Workshop Construction 

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     Winter/Spring-2007                   Summer- 2007

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Dec. 24, 2007 - Merry Christmas to everyone!  I have the best Christmas gift that I have ever gotten.  My Workshop is complete and ready to be occupied!  All the services are installed, phone with DSL, cable and security monitoring.  We have cleaned and etched the floor and it is ready for the first coat of epoxy paint.  The temp. is too low to put the paint on right now, but it should warm up in the next few days. 

It will be many weeks before this place is fine tuned to my satisfaction, with cabinets, workbenches, pegboard on the walls and other nice things, but to have it to this point is just great!  I have been listening to many suggestions about how to finish off the inside.  I've looked in books and looked at other shops to take ideas from everywhere I can think of.  The internet has a lot of garage dress-up ideas. 

My good friend and fellow ex-Navy man, Eddie Brumfield, is helping me with all the finish items.  He is a good painter and does sheet rock work along with many other misc. things.  He builds cabinets and works for a very reasonable price.  All of this and Eddie does excellent work and is very meticulous, just like me!  Eddie will not do any electrical work, but that's all done anyway. 

Dec. 20, 2007 - The final electrical inspection was done yesterday and the final building inspection was completed today!  They did not find one thing wrong.  Willie, Reggie, Houston and Van Johnson have come by to take a look.  Barbara and myself have been out shopping for various items to put in the shop.  She has taken charge of the restroom accessories.

We have been looking at different cabinet systems and other storage and flooring systems.  The internet is a great place to look for ideas and to get an idea of the cost of items. 

The floors will be next and then we will do something with the walls.  The electricians from Cobra Electric, Inc. were great.  They ran all my services and connected the cable.  The lighting is excellent and the roll-up door works just great, manual, automatic and remote. Telephone and DSL will be installed Sat. 

Dec. 18, 2007 - Let There Be Light!

Dec. 14, 2007 - The walkway cover is complete and it came our beautiful!  The electrician did their rough-in and the carpenters are finishing up today.  We had the roll-up door shut and the place locked for the first time last night. 
Slide Show

There is one problem that anyone thinking about a metal building should consider.  You must think about the services that require cables and find out the requirements of the service company before you pour your slab.  Bellsouth and Custom Security are very easy to work with, but Cox Cable will not run any cable to, or inside, my metal building.  Bellsouth charges extra for a detached building, but will allow the electricians to pull their cable along with the electrical cable.  Custom Security will also let the electricians pull their cable with no increase in charge.  We did provide for the services before the slab was poured, and we put in extra conduit for services, with separate conduit for the electrical service.  Cox, according to the technician, his supervisor and the people at the office, will not allow any other company to pull their cable and they have no provisions for attaching their jacks inside a metal building (with no wood studs).  

Dec. 13, 2007 - Alan Overhead Garage Door, Inc. installed the roll-up door operator today.  Consolidated Builders Construction Co. LLC,  finished the restroom with the exception of getting the drywall ready to paint.  I will paint everything myself.  Aluminum Specialties is installing the cover that will connect the workshop to the house.  This will satisfy the Plumbing Permit requirement to connect the two structures.  It is also going to be very functional as it will stop the water from coming under the existing patio and route it away from the structure when it rains.  Electricians are just starting to rough-out the electrical installation.  Their work must be completed before the door company can set the limit switches on the roll-up door. 

This project is coming out much better than I had anticipated, thanks to planning, patience and good craftsmen.  Speaking of patience, we have delayed the electrical work to plan the walls for the inside.  After considering Barbara's suggestion to finish the walls, I am leaning towards plywood walls in some areas, and pegboard in other areas.  We will paint the floors in the open areas and we may put down some type of flooring in the office and restroom.  Cox will not run the cable to the workshop.  I will have to do that myself, which will save me money. 

Dec. 12, 2007 - Carpenter started to frame the handicap accessible restroom today. 

Dec. 10, 2007 - The outside is complete!  Worked with Custom Security today to connect the Workshop to the home security monitoring system.  AT&T phones and DSL for the computer were arranged for today.  There is still a lot to do and a lot of coordination, but things are falling into place.  I have to stay relaxed and not get so upset when things don't go as planned. 

