Things I know little about

I wish I knew more about construction, and all the bits and pieces that go along with designing and building a structure, because that would make things clearer in my mind.

When I tell people what I do for a living, about half the time they reply with, “Ah, so you’re a carpenter?” It’s easy to see why folks may think that but, no, I’m not a carpenter. Even though we both work with the same basic material (wood) and use almost all of the same tools, what we do with the materials and those tools differs wildly.

Lots of head scratching

This shop build will teach me a lot and it’s going to be fun. And once it’s done, I’m looking forward to setting up all my machinery and tools and start my first project in the new space. But until then, I’ll be asking a lot of questions and trusting a lot of people.

Right now, there are still some decisions to make. Many are ones I can easily handle myself, but some I know nothing about. Here’s a quick list of the topics I was in the dark about but am quickly getting up to speed on.

The curb – How will we best design it? Will it be one pour or two? Will it be block? When the drawings were first made, and I sent them to the builder who’s going to work with me to erect the structure, it seemed like the initial drawings were all wrong. After a bit of back and forth, the details were changed to one pour, no block. All sounds good to me now.

Windows / Doors – Will they open? What orientation for the different windows? Where should they be located to best assist me with shop layout? This last question was one I’ve been agonizing over for the past couple months, but I think at this stage I need to just let it go. I’ve sited a variety of windows around the structure and I’m pretty sure I can work around them when I set up my shop. I’ll also be making the doors, as well as the single window beside the double doors, so everything will match.

Trusses – Everyone keeps asking me what truss style I’ll be using. I haven’t a clue. I’ll let others determine what approach to take, though everything I do relates around ending up with the most usable and functional space possible. That part is very much at the forefront of my decision-making process.

Insulated floor – My builder realized the drawings didn’t have an insulated floor. Knowing how much I hate the cold, and knowing how I’d like to keep the heating costs down, he suggested we change that. Easily done.

Outer insulation – “Do you want to use Silverboard, Rob?” Sometimes I hate questions. Especially if I know nothing about the topic. We sorted that out and will very likely be using Silverboard on this project. At this stage, who knows how though? Not me.

Electricity options – It’s going to be slightly challenging to electrify this structure, because of where the line will come in from, but it sounds like the electrician that paid me a visit last week has a plan, so all is good. I’ve never been one to dabble with electricity, as I know the consequences are pretty severe.

I must say

All the things we’ve talked about make sense once I hear what the options are and what techniques can be used to create a structure. I’m sure I’ll learn fast, though I may not be using this newfound knowledge again, once this project is built. Who knows, though? Maybe one day it will come in handy, though the thought of moving and building another new space is becoming less attractive. On the other hand, if that new shop structure could be closer to 800 square feet, maybe I’d change my mind.

I’m very much looking forward to finishing this project so I can move my shop into it. At that point I’ll be able to deal with the things I know a bit more about – furniture making. Until then, I’ll just have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.