The Upholster.com Forum

We had this storage shed delivered about 6 weeks ago. We also had this tree and another large tree taken down, stumps ground and everything hauled off.

(http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/EdwinNorthuis/media/Shed.jpg.html)

Last week we collected all the permits from the Building Dept. Tuesday we submitted plans for this building to three different contractors for estimates to construct the shell. Rose and I will contract the electrician and finish the inside ourselves. Hope to have ground breaking in about a month.

(http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/EdwinNorthuis/media/Ladds%20Shop.jpg.html)

So will there be door prizes?

Door prizes at the grand opening. I'll keep you posted.

Any sky lights in the new building ?

SA

Now that will be great Kody, Best o luck with the new building.

No sky lights. It will have recessed lighting in the ceiling. Plus one windows on each side of the building and windows in the south facing garage doors.

Does one pass out cigars for a ground breaking as one does for a water breaking?

Very nice building. Have you figured out how many sofas need to be reupholstered to pay for it?

The grand door price is? One sofa reupholstered for the price of two!!!

It's nice to see signs of success in this industry.

gene

Good direction Kody, this facility will be exciting and rewarding as the plan starts -- Now!

I would bet your plans/progress in business will not stop with the completed building.

I have always envisioned bringing in more equipment to take advantage of higher technologies available, for example, automation in the digitizing, drafting, cutting, and even in sewing.  I am aware that sometimes that sometimes I am working with over 40 year old
technologies, it does good work, but the dream is to continue doing professional work, more efficiently which hopefully will translate into higher profits.  I surely think it will.

For example, a digitizing system that will generate a patter in no time and ultimately have the upholstery cut to be sewed in no time.

To compete against mass production, if that is possible, us types have to get it going in that direction.

I just got a corvette interior (seats actually) to do and could get a project going like this
much faster ---- I suggested to customer that perhaps a kit for me to install would make him happier but they like custom in many cases. 

As a note, I have been experiencing installing some car interiors (primarily seat work) which has been producted by experienced digital support and are they spot on!!!

This paints evidence that we are getting further behind in larger volume production.

I wish you and wife the greatest success!

Doyle

Quote from: gene on June 01, 2017, 07:23:40 pm
Very nice building. Have you figured out how many sofas need to be reupholstered to pay for it?
gene

You made me curious so I did a little math. I figure 57.14 sofas to pay for the building. :)

The shed on the other hand... We rented (lord I hate renting) a storage unit for 1-1/2 years at $115/month. It'll take 2-1/2 years for the shed to pay for itself

Quote from: DB on June 01, 2017, 08:06:06 pm

I have always envisioned bringing in more equipment to take advantage of higher technologies available, for example, automation in the digitizing, drafting, cutting, and even in sewing.  I am aware that sometimes that sometimes I am working with over 40 year old
technologies, it does good work, but the dream is to continue doing professional work, more efficiently which hopefully will translate into higher profits.  I surely think it will.

Doyle

I think the extra room alone will increase production. It will also help to add to organization and efficiency. The space I've worked in this last year and a half is laughable. And the space gets even smaller when Rose is out there working with me. Not to mention the glorious thought of what air conditioning will do for production.

So is the new building going to be next to the garage that you've been working out of? And the storage shed is in the back yard?

What will you store in the shed? Bulk items like foam and Dacron?

Will you continue to use your original garage as part of your operation? Or does it revert back to being a garage for your vehicles?

I recently visited an upholsterer in Dallas who worked from his 2-car garage. He also had a shed at the other end of his alley driveway. I thought he had a nice setup. But after I left, I realized that I never saw a cutting table anywhere.

Very excited for you Ed. That garage looks like about 20X24. A decent size---but you will be amazed at how quickly it fills up. TRUST ME LOL.

QuoteIt will have recessed lighting in the ceiling. Plus one windows on each side of the building

You can never have enough light and the more of it that's natural the better. Personally I'd want to have 2 windows on each of the long sides and florescent lighting. 

The point about lighting is a very important one.  We are getting older and lighting does
become important.  Natural light plays a very important role for anyone viewing materials also.

Looks like it will be a nice building! 

BTW, I visited a truck tarp production company and saw machinery, working tables, facilities,

that sure dwarf mine.

Doyle

Quote from: sofadoc on June 03, 2017, 08:46:09 am
So is the new building going to be next to the garage that you've been working out of? And the storage shed is in the back yard?

We bought the lot next door 6 months ago form the same lady who sold us our house 2-1/2 years ago. The new garage will be built there. Fairly close to our attached garage. We combined the new lot with our existing property for tax purposes. In order to construct a building in High Springs you first need an EMS address. Combining the lots solves this problem too. We also made sure we could uncombine the lots if for some reason we ever decided to sell the lot. The building will have its own power meter. It will have no pluming. The only thing shared is the phone line but that can easily be detached.

The shed is already full lol. It is 10' X 20'. It is the exact duplicate of another shed that was on our property when we bought the house. We took everything out of a rented storage unit and put it in the new shed. Shelves, cabinets and tools. And furniture. But the grand scheme is to use it for supplies and foam etc. I need to build an 8' X 8' garden shed but that will come later.

We have a lot of furniture for resale but no good way to sell or show it. Our attached garage will be good for this. It faces the road with a nice driveway. But we need to be mindful to keep traffic to a minimum seeing we live in a neighborhood.  

I wish I had more room for windows but I need the wall space for tools. I know about natural light. Whenever I need to do closeup delicate work, like pulling splinters out of my hand, I step outside into the sunlight. For some reason dark fabrics are the hardest to see when doing detailed work.

