The Armour Archive

wife says I need to build/buy a shop for my armouring stuff.
have to share the space with the lawnmower and snow blower.

I figure 12 by 20 would be a decent size.
I want somthing cheep but it needs to be sturdy enuff to put up with snow in buffalo NY
thinking gable roof maybe.

also I do some metal working hot so ventalation is a concern.


any ideas where to get a floor plan or blue print?

money is tight so I will be doing most of the work my self.
no poored cement or buried timbers as I am building over the leach field.

Go to Lowes or Home Depot. They always have a stack of how to books on subjects like water gardens, outdoor structures and such.

I picked up a really good one with all kinds of plans for sheds, gazebos and the like. I would shoot you the ISBN but Ican't find the thing right now.

First off let me say that I am not an architect but I did build my own shop, with the help of my buddy who is. I would highly recommend that you seek out the advice of a professional or at the very least call the building department and ask what is required by code, for a structure your size. Most buildings of any size require some type of footing, or buried post construction. You may be able to get away with some type of floating wood platform as your foundation but I would be surprised. For comparison, my shop is 18x18 and is on a floating 4â€Â

Let the shop envy BEGIN!

Disclaimer: this is meant as general advice, and I accept no liability for the construction or stability of your shop.

OK, I just chatted with my architect friend…he said that depending on your local code, you may be able to build the shop as a free standing, wood foundation building, but you will need to check with the building department for your area to see what the maximum square footage of an “Exempt buildingâ€Â