The Iron Pig arriveth... I've been scanning Craigslist for a few months, and the tank deal comes together. The next decision is locating the tank on the site. When we consider all the other utility logistics, we decide the best location is right in the middle of the septic field...NOT. Long story short, a location is selected that works well for engineering, but is not the best for aesthetic appeal. It's not horrible, but will require a small fence section or bushes (or both) to hide it well. The pads get poured for support.
Our next living space is pretty much complete and ready for habitation. No, it ain't perfect, but it's a huge advancement from our previous digs.
The floor slab has the radiant heat tubing embedded, but we don't have the cash, nor the time, to install the necessary supporting equipment to make it work...at least, not yet. Instead, I took the easy route and wired this area for a pair of 1500 watt baseboard heaters. Cheap, easy, and effective. They are hooked up to a programmable thermostat. Yeah, the electric bill will suffer a bit, but it gets written off as part of the cost of development.
Another issue we wanted to corral was the exposed foundation wall section at 3 sides of this new space. We poured the concrete wall 6" higher than the slab (see above pic), so when the temps begin to drop and that concrete mass freezes, it's gonna be a chilly radiator. Since we spent so much time and effort to insulate all the walls and ceiling, it seemed senseless to allow this concrete ice cube to go unattended. 2" of rigid foam insulation (R10) is glued to the exposed edges, leaving a narrow gap between all the adjoining edges to allow for expanding foam sealant.
Anyway, the shop is as far as we are gonna take it for now. It will serve as a very nice upgrade for living quarters. We are both pleased with the results.