The first estimate came in today about 10 grand more than I expected. This guy is a contractor who builds some nice houses in a neighborhood around the corner from us. He does no hands on work himself so I had a feeling he would be a little high. We're waiting for two more estimates. One from a customer of ours who does most of the work himself. I'm hoping he'll be a little less.  

Quote from: kodydog on June 03, 2017, 08:25:11 pm

The first estimate came in today about 10 grand more than I expected. This guy is a contractor who builds some nice houses in a neighborhood around the corner from us. He does no hands on work himself so I had a feeling he would be a little high. We're waiting for two more estimates. One from a customer of ours who does most of the work himself. I'm hoping he'll be a little less. 

Just pay him with "store credit" good for his next 57.14 couches.

Awesome news Ed.

Were you able to avoid impact fee's because you combined the lot ?

I would be very interested in how you did this as we bought the 2 acre parcel next to us and it is still separate from our home.

Our current impact fee is $ 7,500. I am just wondering if I can avoid the fee if we combine the two properties.

Chris

The only impact fees in High Springs are for water and sewage. High Springs added public sewage about ten years ago. When they did they decided to put a grinder at each and every customer. The grinder system runs about $5000. High Springs is still recovering from this fincial burden.

At one point in our venture we considered buying a commercial lot and building on it. The impact fee for commercial  runs about $10,000. Sock it to the business owner, right? Impact fees are BS. That and taxes and insurance put that idea out of our price range. Not to mention commercial property prices are in a sellers market now. And I don't see that trend ending anytime soon.

So we are doing the next best thing and are building on the lot next door. It will not be considered commercial property as long as we call it an "accessory building." Their words not mine. We will not have water or sewage in this building so no impact fee. And because we combined the two properties we can use the bathroom in our house.

Are you considering building on this property? If you are I'm not sure you want employees using your bathroom. I have a story about an upholsterer friend of mine who did this. It didn't turn out good.

But yes join the properties and your lot next door will reap the benefits of homestead exemption tax. I don't know what difference this will make on your tax bill but every little bit helps. We did the same when we lived in Suwanee County.

Taxes on a venture like this - question:

There officially is no business activity then, there will not be a business tax on the real
estate, then along with that - No business deductions (related to real estate)!

This type of arrangement could get complex with a home owner's insurance policy, especially if ............there is an accident due to a literal business activity.

A tax return cannot claim depreciation on a building not declared commercial.

Mojo might have some insight to these type questions?

Doyle



 

For our federal income tax we can deduct everything that is business related. Including our van, our home office and our new building. We have been doing this for years. The fed doesn't care what the property is zoned. That is more of a local thing. We have been to the zoning department so many time they know us by name. We're trying to do this "mostly" legally without having to spend a fortune for commercial real estate and all the other charges they have for a business. The only local tax we pay is for our business license. And we pay local residential property tax. 

Insurance for a home based business is always a problem. When you tell them upholstery shop they think refinishing and junk cars sitting out in the yard. But Rose did find one who insures us. 

Ed:

We have yet to make plans. If I build next door it wont be for our business but rather a hideaway / woodshop for me. It would be a private workshop.

We have yet to make a decision as to what we are going to do. We moved to a 1,600 sq ft building and have outgrown it already. We have 3 plans we are considering - 1.) Move to a new building in Virginia, train my daughter on the business and let her take it over so we can start relaxing a bit more. 2.) Buy a building in Brooksville. 3.) Buy a building in Gainesville. I know one thing, I am done renting. I hate renting as I do nothing but build equity for someone else rather then ourselves.

We are not sure what we want to do. We are at another crossroads with both companies. After the last fiasco with our former manager neither of us are keen on bringing in someone outside to run the companies. I would like to get my daughter involved as she is amazing at running companies and extremely smart. She is a go getter and workaholic and very outgoing. She would be a perfect fit. But I am not going to shove this business onto her if her heart isn't in it. We are flying her down here this fall so she can spend some time working with us to see if she likes the business.

We will need to make a decision in the next 12 months.

Chris

I hate paying rent also. To me it's like throwing money away.

From your description it sounds like the daughter thing is a good idea.

My opinion, I would stay away from Virginia. Income tax and other business taxes make it unfriendly for business. .

Just wondering, why Gainesville? Taxes here are one of the highest in the state. But what can I say, here I am. You know I would help you any way I could. Bosshardt Reality has a good commercial page on their web site. They not only list their properties but most other realtors also.

http://commercial.bosshardtrealty.com/listings/?searchtype=commercialforsale&type=IND&pricelow=100000&pricehigh=600000&sqft=all&city=all

I am not crazy about VA's personal property tax. My son paid an annual fee of $ 2,500 just for his coach.

Gainesville, Ocala, Wildwood, Lake City, somewhere above the turnpike split to catch I-95 connecting to I-75 via the turnpike. Customers seem to head that way a great deal. I wanted that central location in the event that we expand and go into RV service work.

We got back logged recently and hired our next door neighbor to cut fabric. She is amazing, a Romanian immigrant and typical European woman. Tough as nails and extremely hard working. But she is our age and does not want full time work. We hired a friend for the summer who is going through the police academy and he will be gone this fall. We lost our former book keeper to the police academy as well. She graduated and got hired as a deputy and moved on.

I think what brought all of this on is we had a meeting with Miami's CEO who is a friend of ours. He has been a business consultant and confidant to us for the past few years and he said " have you planned for the succession of your business or the sale of your company ? " That really got us thinking. So we are trying to make a move now for the future so we are positioned correctly. To be honest I am not looking forward to moving.

