max recommended height pole barn ?

puckett · Feb 28, 2010

Can't seem to find a definite answer on this. May not be a definite answer. Here's the details

24ft x 32ft with storage trusses probly gable style
6x6 posts 8 feet apart length wise and across back, 16 foot wide door in front
Might also use perma columns.

Will be built in 3 phases. First is poles and roof and ends of upper room leaving bottom open. Next is concrete floor. Third is enclosing sides. Completing as money permits will not be taking out a loan

I don't have any flat ground so I would like this as tall as feasible for vertical storage and the attic for household stuff

Would like to know what recommendations you have for height

puckett · Feb 28, 2010

Sorry forgot to say trusses 16in OC and beams either double 2x12 or triple 2x12

bp fick · Feb 28, 2010

Did not state where you are under your screen name, but watch out for local building restrictions as to height. Even the more remote counties and townships now have some mention of height in their codes. Just a head's up.

puckett · Feb 28, 2010

bp fick said:
Did not state where you are under your screen name, but watch out for local building restrictions as to height. Even the more remote counties and townships now have some mention of height in their codes. Just a head's up.

Sorry. In kenton county ky and outside a city limit I could not find a height restriction. A mile up the road someone has what must be a 60 foot high barn dwarfing his two story house . Doesn't make it legal but I doubt there is a limit

wedge40 · Feb 28, 2010

Wow this is like asking what color car should I by. Everyone will have their opinion. What is the barn going to be used for. Storage of equipment, working on cars/tractors, or animals. I just looked at a finished 10 foot barn with ceiling and it seemed a little tight. The shorter you make it the easier it will be to heat, but if it's too short you will run into problems at some point.
I'm going with 12' and others here will say 14' or even 16'. I'm pretty much about symmetry and I think if you go taller then 12' it might start to look odd.
Then again the solution to that is make a bigger barn.

I guess we could use more info as to what you plan on doing in the barn?

Wedge

kennyd · Feb 28, 2010

puckett said:
Sorry forgot to say trusses 16in OC and beams either double 2x12 or triple 2x12

Trusses at 24" or the "norm", why are you spec'ing 16" OC? I just built a 24'x36'x10' at my place...it was what I needed. Pics below in the Picasa link in my sig.

/pine · Feb 28, 2010

Agree...16" OC trusses is overkill unless you have an exceptionally high live (snow/ice) load...

I would spend the extra money to have them engineer some storage bays and possibly a higher ceiling in part of the area into the trusses...

As for heigth...what do you want it to look like when it's finished? what type of siding are you using?...

You can get textured siding (like T-111) in 9' lengths (9x4)

puckett · Feb 28, 2010

kennyd said:
Trusses at 24" or the "norm", why are you spec'ing 16" OC? I just built a 24'x36'x10' at my place...it was what I needed. Pics below in the Picasa link in my sig.

I know its kinda vague. Barn will be used for vehicle parking, maintenence, drinking beer, hanging out, bbq grilling and everything else my little house can't accommodate.

I wanted 16 oc. For a stronger floor for the upper room

Basically I want to know what the wood can handle. 6x6 posts 8 ft apart with a storage trusses.

Plywood and shingle roof, metal sides plywood floor for attic

How high can the walls be before the posts are not strong enough

/pine · Feb 28, 2010

How high can the walls be before the posts are not strong enough

until the weight of the wall(s) becomes more than than the posts/beams can resist...

kennyd · Feb 28, 2010

Laminated post's are much better, they can be purchased/built to any length required and for any load-they do not warp either. You can still have a stable floor with properly designed trusses at 24" OC.

puckett · Feb 28, 2010

/pine said:
until the weight of the wall(s) becomes more than than the posts/beams can resist...

Yes, I would like to know the height where this particular instance happens with the particular materials I have mentioned if possible.

I don't need specifics just an average or accepted maximum limit, doesn't matter how it looks actually either.

I am after maximun area and my confined workable land limits my width and length so up is my only option to increase area.

