reikimaster

Ok holidays almost over and I'm back to planning the new shop. For those of you who haven't seen my other ramblings, this will be a 10x24 addition on my garage and there's an existing concrete slab in great shape (patio) waiting.

I'm thinking about windows and doors. .... and mice!

I will probably put 2 or 3 double-hung windows on the long side. I won't put a window on the back wall for security reasons. On the front wall I'll be putting a door. What I'd REALLY like is a double door so I can swing them open in the summer time for ventilation. Most doors will want a threshold. Most thresholds won't like sitting directly on concrete. So I'd have to build it on at least the sill. This will create a lip that I won't be able to roll stuff over. If I wanted to ... oh... roll my saw outside to do a bigger piece. I'd have to lift it over that threshold.

Now, A.) I don't know how often I'd think about rolling the saw out if I have a shop and B.) I am probably over-thinking this as I usually do, but I also know that the devil is in the details.

Should I just BUILD the doors? I mean... I could probably make a couple of doors that look like mini-carriage house doors. Make like... a pair of 36" doors and then hang them with carriage door hinges? I'm getting ideas from here:
http://www.realcarriagedoors.com/index.php

And MICE! I know there's mice out at the back garage. I was looking at insulation. Is there something they don't LIKE as much as fiberglass insulation? I don't want to get too crazy here. Should I just go ahead and use fiberglass insulation and use traps/baits to keep mouse population down?

Thanks for thoughts. I have to get this ready to build at the end of August when the pool comes down.

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challagan

Good morning! As far as the doors go is this showing to the street etc.? Does it have to have windows? I do like those carriage doors you showed but they won't be cheap and installation will be expensive. I have also seen custom roll up doors that look like that when installed and they are cheaper. Do not go with the new fiberglass doors that are out there. I put a new fiberglass door on my front door, beatuiful door and they look just like oak when stained and looked great but after 2 years of sun and cold and heat the trim around the leaded glass is popping from exposure and they are pressure glued and cannot be fixed. The door itself is fading fast and will need re poly'd in the spring. Buy a good steel insulated or good REAL wood doors. Just FYI. Best measures against mice is to not have any cracks and crevices for them to crawl through. Good luck you luckkydog!

Corey

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Hamlin

Hi, for the mice problem, use a blown insulation. It has a "boric acid" in it that acts like a fire retardent. It will kill mice. I work at a plant that makes the stuff, (insulation that is).

The doors look sweet in the link, I have to agree with Corey, they will be expensive. You may consider a simple roll-up door. Also, toss this thought around, sky-lights. Helps toss some light around inside.

Just my 2cent's worth.

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reikimaster

The doors of the shop can be seen from the house and from the street if you're looking up the driveway. I was thinking the carriage doors because I can open just one and use it as a man door, but I can open the other one to get larger pieces in and out or to ventilate. The ones in that link are pretty expensive. I'm wondering if Jeld-Wen or someone makes just a double entry steel door. I know I can get single steel doors for about $170. The garage door idea won't work well as a man door.

That long wall will almost surely need SOME windows or it will just look like hell architecturally

Blown in insulation for walls sounds ok. How about between the roof rafters?

bobj3

Hi

I would suggest 2 or 3 , 4ft wide siding doors (total of 8ft when closed) they let the light in and keep the heat in...and the cold out...you can get them from 2nd hand outlets to keep the cost down...

On my shop I wish I did that on the south side of the garage,light is a big deal in most shops not to talk about the fresh air in the summer time and just one more way to get things in and out of the shop,most have safety glass in them..and are two pane sealed type.

I would also suggest putting outlets on both sides of the sliding doors can't have to many outlets in the shop.

Mice well that's a hard one ,put the food on the outside of the shop for them like de-con if you don't have dogs and cats...that's what I do and it keeps them out side.

That stuff also takes rabbits out also ,I HAD some make a home under the shop and now they are all gone... cute suckers but they play hell with the garden...not to say anything about attracting cats to the back of the shop..

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Hamlin

Yes, all you need is to rent the blowing machine and a dust mask. That is the drawback to blown insulation, it is dusty. But, it's well worth it. You actually get a higher "R" value than the fiberglass. Oh almost forgot to mention, if you have a cut, make sure you have it covered. The chemicals won't harm you but, if you get it in a scratch or cut, it will burn/sting like... well... you know. Cellulose ins. will also help with sound proofing.

Again, the chemical(s) used in producing cellulose insulation, will kill mice.

If you'd like a link to the plant I work at that makes it, I can post.

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Ken

"A VETERAN"
"Whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life". That is HONOR, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it." -Author Unknown

reikimaster

Hamlin, a link to the plant would be interesting!

I'm still pondering the door question. A single 36" man door would let me get stuff in and out. But if I'm gonna do that I may as well just cut the door into the shared wall between the existing garage and the addition.
My wife said, "Well what if you want to move a big piece of furniture or something out of the shop?" and I said, "If it won't fit through a 36" door, then most likely it won't fit into anyone's house." However I still like the idea of the double doors. I could use just one door as a man-door but still be able to open both if I needed to move stuff in and out of the shop. Then I could either abandon the existing man-door into the garage (we're re-siding the garage anyways) and make a man-door from the shop into the garage... OR I could leave the existing man-door and keep the garage and shop separate and add the double doors to the shop. I just don't know if it would look funny having all those doors in a row.
It would be (from left to right) the double doors on the shop, then about 3 feet to the right of that, the existing man door and then about 3 feet to the right of THAT is the big garage door (16' door).

This is a stupidly hard decision... hehehe. The more doors I put into the shop itself, the more (valuable) wall space I lose. And to think I'm not even DOING this until late AUGUST!!

Hamlin

www.centralfiber.com

If you still have questions, I can give you a name of a salesperson that can really help you out. Just PM me.

As for your doors. I like your double door idea, specially in the summer time. It would allow more air flow into your shop. If you're thinking about security, I'd have to question how sturdy they would be. Do some research before you purchase any doors.

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Ken

"A VETERAN"
"Whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life". That is HONOR, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it." -Author Unknown