Speaking of moving, I had a meeting the other day with a buddy of mine who owns a steel fabrication company. He bought a new building a couple years ago and had to hire professional industrial movers. He told me his moving bill was $ 250,000. I damn near died. I no longer bitch about the cost of parts or machines when he told me one of his CNC machines cost $ 750 K and a part broke recently that cost $ 14 K. Talking about overhead. Yowzers.

It typically takes me a long time to make major decisions like this. I structure everything on paper and then pass on my plans to several friends who I consider brilliant business minds and are highly successful and then let them find the holes and flaws in my decision before making a move on something. I then gather their input and with my own plans allow my son to make the final decision. He has one amazing analytical business mind. This is going to be one of those decisions.

I have no qualms passing things by others and getting their input. I have seen to many ego maniac business owners make poor decisions that cost them dearly in the end. A smart business person will use all the resources he has available to him.

Chris

We submitted request for estimates to 5 builders. Two came back about $10k more than expected. Two others never came through with the estimate. The fifth we met today. He came by to check out the lot. His estimate was very reasonable. He comes with a good recommendation from a neighbor. And he is local. He satisfied all my questions and is working up a solid price. We're excited. 

Wishing you the best Ed. Please keep us informed on ow the building project goes.

Chris

Spent all day Saturday digging out bushes, trimming trees and cutting down one large tree. My neighbor must have felt sorry for me when he came over and helped drag it all to the curb. Last week I ran power to a couple of outlets the construction crew will use. This all on top of two large trees we had a professional cut and haul off. Only thing left is to move and rebuild a small mower shed that is about half falling down.

The contractor is supposed to work up a final estimate this week. :)

(http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/EdwinNorthuis/media/Brush_By_Road.jpg.html)

Need suggestions y'all. The contractor came in with a final bid and it is a go. We sign on the dotted line Monday. He will do everything except finishing the walls on the inside. We will do this ourselves. We're trying to save a little money.

We are thinking about using 1/2" or 5/8" Drywall. A 4' X 8' sheet is between $9 and $13. I would like to hear some cheaper and maybe even better ideas that have worked for you.

Sheetrock is probably the least expensive wall. 1/2" is the norm. 5/8 is fore rated and used between building to slow the fire down. You could use 1/2" on the complete building if it is just one shop. What else is there for 9 bucks? Paneling is to thin to use by itself. Rock is easy to install and finish.

Quote from: kodydog on July 08, 2017, 07:29:19 am
He will do everything except finishing the walls on the inside. We will do this ourselves. We're trying to save a little money.

Out of curiousity, how much are you saving by doing your own drywall?

Ed I tried to open your photo above and Photobucket said it's not allowing 3rd party hoisting without a subscription - what's that about - no more freebies ?
SA

Quote from: sofadoc on July 08, 2017, 09:06:16 am
Out of curiousity, how much are you saving by doing your own drywall?

It was right around $3500. The builder said his guy is good but not cheap. I imagine a crew of 3 guys could knock it out in 1 day. It'll probably take me 5. I'm not sure how much Rose can help. Its real tempting to let him do it but we are getting close to our budget and I still have to build work benches, buy 2 wall mounted air conditioners and paint for the exterior. When the building is done we will build a privacy fence around the whole thing.

Quote from: SteveA on July 08, 2017, 11:03:57 am
Ed I tried to open your photo above and Photobucket said it's not allowing 3rd party hoisting without a subscription - what's that about - no more freebies ?
SA

Photo bucket drives me nuts. I need to check out some of those other sites that were suggested in another post. I'm not sure whats going on, I don't subscribe and am able to navigate through Photo Bucket. My profile picture for this site stopped working about 6 months ago. I've got a feeling Photo Bucket has something to do with it.

Quote from: MinUph on July 08, 2017, 08:48:55 am
Sheetrock is probably the least expensive wall. 1/2" is the norm. 5/8 is fore rated and used between building to slow the fire down. You could use 1/2" on the complete building if it is just one shop. What else is there for 9 bucks? Paneling is to thin to use by itself. Rock is easy to install and finish.

Thanks Paul here is another question. The first 4' could be sheetrock and the second 4' peg board. Does peg board have to have sheetrock behind it? Can I just screw it to the studs? Lowes has 4 X 8 pegboard for $10.

If you talking about an outside wall I would say yes sheetrock first then furring strips then pegboard. Inside walls not necessary but rock would make a more solid wall behind the peg boards. The pegboard today is not what it was years ago. It is all cheap crap now from the big box stores.

I once put pegboard over sheet rock. I had to drill out every hole so that the pegboard hooks would go in. Then many of them still wouldn't stay in because the bend in the hooks wouldn't catch in the holes due to the thickness of the sheet rock.

Ed:

The only drywall I will install in Florida is the green drywall, otherwise known as garage drywall which is more impervious to moisture. It is worth the extra couple dollars. I built out our shop using it and was very happy with it. I can tell you the very best investment you can make if your drywalling the ceiling is to go to harbor freight and buy a drywall jack. It will be the best $ 175 you ever spent. Or if you want, you can drive down to our shop and I will loan you ours. Use screws, do not use drywall nails. They tend to pop. Buy 3 extra drywall screw bits for your drill too.

It will probably take you 7 to 10 days if you are finishing off the drywall. It took me a week to do two offices. I will never do it again. I am getting too old for that crap. It is back breaking work if you are doing the ceiling.

