Clear-Span or Box Beam Barn

[mojoinco]

I have the same spec more traditional pole barn. Mine used traditional trusses.

A couple of thoughts:

Use 'closure strips' on the top of the gable ends. Also think about any seals around the doors for wind & moisture control. They keep water from blowing around the siding (we bought our place with the building -- I used foam pipe insulation and cut it in wedge shaped pieces to fix this).

Mine has fiberglass opaque panels ~3' tall around the top. Nice light. Newer panels are of course better materials.

Add 2' to the height. When you take out ~12" for the mezzanine and 8' for the lower floor, you end up on the side wall with a very short wall (hard to reach without bending over). I want ~ an 8' mezz along the long wall (my doors are centered on the mid line going the long direction). That leaves room for anything tall going down the center and an eventual lift (~12').

You will always wish for more power and lights.

I have slider doors. That leaves the ceiling open as well as the doors don't cover the lights when open. Plus -- they are cheaper.

Cut your concrete floor for crack lines. So much better than the typical molded lines.

Bring in all your plumbing/drains/power before the concrete.

Have fun!

 

[olds67]

Thank you everyone for all the great advice! I broke ground this past weekend and removed all the top soil. I just had 67 yards of sand brought in and have that all spread out. Now comes the leveling. If anyone has any tips please let me know. I am planning on running line levels around the perimeter and go from there. My buddy has a laser level so I am going to try that as well. I am raising the level about 10" higher because the area I am putting the barn is low, but no water issues.

I ended up going with the 30x40x12 with a 7/12 pitch. I also went with a standing seam metal roof because the price was right. I will post pics as I go. I was working at spreading the sand until it started to rain so I didn't get a chance for a pic but I will post one tomorrow.

 

[olds67]

Here is a pic of the site with the sand spread out. I decided rather than leveling now I am going to have the posts set and then level from there. The posts will only sit 2ft above the ground so it should be easy to level out. I will post pics when the posts go in.

 

[milkman636]

My cement guy wanted to level and compact the base as part of his contract. He came in after the barn was framed and filled to 4" below finish floor grade using the level skirt boards as his point of reference. He wetted the sand and compacted it all with a vibratory compactor on the front of his skidsteer. After everything was level and compacted he formed up the aprons for my three doorways and was ready for concrete the following morning. He made it all look real fast and easy. He figured how much fill was needed, called a trucking company to schedule delivery, and ended up charging me less for the fill than I would have paid if I cold called for it.

After the forms came off for the apron I put the finish grade around the exterior and on the drive.

The standing seam roofs are very interesting to me. Where did the price of standing seam come in compared to shingles?

 

[olds67]

Milkman, that makes me feel better about leveling. Thank you! The standing seam came in $400 cheaper than shingles for material and $160 cheaper on labor. It is 24 gauge and galvalum, which is the shiny aluminum color. The supplier had overstock on hand so he gave it to me for the same price as a standard ribbed roof that you screw down.

 

[milkman636]

If you already have a contract in place that includes the floor, have a conversation with the builder and/or cement guy to make sure everyone is planning for the same thing. Be sure exactly what is being proposed for all these details, and that everyone is on the same page before any material ever hits your property.

It was really nice to watch a pro do the leveling, but it was all worked out up front as part of his conditions for warrantying the work.

 

[milkman636]

Sweet deal on the roof. Are there any provisions for the little snow catchers to keep the white stuff from sheeting off?

This is sorta what I'm thinking about? YouTube - Massive Avalanche of Ice Off Roof.

 

[olds67]

I was thinking about the snow catchers but I have not asked if they are included. I will have to ask. I am not planning on concrete until next year and I was thinking of doing the work myself with the help of friends that are in the business. I am hoping to get by with just a sand floor until then.

 

[Kennedy81]

So did you end up going this route? If so, what did the costs roughly come out to? I'm planning to build a shop by the end of summer in the 30x40-45 size.
Thanks

 

[olds67]

The barn actually just got started this week. Sorry for the lag time in posts. With all the rain and the tornado/straight line winds that devistated my area things got behind schedule. I am into the barn for a little over $10k including labor. Concrete is another $2600. I thought that was a really good price considering all the options. The first 2 pictures are of the ancors that go in the ground to hold the beams and the 3rd is the material. Also a new tractor that my boys get drive.