[TheForge] Workshop construction

[Steve Smith]

I had a dirt floor for 15 years. I really didn't like it. Everything was 
covered in dust, all the time. Maybe not as much an issue in a damper 
climate (mine was in Colorado, which is fairly dry).

In a damp climate (as we have here in Maine) you have to make sure the 
damp doesn't come inside. A dirt floor would need elevation from the 
surrounding ground. With dirt or concrete, you want a raised perimiter 
concrete wall to keep the wet out when snow against the building melts.

Cement is harder for standing, but there are things you can do about 
improving comfort. Now I can't claim that I have all the answers; I've 
just been using my cement floor shop for a couple of months, so I don't 
have a lot of experience with cement. It sure is nice having things 
halfway clean, though.

I'm going to put up a roof extension and put a vise and grinder outside 
the shop. I have my forge and also machine tools in my shop; I want to 
get grinding dust outdoors as much as possible.

Steve Smith