knucklehead
Platinum Member
Hey, Paul
Whatsamatter, don't like my tarps? /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif. There are, as you know, tons of web sites with plans, but there is one we find ourselves returning to over and over when looking at barn styles. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.countrycarpenters.com/index.html>Country Carpenters</A> has a lot of styles and a good dose of pictures of finished projects of all sizes and types. We've taken a little design info here and there, mostly getting the idea of proportion, and tried to come up with a classic but functional idea for ourselves.
Our lot is long and narrow, sorta like 4 acres stacked behind each other, so we've decided to build in the same design - an enclosed "shop" at the Southerly end, and a pole-barn type, open, double pitched structure of maybe 3 bays at the Northerly end. The rough dimensions might be something like 20x20 (or 20x16) for the shop, and then three 10' or 12' wide bays. This would yield a structure, when measured in it's entire length, of around 50 plus feet. It will be a bit less than twice as long as it is wide. We've seen these long, connected structures around our area, and have come to like them very much. We've also decided to elevate the shop end on gravel, and dig down slightly and build the open end with the same roof height, even though it will be a taller structure. Of course, changes may be made as we continue to dream/plan/save. The big dilemma is whether to build a wood floored shop and dirt shed, or go concrete (floating slab) in part or whole. We're on the fence about that, even though concrete would be great.
Proportion is probably the most important part of the aesthetic consideration - even more than siding. Most of the barns we like are taller than current home-type shed construction - like a 10' or 12' side wall. Most modern sheds and barns have very low pitched roofs (rooves?). If you are interested in keeping the classic look, study these proportions, and even draw a few out. I have a photo of a simple timber framed open shed on the site of King's Landing historical settlement near Fredericton, New Brunswick. I re-drew it to add 4' of depth, and tried simply lengthening the rear pitch, and it changed it into an ugly shed. That was my first lesson in proportion- glad I didn't build it.
Whatsamatter, don't like my tarps? /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif. There are, as you know, tons of web sites with plans, but there is one we find ourselves returning to over and over when looking at barn styles. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.countrycarpenters.com/index.html>Country Carpenters</A> has a lot of styles and a good dose of pictures of finished projects of all sizes and types. We've taken a little design info here and there, mostly getting the idea of proportion, and tried to come up with a classic but functional idea for ourselves.
Our lot is long and narrow, sorta like 4 acres stacked behind each other, so we've decided to build in the same design - an enclosed "shop" at the Southerly end, and a pole-barn type, open, double pitched structure of maybe 3 bays at the Northerly end. The rough dimensions might be something like 20x20 (or 20x16) for the shop, and then three 10' or 12' wide bays. This would yield a structure, when measured in it's entire length, of around 50 plus feet. It will be a bit less than twice as long as it is wide. We've seen these long, connected structures around our area, and have come to like them very much. We've also decided to elevate the shop end on gravel, and dig down slightly and build the open end with the same roof height, even though it will be a taller structure. Of course, changes may be made as we continue to dream/plan/save. The big dilemma is whether to build a wood floored shop and dirt shed, or go concrete (floating slab) in part or whole. We're on the fence about that, even though concrete would be great.
Proportion is probably the most important part of the aesthetic consideration - even more than siding. Most of the barns we like are taller than current home-type shed construction - like a 10' or 12' side wall. Most modern sheds and barns have very low pitched roofs (rooves?). If you are interested in keeping the classic look, study these proportions, and even draw a few out. I have a photo of a simple timber framed open shed on the site of King's Landing historical settlement near Fredericton, New Brunswick. I re-drew it to add 4' of depth, and tried simply lengthening the rear pitch, and it changed it into an ugly shed. That was my first lesson in proportion- glad I didn't build it.
