New Home - Basement Foundation Closet

K

kpmnd85

New member
I'm building a new home and will locate the workshop in the basement. Under the front porch there was going to be a foundation poured that left a 4' x 16' cavity filled with dirt with the concrete for the porch poured on top of this. This shares a common wall with where I was going to put my workshop. Looks like it won't be that big of a deal to leave this cavity unfilled and put a doorway in this area, thus making a great place for a dust collector. It will be a 10' deep basement.

I'm guessing I'll need to have my builder put in two ports at the top of the wall - one for a 6" dust collection line and another (8" or greater) to vent back into the workshop. I'd welcome suggestions. The concrete will get poured in the coming month and it gets a bit harder to make changes :).

Also, any suggestions on quiet doors would be welcomed.

Ric
 
Ric,

Your new closet sounds like a good option for your Dust Collector, plus several other potential uses. First, I'd recommend that you insist on a good exterior waterproofing on the concrete walls so you will be certain that there is no outside ground water or even "sweat" moisture getting into the space. The floor of the closet should also be poured with a slab to keep water from entering there as well. With the narrow dimension, you need to give some thought to the ultimate location of the intake on the dust collector and the shop wall ports for both incoming dust-laden duct and return air so you avoid sharp turns in the ductwork. A cyclone's separation will be hampered significantly by turbulent air coming in through elbows placed too close to the inlet (try to leave 6 feet of straight pipe and then maybe penetrate the wall at 45 degrees). Your best bet may be to make a larger port (more like a rectangular window) which the duct work could pass through at an angle and then you could partition around it. The exhaust opening might also be a larger size than the 8" you suggest -- again a rectangular window shape that you could add a grille to after installation (I'd suggest at least 3-4 times the area of the cyclone outlet to insure low pressure losses).

You could also use this space for other types of storage, as long as it is dry. If all else fails, you've got the basis for a grand wine cellar!
 
Rob,

Thanks for the advice on the cabinet. Getting a straight 6' will take a bit of work but is just the kind of feedback I was hoping to get. Much appreciated.
 
Hi kpmnd85,

McRabbet gave you some excellent suggestions. I also have my shop in the basement with a nice tall ceiling, but there is never enough storage. I don't know if any portion of the under-porch storage space walls are above ground, but if so, a door or window might also be very handy to have. Do whatever it takes to make sure the area is dry with foundation drain and waterproofing. You may also wish to install a floor drain.

Also, don't forget to run power to this new room. You will want a 30 amp circuit (10-3 is recommended) for the cyclone as well as two other circuits for lights and wall receptacles. As previously said, please post some photos when you can.
 
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