I have a dream

[giantkiller]

I have a dream to build the ultimate shop. With living quarters above, down the center. 40'x64'. 3 zone in slab heat. The center will be 18'x64' and will be the shop. 2 sections on the sides (storage. I have 10 bikes, 1 snowmobile, 1atv, and tons of spares) 10' ish. I don't have anything drawn up with the architect yet. With walls between the center shop and the side storage sections. So I can keep the sides at a lower/higher temp. Than the shop. Will have an insulated over head door on both sides of the shop on the internal walls, leading into the side storage spaces. I am going to see if I can afford geothermal.

Living space will be above the shop in the center will also be 18'x64'. Open living, dinning, kitchen. As big as I can. Then small bedroom and bathroom/laundry. And a small master on the other end with sliding glass doors onto a small deck. The living room end will have a large entertainment deck, and French doors.

I've got a start on it. Closing on a 1acre lot on the 29th
It will be a monitor style building. It will look something like this picture. Except with a16' door in the middle and 2 9' doors on the sides. This end will face the front of the lot with my bedroom and small balcony above.

[FJmonkey]

Sounds like a really good dog house, just too far for me use when I am sent to the dog house. Looks awesome, post updates. I can't live it, but you can help me dream it....

[giantkiller]

Don't know if I will be able to afford to start building it this year. Or if I'll have to put it off for a year. I couldn't get any of the builders to talk to me about cost. They all said come back and talk to me when you have the land.
One thing for sure if I build it this year. It will put a damper on my rally money. So I hope I can atleast go to the Colorado rally. But that would be it. Either way.

[TexasDave]

Southeast of Dallas in the country there is a similar concept only it isn't as pretty. It was done using those big shipping containers. Each side is two containers long with one stacked on top. Each wall is four containers. Girders between both sides provide second floor space in between with a roof on top. The last tine I went by the containers were still their original colors--red, orange,blue and green. Ugly but functional and probably pretty cheap to do. I've always wanted a set up like the old Dan Tana TV show (for those old enough to remember). He could drive right in and all his toys, living space and office were in one big open space. Of course he was single. Dan your idea is great.   Dave

[PaulG]

Theeee Dan Tana?!  Cheezier than KD - Big haired women, snub nosed revolvers that could pick off a sparrow from 100yds, 70's 'staches, TV at it's schlockiest best.  Here is some research for your floor plan.  BTW - if I promise to mow the lawn, prune the roses, clean the pool, etc., can I get dibs on the apartment? I've only got the one FJ....   

Keen observers of trivia will notice he's got a yellow Corvette for the pilot episode, while in the series he had the red T-Bird if my fading memory is correct.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01iKDegrW_g

[aviationfred]

Wow Dan, what you describe sounds incredible. I hope everything falls in place to you.

You wouldn't happen to have curvy roads nearby?? Potential 2017 Central Rally at Dan's... A military cot in the work space would suit me.... 

All kidding aside..... Your newest project looks to be the best.


Fred

[rktmanfj]

Dan, that looks very much like what I was wanting to do at one time.

The only real difference is that I wanted, instead of doing a new build, was to use the shell of a old existing barn. 
Go for it!   

[Pat Conlon]

Dan, do you have natural gas to the property? Sure will save you money vs a LP tank.
I assume you are looking at a hydronic radiant slab system. They have some neat systems that combine your hot water system with the slab heating system. Don't forget your slab edge insulation.
Does the electrical utility have 480/277v 3 phase power available? That's a nice option if you can get it, if not then I would get a 400amp service panel in single phase 120/240. Plenty of poop to run your welder and shop equipment.
Stack the roof with PV panels. The prices are way down on those. That will help reduce your electrical bill.

Sounds like a fun project

[fj johnnie]

 Slab heat is the best. Be absolutely certain to insulate beneath the slab. The earth is a massive heat sink you will never warm up.  There are a few studies showing how much energy the earth beneath your slab will soak up.
And yes that shop looks fabulous.

[simi_ed]

"The earth is a massive heat sink you will never warm up. "

Just keep driving ALL THOSE CO₂ producing vehicles, it'll warm up just fine!

[Pat Conlon]

Slab heat is the best. Be absolutely certain to insulate beneath the slab. The earth is a massive heat sink you will never warm up....

Exactamundo Johnnie slab heat rocks.

Depending on the ceiling height and the volume of the area heated, you may want to consider some supplemental space heating. From the time the boiler fires up and the circulation pumps start, it will take approx. 45 minutes for the slab to get warm, and then some time after that for the space to warm up.

Gets down right chilly in your neck of the woods.

[FJmonkey]

"The earth is a massive heat sink you will never warm up. "

Just keep driving ALL THOSE CO₂ producing vehicles, it'll warm up just fine!

Last night I saw an episode of Mythbusters that tested cas vs. motorcycles for emissions. They one each (car and MC) from the 80's, 90's and 00. The Carbon Dioxide was lower on bikes, but the other harmful emissions were out outrageously high.

[giantkiller]

Yes 2" under the slab and between the slab and footings. And no more than 2" of concrete above the tubes. I have a friend at work who is the HVAC guy for the plant. He does residential on the side. He said he could get everything at just over cost. For the inslabe and geothermal. I have another friend who does vertical line boring for a living. And also runs a backhoe. He wants to do geothermal at his cottage. He was thinking we could do the grid type geothermal boring a bunch of lines. Instead of using the coils in trenchs. Going have to talk to the experts to see if it would work. Going to keep the shop heated all the time.  Doesn't have to be more than 60degree to feel hot to me in the winter. The side with the bikes will be kept a little warmer than the spares side. Going to super insulate everything. Shop ceiling is going to be 12'. Don't know about the sides yet.

[giantkiller]

Wow been exploring geothermal kits. I can get a kit complete with everything. Even includes the antifreeze for the lines. 6ton 2 stage for just under $5000 with discounts,rebates, and 30 percent tax credit. I can get my buddy to do the trenches. Just have to rent a backhoe. And get my other friend to install it for nominal fee. Looking like I can afford. Or should I say I can't afford not to install geothermal. ( if I can get the trenches down to between 6'-8' down before hitting hard pan) Does anyone know of a way too tell how far down I can go. Before I buy a horizontal kit and can only dig down 2'.

[Pat Conlon]

Here in the desert we have geothermal along the San Andreas fault line. Hot mineral water for various spas.
Down along the eastern seaboard of the Salton Sea we have geothermal hot enough to produce electricity.

I think what you are describing is a ground source heat pump system, not a geothermal system.
We have also have those, and on hot summer days they are more efficient than air cooled condenser/evaporator heat pump systems.
Our concern is cooling, your concern is heating, but the same general rule applies with ground source heat pumps, the deeper in the earth you go, the more consistent the temperature. Deep is good.
What is the frost depth in your location?

One lesson we learned (the hard way) was to be careful about what material you use to back fill the condenser tubes. Thinking that we were doing a good thing, protecting the coils from sharp rocks, we back filled a job with sand....that was a tactical error. We failed to realize that sand has a high content of silica, which as we know, is a good insulator. The hot condenser coils could not transfer, or shed, the heat to the sand fill material.
In your case (heating) the evaporator coils will not be able to absorb the heat from the soil.
We had to carefully hand excavate the sand and replace it with washed pea gravel and the problem was solved.
Our trench depths were 72 inches.