Pole Barn Walls: opinions please!

[Laminarman]

I went with 1" x 12" boards and 1" x 4" battens and it works great. This was green eastern white pine as the mill was out of hemlock when I needed it. I was going to go with 3" batts, but a friend talked me into 4". Glad I did, as the 1x12's shrink enough to be barely covered in places. One more tip, it's not too much more money or work, go ahead and wrap the whole thing in Tyvek (or the cheaper equivilent) after the purlins, but before the siding. Any cracks, gaps you do have won't allow air infiltration with the Tyvek. My father didn't on his, and has problems when rain comes out of the north. Mine is dry as can be, despite a few through checks in the siding.

The issue with board and batt - deciding whether or not to stain it. If you do it once, you will do it every few years. The alternative is to let it grey and weather. It will still last a long time, but probably not as long as if it's properly stained.

Hope that helps.

Jon Hunter

Would it be prohitively more money to use regular dimensional kiln dried lumber to minimize shrinkage? I haven't priced rough cut lumber...yet.

 

[teg]

I went this route, cut spacers for the top and bottom to keep bugs out. Overlap each side, one inch, just used the whole board. Random widths.

I got a deal ($100) on the wood (12ft length) that was cut at the 2007 NC State Fair (steam engine) - it needed to move before the 2008 Fair!! It's ugly and some boards are just good for firewood but I like its character!!! Air dried for a couple of years.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

...One other thing. Go bigger then you think you need. My barn is 32x52 primarily to make 4x8 sheets of OSB work, but I wish now I would have done deeper like 52x40. Also I kick myself for only doing 12' tall. So many things like my buddies dump truck, my boat, and friends RV, my neighbors Case Back Hoe all will not fit in a 12 footer. 14' would be so much better and I could have built a stand up loft in the rear of the barn for small item storage....

Chris

That's why you need a bigger barn. Between your buddy's dump truck, your friend's RV, and your neighboor's backhoe, it's no wonder there's no room for your own stuff.

 

[FlaDon]

Instead of T1-11, you could use Cedarmill or Sierra 8 Hardie board, which is available in 4x8, 4x9 or 4x10 sheets. 4 x10 price swings wide from ~$33.00 (local guy) to $45.00 (Lowe's) a sheet.

James Hardie Commercial: HardiePanel

Just remember one thing when using this material. It gets heavy fast. Think about 75lbs per 4X8 sheet and around 95lb for a 4X10. You can also get the same material from them in strips. Used on the bottom of a barn, it would shed water better than wood.

 

[flusher]

Hi people, thanks for this great forum that I constantly lurk on.

I have decided on two things: First, I am going to build a 30x40' pole barn for housing tractor/implements...etc. starting in the Spring. Second, it WILL have a metal or fiberblass roof.

The building will be away from the house, doubtful it will need electric, but will be visible to all. I got quoted $9,800 for a metal building built (pole frame construction), complete with all hardware, one 10' door and roof/sides/lumber from 84 Lumber. Not a bad price I thought. Problem is, I'm not real big on the "metal building look". I DO like (and so does the wife) the look of a more "traditional" country barn. So...I am thinking do this myself and have the trusses engineered, and use either T1-11 siding or board and batten along with said metal or fiberglass roof. Question is, can folks give me their pros' and cons of wall materials? If I do board and batten, what type of wood, treated or untreated?

I like the speed/ease of metal and low maintenance, but I can assure you it will get dinged up and look like heck over time. I am not sure how durable a board/batten or T1-11 siding will hold up over the years, and if I went that route, any tips folks?? Here are my priorities

1. Appearance (think "wife" here...she wants a stone/stucco barn to match the house..ugh)
2. Durability/longevity
3. Ease of construction
4. Cost

I'd use T1-11 for a small shed, like this 10x12 ft saltbox, not for a large equipment building.





Here's the equipment shed I built last year--20x28 ft, 10 ft roof dropping to 9 ft in the back. 29 ga metal R-panel for roof and siding. 18x18x18" poured concrete post bases. 4x6 PT posts, 4x12 beams, 2x8 DF rafters, 2x4 girts and purlins. Since I hate painting while standing on a ladder, I painted the frame parts prior to assembly. Floor is compacted gravel. About $3500 materials.





This shed probably is not appropriate for your climate with the wind and snow, but it may give you some ideas that could save you $$$.

 

[patrick_g]

A corrugated fiberglass sheeting, almost like the metal ones. They have them at Lowes for $30 for a sheet, some of these you can get translucent so they basically function like skylights.

I have used the big box store corrugated translucent roofing twice. Once on a large shed and again a few years later on the same large shed after the UV ate the original. Sold the house before I needed a third application.

I don't recommend it.

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

Would it be prohitively more money to use regular dimensional kiln dried lumber to minimize shrinkage? I haven't priced rough cut lumber...yet.

If you go with board and batten then only nail the batten to one board not both it is overlapping or the batten will split when the boards shrink.

Pat

 

[Scotty370]

Laminarman-If you've got an Amish community in the area, you might find a source for rough-cut, (and manpower!) I'm at the same crossroad that your at, and am torn as to construction type and material. My site is in SWNY, and Hemlock seems to be the rough-cut of choice. Last time I checked $.42 per BF up to 8" wide, $.46 per for 10" and wider. That's their logs, sawed and at the mill for pick up!

 

[Laminarman]

I'd use T1-11 for a small shed, like this 10x12 ft saltbox, not for a large equipment building.

Here's the equipment shed I built last year--20x28 ft, 10 ft roof dropping to 9 ft in the back. 29 ga metal R-panel for roof and siding. 18x18x18" poured concrete post bases. 4x6 PT posts, 4x12 beams, 2x8 DF rafters, 2x4 girts and purlins. Since I hate painting while standing on a ladder, I painted the frame parts prior to assembly. Floor is compacted gravel. About $3500 materials.

This shed probably is not appropriate for your climate with the wind and snow, but it may give you some ideas that could save you $$$.

Thanks Flusher, I appreciate it. Nice structure. Yeah...we have snow and I live on a hill and have enough wind for both of us.

If you go with board and batten then only nail the batten to one board not both it is overlapping or the batten will split when the boards shrink.

Pat

Oh....shows how little I know. I thought you nailed between the two boards to the wall purlin so the batten sort of just rode along the top of the boards. So you nail to the boards down one side? Wouldn't that make the other side curl up with time and lift? I can see how it would split if done otherwise though.

Laminarman-If you've got an Amish community in the area, you might find a source for rough-cut, (and manpower!) I'm at the same crossroad that your at, and am torn as to construction type and material. My site is in SWNY, and Hemlock seems to be the rough-cut of choice. Last time I checked $.42 per BF up to 8" wide, $.46 per for 10" and wider. That's their logs, sawed and at the mill for pick up!

No Amish near me. Tis a shame, I love their pickles and other canned country goods, forget the barns!

 

[teg]

Board and batten, the boards are still nailed down on both edges, and you finish up with the batten later... just to cover the joint - I alternate left and right to secure the batten on both sides... jmho. Nailing within an inch of the edge, I have not had any split... but my wood is dried for a couple years before I use it.