Operation Bus Barn

[Gil_J]

Jamie,

6" of #3,500+ psi concrete on your sand base should be more than adequate. This gives you over 20,000# per sq in. You will want to make sure they use screen and fiber reinforcement. This will take care of any uneven compactness in the soil, which shouldn't really be a big deal over sand. Although screen reinforcement seems to be on its way out in favor of fiber, you can use both. Also, make sure you ask for commercial fiber, which really just means twice as much. Why some don't prefer the use commercial fiber is because it can be seen after the concrete is finished. The fine fiberglass strands often are visible on the surface. I don't consider that a big deal. I've done it twice. My last garage I used a two part epoxy with paint flecks and it looked great.

Two keys to eliminating or at least reducing cracks, that are almost inevitable, is to make sure the concrete has been given ample time to cure, that it has enough stress joints, and that the ground has been compacted after leveled. My current pad, built on soil likely similar to yours has been crack-free. It's a minimum of 6" thick with shovel width and 12" deep perimeter. The perimeter has one piece of rebar. I did not use reinforcing mesh on the advice from several in the concrete business that it's not necessary when using fiber. I used commercial fiber. Home builders in Florida try to wait at least a month before pouring after the soil has been prepared. I can't say I've seen the same for garage builds. In an ideal world, they would also use a heavy roller on the prepared soil. I've never seen this on residential builds here. What is typical here is for the grader (tractor) to be run back and forth over the ground.

Your coach's floor load is less than 3,000# per sq in when it's on it's tires. Depending on the floor jacks that are used this number can be significantly greater. That's why floor jacks should have weight distributing pads.

Where you live makes a difference. The build process here is nowhere the same as what I saw in Virginia.

[Grizz]

My man cave / was big enough for the glass coaches, but not the Prevost. When I converted the warehouse space I had installed, Clopay insulated overhead doors rated at 17.5 insulation as they face west and the space is air conditioned. We used jack shaft openers so as not to consume any overhead space. I also had the ceiling sprayed (insulated) with expandable open cell foam. (Closed cell will conceal a roof leak.)

if you're thinking about connecting a dump station to a septic system, you may want to reconsider that. The chemicals we add to our holding tanks run havoc on septics.

[Bill Dator]

I insulated my barn and it made a big difference in both winter and summer. I also put in a 500 gallon septic tank for the dump. It is connected to the floor trains and is more than adequate to enable me to dump the 3 or 4 times a year I need it.

[Todd]

I put windows up high under eave lets more natural light in harder to break into but also harder to clean

[JIM KELLER]

Jamie, consider air conditioning the Bus Garage. Mine is and I really appreciate it in the Florida heat. Climate control for the exterior of the Bus will go a long way in extending the life of paint and parts. It makes working on the Bus a lot more enjoyable and reduces the run time of your Bus A.C.

[TG Transport]

Mine is 52' x 26' with 16 ' eaves. My door is 16' x 14' and it helps because I've got a tight off street approach. Floor is 8" thick. Internal dump station and water. I was unable to install a pit due to the permitting regulations that made it cost prohibitive. I've got 4 translucent roof panels and highly recommend them for the natural light.

[Jamie Bradford]

Roll-Up Door vs Track Door ???

Any thoughts here? Pros & Cons of each.......


Thanks

Jamie

[Gil_J]

Roll up doors take up more space above the door opening requiring a taller ceiling. The advantage of roll up is you have a clear ceiling when it's up, if that matters.

[Grizz]

Yes! Insulated overhead door if you plan on installing A/C.

I installed a Clopay insulated overhead door with a Jackshaft motor. Jackshaft operation is mounted on the side of the door track. Not having the motor and chain mechanism overhead makes it easier to get around on top of the coach when the door is closed.

If you use these heavy doors with a jackshaft motor, be sure they install booster springs at the end of the tracks to get the door moving from a full open position.

Rollup doors are cheaper, but require more headroom at the opening header and offer little if any insulation. They also don't seal to the building very well when closed. They don't require overhead tracks, but the coach won't be parked under the tracks anyway.

[JIM KELLER]

I have overhead on tracks. Each panel is insulated and I would encourage this if the door will have East/West exposure.