Planning my pole barn, Suggestions welcome.

[Ryan03]

I hope to break ground on my pole barn shop this summer. I am fairly new to building with wood, but very handy with steel, electricity, and anything hydraulic and or mechanical. I was hoping to get some feedback on my initial plans by the TBN members who are much more experienced with pole barns than myself.

Here are a few relevant local building codes.

6x6 Treated ground contact post required

All footings must be min 42 in. deep. Hole must be 12in dia.

Maximum post spacing is 8ft.

Maximum truss spacing is 4ft.

Double 2x12 header required [both sides of top of post]

Max building height is 35ft

Minimum roof snow load rating is 30lbs. psf.


Here is what I am thinking

32x42, 12ft min wall height, or 14ft max.

4/12 pitch roof, trusses 24in on center, 12 in overhangs. Undecided on steel or asphalt shingle. Cost could be an issue.

Post 6ft on center, 12dia x 48in deep hole with 6in of cement in bottom for post to sit on.

Side sheeted with OSB, Tyvec wrap, and vinyle siding.

One 16x10 or 12 insulated overhead garage door on gable end, offset to one side.

One man door on rear gable end of building.

I am planning on farming out the truss setting for sure, as well as the roof. I am considering drilling, and cementing post holes, as well as setting post my self [have a FEL.] I am also considering installing wall girts and wall sheeting OSB and Tyvec by myself. I would Farm out the overhead garage door and vinyle siding. I would like to try and get a weathered complete shell up minus electrical and concrete for $12,000 to $15000. The closer to 12k the better. What do you guys think, feasable or not. Do you see anything I missed or should add.
Thanks, Ryan.

 

[unfinished]

Just got done building a 24x36x12 last year. My first pole barn.

I'm surprised you only need 12" footer for your poles. I am in Portage County, we are required 18" footers, poles set 42" deep. I was not sure if that was to the top of the footer or bottom so ended making my holes 48" deep and pouring concrete footor so that 42" of the pole was in the ground. Also with a 12" hole, you will not have much adjustment to move your poles left or right, invariably there will be a couple holes slightly off, so I was happy to have 18" opening (around 20" opening with 18" drill). If your holes fill with water, it does not matter when pouring concrete, I just pumped out the water out of a hole when I started so I could see what I was doing, then dumped the concrete in, the water fills back in and the concrete sets just fine under water.

Maybe consider laminated poles. I used regular 6x6 treated and did not get all the girts on right away (maybe 2-3 weeks later, poles just had bracing to ground) and had 2 poles warp badly. They warped in one direction, so I was able to rotate the pole 90 degrees so my wall would be plumb.

Definitely 12' high walls is the way to go, or higher if you have rv's or semi's. 2 people can set trusses. Not hard at all. I made attachment for the FEL, with a long metal pole and a couple ratchet straps to stabilize things. Just keep in mind a small move on the controls makes a large move at the end of the pole. I ran the tractor, the other person on ladder to help guide the truss to location. I used same attachment to set poles as well.

 

[davedj1]

If it was mine I would do more than a 4/12 pitch roof. No need to put the posts closer than required by code, I would stay 8' centers so framing material works out.
Truss setting that high up can be a pain with just 2 people, hire a crane and get a third person for the day.

 

[L355SS]

Orient the door(s) so as to be opposite the weather side. In my neighborhood, the weather/wind is most always from the South so put the entries on the North or Northwest. Continue the roofline down to 8 ft on one or both sides, keep the 32 Width center part with the 14' eves. To save some money, Vinyl siding is easy to install, same as the roof. As mentioned before, once the posts are in you need to attach the wood to it to keep warpage to a minimum. Keep unused materials under a tarp or keep wet until you use it. Build in the Spring when the weather/sun aren't at their peak heat (materials warpage).
good luck
Dennis

 

[BHD]

IF your going to be doing 4 foot trusses and OSB sheeting and so on just go conventional construction, the pole barn will not save you any lumber by the time you put your sleepers on the trusses and on the posts, it will more than make up for the studs one would use,

for example a post is normally 3 if not 4 2x6", now spaced on 24" centers, that is 6 foot, (OK you need one more for 8 foot spacing but by the time you take the sleepers and nail them ever 3 to 4 foot on the wall it will more than make up for that stud and plates,

also to set your trusses, you will need a fair header around the top of the wall so they have some thing to set on, that will take some expensive lumber,

the same for the trusses, at 4 foot spacing you might as well eliminate the sleepers and put them on 2 foot spacing and sheet it as you proposed,

