New Pole Barn project getting started.

[rogerius]

Well, it seems like it has taken forever but I think I'm finally ready for trusses. I still need all the Y bracing at the top of the post but have a week to do them as the trusses will be set next weekend. That is the only time I could round up enough people to help. Can't wait to have a roof on as everything else will be easy and I can do it myself. Here are the pics to bring it up to date.

Just a quick question: looking at the pictures I have the impression that the distance between the posts on the long sides are no egual. Can you confirm this? If this is true, was any reason? Anyhow, I can see the last two posts on the long side are quite close each other; any reason or just to reinforce the corners?
Thanks

 

[crbr]

Thanks for the pictures

 

[rockshaft]

IME, the easiest way to install the trusses is to have the boom truck set them on top of your [finished] frame at delivery!

Thanks for posting pics, very nice scenery you have there. I may try a pole barn myself this season- your project is helpful to me.

Hey Rick, I have thought a lot about doing something like that. Just wasn't sure how it would work as my walls are 12' and the trusses are another 12' for a total height of 24'. As the tractors lifting height is some where around 8-9', wasn't sure if I could rig something on the pallet forks or bucket that would make up the 16+ feet that I would need. I am going to have people there to help with the trusses and would hate to have them standing around if I couldn't get my lifting arm to work right. If the barn was a little smaller or with less pitch, I would probably try to rig something like that up. Just not enough experience with something like that to feel confident it will work. I do appreciate the suggestions though. Always looking for the best ways to do things.

Darren

 

[Darrenone]

Rogerius, the post are spaced by the truss spacing. The trusses are spaced every 4' in this barn so the post are spaced 8' so that every other truss sits on a post. It just works out that on one end, the posts are 4' apart. I bought the materials from a pole barn company and they give you engineered drawings as part of the price. Hope this explains it for you, good question though.

Darren

 

[Darrenone]

IME, the easiest way to install the trusses is to have the boom truck set them on top of your [finished] frame at delivery!

Thanks for posting pics, very nice scenery you have there. I may try a pole barn myself this season- your project is helpful to me.

Rockshaft, I agree with setting the trusses that way but they delivered my trusse on a truck in which the trusses were standing and they basically push them off the truck. I thought this was kind of strange and they even broke the two end trusses. They brought me two new ones two days later but it seemed not the best ideal for unloading. I think I am going to hire a guy with a boom truck for $100.00/hr to set the trusses. I could rent an all terrain fork lift, 36' buy then I would have to pick them up, drive them into the building, and put them in place. The boom truck can set up, boom to where the trusses lie, lift them up over the wall and swing them into place. Seems like the best way for me at this point.
Glad if this helps in your pole barn in any way. I am learning as I go so if there is anything I can help you with, feel free to ask.

 

[denmarktwp]

Preparing the drive way and then the gravel. The crusher run was more difficult then I thought it would be. They could only back up to where the stone ended and then dump the whole load. Trying to spread the pile was a pain as the stone wanted to get wider and wider as you push. The stone went out wider then the driveway fabric which is all mud and soft. So when the next truck came and got off to the side a little, he just sank in and got stuck. Had to pull at least three trucks out with the dozer. About 300 tons of crusher run in all and that included the pole barn. Alot of money for a driveway. This time of year is not the best for drives as the ground is so soft. I hope this driveway will hold up. The fabric will help alot but how much? Anyway, the trusses came and are now down next to the site of the barn. Hopefully this weekend I can get some post in the ground.

I'm planning a post building for this summer. Can you describe the layers you used for your driveway and for under the concrete slab?

Also, are you going to have electric door operators for your overhead doors? What band are you going to use?

Thanks.

 

[Darrenone]

I'm planning a post building for this summer. Can you describe the layers you used for your driveway and for under the concrete slab?

Also, are you going to have electric door operators for your overhead doors? What band are you going to use?

Thanks.

For the driveway and barn, I just dug off the topsoil ( top 6 - 8" ), laid down driveway fabric and then about 6-8" of crusher run. I needed the driveway fabric because of the soil conditions. Why the ground is dry here, it is very hard, but when wet, it is very soft. I didn't want all my stone sinking every time it rained and creating pot holes. The fabric works great for keeping everything solid. Inside the barn, to level it up, I had to dig down about 2' at one end and build the other end up about 2'. I used the driveway fabric in there also. Then put down the crusher run. I will have to compact the barn gravel before pouring concrete. I am going to have an electric overhead door and as I don't know a whole lot about them ( quality wise), I will probably get a door from Wayne- dalton or some such place and get a commercial grade opener. Still open for suggestions on the overhead door though.

 

[denmarktwp]

Inside the barn, to level it up, I had to dig down about 2' at one end and build the other end up about 2'. I used the driveway fabric in there also. Then put down the crusher run. I will have to compact the barn gravel before pouring concrete.

What thicknesses of crusher run, gravel and concrete are you planning for inside?

 

[cjfling]

Last week when I was at the JD dealer I noticed that they were using a boom pole mounted on the front loader of tractor to lift mowers up to work on them. I was thinking that if you could make something like that it could be used to lift a truss up. I am not a welder so I do not know how hard it would be to make it. Just an idea.
Rick

When I did mine, I already had a round bale spear that mounted on my front end loader bucket. I found a length of pipe that I used as a sleeve to slide over the spear to make it longer. With a short lengh of chain wrapped around the top of the truss and hooked to the end of the pipe, it worked well. I'd have a rope with a person on one end of the truss to steady/guide it. The main thing is to make sure you don't hit or bump the truss hard enough that the hook would jump out of the pipe. It helped that the tractor was a larger 90HP model and the loader has above average reach. Top plate of walls is 14 feet with the trusses another ~ 8 feet (from memory). Good luck.

