I am a refugee from the knots site who is setting up a retirement wood shop in a 24×48′ space under a 3 br. farmers ranch in East TN. It’s 8x8x16 block face bricked outside and gray gloss (epoxy?) sealed inside and 8′ to the over head with open floor joists above. The West short wall is two single garage doors with a block column between and the south wall is all in the dirt. The east short wall is a 45% slope with the south end all dirt and the north end all in the clear. To the North that wall is all in the clear and has a 3-0 door at the far west end,. The main beam runs 48′ on 12′ centers on pipe starting between the garage doors and splits the 24′ dimension. The floor is a sealed beautifully flat concrete( have not checked the pitch yet. It will not be much). Construction was 1994 and it’s dry as a stone.
While I could stick a complex molded edge on your solid mahogany dining table by hand with a Stanley 45 or 55, or set up my planned 3hp. cyclone dust collector with 8″ main pipes, I don’t know spit about the fine points of the following–help!
1- I need light and ventilation. I see 4 to 5 awning windows along the north wall and maybe one on the NE wall in the top corner.
I would put them 1 or 2 blocks from the top to preclude looking in. I see them 27 7/8 or 36 1/2 x 17 1/2H or both 21H what ever fits the block cuts best. this is looking at Anderson’s chart. I could also do with another quality window at less money as this isn’t a show house.
Now, do I need a stone,steel or wood header over these windows, How do I seal it all in and do I flush the window face surface to the interior or the exterior? How do I do the framing and the sill?
2-I will rock the walls and ceiling. Do I need a tyvek or poly layer on the block? I assume foam blue board between my 2×4 studs and what’s the best fastener for the 2×4’s to the block?
3- What’s a reasonable floor paint/epoxy in tan to seal the floor once, I have a 3,700 psi water cleaner and a macco? airless 190 to apply it.
I will visit the site end of Mar. and check up on the electric codes, do a bag full of laser measurements and prepare the next post for a 100 amp. sub panel and distribution so I don’t fry myself/ All the best, Pat
Replies
Greetings PADDYDAHAT, Welcome to Breaktime.
This post, in response to your question, will bump the thread through the 'recent discussion' listing again.
Perhaps it will catch someones attention that can help you with advice.
Cheers
'Nemo me impune lacesset'
No one will provoke me with impunity
Much thanks. "desperate in TN", Pat
I'm not an expert - we seldom see a basement here in So. Cal. But my thoughts are: I wouldn't remove any blocks without an engineer's assessment. You will need some type of header/lintel to carry the load. Plus, there may be rebar in the block cavities, so removing blocks may have other structural implications.
Sounds like a lot of windows - I would try to minimize adding windows, which will likely be expensive, and concentrate on light fixtures. I don't think you need to attach the studs to the block walls, as long as the bottom and top plates are attached solidly. As far as flooring, I would look into all options before deciding on an epoxy paint. Wood flooring is much easier on the feet. There are also interlocking floor coverings that are made for homeowner-installed basement applications.
I would talk to others who have done basement conversions in your neighborhood, if at all possible. Because the issues and concerns that you will most likely face will be similar. Each climate/soil has its own issues.
"he...never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too" - Mark Twain
Huck, thanks for the input, I would never interrupt a bearing wall without an eng. I will use the old timer that checked the house out for me. I am just trying to get a scope on all of this. I see too many windows too. I think I can do with two on the long wall and one in the short corner to get some natural light for hand work and finishing as well as cross ventilation, the two garage doors and a 3-0 at one end are the only openings. The 28x17 anderson awnings are @ $200 each at home dopy as a spec. order. I am sure that I can find better and cheaper at a supply house.
I can shoot the bottom plate to the slab and pick up the joists for the top, no problem. I will poly the wall and blue foam between the studs, 16"OC and 12"OC were my wall chests hang on french cleats( one has a herd of block and bench planes #1 through #8 with duplicates in the 4, 4 1/2, 5 and 7 sizes- some heavy iron).
I use 10' commercial mats in front of my benches and stationary tools. At 48x24' that's a lot of any kind of floor to put down. I was trying to find a light tan sealed coating to help with clean up and illumination. The walls and ceiling will be snow white semi-gloss.
The ground is very solid, granite and red clay, built in '94 it's in the foothills of the clinch mts. in East TN. All of the locals are farm houses with no basements but they have 4 barns and 6 tobacco sheds. I am going down late March to laser and tape the dimensions so I can figure a material list for paint, studs, insulation and dry wall etc. I will start to look up some local subs to bid the work.
Sorry to hear about the shortage of basements out on the left coast. I traveled (a lot) to our warehouse in El Segundo for 11years, really enjoyed my trips along the coast-great suppers. Pat
I would check with your local paint store on the epoxy floor paint. I know a lot of the big box warehouses use painted concrete flooring, and it holds up to cattle-ranch traffic! I once used epoxy paint in a commercial restaurant kitchen, you gotta work fast with that stuff, 'cause once it goes off, that's it! I guess your catalyst/epoxy ratio is pretty critical, but temp's, humidity, etc. all have a bearing. Like I said, the paint store could tell you more.
Sounds like a great shop in the making!"he...never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too" - Mark Twain
Much thanks, Pat
ps. boy will be busy on this trip to the house!