I did a mixture of drywall and peg board in my tool room at home. I suggest, because of the Florida humidity that you keep your peg board use to a minimum. The stuff warps like crazy if the studs are 2 ft centers. Yes you can nail them right to the studs though I nailed them to firing strips run  vertically and horizontally. I use 1 inch roofing nails. Do not use the pegboard on the bottom half of the walls. It will warp like crazy after it picks up moisture from the concrete.

Chris

Quote from: sofadoc on July 08, 2017, 01:38:44 pm
I once put pegboard over sheet rock. I had to drill out every hole so that the pegboard hooks would go in. Then many of them still wouldn't stay in because the bend in the hooks wouldn't catch in the holes due to the thickness of the sheet rock.

That's why you fir it out first. :)

Thanks for all the great advice. Looks like 1/2 " all around will do it.

Chris, is this what you mean by green drywall. It says Mold-, mildew- and moisture-treated gypsum core and treated paper facings.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Continental-Building-Products-Common-1-2-in-x-4-Ft-x-8-Ft-Actual-0-5-in-x-4-ft-x-8-Feet-Mold-Defense-Drywall-Panel/3032546

Another question. Its been about 12 years since the last time I hung drywall. What I remember is the hanging part wasnt so bad, especially using one of those machines Chris describes but the joint compound is what killed me. Can't I just hang the drywall and call it good? No joint compound, no hard coat and no paint. I've seen this before in garages. Its not pretty but I really don't care. Am I missing something like fire codes maybe?

When we built our house, they used green drywall in all the areas surrounding tubs, showers, washer/dryer.

When I lived in a rural area, I built 16 X 16 shop so I could work on some jobs at home. I finished out the inside with just sheet rock. No tape and bed. No paint. Like you say, if you don't care. But code enforcement might.

Lets see here "green drywall" is a farse. If it were to last a month longer than normal rock I would be very surprised. Some people use it because it is sold as a moisture additive. It is no better than standard rock. Shower areas call for cement board, exterior walls are rocked with normal rock.  The green stuff is a DYI sales ploy.
  You should always tape and finish drywall. It seals the joints. Not to mention it looks finished. If you dont want to or know how to tape then put something over the seams. It will also help with HVAC use. You are going to insulate right? Or not?
  Have fun and if your not comfortable with sheetrock job it out. A good hanger will do it in no time. And a good taper in half a day. One coat.

Ed - the dry wall taping is not so bad - I'm sure you will breeze through it.  Instead of dry wall tape try the fiberglass self stick tape to bridge the joints.  The mud becomes easier if you don't have to embed the tape into the first coat. Just cut to length the fiberglass tape - apply - and put the mud over it - three light coats to minimize sanding.  You can also wet sponge the last coat lightly just before it hardens to minimize using sand paper -
SA

The walls and ceiling will be insulated. The walk through doors and garage door will be insulated too. the windows are double pane. I will do whatever it takes to make this building tight. So I guess joint compound is necessary. Thanks guys.

QuoteI once put pegboard over sheet rock. I had to drill out every hole so that the pegboard hooks would go in. Then many of them still wouldn't stay in because the bend in the hooks wouldn't catch in the holes due to the thickness of the sheet rock.

Why wouldn't you just buy the sheet rock with pre drilled holes in it, and then match up the pegboard holes to the sheet rock holes? That would save you a lot of time, wouldn't it?

On a bit more serious note, do you not need a vapor barrier for walls in Florida? And I would think you would want insulation to keep your cooling costs down.

Ed, you can probably rent a drywall jack at a rental store. I would think joint tape and mud over the tape as a minimum. If you don't want to mud the entire wall at least you have the room sealed.

My back is starting to hurt just thinking about it.

gene

Obviously, the electrical will be done by the (a) contractor.

How does the cost of doing the walls in a shop like pre finished  panel board?  Probably less labor but material cost is the issue?

Maybe get into the shop, just make it usable, and when money is available, it can be done
then?

My walls are insulated block with 100% brick on the external, now that cost!

Good luck Ed, you are getting closer it sounds like.

Doyle

I know 3 different guys who are electricians and could help me wire the shop but they do not have their license. The electrical will be pretty basic, all 110 volt, 20 amp circuits. The builder suggested 200 amp circuit breaker box. The shop will have its own power meter supplied underground by the existing transformer in front of the building. When I asked zoning if I could wire it myself they said no. We must use a licensed electrician. The builder will handle all of the the electrical except getting the power from the transformer to the meter box.

My dad helped me wire my old shop in Suwanee County. Zoning there wasn't as strict as High Springs. In Suwanee County we had to dig a 3' deep ditch 120' long and place 2" conduit in it for the power supply, the power company did the rest.

Ed:

You want to make sure before you drywall that you install a vapor barrier over the insulation on the inside. In regards to mudding I did it in two coats. I didn't want to sand and spread dust everywhere so I used a wet sponge. They sell special drywall sponges at Lowes. They work great but wear out fast so buy 3 or 4 of them.

I once drywalled a shop and instead of mudding the joints I stained some trim board and used that across the seam, similar to a chair rail. I used simple 1 x 2 boards that were stained across the corners and across the ceiling and wall joints. It actually looked nice. You have to run the boards horizontally of course.

I would look for a licensed electrician who will allow you to run all the wires and then they come in and terminate the box. You mark the wires as to the location back at the box. They come in and check everything and then install the breakers and do the final work. This saves labor costs on pulling wires. Also, I would go with 200 amp service. Most of the meters are now 200 amp and it is becoming standard. The cost between 10 amp and 200 amp is only a couple hundred dollars and is worth it.
I will probably be changing my service over to 300 next year as I am maxing out with all that I am running on the property. I will do all the work myself and then pay an electrician to inspect and place his sticker on it. I just need his license for the county inspectors.