Dec. 7, 2007 - They did not make their projected completion date of Thursday, but the quality of work is good and that's what counts.  I remember an engineer at Entergy that had a little sign by the front of his office.  It said something like, "Pick any two",  Fast - Cheap - Accurate... 

Today they are finishing up the front wall and installing the walk-in door.  The electrician was here today and took note of what I want done.  We decided on the lighting and receptacles, both 115V and 220V.  That work cannot start until Wed. or Thurs. of this coming week.  I purchased the lavatory, stainless steel deep sink, hot water heater and the toilet.  PHOTOS

Dec. 6, 2007 - Noon Progress
 

Dec. 6, 2007 - Morning - The workers were here early.
The walls are going up! Photos.

Dec. 5, 2007 - Construction of the workshop metal structure started yesterday, finally!  The work is progressing very fast and they are trying to finish by Thursday night.  So far, so good.  The plumber is suppose to come in Friday.  Maybe I can get the electrical crew in next week.  The General Contractor is still Covenant General Contractors.  They are providing a carpenter to finish the restroom (wheelchair accessible) after the plumbing is done. 

I am going to be real happy with my new space.  I entered my 8' x12' room today where I have built several motors and overhauled many carbs over the past 18 years and I was stepping over everything and moving stuff to try to find tools.   All of a sudden it is way too small!  Construction Photos Day 1&2

Nov. 27, 2007 - Read about our grandson, Jeremy. 

The final parts for my workshop were delivered today.  I also had a crew come and look at the job to erect the shop and they did not want to put up the 12 ft. roll-up door.  Another company promised me they are going to start "next week"...  Maybe I will be in by Christmas. 

Today, I took a stroll through Harbor Freight & Tools.  I did not get a basket on purpose. That keeps me from purchasing anything.  I was suppose to be making a Christmas list for Barbara to pick something from.  I saw a very nice, Aluminum Racing Jack.  There were actually two of them, one small, compact size (3000 lbs. capacity), which I would like to have, and a larger one.  Prices were very reasonable.  I saw a nice drill press both here and at Sears.  I have to determine the quality of both units before I purchase.  I could fill my whole workshop (and have no room for the car) if I could afford all the things that I want out of that place (and Sears too).  I may let Barbara purchase the epoxy paint for the floors of the workshop! 

Nov. 25, 2007 - Skip retires from active involvement Bracket Masters Racing Team.  Skip will work full time as the Audio/Visual Coordinator of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.  Skip will be the church website coordinator and church photographer. 

Skip will maintain the teams website until another webmaster is found.  Skip will also remain as the Treasurer until an orderly turnover of duties can take place.  I plan to start a Blog shortly. 

Nov. 13, 2007 - Can't trust anyone to stand by their word, or what they are being paid for.  Although my materials arrived yesterday, several items were missing and the drawing that was wrong a month ago is still wrong.  Dealing with the truck driver (and salesman) about where to place all the materials was another adventure.  I actually told them about the restricted access over a month ago.  I was assured the delivery people would be able to handle it.  None of my materials are in the staged position that we had planned. 

Now the construction company is saying they cannot start until after Thanksgiving!  I think they were hoping the materials would not get here on time.  We put all the small pieces (that could walk away) in the place where I normally park my car.  Now I will be outside for a few weeks.  I see late December or January before the building is ready to be inspected.  I am upset and the Construction Manager is livid! 

Nov. 12, 2007 - I am taking it easy today, celebrating Veterans Day.  My 24 years in the Navy qualifies me to enjoy this day.  I would like to say "Thank You" and "God Bless You" to our current troops that are spread around the world helping to secure our country for all of us. 

I am glad the race is over!  Did not feel very good over the past two days due to a change in medications and some other factors.  Left the race early Sat. after taking a few photos.  Sunday was a little better and I got a lot more photos, but again, I did not last until the end.  The photos will be posted later, after I get them all sorted out.

I traded my old car, "Mr. Skip", to Phillip Saizon for some more concrete work around my house.  He was very excited to get it.  He took it to Wyatt Ezell to be worked on. 

My workshop materials should be delivered today.  Construction should start on Wed. of this week.