Insulating it will be much easer, and so on,

normally about the only thing a pole barn saves is not using any sheeting, and even on a conventional building one can run the side tin horizontal and not use sleepers or sheeting, to install it,

and you will never have to worry that the posts will rot off in the ground,

also depending on width and roof pitch, one could consider what is called an attic truss and have storage room in the rafters,


(the Idea of a pole barn in my opinion is to be cheap, tin walls and tin roof, and just enough framing to hold it up,

it is designed to eliminate the sheeting and the normal framing and foundation, and that is by wide spacing of the posts,

in your discussion about all you are eliminating is the foundation, or stem wall
but if your planing on a concrete floor most likely it can be a combined stem wall, pour with the floor,

If your planing on doing a true pole barn, go to a truss manufacture, that builds the trusses for pole barns and see if they have any engineered drawing for the building, then you have a "engineered" building that may save you some cost over conventional construction,

the other option is to build up a steel building you say your good at steel,

if you think or even had a far down the road desire to insulate the building (Pole barns and steel buildings are hard to insulate, conventional construction is not,

 

[SPIKER]

Hey Guys:

I would suggest you look into some Amish Builders (I used CHUPPS Builders) out of Apple Creek and for 20K got a 50x48 2 story with gambrel roof to spec used T1-11, all 2nd floor and built on-site trusses on 16". exterior poles were 8' and sat on 24" x 48"deep concrete cookies (preformed already hard cookies) Came with 1/2" OSB roof & 30yr OC shingles, 2 steel man doors and a 8x8 garage door.

I dont have their number anymore but could probably find it in my OLD phone if it decides to charge up. My only complaint is I said it was OK for staples and should have gotten screwed off siding & nailed roof decking. The staples are crap & I've had to go back & screw off all the T1-11 siding & hoping long term the roof holds up...
There is a vendor in the back of the Country Living mag I get form the Electric Company that had similar prices. I went with the Amish guys as we build some equipment for his Brother Vernon.

Also note some of the local counties (Medina) require additional bracing & thru bolting of the dual header plates. This burnt my brother as he got Red Tagged for the bolts on one of his builds. I can also get my older brothers number he has been building them with home owner help if you are interested in still attempting to do much of the building on your own or with some help, (he lives in Lodi.)


Mark

 

[Deere Dude]

Consider concreting the floor and just put regular walls up like you would in a house and bolt them to the floor. Then you could build it in your leisure and have walls for hanging stuff and stuffing insulation.

 

[Ryan03]

Thanks for all the feedback. Plans for the building two years out are 6 inch concrete floor, with a vapor barrier under it, 200amp electrical service, white corrugated steel ceiling, white corrugated steel 6ft up interior side walls, with the rest of the wall dry walled. The building will be fully insulated when completed, and heated to 55 degrees all winter, sometimes warmer when im out there. I will be storing our two classic cars, the tractor, an ATV, and lots of tools. A dry warm building is of the utmost importance.

 

[strum456]

Drilling a 12" diameter hole 48" deep accurately enough to put your 6x6 where it needs to be will be pretty tough. If the post hole digger goes a little out of plumb, you will be getting an arm work out with the digging iron.

 

[timswi]

Thanks for all the feedback. Plans for the building two years out are 6 inch concrete floor, with a vapor barrier under it, 200amp electrical service, white corrugated steel ceiling, white corrugated steel 6ft up interior side walls, with the rest of the wall dry walled. The building will be fully insulated when completed, and heated to 55 degrees all winter, sometimes warmer when im out there. I will be storing our two classic cars, the tractor, an ATV, and lots of tools. A dry warm building is of the utmost importance.

I had a 30x48 pole building built about 9 years ago, so I can't speak to current cost...Then it was about $12,000 with the roof (dimentional shingles) and most purlins installed..Roof is 4:12 24" OC...6x6's are 8' OC, 12' ceiling..I installed the OSB, tyvek, vinyl siding, garage door, man door, windows and concrete.

I'd be somewhat hesitant to put drywall in a pole building as they have a slight amount of movement that could crack your mud joints.

All and all it sounds like I have most of what you're looking for minus the fully finished interior....If you have any specific questions, PM me.