I ran the pegboard across the firing strips and installed the firing on 32 inch centers as well as all along the bottom and top.

Chris

Ed:

This is the drywall jack I bought. It works great. I am too damn old to be lifting 4 x 8 sheets of drywall overhead and could not afford being down with a back or neck injury. You simply lay the sheet on the jack and crank it into position. It holds it tight against the ceiling and you can move your ladder around while screwing it in place.

Be sure and use the drywall drill screw bit. It sets the screw and dimples the drywall at the same time. They are only a couple bucks and you will probably go through 2 or 3 of them.

Like I said I have a brand new drywall jack your more then welcome to use. It breaks down so will fit inside your van. Just let me know if you want to use it. I got mine on sale plus had a 25 % off coupon .

https://www.harborfreight.com/drywall-panel-hoist-lift-62484.html (https://www.harborfreight.com/drywall-panel-hoist-lift-62484.html)

Chris

Met with the builder yesterday and still need to iron out a few details. He should start the permitting process by the end of the week. Meanwhile last weekend I was busy tearing down this old shed and rebuilding a new one. The old shed was on the property when we bought it. Aparently the person who built it used 2 X 4's for the corner posts and didn't know about treated wood. The posts were mostly gone from termites. The new shed is 100% treated and used to store my old lawn tractor.

(http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/EdwinNorthuis/media/Old%20Shed.jpg.html)  (http://s1179.photobucket.com/user/EdwinNorthuis/media/New%20Shed.jpg.html)

Broke ground yesterday.
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipOVuCobS2m-E4YtVjGu4h37EpuAqUYqj3Qn5hS-

The link didn't work for me.
It says "requested URL not found on this server"

Alrighty then lets try this.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNcQhM4IXwMWSVBFL362PpmeP2Hy5VaXi70yGCB

I just checked the price on a drywall lift. $89 for a week.

I still can't see it. Maybe the problem is on my end.
Anyone else get the link?

I get the same 404 error

Okay, apparently Google is unreliable or I don't know what I'm doing. Probably the later. So I'm trying Flickr by yahoo. My e-mail has been with yahoo forever and it was not much hassle to set up a Flickr account. Fingers crossed.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/157321210@N03/36291964586/in/dateposted-public/

Please try this one while you are at it.

https://goo.gl/photos/oQq7TsARQ4MSXh2d7

Both of them worked.

Your last post both worked here, and the prior needed me to sign in. I didnt try it today though.
Its got to be exciting on the new project. Big congrats to you all going forward.

Floyd

How exciting!! Your very own custom shop. Badass!

The guys got a lot of work done these last 8 days. The lot has somewhat of a slope so 6 loads of fill dirt were needed. Then they dug the footers, squared and leveled the batter boards, built the form boards, poisoned the ground and added a moisture barrier. Today they added the rebar and reinforcement mesh. Tomorrow they pour the slab.

https://goo.gl/photos/cgCp47sXimB2Kh4F8

I see you decided to go without a basement.

Just kidding.

I'll never forget the first time I looked at the elevation chart for Sanibel Island. 10, 11, 3. Oh, these must be "hundreds". Nope. Those were the actual numbers. Knowing how big storm surges can get that did not engender a safe, cozy feeling.

gene

We live at the bottom of a hill. The hill rises about 50' in a two block stretch. At the top of the hill sits a house with four levels. Including the basement. You don't see too many basements in Florida. Her neighbor across the street has a running spring in her back yard. That is where High Springs got its name. High Springs was a major stop for the steam powered locomotives. They ran a gravity fed pipe from that spring down to the train station to fill the tanks on the trains.

Concrete is poured and the guys started framing last week. There will be a window on each side of the garage door. Woke up at 5:30 this morning. At 6:00 I heard noises out there. The boss was out there picking up some tools. These guys start early.
https://goo.gl/photos/hDpynLEDbwwa8Pc46

I love concrete work!
I hate sweatin and busting my az doing it though. I have found its not cheap by any means and theres two kinds cracked and going to crack. Thee art is knowing the best cut joint locations more is always good, and expansion joint needs for the loacalle. I really like this stuff in a link below for the deep thin cuts ( skip the foam n use this totally ) imo
http://www.nuwayinc.com/ProductDetail.aspx?prdid=3214
They make the thicker version i like for expansion joint topping, it levels also just a pain for saw cuts imo.
They have the tubes in super size thats really works well although not a biggy. All these take a long time to dry ( i say quality takes time ) the company also makes a sealer helper this i have used and a pain to use but it is the above and beyond method. Most important ask your pro contractor
Enjoy the new build there, its always a great time

Floyd

The contractor came over and asked me if I wanted expansion joints. This was a big decision for me because I like the freedom of sliding heavy furniture across the floor but my last shop didn't have any and big cracks formed.

So I decided to add them. he cut 3 one way and 2 the other. He said he could fill them with a type of calking material.

Looking good!

Quick question to those that know more about building than I do. The builder used OSB board (particle board) for the roof sheathing. They covered it with tar paper but didn't have time to shingle it before this storm. The tar paper did well but leaked in several places.

How long can the OSB board stay wet before it starts to disintegrate? 

I'm not sure but wouldn't a roofing material be made for exterior use i.e water proof glues and basically water resistant   ?
I wouldn't worry - it will dry out quickly once the sun is out - it takes years to rot even interior grade ply
SA

Good point Steve, thanks. We had the roof on our house reshingled 2 years ago. The roofer found several soft spots in the OSB board so it made me kinda nervous.