November 5, 2007 - The fence is finished.  The old gate had a 16 ft. opening.  The new one has a 21 ft. opening and will allow much more room to maneuver the car into the back yard. 

We hired Covenant General Contractors, Inc. to assemble the building.  They will start around Weds. of next week and should be finished in a week.  We are on hold until the building is delivered on Monday or Tuesday. 

Mrs. Holbert is assuming the role of Construction Supervisor, no, make that Manager!  Yesterday we laid out the "new" floor plan.  She figured out that the way I had laid it out would cut down on the working space around the car.  I have to admit, I like her layout better.  

The new layout will be as follows.  The restroom is on the left side, just after (sailor talk) the middle of the building. The deep sink, with some counter space, will be on the left in the back corner.  This is probably where my vise, drill press and grinder will be placed.  A small office space will be in the back, on the right hand side, and will have the computer, book shelves and file cabinets.  My wireless network should work out there, since it is only about 60 feet away from the base modem.  Everything else is open space.  We made a mock-up of the car, which included wheelie-bars, and looked at the room that would be left after getting the car parked.  I will have plenty of room to work around the whole car, and if necessary, I can get a second car or truck into the shop.  We are already making plans to put more concrete down for outside storage and a parking place for my open trailer. 

November 2, 2007 - The pour went very well and everything is setting up now.  Phillip Saizon and his crew did an excellent job.  Houston and Reggie came by to look at the finished product and they were impressed.  One of the contractors bidding on the building was also impressed and wanted to know who did the work.  I took a level and walked around the whole structure and could not find one spot that was not perfect.  I also let Houston do the same thing and he found nothing wrong.  This floor would be the perfect place to set up a set of scales for chassis adjustment.  The fence is becoming a challenge, especially the gate.  We should have that solved by this coming Saturday.  I have solicited several bids to construct the building and most of them are comparable, so it is going to be just selecting a builder based on how I interact with the person and them being OK with the BBB of Baton Rouge.
Photos  The photos show the progression from building up the yard to get ready to dig out the foundation, the prep of the foundation with rebar and steel mattes according to the engineering drawings, the concrete slab with the forms still in place and finally the finished slab with the forms removed and anchor bolts are ready to accept the steel beams. 

October 25, 2007 - We scheduled the pour for this coming Monday.  It has been too wet, and we had about 6" of water in the bottom of the foundation. 
I talked to a couple of companies that erect metal buildings, that are recommended by Mueller Metal Buildings.  I have not made a choice yet. 
We are repairing concrete in our driveway and the area between the neighbors house and mine.  The fence is being replaced too.  I almost fell down when I got the first estimate for just 77 feet of fence, with a sliding gate.  Nothing cost what I think it should these days.  Sort of like a gallon of gas, not racing gas, just plain regular unleaded!
I have heard from several people around the country about my "Workshop Project".  Thanks for the comments and for reading my ramblings.
I went to Home Depot this past Monday and looked at lighting fixtures.  Seems we have some new types of electronic  florescent bulbs and ballast.  They are suppose to be high efficiency and give out more light, with better color correction.  I will have a meeting with my electrician this coming Friday afternoon to discuss the placement of receptacles and lighting fixtures, along with exhaust fans and hot water heater.  While in The Home Depot, I priced toilets.  I also went into a restaurant supply store and found a nice stainless steel double sink, about 5 feet wide, with a flat shelf inside that drains down into one of he sinks, $450.00 new, and will be worth every penny.  A few months ago they had a used one for $300.00.  The salesperson said I should have taken it with me at the time.  This will be ideal for washing parts and other large items.  I will not have to stand out in the yard and use the garden hose and a big aluminum pan to rinse my parts. 

October 22, 2007 - The building foundation passed inspection!  Now we can pour concrete and get moving on building.  The plumbing rough-in had already passed, and underground electrical rough-in inspection is not required (yet).  Thank God!

October 21, 2007 - Barbara gave me a small family birthday party.  She only put one candle on the cake because 69 candles may have burned down the house!
 

