My New House & Workshop

[Curious Hound]

I have a hunch you will need to install a new feeder from the main panel, especially if you are upgrading to a 100A sub. What is your main panel ratted at? Not sure what your local codes are but NEC requires any subpanel at your shop will need to be grounded at the main. That will require a 4th wire to do it right. Is the current feed to the shop in buried conduit or overhead?

We’ve already been through all that previously in the thread. He needs a new panel and feeder and grounding conductor and probably meter can and service entrance.

 

[Dirtman]

Houses is for living in...

 

[CrabGuy]

Sorry I missed that! Post deleted

 

[Curious Hound]

Sorry I missed that! Post deleted

Thats ok. Review the thread and follow along. We’re all helping(?) him.

 

[Dirtman]

We’re all helping(?) him.

Are we though?

 

[Jim Oaks]

My Window Project:

I removed the old pane of glass, and then all of the wood except that 2x8 at the top. I used 2x4's running from the ground up to that 2x4 to support it when I removed the 2x8's on the side. I put in new treated 2x8's, and then added a 1x8 along the bottom and the right side to give me the opening I needed. The window is level and plum with at least 3/16" gap all the way around it. I haven't decided if I wanted to spray any window foam in that gap, or leave it open so there's no pressure on the window frame. The window slides open and closed nice and smoothly.

I didn't take a picture, but I covered the sides and top of the window fin with the black flashing tape. I didn't put the tape over the bottom fin, but I did add a strip to cover the exposed part of that 2x. I also applied window calk to the back of the fin before I mounted it.

One it was mounted and flashed I trimmed it with 2x4's. I painted the backside of the 2x4's to help protect them before I mounted them. I also used black window calk around the trim when I was done.

The whole building looks at least 10% better now.

My neighbor asked me if I was going to rent the building out.

 

[RobbieD]

That really looks good. Nice job!

 

[1996xlt]

Jim,

After reading through this thread and seeing what you're going through with your shop I can't help but think I'm going the right route with mine. I have a similar building as you, though not as big, all cinderblock on a concrete pad. I considered for a while rehabbing it, but between the roof needing to be replaced, not having electric and barely having enough room to work in (14' wide from outside walls.) I'm still in the planning phases, but plan on leveling it, keeping the existing slab to use as a driveway for the new shop a 24'x41' steel building slightly further back on the property.

Best of luck getting yours built to meet your needs.

 

[CrabGuy]

Nice work, looks great. Looking forward to seeing how the new garage door project comes out.

 

[rumblecloud]

There goes the neighborhood...

Looks way more than 10% better. Nice work.

 

[franklin2]

If you are not in a hurry, I am sure we could walk you through the new electric install.

1st. The meter is going to have to be pulled. Find out what the electric company is giving you as far as amperage when they are there. Tell them you want 100 amps. In my area, any upgrade is free. But also in my area, they will fix everything up and get it ready as far as the service and plugging the meter in, but they will not plug the meter in and give us power till they see a "passed" tag from the local government. I know you said you guys do not have any inspections. So that may mean the electric company doesn't care about that. That would be good for you.

2nd. Once the meter is gone, you are free to run the wiring and any conduit you need to to the new panel. If the electric company tells you to get a larger meter panel (or leaves one there for you) you will mount that and punch your hole out for the wires to go in. You are correct, for 100 amps you need #4 wire. The reason you see black wire is they just use the black that comes off the roll, and then they use colored tape to mark the wires. So if you go to Lowe's, get enough #4 to do the whole job, and also get some white tape and some red tape to mark the wires.

You can also use #2 aluminum. Nothing wrong with aluminum as long as you use the black grease (No-ox) on your connections. They sell a little tube of that at Lowe's also.

Since this will be a new service from the electric company, you will tie your neutrals and grounds together on one bar in the panel, and the panel will have a large #6 copper wire running from this bar, through the panel to the outside to that ground rod. In my area they make you drive two ground rods at least 6ft apart. But the soil around here is not very good.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

My Window Project:

I removed the old pane of glass, and then all of the wood except that 2x8 at the top. I used 2x4's running from the ground up to that 2x4 to support it when I removed the 2x8's on the side. I put in new treated 2x8's, and then added a 1x8 along the bottom and the right side to give me the opening I needed. The window is level and plum with at least 3/16" gap all the way around it. I haven't decided if I wanted to spray any window foam in that gap, or leave it open so there's no pressure on the window frame. The window slides open and closed nice and smoothly.

I didn't take a picture, but I covered the sides and top of the window fin with the black flashing tape. I didn't put the tape over the bottom fin, but I did add a strip to cover the exposed part of that 2x. I also applied window calk to the back of the fin before I mounted it.

One it was mounted and flashed I trimmed it with 2x4's. I painted the backside of the 2x4's to help protect them before I mounted them. I also used black window calk around the trim when I was done.

The whole building looks at least 10% better now.

My neighbor asked me if I was going to rent the building out.

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Looks good. There is low pressure foam meant for windows. It will compress and expand. Use that or go old style with fiberglass. You taped the window correctly so shouldn't have problems either way.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Looks good. There is low pressure foam meant for windows. It will compress and expand. Use that or go old style with fiberglass. You taped the window correctly so shouldn't have problems either way.

I got a can of that foam, I just haven't used it on the window. I put some around the new door though.

I got a little water coming in somewhere around the bottom corner of the door frame on both sides of the door. I caulked under the sill plate. I even caulked around the bottom edge of the door frame. I need to figure out how it's getting in. There's a small gap between the front of the building and the concrete pad in front if it. I don't know if water is getting in through there some how.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I have 9 oak trees that need to have dead limbs cut out of them. Some of them are high and will require a lift to get to.

Somebody came out and quoted $1,700 but then said he could do it for $1,500. It was a lot more than I was expecting. I've never paid to have this done, so I wanted to see if anyone had and input to share on what it might cost.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Insurance for that type work is very high. Thats at least one part if the equation.