The doors and windows are installed and the roof is on. The guys finished the siding so I spent Wednesday and Thursday painting. Its all insulated and waiting for drywall.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gryyvX6ISS9bJgUW2

Looks like snow on the ground ?
SA

Lol. What you see there is fill dirt or typical soil for Florida. Looks like beach sand doesn't it?

Neat. And there is hopefully less chance of sinkholes there?

Quote from: kodydog on September 22, 2017, 05:46:50 pmLooks like beach sand doesn't it?

Since its Florida, I just assumed it was cocaine.

Quote from: 65Buick on September 23, 2017, 10:51:30 am
Neat. And there is hopefully less chance of sinkholes there?

North Central Florida is the sinkhole capital of the world. We are the Swiss Cheese of the nation. And because we have so many springs it is also the cave divers capital of the world. Springs and sinkholes go hand in hand. There is a spring just one block up the road from us. Floridians are tough and don't worry about large holes opening in the ground that could devour a whole house. We also don't worry about hurricanes or rising seas. We even named a football team after one of the largest and most vicious lizards known to man. Lol. Just having a little fun here.  

Last Sunday we returned from a week vacation in the Georgia Mtns. We were surprised to find the drywall hung and the metal soffits and fascia complete. Tuesday they finished with hardcoat. Rose and I spent all day Saturday and Sunday painting. The builder found an awesome garage door, insulated and with windows at a reduced price. They will hang that Wednessday.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kfgPXIvljfOtWEYb2

Friday we purchased everything to build a partition wall. $500 for a 24' wall seemed pricey to me. 

Man that's a work shop and a half.  What's the width of that door opening and how far away from lighting fixtures are you ?
SA

The shot is facing the south end of the building. The door is 3' wide. There is another 3' door (unseen) to the right of the photo. Behind me is an opening for a 10' overhead garage door with windows on each side. The lighting will be two banks of florescent T5-4 foot Mini Strips. 6 on each side of the vaulted ceiling. Two ceiling outlets will allow more lighting if needed. I'll take a shot Wednesday of the new garage door.

Thursday the Garage door was installed.

Last Friday three crews came to finish up some things. The inside trim work is finished. The electrical is finished and the form boards for the concrete pad were in place.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fbdOF3tpiAEy2DD03

Sunday I gave the exterior a second coat of paint

Today they poured the pad and sidewalk
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hfpl1wJMaa6MXy8m1

All we are waiting for now is the power to be hooked up and after that a final inspection. Power may take 3 or 4 weeks. :(

Kody that looks fantastic. Good for you. I'm definitely drooling.

Everything was going great on this project until now. Yesterday was four weeks that we have been waiting for power. Monday a bucket truck pulled up. The guy got out and walked over to the meter box. On the way back I met him and told him how happy I was to see him. He told me there is no wire.

So now I'm looking at him like duh. I told him I was told by the guy who did the estimate that Duke Power would supply the wire. He said no, A subcontractor (supplied by the power company) digs the ditch and supplies the wire. Now I'm looking at him and thinking, then what are you doing here?

So he leaves. Rose calls the guy who gave us the estimate 4 months ago (keep in mind we already paid to have the power hooked up). He told her the ditch digger would be here either Friday (yesterday) or Monday. So lets see, so far we have had 4 guys show up and no power yet.

1. The power company estimator.
2. The guy who marks existing underground wires.
3. Another guy who marked where the new wire will go.
4. And the guy in the bucket truck. Nice guy by the way.

Now 2 more people need to come before we get power. And the final code inspection.

About a month ago we upholstered two chairs for Chuck Clemons, our State House Representative. Duke Power is a regulated company. Chuck told me if there is ever anything he can do just give him a call and he gave me his card. If the ditch digger does not show up Monday would I be out of line to see if Chuck can help? Or do I just need to be patient?

I like the prayer, "Dear God, please give me patience. And hurry up about it!)

I don't think your state rep is going to be of any help.

If this is your first problem, that in itself is something to be grateful for. It doesn't get the electricity turned on, but it may help your blood pressure stay down, at least to a manageable level.

Here's something you probably do not want to do. If, however, you do, make sure Rose gets a video of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R_7ZzLiHp8

I've enjoyed reading about the progress on your shop.

It wouldn't hurt to give ole Chuckie a call. Maybe he can get you moved up the list a little.

One of my regular customers was our mayor for many years. When I had problems, I could call her, and someone would be at my shop faster than you could cuss a cat.

Quote from: kodydog on November 18, 2017, 06:37:11 am
1. The power company estimator.
2. The guy who marks existing underground wires.
3. Another guy who marked where the new wire will go.
4. And the guy in the bucket truck. Nice guy by the way.

Now 2 more people need to come before we get power. And the final code inspection.

Reminds me of the joke about the 2 city workers in a truck. One guy would get out and dig a hole, and 10 minutes later the other guy would get out and cover the hole up. They continued doing this every 50 feet for several miles.

A man observing all this asked them why. One of them replied "Well, we're normally a 3 man crew......the guy that plants the trees is sick today".

It's too late for you now kodyD, but maybe on your expansion project.

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/7e53pk/i_laid_a_concrete_foundation_for_a_shed_today_and/

gene

SofaD, I used to laugh at those government worker jokes. But as I get older and my taxes continue to go up, and I see how wasteful our government is, I can no longer laugh.

gene

June of 2016 the bridge was out for repair one road over.  My street was not the designated detour, but a lot of people used it anyway* A semi made a turn at the corner, did not realize the ditch was there and tipped it over on the power pole.   Within a day (but not sooner) a replacement pole was up and power restored.    Drove by this morning and noticed the old post is still there, all shattered and 4 feet away from the new one.

