16' door for pole barn?

[fishman]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

Some great ideas. I think I will use screws and glue to fabricate the header. I don't think I need as stout a header as DannyD describes, but that sure is a nice barn you have. I'm going to have to stick to a gravel floor also.

So what about screws to build the trusses? Anybody do that, or see a need for it? I'd love to have an air nailer, and will probably get one for this project if I can get a good deal.

Thanks again all.

 

[Bird]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

John, my brothers and I built 41 trusses for one of the brother's house, just using plywood gussets on both sides and nailed together with a Paslode air framing nailer. That worked quite well, but we were only spanning 28'. My shop building had trusses built the same way except it appeared that they used roofing nails AND glue to span 40'.

 

[yooperdave]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

Have you considered prefabricated wood trusses?

They have structural calculations which substantiate their given capacity.

Good Luck

Yooper Dave

 

[bebster]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

I'd definitely use screws and glue. In fact, rather than buying a nailer, consider one of these impact drivers from DeWalt or Makita. I just got a Makita at Home Depot for around $200, but this thing really drives the screws like nothing else, especially the square drive ones. One of those tools you wish you had a long time ago.

 

[fishman]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

Bebster,

That looks like a neat tool, never seen one before. How does it improve upon a conventional drill driver? The one I have will literally twist screws in half or drive them through a board if I let it, so torque is not the issue. Is it speed or size of screw driven? I saw one picture where they were driving a lag bolt, but I have an air impact wrench to do that. But maybe this tool is lighter or more convenient.

If I buy all of the tools I want for building this pole barn, it would be a LOT cheaper to hire it done. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Maybe I'd better stick to my framing hammer.

 

[MarkV]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

Keep in mind that if you are required to permit the barn in your area the building department may require an engineer to sign off on the design of home made trusses. Manufactured trusses are already engineered so their prices can be very competitive if an engineer's approval is required.

MarkV

 

[DannyD]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

Another 20 tons of rock with dust and another year and that will be one concrete floor...........I had to dig out the floor on this to level it, the rock is just the first of the base

 

[B7510]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

Fishman,

The only potential problem with screws is that most of the drywall type construction screws are brittle steel. The can be prone to breaking if they are subjected to cyclic loading (fatigue). They should be fine for building up a laminated header though. I use either nails or screws when building up headers, it usualy just depends on which is more handy at the moment.

Up north here we would use either a large glu-lam or veneer-lam beam or maybe even a girder truss to carry loads over a 16' door. I envy you folks who don't have to worry about 60 psf snow loads.

Sounds like a project. Have fun with it and work safe.

 

[bebster]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

First of all, I look at these projects as a way to justify more tools! This impact driver is really light (about 3.5 lbs) and compact, and turns like a drill. But when the torque increases, it will start a hammer-like action that will drive the screw. You don't have to put any downward pressure and your hand doesn't get torqued.

 

[texbaylea]

Re: 16\' door for pole barn?

Be sure that you use quality screws. I use screws mail ordered from McFeeley's and I have yet to break one. You will need to play with the torque settings so that you just sink flat head screws.