Darren's Shop

[Brent Dowell]

Kinda figure it won't hurt. Spray foam should hold the steel wool in place.



I looked at some, but what I found was a lot thinner than rat shields I've seen. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I'll probably go with the steel wool and spray foam for now. It's starting to get down in the 30's at night, so need to get moving on putting the walls back together. There's a 2X6 going around the base of the shop, so I'll just fill in about half way down, then it won't interfere with rat shield installation when I come across some.

That's a big building. Do you think you'll be able to block all the areas of ingress for the rodents? Darn persistent critters they are...

[Darren Wright]

That's a big building. Do you think you'll be able to block all the areas of ingress for the rodents? Darn persistent critters they are...

Probably not out of the building itself, but going to try and keep them from getting inside the walls and insulation. I know it doesn't take much of a hole for them to get in, so might not be possible. I probably took about 3 shovel fulls of droppings and acorns from one section by the window, they've called it home for quite a while.

Will also add blocking behind the poles between the horizontal girts to keep them from passing from one section to the next. If they get inside one section right now, the have full access the the rest of the sections all the way around the shop.

[Brent Dowell]

The type of rat can also make a difference. We have some huge pack rats that live around here that just LOVE to fill up empty spaces with 'stuff' they find.

Engine compartments, open areas of the house, etc... I found one nest up on the hillside behind the house made out of rocks and sticks and other vegetation that must be at least 2.5 feet high...

[Bill Satko]

The type of rat can also make a difference. We have some huge pack rats that live around here that just LOVE to fill up empty spaces with 'stuff' they find.

Besides me and possibly Sharon, anybody else find this really ironic? Sorry Brent, I could not help myself!

[Darren Wright]

Besides me and possibly Sharon, anybody else find this really ironic? Sorry Brent, I could not help myself!

[Jeff Bower]

Besides me and possibly Sharon, anybody else find this really ironic? Sorry Brent, I could not help myself!

[Stephen Bellinger]

Darren you just need to get about 3 or 4 barn cats, they'll take care of the rat problem. Feed them just enough to keep them hungry.

[Darren Wright]

I made some progress on the shop today with getting new circuits ran for the south wall and the office.


The coils on each side will be pulled into the adjoining walls of my office.


I finally ran out of a 250' roll of wire I bought several year ago for $22 at the orange borg. I went to pickup another 100', which I figured would be plenty for what I had left to do. They were asking $49 for 100' of 12/2 w/ground , it was out on the shelf, but the guy started to get the roll off the upper shelf and mentioned the 250' roll was only $67. Same manufacture, not sure why the low price difference.

Tonight I picked up the lumber for building the office. Going to insulate two sections of the south wall tomorrow and get OSB put up, then start framing out the office.

[Brent Dowell]

I went to pickup another 100', which I figured would be plenty for what I had left to do. They were asking $49 for 100' of 12/2 w/ground , it was out on the shelf, but the guy started to get the roll off the upper shelf and mentioned the 250' roll was only $67. Same manufacture, not sure why the low price difference.

Quantity discount? With Copper prices the way they are, you'd think it had to be a mistake!

[Darren Wright]

Been playing with the House Builder plug-in in Sketchup. Works well for a general layout and getting approximate stud counts. I added a couple of extras for the stud blocks in the corners and above and below the door header, not going to try and piece in 3" tall cripples above the header.