Last Xmas eve day, at 3 am, about 1/2 mile down that side road, clear and straight, a guy ran off the road and hit a telephone pole.  Power company sent out a sub-contractor, determined it needed a new pole and transformer and at 8pm, had power back.  Merry Christmas

Earlier this year, the road one over had a power outage and needed 17 poles replaced.   Don't really know what happened there because road was closed most of the day.

Love living in the country.

* Neighbors complained, "There's so much traffic now."   Geez, a car every minute instead of every 5 minutes?   I got 20,000+ cars by my last house every day.

Last summer one of the major roads coming into town was getting a badly needed repave. Often the road would be down to one lane. Impatient truck drivers decided my neighborhood would be a good way to by-pass stalled traffic. The problem is our intersections are too small for some of those big simi's. The truck drivers would swing wide onto the empty lot across the street but the back tires would still roll across my lawn. Its amazing they didn't knock down the stop sign. Every time I saw one coming I would run out into my yard, jump up and down, shake my fist and yell look what you're doing to my lawn. I felt like Walter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D60yjEbQnDg

Monday went by and no sign of the ditch digger. Rose called the power company and they told her, because of the storms this year they are sometimes backed up 8 weeks or more. Gaaaa.

Tuesday I called and got a message saying they are all on vacation until next week. Bah. I left an unhappy message.

Today Rose and I returned from our last delivery before Thanksgiving. As we turned the corner I saw a truck, a trailer and a backhoe in front of our shop. The hour was 3:00 and I had given up any chance of having the power line installed until next week. But there they were. And they got the job done. Now Duke Power needs to hook it to the transformer. Hopefully next week. I'm a happy camper.

Today a bucket truck shows up and I'm thinking, hot damn here comes power. It was the same guy from a week ago who couldn't hook up the power because the ditch haden't been dug and there was no wire. He takes one look and says there is no pedestal. A pedestal is a box that splits the power between my house and the shop. I'm like just damn. He keeps looking at it trying to figure out whats going on. He finally says he will make some calls and try to get someone out later today. Now I'm thinking yeah right.

At 3:00 a bigger bucket truck shows up with two guys, the pedestal and heaver gauge cable. And they get to work. By 4:30 we have power. So cool.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3OCOdhf0FudsnEqh2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/txnpsPLGRgCdwde83

This afternoon a young lady from the town of High Springs pulls up. We told her we have all our permits. She said she is not code enforcement but her job is to ride around town and look for new building that are not registered on the tax rolls. She measured the shop and leaves. That didn't take long. We are now officially paying taxes on our new shop.

Well... it had to happen at some point.

Sure looks nice.

The last code inspection was completed today. Its official. Now the real work begins. I built a small shed last weekend to store my gas powered tools. This weekend I need to dig a ditch and install the phone line. Then I need to build the partition wall and work benches. I have tools in storage I haven't used in two years. I can't wait to get the whole thing set up.

I still have some chairs I need to get done before Christmas. A cold front is coming Wednesday. Sure wish I was in that new shop.

That's funny - a cold front is coming !   We're in the 30's today on Friday with possible snow on Saturday.  Send some of that stuff you call cold this way LOL
I hope you're thinking about the grand opening and the Catered meal w/plane tickets this group will need to be there with you guys
SA

I'll provide the meal but your going to have to provide your own transportation. Hamburgers and hotdogs okay? Low budget Grand Opening. A truckload of snow would be nice for the kiddos.

The funny thing is it took 7 people and 7 trips to get the power hooked up. And every year the power company asks for rate increases.

My neighbor came over and helped me build this partition wall. I'll sand it today and hopefully get some primer on it.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/WXIO3HVdNT7cR6Co1

Getting close to occupancy.  You know that you will spend another 5 years developing and changing the working space after you move in.
But it's all good - what a place - the lighting, height, stand alone building, wide openings, maybe the first of a few more buildings/partnership business' to come ?
SA 

Great job Ed.

I despise drywalling. I would rather have a colonoscopy then to mud walls. Typically I go a few years in between drywall projects and my mudding prowess becomes so rusty I suck at it. By the end of the project I am mudding like a Pro. Then I don't do any mudding for a couple years and I am right back to being a dangerous weapon with a mudding knife.

I am sure you are thankful for those short walls. Our shop has 16 ft ceilings which would be impossible to partition off. A house we used to own had Cathedral ceilings and the peak was 22 ft. Taking drywall up a ladder that high is a real treat. Thankfully I was younger then. Today ? No way Jose.

So great to see you and Rose get a nice spacious shop. Ya'll deserve that.

Mojo

Quote from: Mojo on December 21, 2017, 05:17:30 pm
Great job Ed.

I despise drywalling. I would rather have a colonoscopy then to mud walls. Typically I go a few years in between drywall projects and my mudding prowess becomes so rusty I suck at it. By the end of the project I am mudding like a Pro. Then I don't do any mudding for a couple years and I am right back to being a dangerous weapon with a mudding knife.

Mojo

Yes, the last time I slung mud on joints was about 10 years ago. Just enough time to forget how miserable it is. I spent all day today sanding all that stuff to a nice smooth surface. And once panted it will still look like crap because I do not know what I am doing. LOL But hay, most of it is going to get covered up by work benches, peg board, shelves and storage cabinets. So in the end all is good. Sure is a lot of work though.

