Thread: Need to build a workshop, share your experience

The house wiring is absolute chaos, no RCD when i got here there were bolts instead of fuses etc. A bunch of stuff is straight up dangerous so im not too concerned about needing to redo the property. at $16k just for the shed there's no way im doing it anytime soon but for 4-6 as an add on to the rewiring I would do it. nothing i currently have wouldnt run from a single phase 20A circuit but i can feel that one day in the future ill have something that needs real power.

Thanks for sharing everyone, super useful.

I already had 3 phase cable from the house meter box to the shed and had 3 phase at the pole out the front 10 meters away, the quote was $1800-$2000 and most of that was the switch board upgrade. It might be cheaper than you thought.

In your budget, I take it that also covers the concrete for the floor and removal of the existing "shed". While you're running around getting quotes, contact several electricians and get quotes from them.
Kryn

I would not get another portal frame shed again if the idea is to line it for comfort and dust proofing. You basically end up building another structure inside in order to clad the inside appropriately. There are a few companies offering sheds in the same framing and truss styles that steel framed houses get nowadays. Much easier to line and put real windows in and from memory the price wasn't that much different. If only I had seen these before I built my shed.

My 3 phase 80 amp service at block across town. Any bigger and would have been transformer time--- then I would have had to fork out big. So didn't go there

Bit over 12 months ago. $6100 Powercor (for you Melbournites prob Citypower) That's from pole across road, submains tunnelled under road to pit out front of block. Still have truck appointment to go to connect up, meters etc....

$6800 to date. (not finished yet) for sparky to setup main enclosure at front. Includes 100mtr of submains with sub board at far end. Got him to run 32mm comms conduit for fone with draw wire at same time. I dragged thru 2 pair submains fone cable thru myself --- hardly rocket science.

Then theres still all the main and sub board goodies, u know breakers etc...

Should be enuf to keep me going for a while at least.

Ok a bit off topic here. In the shared trenching plumber ran gas and water line. Worth thinking ahead as planned shed is going to go right over existing water and fone lines and possibly gas -- depends on how big a shed I go with/ council/wife lets me have.

Originally Posted by jatt

My 3 phase 80 amp service at block across town. Any bigger and would have been transformer time--- then I would have had to fork out big. So didn't go there

Bit over 12 months ago. $6100 Powercor (for you Melbournites prob Citypower) That's from pole across road, submains tunnelled under road to pit out front of block. Still have truck appointment to go to connect up, meters etc....

$6800 to date. (not finished yet) for sparky to setup main enclosure at front. Includes 100mtr of submains with sub board at far end. Got him to run 32mm comms conduit for fone with draw wire at same time. I dragged thru 2 pair submains fone cable thru myself --- hardly rocket science.

Then theres still all the main and sub board goodies, u know breakers etc...

Should be enuf to keep me going for a while at least.

Ok a bit off topic here. In the shared trenching plumber ran gas and water line. Worth thinking ahead as planned shed is going to go right over existing water and fone lines and possibly gas -- depends on how big a shed I go with/ council/wife lets me have.

My 3 phase was $4,000 about 2 years ago, the power pole was on my side of the road, so just ran cable across the front yard and into the garage.

I got upgraded to 3 phase for free, but getting it to my workshop 80m from the meter cost about $3k for 50mm conduit, 4 x 25mm2 cable, new switchboard and breakers for the shed.

My advice for a new shed is to make sure you're getting a vapour barrier under the slab (you'd think it'd be the default, but my concreter had put down chairs and mesh on the gravel before I asked him where the plastic was). I insulated roof and walls with aircell - you can always add more insulation if you clad the inside, but despite the modest R-value of this stuff, it goes a long way towards keeping the interior at a "better" temperature, both on the 40+ degree summer days, and during the -6 or lower winter nights we get.

25 or so years ago I was quoted $85000. That was for an extra HT wire and transformer. I am 650 metres from the main lines and have 2 phase.

I bought a phase converter.

Ken

Ralph,

If you are going to do work on the inside of your shed. Painting the floor, lining, electrical work then do it before you fill the whole thing with machines otherwise you end up playing a very tedious game of Tetris with the shed contents.

Eric

Originally Posted by RustyArc

I got upgraded to 3 phase for free, but getting it to my workshop 80m from the meter cost about $3k for 50mm conduit, 4 x 25mm2 cable, new switchboard and breakers for the shed.

My advice for a new shed is to make sure you're getting a vapour barrier under the slab (you'd think it'd be the default, but my concreter had put down chairs and mesh on the gravel before I asked him where the plastic was). I insulated roof and walls with aircell - you can always add more insulation if you clad the inside, but despite the modest R-value of this stuff, it goes a long way towards keeping the interior at a "better" temperature, both on the 40+ degree summer days, and during the -6 or lower winter nights we get.

I agree with you ! When the guy that was doing the foundation for my workshop, he didn't put vapour barrier down until I asked him where it was, he said I didn't need it ! When I threatened to buy from somewhere else he said that he had misunderstood me and then put some 2 mm plastic barrier sheet down. When I later checked with the building supplier I discovered that the people employed to lay the foundation were sub contractors and that the vapour barrier was included in the cost and that it was also mandated by the local authority.

Just shows how contractors cut corners to make extra profit, the price difference would have been around £60. That was ten years ago.

Something that I didn't do, but was suggested by someone on this forum, before anything goes in, seriously consider painting the concrete. In my case it would have made cleaning just a bit easier, and would have coped better with oil spills.

Hi Guys,

When I had my prefabricated concrete workshop erected, I tiled the whole floor and put in all the wiring for the electrics and lighting before I put the internal plasterboard walls up.

Because of the way the concrete sections were moulded, and after gluing wooden battens to the joints, I had 2 inches of space behind the plasterboard, I filled these cavities with spun glass wool slabs for insulation. Also to prevent damp migrating into the plasterboard I used a 1 inch thick wooden batten as a spacer to lift each panel away from the floor till it was fixed in place, then removed the spacer leaving an air gap.

At this point any gaps, corners and screw heads etc were skimmed over with plaster. All the walls were painted and the floor to plasterboard gap was covered with plastic skirting, secured using Evostick adhesive. Be careful if you use this stuff because it grabs on contact and cannot be removed without damaging the plasterboard. I used the same stuff to secure the timber battens to the concrete panels.

Even with all the heat that we have had recently, the workshop inside, never got above a comfortable 80 degrees F, whilst yesterday, outside it got to 103.5 F, in the shade. According to the news it was a new temperature record.

I have like most of what has been posted, so the only thing I can add is if possible make 1 post nearest a large door extra strong and install a swingarm crane with a chainblock or an electric hoist. You will never regret it.
Rgds,
Crocy.

I have to say thanks again everybody, so much useful stuff here! I have really been trying to plan ahead for insulation, a good foundation and a crane they are my three big wants.

Quotes are out for the three phase now, we shall see!

Originally Posted by lamestllama

Ralph, If you are going to do work on the inside of your shed. Painting the floor, lining, electrical work then do it before you fill the whole thing with machines otherwise you end up playing a very tedious game of Tetris with the shed contents.
Eric

Is this a voice of experience ????
Actually, do everything required/possible before putting ANYTHING in the shed. DAMHIKT
Otherwise it'll never get done!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kryn