What do you all think.Wood or cinder block for a 30 by 30 garage.Which would be cheaper to build and maintain.
TIA T

 

cinder block doesn't rot, stronger then wood easier to keep water tight

 

Cinder block won't burn, and it won't need siding. If you fill up the holes with with cement it'll be bulletproof.

I don't know how the cost compares; I've been meaning to look that up myself. I'd guess it'll take more time to build.

 

cost wise i think wood would be cheaper but, it costs alot more to maintian and wouldn't last has long has cinder block

 

Something to consider would be a combination
I have seen them built with one or two rows of blocks then conventional wood framing on top of that.
You get fire and water-proofing around the bottom if your going to do any welding or use it for washing vehicles, and you can get extra height for the ceiling while using standard 8' wall studs.

 

Hey Guys! I, myself am looking into a pre-fab metal building. Many features for the money. Can be put up in about a week with 2 guys and a lift. A 30'x30' up here goes for about $4,200.00. for the kit. The slab is 30'x30'x12". I haven't figured the yards of cement yet, but it'll be a few LOADS!
I'm going to have out electric supplier hook me up a separate meter from the house, so I can keep it separate.
Plumbing and drains will be tied into domestic service.
I'm considering a multiple fossel fuel furnace as well. You can burn coal, wood, natural gas, fuel oil. Pretty cost effective at this time.
The only option on the system I'm considering, is the 12' or 15' high door. The other will be a 10'.
Well, thats about it for me. There are still many options to consider, so lets keep the ideas coming! Talk with you guys later...

 

I would look into the blocks to build with. Having a 8 inch thick wall will help with insulating as well. It would more than likely cost a lot more, but may pay off in the long run because of the above mentioned maintanence issues. Not to mention seeing your in the SE, how close to hurricane traffic do you get? If you are I'd definitely go with the blocks just from a strength stand point.

Stryder

 

How about metal framing? 2x6 or 2x4s, I am considering doing this. You can get pre fab roof trusts and it is fast to put up and about a 1/3 less than wood. You can stack them up and use a chop saw to cut a lot of studs at a time.

 

How about metal framing on top of a couple of courses of block for water resistance?

 

Lot of good ideas. A guy I work with just built a garage. He put down a slab, surrounded it with 3 of those 40 foot shipping containers, and put a roof on it. Of course he has a 60 acre lot and can do things like that.Wish I had the room.

Scooter..... I'm jealous.

 

I've had a hand in building with the materials mentioned, just my 2 cents:

Shipping containers- hot in summer, cold in winter. Hard to install things like A/C, because of the corrigation. Very ugly, but the price is right. I've thought about using 6 and have room for a lift. A couple thousand sf in storage would be nice.

Block- again, insulation isn't the greatest. Rough cost is a buck a block. I like the way brick and block look-unless I'm the one doing the masonry.

Stick frame- Wood is easy to work with. I like wood.

Steel (welded metal tubing)- The companies that put these things up do it for a reasonable rate. They look good and I've found them great in the winter with the proper insulation.

Steel (manufacter'd studs)- cheaper than wood, but more expensive in labor costs. You can fax in the lengths you need and they can precut, but I've always ended up having to cut anyway; there's no "give" in metal. Half the time I've had to pre-drill for the screws. I always figured that after a couple jobs my speed would improve, but it's hard to beat a worm drive and a nail gun on wood.

Another option to think about is freezer panels. I've built 4 buildings out of the stuff, the largest was 40 x 60, and I like it. Tell the factory what size you want, where to put the windows, doors and slots for the gluelams. Your building comes on a truck, panels stacked on pallets. Takes a couple guys to lift a panel, (4 x 8, but it varies with design. Basically a 2 x 6 rectangular frame, filled with fire retardent foam and shiethed with painted sheet metal.) They come with hex heads wrenches. Butt two against each other, stick your allen wrench in a hole and turn it a couple times to latch a hook on one to a bar on the other. It's fast and easy to put together. I think the 40 x 60 took 4 of us 3 days to put together. That's walls and roof, all rated at R40 insulation.
The only thing I would comment on is to pay carefull attention when laying the pad. You want it as level as possible around the outside edge, where the walls sit. I think it's really a good system. Costs a bit more, I think the big one was 35 grand just for the panels, but insulation, interior-exterior siding and framing of openings is done when the walls are up. A couple of the guys helping were newbies, (like, why is a 2x4 only 3 1/2 inches?), and they had no problems, unsupervised. The ceiling needs to be roofed, I used standing seam metal and it went on great- everythings square.

Still, I like wood.

 

Hey there Howdy! I remember hearing about those panel kits on "This Old House". They did have one put together, but it was from the early 70's and was welded together at that time. But I like the the idea of being able to remove a panel or two, to expand, with out another permit and more construction costs. Just materials. Those panels sound great. I would probably use those fiberglass panels for the roofing. Lets in more daylight. I'm not too concerned about a tornado or hurricane up here. Though it has happened. Lots of great ideas though! I'm glad I'm still in the designing phase. My list keeps growing! HEE HEE!
Talk with you guys later....

 

I would go with atlest one large door like you said , i have one door that is 12'x14' and a 14' ceiling. the other door is 9'x10' and i wish i had made it taller too. Also if you have the room and the budget, a lift is is a very nice option. Though you find you have many more "friends" then you had before.

 

Hey there broncoman604 and welcome to FTE!
You know, I just found out that a buddy of mine bought an electrical lift Saturday. He got it from a used car dealership that was closing. $2,200.00! The thing goes for 5k easily! I haven't been over to see him yet. I think I'll wait until he has it all set up and ready to go! HEE HEE! I never get a break like that! Oh well, at least he's a friend, and I can use it soon!
Talk with you guys later...

 

I got friends like that Scotter.Do you have relatives out here?(Just couldn't help that)