Quote from: SteveA on December 21, 2017, 08:47:33 am
Getting close to occupancy.  You know that you will spend another 5 years developing and changing the working space after you move in.
But it's all good - what a place - the lighting, height, stand alone building, wide openings, maybe the first of a few more buildings/partnership business' to come ?
SA

Yes a shop never stops evolving. If I were a younger man and knew what I know today I would buy a piece of commercial property and stay put until I retire. This shop is not set up for expansion. It will get me by for the next 10 years until I slow down a bit and get ready to retire.

If you are ready to move to Florida I can put you in touch with a shop that has been looking for an upholsterer for several years. But then Scott in San Diego is looking for an upholsterer. San Diego would be a cool place to live.

FYI Kody: San Diego is a beautiful place. It's also one of the most expensive places in the nation.

Though even with the traffic there, I would probably live there if I could. I had never been and my wife and I took a little vacay down there. Stayed right downtown and went to the ballgame, only a couple blocks away. It was awesome.

I spent some time in Diego. The first time it was not fun. But then again Marine Corps boot camp is never fun. After MCRD in Diego I went to Oceanside ( Camp Pendleton ).

Ingrid and I went back to Diego a few years ago for vacation and I enjoyed it then. The costs are outrageous. I seen a 3 bedroom 1 bath standard ranch house on a small lot that was selling for $ 500 K. Crazy.

Matines used to go to Tijuana for the weekend. Get locked up in jail, the Marines would send down a bus and bring us back. Monday everyone was at sick bay getting shots of penicillin ( the ladies in TJ were not the cleanest ) and then the following weekend do it all over again. They finally banned us from Tijuana so we went to downtown Diego. Tore a bunch of bars up fighting with Naval personnel ( they have a base there as well ) and the city fathers asked us to stay out of downtown. In the end we didn't have too many places left to go. :)

San Diego has one of the most temperate climates on the main land. They have some gorgeous weather there which is why everyone wants to move there. When Ingrid and I were there we were both shocked at the cost of everything, from groceries to fuel. It is outrageous.

Mojo

Houses in my area (central coast CA) have also approached (or at 500k) for a basic house. We got lucky in the real estate crash to buy one for pennies of what they're worth now.

Also you all may not know but Nipomo is often regarded as the most temperate place in the nation. That's averaging all days of the year, it's about 65 degrees. San Diego can be hot.

I know most people outside CA talk about the high costs and all, but I grew up here. it's all I know. I guess you just learn to live with less, unless of course you're rich.

We have been in the new shop about a month now and it just occurred to me I haven't posted the final pics of the finished shop.

Upholstery room
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vx3afuR30d2PD9eE3

Upholstery room
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CVJp4quABhpiUFNf2

This is kinda neat and something I always wanted to do. I built a cabinet around my air compressor and lined it with sheet Styrofoam. It cut the noise in half.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4UVFfNqbR0eNku7t1

Sewing room. The white cabinets hanging on the wall were purchased at an estate sale.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5DMWPkOZIeDq3kZG3

Sewing room.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8gF5cAQ50PdIMyOt2

We found this retro industrial cabinet at an estate sale.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/H43RIZESeVzcC0NC2

I was finally able to clean out this shed and can now store foam and other supplies in it.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z7kBhXzW0KS4N7DI3

Thanks for posting those photos - what a great place - finally a vision brought to life -   All the best to you there always. 
Are you able to put a sign outside or that's restricted in your area ?

SA

Hey Kody everything looks great. Like how you mounted rolls on the brackets. I bet that is handy.

Like the retro cabinet too. Complete with paw magnet.

I bet it was a long process but now you can enjoy the fruit of your labor.

Quote from: SteveA on January 28, 2018, 08:33:23 am
Are you able to put a sign outside or that's restricted in your area ?
SA

Our neighborhood is zoned residential. Even though all our neighbors know us and know what we are doing we need to keep a low profile. This means keeping the grounds tidy, keep the doors and windows closed when operating the staple gun and no sign. I will probably make a small sign and mount it next to the building. I'm trying to figure out what it should say. Maybe just SHOP with an arrow pointing around the corner where the door is.

Quote from: 65Buick on January 28, 2018, 12:53:01 pm
I bet it was a long process but now you can enjoy the fruit of your labor.

Working in that cramped garage for 2 years was an upholsterers nightmare. Every morning I had to move stuff out of the way so I could work. And every evening I had to move it all back. You will never hear me complain about "not enough room" again.

I have become conscious of the staple gun issue too. I have a permit that was allowed, maybe because I'm unincorporated county. Still a bad idea to annoy the neighbors though. Residential neighborhood.

Is it legal to logo your vehicle and park in the driveway?

Yes it is. I know in some neighborhoods you cannot park a truck, van or car with company lettering on it. We don't because we do a lot of work for designers. Some designers don't like us advertising to their clients. On the other hand if a designers client asks for a business card what are we supposed to do? We give them a card.

In my area if you have a business from home the owners have those magnetic signs they can take off at night. 

I won't give cards out to a client when someone sub contracts me - I believe that as long as the principle party pays my fee without issue I have to maintain a loyalty -
Over the years it hasn't made a difference in the amount of work that comes my way.  There is work 7 days a week and I really only want work for 5 days. 

SA

Quote from: kodydog on January 30, 2018, 04:32:21 pm
Some designers don't like us advertising to their clients. On the other hand if a designers client asks for a business card what are we supposed to do? We give them a card.

Probably the main reason I don't work for designers anymore. They call around to every shop to get the lowest price, yet they expect me to remain exclusively loyal to them.

Your shop turned out awesome Ed. Congrats. :)

Mojo