• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Advice for shop expansion

netsol

Active Member
i mention refrigerated dryer & air compressor because we are all reluctant to spend this much out of operating budget. as part of the construction project, it can be a capital item. nice , clean air doesn't spit water droplets
on to your substrates (saves time, doesn't ruin print jobs)

then you can add one of those antistatic wands by each printer and laminator
 

mfatty500

New Member
All inside flat work is troweled smooth, with no broom finish, that's for outside flat work. Maybe some one had a different plan when they broomed the floors, or the building wasn't intended for a garage, at the time of pouring.
 

Signed Out

New Member
All inside flat work is troweled smooth, with no broom finish, that's for outside flat work. Maybe some one had a different plan when they broomed the floors, or the building wasn't intended for a garage, at the time of pouring
I guess broom brushed was the wrong term. It's trowel finished but it's an older building and was in rough shape before I took it over.
 

Signed Out

New Member
I've read every thread here on floors, still can't find a consensus what it best for a concrete install bay? What I don't like about my epoxied floor is that it doesn't mop up easily because of the texture of the floor. I suppose I could polish and epoxy for dust free floor, but then It'll probably be very slippery. Adding grit will just make it hard to mop up again, correct? So is it true that polished and sealed concrete isn't too slippery when wet? But then my concern with polished sealed concrete is the floor is bound to get vinyl stuck to it to the point it isn't coming off... that's how my floor is now, but with sealed concrete, you have to reseal every so often, correct? So will all the vinyl have to be removed to do so? Or do you seal right over it?


----

next topic-

Heat/AC/Celling fans?

Heat, already have propane so will probably add a hot dawg in opposite corners of the building for 2 heated zones (may add sliding wall in shop at some point)

AC - We use large window units currently, will probably look into split packs. Don't know much about this any advice appreciated.

Celling fans, pretty sure I'll want these, thinking 4-6 of them, again any advice.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
We have two gigantic exhaust fans. They help quite a bit.

Between our main rooms, we have 9 ceiling fans. Our computer room and main office have window units. We use steam heat which is great. Very warm when needed.
 

mfatty500

New Member
You could rent, or hire a concrete company that can run a scarifier over the floor to get it smooth. Just a thought.
 

JBurton

Signtologist
I have painted polished concrete in my CNC room, I wish I had it everywhere. I can slide sheets all day long. It is slippery when wet, but sometimes you just gotta mop and clean up before you get started. I don't know if it's sealed, but I do know it hasn't had any paint or sealing in the 20 years I've been running the machine.
 

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
AC - We use large window units currently, will probably look into split packs. Don't know much about this any advice appreciated.

Celling fans, pretty sure I'll want these, thinking 4-6 of them, again any advice.
I prefer a ducted central system but I put 2 mini splits in our shop area. It was mainly because I'm lazy and could throw these up in a day vs the build out of the air handler box, running steel ducts etc that a central unit would have.
As far as mini splits go, I'm not a fan of them in general. They have a lot of electronics, air dispersion is ok but leaves hot/cold spots, most are made in China, the return air filters are crap which requires you to clean the evap coil regularly, they don't seem to remove humidity very well and they are not near as energy efficient as they claim. But it only took me a day to have it running and cost a quarter of what the alternative would have.
 

Pauly

Printrade.com.au
I've read every thread here on floors, still can't find a consensus what it best for a concrete install bay? What I don't like about my epoxied floor is that it doesn't mop up easily because of the texture of the floor. I suppose I could polish and epoxy for dust free floor, but then It'll probably be very slippery. Adding grit will just make it hard to mop up again, correct? So is it true that polished and sealed concrete isn't too slippery when wet? But then my concern with polished sealed concrete is the floor is bound to get vinyl stuck to it to the point it isn't coming off... that's how my floor is now, but with sealed concrete, you have to reseal every so often, correct? So will all the vinyl have to be removed to do so? Or do you seal right over it?


----

next topic-

Heat/AC/Celling fans?

Heat, already have propane so will probably add a hot dawg in opposite corners of the building for 2 heated zones (may add sliding wall in shop at some point)

AC - We use large window units currently, will probably look into split packs. Don't know much about this any advice appreciated.

Celling fans, pretty sure I'll want these, thinking 4-6 of them, again any advice.

We're going though a ground up build at the moment. We dont do vinyl wrapping so we dont have the issues you do.

Here's some pointers:
- Smooth floors. if you have the funds to do so, get the concrete ground back, then use epoxy. Easier to keep clean. As for vinyl sticking to the floor. You'll get that issue with any floor type. Either clear, or a colour. Usually costs more for clear as you need deep grinding to get the exposed aggregate finish.
You're not suppose to use epoxy over old paint.
If it's done right, it will last a very long time.
- Buy a floor scrubber. Not cheap, but you'll be wising you bought one earlier once you've cleaned the place with one for the first time.
 

netsol

Active Member
I prefer a ducted central system but I put 2 mini splits in our shop area. It was mainly because I'm lazy and could throw these up in a day vs the build out of the air handler box, running steel ducts etc that a central unit would have.
As far as mini splits go, I'm not a fan of them in general. They have a lot of electronics, air dispersion is ok but leaves hot/cold spots, most are made in China, the return air filters are crap which requires you to clean the evap coil regularly, they don't seem to remove humidity very well and they are not near as energy efficient as they claim. But it only took me a day to have it running and cost a quarter of what the alternative would have.
steam heat is nice, because fine dust doesn't settle on everything...
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Not only that, but besides the heaters themselves blowing heat, the pipes running throughout the whole shop and all the condensate pipes give off lotsa heat, too.
 

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
- Buy a floor scrubber. Not cheap, but you'll be wising you bought one earlier once you've cleaned the place with one for the first time.
I grabbed one at a school board auction for around 50 bucks. If you keep the floors open and uncluttered, you can't beat them. Definitely a good investment.
If we were building new, I'd want polished. No paints, sealers or anything.
 

Pauly

Printrade.com.au
I grabbed one at a school board auction for around 50 bucks. If you keep the floors open and uncluttered, you can't beat them. Definitely a good investment.
If we were building new, I'd want polished. No paints, sealers or anything.
Polished concrete in a showroom, yes. in a work environment. no.
They till still scratch and abrase easily. and stain if any chemical is dropped on it.
 

Signed Out

New Member
Polished concrete in a showroom, yes. in a work environment. no.
They till still scratch and abrase easily. and stain if any chemical is dropped on it.
This is my other concern with polished, chemicals/oil stains. We will be using 3m citrus remover and rapid remover which gets on the floors. And also runoff from cleaning vehicles, lots of alcohol. Vehicles also leak oil or coolant from time to time. I think I'm leaning epoxy. I'm not really concerned about the polished becoming "ugly" looking, more that I think it needs to be resealed every so often to retain it's dustless/waterproof properties? And I'm not sure that's feasible once there's vinyl stuck all over it? Where with the epoxy holds up pretty good, gets scuffed, dulled, scratched, but still beads water and is dustless.
 

Signed Out

New Member
Foundation walls are poured.
My plan for running water for an outdoor spigot and sink. I want to be able to not have to heat the shop 24/7(allthough I probably keep it min 40* anyway) in the winter (NY) so I will install a 4' deep frost proof yard hydrant inside the shop next to where I'll T off to a sink inside the shop and a frost-proof sillcock on the other side of the wall. Installation will be easy before backfilling around the footing and foundation walls.
Just not sure if there is a better way of doing it? The yard hydrant is the only thing I can really find searching google, but they are really meant to hook a hose up to with a threaded connection. I want to thread a T on to feed a sink and a spigot. I think it'll work but is there a better option?
 
Top