October 20, 2007 - Happy Birthday to me and Happy Anniversary to Barbara and myself!  Barbara and I went out to celebrate and had a very nice dinner last night during the LSU vs. Auburn game, while we were eating.  We got seated right away and the food and service was great at Parrain's Seafood, on Perkins Rd.  We had tried to get seated there on Thursday night, but the wait was too long.  We got home in time to see the whole second half, which LSU won.  Southern University had already beat up on Alcorn University Braves before we went out.  Go Jags - Go Tigers!  The Saints topped off a complete winning weekend by beating those "Dirty Birds" from Atlanta.  Go Saints!  Oh bye the way, Grambling Tigers won also!

October 19, 2007 - Glen Oaks High School beat Live Oak High School for the GOHS Homecoming.  Jeremy, who is a senior this year and the starting right cornerback, was a co-captain for the coin toss.  He was also selected to escort "Ms. Senior" at the school Coronation Ceremony on campus before the pep rally.  Before the game, all the seniors on the team presented their parents with a rose at the fifty-yard line.  Barbara and I were happy to stand in for his mother, Mrs. Melinda Herbert Gardner.  

The foundation was inspected and it failed.  It will be re-inspected Monday, after the necessary corrections are made.  Phillip and his crew will come out on Sat. and make the corrections.

October 12, 2007 - I have my building permit!  Now we can start forming the slab.  I talked to Phillip Saizon and his crew will start early this coming week.
I went out to Mueller Metal Buildings and discussed delivery of materials, which was scheduled for this week, but I postponed that.  We also talked about storage while construction is being done.  My salesman, Dusty Hayman, has been very good and understanding during this permit process.  They probably go through this all the time with homeowners, new to the process. Mueller will not deliver until the slab is complete and inspected.  All of the beams will be stored on the slab and the siding and insulation will be stacked in the yard, covered from the weather, and secured for safe keeping.
There are still a lot of loose ends.  I don't have a licensed plumber yet, seems they are all too busy with big jobs to take on a small residential project.  I need to rough-in the plumbing when the forming is done.  I do have an electrician that is going to do the same for the electrical, cable and telephone service conduits. All of this will be run underground. The plumbing and electrical permits are not issued yet but they have been discussed with DPW Inspection Division and I know what is required.  No surprises..., I hope.

October 9, 2007 - The Lexan is here.

October 8, 2007 - Mr. & Mrs. Morris would like to thank Pastor, Dr. Lynn Morrison, Jr., The First Lady, and the staff of All Faith Christian Center.  The wedding party was beautiful, and all the people that came to the church to watch them get married.  They would also like to thank the many more people that came to the reception.  The Hostesses looked very nice and did an outstanding job of taking care of the guest.  The food was very good and so was the music.  The photographer took some great shots and we can't wait to see the photos and video.  So many people gave so many nice gifts.  Individual thank you cards will be sent to everyone who gave something (that provided an address or we can find an address).

October 6, 2007 - Little Barbara got married today!  She is a very beautiful bride and everything went as planned with no problems.  They almost started on time!  Only about 30 minutes late, which is great compared to a lot of other weddings.  Little Barbara is now, Mrs. Barbara H. Morris and her husband is, Mr. Marqual T. Morris.  Congratulations to the happy couple. 

                 
Mrs. Morris      Mr. & Mrs. Marqual Morris

  Wedding Party

October 3, 2007 - I received an invitation from fellow racer, Charlie Robinson, to come out and look at his workshop and get some ideas and maybe avoid some headaches.  I stopped by, and Wow!, Charlie's workshop is really something!  It is tall enough and large enough to get his RV into and close the roll-up door.  I was really impressed with the layout and especially the space. 

After I finished admiring the workshop, Charlie and I had a good conversation about the East Baton Rouge Parrish building permit process.  I have not started to build yet and already I have spent a lot on items that are required to obtain permits.  Ten dollars here, $60 there, $500 over here, $75 over there, and this is just to get the slab drawings certified and my project registered with the Clerk of Court.  There are many more requirements (and money to be spent) that are mandatory if you want plumbing and electrical installed. 

If you plan on building, I would advise that you go to the DPW Inspection Division and talk to the information persons about your specific requirements BEFORE you start. Including the tree and storage shed removal from my backyard, and getting the dirt delivered and spread to build up the backyard, this project has cost well over $3000 and I don't have one form in place for my slab. 

A few people have told me that I could get around many of these requirements..., but right now I feel real safe about everything I have done.   

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