 

[Darrenone]

What thicknesses of crusher run, gravel and concrete are you planning for inside?

I put between 8" and 12" of crusher run inside. I used it to final level the inside. I'm not sure on thickness of concrete yet. Standard around here is 4" and I got a price of $6500 to pour and finish it. I might go with 6" of concrete. Trying to keep costs down but would hate to have concrete not hold up.

 

[Darrenone]

When I did mine, I already had a round bale spear that mounted on my front end loader bucket. I found a length of pipe that I used as a sleeve to slide over the spear to make it longer. With a short lengh of chain wrapped around the top of the truss and hooked to the end of the pipe, it worked well. I'd have a rope with a person on one end of the truss to steady/guide it. The main thing is to make sure you don't hit or bump the truss hard enough that the hook would jump out of the pipe. It helped that the tractor was a larger 90HP model and the loader has above average reach. Top plate of walls is 14 feet with the trusses another ~ 8 feet (from memory). Good luck.

I really believe I could do it this way. Tractor may be a little undersized. If I had more time I might try to rig something up and see how it would work but right now, I would hate to have 5 guys standing around on a Saturday while I was figuring out that I could not do it or it just wouldn't work. Safest bet for me is go with a boom truck at $100/ hr and push my free labors hard to get done as quick as possible. I hope to have all of the trusses up in 4 hrs so $400.

 

[ENG18LT]

Using a Wayne-Dalton will be a good choice. I have installed quite a few, the ladies over there are very helpful. You may want to ask about there installed price. As memory serves it was around 150 more for them to do it, then you could be working on something else at the same time. Just DO NOT go with an I-drive opener, they are problematic.

 

[Darrenone]

Using a Wayne-Dalton will be a good choice. I have installed quite a few, the ladies over there are very helpful. You may want to ask about there installed price. As memory serves it was around 150 more for them to do it, then you could be working on something else at the same time. Just DO NOT go with an I-drive opener, they are problematic.

Thanks for the heads up on the opener and verifying that Wayne-Dalton will be a good choice. I decides to post this process so that it might help others wanting to do something similar. I am by no means an expert and actually learning as I go. Seems like when I get to a step I just make a post and get the answers I need to continue. Thank you and everyone else for helping me through this building process.

 

[Darrenone]

Well after two weekends of bad weather to postpone the trusses, I finally was able to get them up. Four and a half hours for the operator was $450.00 but worth every penny. He could obviously get them up faster but we could not brace them any faster. Anyways, another big step done. Now I need to get the purlins up on 2' centers so I can then get the steel roof on. I hope all the money I'm saving by doing it myself is worth it. Considering a pole barn company is in and out in 5 days. Well, it will be worth it when I'm done.

 

[Darrenone]

Even got the family to help. What about child labor laws? He is just small for his age....

 

[Depmandog]

Your location in NY, I assume you get quite a bit of lake effect snow? Are those rafters 5 or 6/12 pitch?, and on 4' centers - WOW. Should be heck for stout. Mine are 42' freespan on 8' centers.

Nice scenery, beautiful location for a building.

 

[Darrenone]

Your location in NY, I assume you get quite a bit of lake effect snow? Are those rafters 5 or 6/12 pitch?, and on 4' centers - WOW. Should be heck for stout. Mine are 42' freespan on 8' centers.

Nice scenery, beautiful location for a building.

Hey Depmandog. Yes, we get quite a bit of snow normally( not so much this winter) so the trusses had to be made to handle the snow load. They are 6 1/2/ 12 because they are a scissor truss. The inside is a 3/12 to get more head rm for storage above an area where I will build my shop (wood working ). They are also on 4 ft centers. Seemed a bit much to me but had it engineered by a pole barn company not far from me. The scenery is beautiful and thanks.

 

[davedj1]

With that big tractor you have there you could have easily made a jib and set those trusses by yourself and saved even more $$$.

If you put the roofing on before the walls don't dally around getting the walls done, you will have a big kite.

 

[Darrenone]

With that big tractor you have there you could have easily made a jib and set those trusses by yourself and saved even more $$$.

If you put the roofing on before the walls don't dally around getting the walls done, you will have a big kite.

Well I thought hard about trying to set them myself with the tractor but thought with them being 42' long and heavy enough that two people could barely stand one up that maybe it wouldn't be such a good ideal. The top of the walls are 12' and the trusses are another 12' so I would have to have rig a long jib. Also, the truss people drop the trusses on the side of the building so it was easiest to lift them over the side wall to put them in place. With a jib, I think I would have had to carry each truss inside the building and then try the lift them in place. I just thought that was going to be too hard and didn't want to risk it not working while all my free help just stood around. Good advice on getting the walls up as quick as possible as I wouldn't want to show up there to work and find out my building was laying in a heap.

 

[rockshaft]

Even got the family to help. What about child labor laws? He is just small for his age....

Sometimes you need the little dudes to fit in tight spaces.
Looks like a good worker