MtnViewRanch · Feb 28, 2010

What type of wind load? That can make a HUGE difference.

QRTRHRS · Feb 28, 2010

You might consider building say sixteen or eighteen foot high then buiding out the inside with mezzanines for storage. Then go with a standard roof truss rather than expensive gable trusses.

Another option over the mezzanines would be to use floor trusses or wooden I-beams to buiild an entire floor though my first suggestion would be the least expensive.

puckett · Feb 28, 2010

MtnViewRanch said:
What type of wind load? That can make a HUGE difference.

Hmm. I don't know the psf but my area has had a max gust in the 40 mph usually no more than 10 to 15 mph sustained when weather is bad

My particular location is halfway down the side of a valley with dense forest anywhere from 75ft high to 100ft. We don't get much wind at the house or sunlight for that matter

flusher · Feb 28, 2010

puckett said:
Can't seem to find a definite answer on this. May not be a definite answer. Here's the details

24ft x 32ft with storage trusses probly gable style
6x6 posts 8 feet apart length wise and across back, 16 foot wide door in front
Might also use perma columns.

Will be built in 3 phases. First is poles and roof and ends of upper room leaving bottom open. Next is concrete floor. Third is enclosing sides. Completing as money permits will not be taking out a loan

I don't have any flat ground so I would like this as tall as feasible for vertical storage and the attic for household stuff

Would like to know what recommendations you have for height

Depends on what you're planning on putting in the barn. If it's a hay barn and you want to unload hay using a bale stacker like a New Holland 1085 Stackcruiser, you need about 17 ft wall height.

My shop is 24x42 ft metal building and has 12ft wall height to accommodate two 10x10 ft rollup doors.

PastTense · Feb 28, 2010

Any thoughts on how high you want the attic to be? Tall enough to walk around in?

windy acers · Feb 28, 2010

You need to price standard trusses verses custom. Residencal doors are cheeper I recomend 9x9 steel doors . Carter and 84 lumber in florence can get you started. Mine is 24x36 x 10' high. If your grade is not level you can use treated tounge and groove 2x6's on the low side and back fill with gravel.A garvel floor is not bad until you can aford concrete. I think there is a pole barn supply for steel and maybe every thing else out side or hilsburough ohio on rt.50 I think it is called higgins supply 3801 us 50 45133.

/pine · Feb 28, 2010

Caveat lector...this is all just conjecture...an engineer should be consulted for critical design matters..

Yes, I would like to know the height where this particular instance happens with the particular materials I have mentioned if possible.
I don't need specifics just an average or accepted maximum limit, doesn't matter how it looks actually either.

As Ken mentioned laminated posts and beams are stronger than modular lumber...but if anything I would be more concerned with what is holding up the posts (what is the ground like there?) than what the posts can hold up...

Also adding plywood flitching between the 2x12's and using a polyurethene adhesive will also add to the strength of built up beams....

You would need to consult the proper span tables for the type of wood you intend to use and then do the calculations for the built up members on top of posts spaced at 8'...

For wind resistances (again see an engineer) there s a rash of hardware to anchor the posts to the ground (they have to be able to hold it down as well as up) and the beam to the posts and so on and so on...

puckett · Feb 28, 2010

Okay, lets see is I can clarify this a bit.

What I want to know is, how tall of a building I can build using 6x6 posts 8ft apart, if it had Gable style attic trusses, shingle roof, metal sides.

I know laminated posts are stronger, not an issue here though.

Also I don't know what I want to do with it yet besides park and repair my cars on the floor, store household things in the attic section as well as maybe put a tv and fridge for beer. (I would like to stand in this)

If I can build it 18ft tall, I would like a mezzanine across the back w/ 8ft ceiling for the mezz so I can still park my large truck. If I can only build it 16ft tall, maybe a 7ft tall ceiling for the mezz. Any less than that I'll figure something else out.

I would like to know what I can build so I can make better plans on what to use it for. I only have room enough to build one decent sized garage, so I want to get the most potentially usable space possible.

Thanks