer building, with hydraulic lifts, insulation, A/C, etc. So most will not be interested in this series at all. But, for the low budget guys that can handle a $10k budget build, some of this info may be helpful.

We chose Earth Brown roof/trim & pebble Beige wall panels.

Seeing the guy standing up walkin the iron reminded me of when I was an iron worker apprentice. It took a while to be able to walk it, standing up. It just felt a lot safer to get down an "coon it".

Ya'll might notice that the North doors are not centered. I did this so that I could put some 12"-15" shelves and work tables along the East wall, and still have room to work around a car parked inside the East door opening. Might be able to use slightly wider tables. Not sure yet.