Building a barn - how big?

[cowboydoc]

Tim,
There is a cellulose now that is water resistant and you can use it in moisture areas just like fiberglass.

 

[rationalizer]

Richard,

Thanks for your comments. I agree on the thoughts regarding "building big" - the main barn is way bigger than I need right now (one of the "reasons" behind my username is that I have a "talent" to rationalize more than I need....) I'll be helping pay for the barn by renting space for a few winters(lots of folks in the area have cars that need storage). I'm partial to small British stuff - I have a TR6 at present - so the 32x48 main barn should be big enough for any cars I get for the next fifteen years. One 16x32 bay of the main barn will be over 22 ft high - so I can put in a small hoist if I start getting real serious. All of the doors will be 9' high - that should give me plenty of clearance to the ROPS of any of the tractors I'm looking at. If implements get higher than that I'll have to figure out alternatives. I think I'll be OK on height.

I will be pouring a concrete floor for both the main barn and shed - and epoxy sealing the main barn. I don't think I'll be putting drains in - I have them in the garage at the house and I don't see washing stuff in the main barn.

Your comments on insulation got my attention. In the main barn I will be putting in soffit vents and a ridge vent. The garage at the house is built this way, is uninsulated, and I haven't had any major issues yet - if the roof is well ventilated do you still see issues? It reminds me that I'll need to put roof vents in the shed as well. I'll add that to the list...

Your comments regarding "stake it out" were good ones - doing that is what prompted me to post my questions. I have decided to add the extra feet for the shed - I parked the lawn tractor and some stuff out there today and I think it will work for tractor and implement storage. The TR6 looks lost in the main barn - so I'll have plenty of room for working on cars and tractors, a workbench etc. As the barn will be unheated for the near future I will need to put in a hydrant for water. The hydrants that are approved for use in my township (backflow preventing etc.) have a poor reliability record... I'm still scratching my head on that one. Electrical will come in later. (I'm spending all I can on the basic structure for now - I'll add the insulation, electricity etc. later)

Thanks for your thoughts - more info on the insulation and venting would be greatly appreciated!

 

[rationalizer]

Tim,

I'll keep both types of insulation in mind. It will be a few years before I insulate - so who knows what will be available then! I suspect I'll end up using roll fiberglass - due to ease of installation.

I agree wholeheartedly on the value of getting good people to do the work - and paying them fairly. I paid a premium to work with a good builder on my house - and I couldn't be happier. The contractor who is doing my barn seems to have the right attitude - so far the planning has been fun. Footers will go in next week.... I've already delayed a bit as I learned more about tractors etc. - this sight has been a fantastic resource. If I hadn't I probaly would have ended up with doors that were too low etc. Based on comments from others I'm going to enlarge the shed doors as much as I can - at least 9 x 9...

Enjoy your new home! I'll post some pictures as work progresses.

Bill

 

[cowboydoc]

If you've got a metal roof you will have condensation no matter how good of ventilation you have. If you put down a plywood roof or other material and then cover it with tin you will have no problems.

 

[JTD]

Cowboydoc, We coated the metal roof of my pole barn with a thick roofing paint and that reduced the condensation a lot. Still get a small amount but nothing like before.

 

[TimSullivan]

Richard,

Just my opinion and experience on the cellulose and dampness. I have it in the exterior walls and attic of my new home but will use fiberglass in the finished below grade areas. Just don't want the problem to turn up when it is my responsibility. Some people do say I am too cautious.

 

[Ozarker]

Do you think installing a Cupola for ventilation like the old timers did would reduce condensation?

 

[cowboydoc]

Ozarker,
Believe me we've tryed everything and unless you put insulation or the spray on insulaition you get the condensation. We've done the painting too and it helps, like what was said, but you still get it, just not as bad.

 

[MarkV]

Bill,

Sounds like you are well on the way towards having a great barn shed combo. It really surprised me that you did not find a significant difference in price between a pole barn and a stick built one. With the addition of footings and the extra lumber for stick building the price is significantly more in this area. I actually prefer a stick built structure and it has many advantages if you will be finishing the interior. Around here though, a pole barn will run a good 30% less.

MarkV

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

That's what I thought, too, Mark. For the same money I'd definitely go with a stick built structure. The only other way I'd think about going IF I were going to insulate and use it as a shop would be structural insulated panels (SIP's). They take care of the framing, insulation and give you both interior and exterior oriented strand board (OSB) all in one piece. They generally run a bit more than stick built but IF you're going to insulate and heat (and/or cool) I think they're worth the money.