Wood ceiling, steel beams, and moisture.

[Tom_Indeed]

Hi y'all.

Working on 30 BBL startup with a letter of intent signed on a lease space.

We're running into a lot of questions on the space but here is one I could really use some opinions on.

The space we are close to signing a lease on is in an old building with wood ceilings and a lot of steel beams.

No doubt we will be painting the beams at ground level in the production area but do any of you think it would be necessary to paint the beams 23-feet up in the air that span the space? How about that tongue and groove ceiling? It was recently sand blasted clean, should we seal it?

We wont own the space so I guess I'm not too concerned about a little bit of rust on the beams over time, etc. What I am worried about is getting smacked with $40k worth of painting and sealing we have not budgeted for.

Please note that the kettle will be properly vented, there are large windows near the top of the ceiling, and there are fans up there as well.

[South County]

Thats a big space, I wouldn't be concerned with it. Put your worries elsewhere.

[Tom_Indeed]

I agree with your sun country. My architect was fixated on it so I thought I would throw it out there for comment. Besides, we are leasing the space! Rust on a beam isn't my problem. Thanks for your input.

tom

[South County]

I agree with your sun country. My architect was fixated on it so I thought I would throw it out there for comment. Besides, we are leasing the space! Rust on a beam isn't my problem. Thanks for your input.

tom

In a previous life I worked as a general contracting consultant, designer, etc.. for both commercial and residential construction, yada yada, and believe me architects get fixated on many things, including your wallet. Not making assumptions about your guy but many times they work on percentage of build cost. The bottom line is that breweries, if run right, are inherently clean places. I would suspect this building has seen far worse just by the sight of the gantry and other things in the photo. Good luck, cool space to work in.

[Alex T]

Hi,

I wouldn't worry about it. If you end up having an issue, you can deal with it then... after you have been operating and earning some money to help pay for said issue! But I doubt you will have any issue.....

Looks like an amazing space, by the way. Will be great to see a brewery in it.

Cheers and good luck,

Alex

[Scott M]

With a properly vented kettle, I wouldn't worry about it. If you expect little evaporation then condensation in the upper areas of the ceiling shouldn't be an issue.

Nice space, BTW!!

[sbradt]

rusting iron

Sorry, but I have to disagree. Any brewhouse, even one that's properly ventilated, ends up being a pretty humid environment at times (and it can be corrosive as well) and I can tell you from experience that the steel will rust and then it will continually shed that rust down on all your nice shiny stainless steel. Probably no structural issue with the ironwork but it will be a housekeeping pain in the butt because you really don't want to leave that rust lying around on everything. I might add that cleaning and painting that ironwork will be a lot easier and cheaper now than it will be when you are in production and you have a bunch of equipment in the way and it's already starting to rust.

[kramling]

Ventilation

Sealing or painting the iron and wood is smart. In addition, put in a ventilation system that exchanges the air at least 12 to 15 times/hour. Not only does it help with moisture issues on your ceiling but it makes for a much more comfortable and safe working environment for your employees.

Cheers,
Steve