Hi all, like many of us, my long term dream is to have a wide by huge shop. Lately, I've been looking at vacant plots of land, with the goal of building a weekend retreat. I found a couple of configurators online, this one being one of the best:
https://quicksteel.actbuildingsystems.com/
I've been looking at either 40x80 or 50x100 spaces, something like this, with a mezzanine on the 2nd floor that could be converted into an apartment:
But having the best website doesn't necessarily mean having the best product. So, with the above photos as a guide, anyone have experience setting up a building of this type? Any recommendations on:
- best vendors to work with? Mueller buildings is one of the ones I know well, but open to other recommendations
- type of steel, I see some that look like HD/Lowes level greenhouses (like this), and some that look like commercial/industrial red oxide heavy duty buildings (like this). How to order and spec it correctly?
- Thoughts on insulation? Fiberglass bagged vs foam board style?
- Anyone with experience on contractors that could pour the pad and set it up in the mid atlantic area? I know the small buildings claim to be able to go up in a weekend with 4-6 people, but I know better than trying to set up something this size. I'd likely need scaffolding or a bucket truck.
This is a bit of stretch for me, financially, timing, all that, I'm planning to do it in stages. First the land, and hopefully the building shell. A few years down the line, finish it inside and add the apartment, add the lift, etc. Any items that need to be done right off the bat? I'm thinking it needs power and HVAC right off the bat, for running lights and getting the space conditioned.
New territory for me, and would love to learn as much as I can before plunking down $$.