I'd like to build a barn!

[gocards1177]

Will this building be inspected by the county building inspector? If it is an ag building, it may not need to be. If not, be careful putting the living quarters in such an uninspected building. If you have a nosy neighbor rat on you, they are going to shut it down. Around here, people try this (putting living space in a shed) to avoid as much real estate taxes, and get stuck. Myself, I was cited for allowing my hunting buddy to spend the night in his camper occasionally here on my 86 acre farm. The government nowadays prevents people from fully enjoying the use of their land, at least here in Virginia.

No inspectors. At least none yet. They use arial photos for rural tax assessment here.

 

[gocards1177]

Just a thought, but how much of a hurry are you in and how much do you want to spend. I ask because for a quick build, using shipping containers might be a quick and viable alternative.
Eddie built a barn/shed out of three large shipping containers at one time and also incorporated a living area. I believe the cost was not too bad and it was quickly built. The roof was probably the hardest part of the construction from what I recall.
Anyway, I mention it as it could be a reasonabley cheap alternative until you house is built - you will get safe storage and a well built place with steel containers. I know that if I wanted another large workshop I would consider two or three 40ft containers. I believe there have been several threads on this subject - might well be worth looking into.

Jim

That's a good thought. Aesthetics would be a concern though. Thanks.

 

[gocards1177]

With Spring around the corner, in reviving my interest in building a barn. So I'm reviving this old thread too. I hope that doesn't breech etiquette.

I'll post the refined plans my wife and I have later today. But in the meantime I have a general question about structural engineering: How do you decide how big to make the posts? I know I live in the "engineering capital" but I feel kinda goofy just walking into a local engineering office with my graph-paper plans and asking what they think. I don't mind paying a few hundred dollars (or more?) for piece of mind but I'm not sure what questions to ask and what answers to expect.

It seems like if I don't build it myself with my own plans, my other options are: use plans from someone else(which I haven't found), buy a kit(which I may not be able to meet my needs), or have a contractor build it for me(which takes away my sweat equity and pride).

I'll try to post details on the plan later today.

 

[farmer2009]

How big are you building?

 

[gocards1177]

This is what I plan to build: The overall exterior dimensions will be 56'x56'. The central main area will be 32', spanned by scissor trusses. Each side will have a full length 12' lean-to. One side will be enclosed as part of the main structure. The right side will be open for equipment storage. My tractor is about 8.5' tall which dictates the overall building height so to be able to pull under the header of the lean-to from the side. Ill use common trusses for the lean-to.

I'd like to keep things simple, but the attached drawings aren't a huge diversion from what I was thinking last summer. This building will wear many hats, none of them truly "agricultural". I would like a descent shop area with a mezzanine-style shop above it. This area will have a couple windows and an overhead door for tractor storage and will be the only part of the barn that's climate controlled. The loft area will be mostly storage but might be converted to living someday so this will be sized accordingly. The front part of the barn will be accessed from a porch and two large sliding doors. The porch doesn't have to be as big as I have it but I let the post spacing dictate it's size. The front area will function for general use/basketball/kids stuff/parties and whatever we might need. This part of the barn will face the house. I've set the roof pitch at 7/12 to match the house. I plan to align the lean-to trusses with the main trusses to avoid a break in the roof.

I'm going to have an excavator come out in the next few weeks to level a 60'x60' pad and finish the remaining 300' of driveway to the barn and house. While he's there I'll have him go ahead and dig the holes. I've priced my materials and trusses. So here are some generalities that are up for discussion:

I really like the idea of using laminated columns. I was thinking 4-ply 2x8 columns for the main central area since they will be 17' tall. I've got them drawn 8' OC. Working by myself, my tractor, and whatever helpers I can scrounge, I figured that spacing would make placing the headers easier. I was thinking notching the top of the posts to allow a double 2x12 header to carry those trusses. I was thinking 4' OC spacing for the trusses, sized accordingly by the manufacture for our local snow loads. I like the idea of notching the laminated column when possibly to "sandwich" every other truss.

For the lean-tos I was thinking 4-ply 2x6 columns on the far sides of the building. Same headers. For the header on the building side I was thinking bolting one (or two?) 2x12 to the sides of the 4-ply 2x8s. The trusses for the lean-to would have a pocket in the "heel" to rest on the 2x12 header.

The frost line in our area is 24". I'm going to have the excavator make the holes 4' deep. I'll either try to find 18" concrete discs to place in the wholes or just pour in place if I can't find them.

I'm debating on building the posts myself. There's not much cost savings over ready-made but there's something rewarding feeling about building them myself. Plus I like a challenge.

That's all I can think of for now.

 

[farmer2009]

I was goings to suggest a 6x6 post everywhere and if you feel the need go 6x8 on the taller section. I have one building that is 16' eve's and it is 6x8 and 40' span. All others buildings are 6x6 and shorter. I understand the lamination idea but unless you can get ground contact rated 2x8's I would advise against it. Your post are going to be ground contact treatments.
Bolt the trusses to each post even with a notch and let the post run to top of truss then cut off with roof pitch. Then on trusses between post I still add a post stub in header to bolt the trusses too.

 

[gocards1177]

I was goings to suggest a 6x6 post everywhere and if you feel the need go 6x8 on the taller section. I have one building that is 16' eve's and it is 6x8 and 40' span. All others buildings are 6x6 and shorter. I understand the lamination idea but unless you can get ground contact rated 2x8's I would advise against it. Your post are going to be ground contact treatments.
Bolt the trusses to each post even with a notch and let the post run to top of truss then cut off with roof pitch. Then on trusses between post I still add a post stub in header to bolt the trusses too.

I know the laminated posts add a layer of complication to the whole process, but there's advantages too. Stay straighter longer, possibly better pressure treating of lower members, can build bottoms ahead of time, set them, and then add tops on site. In order to get PT 6x6's in the length I would need, I would have to have them ordered. If one or multiple posts have knots and are warped, I can't take them back.
Menards is about an hour away, and they can order laminated posts ready made in any size, length, and number of laminations.

 

[gocards1177]

I was goings to suggest a 6x6 post everywhere and if you feel the need go 6x8 on the taller section. I have one building that is 16' eve's and it is 6x8 and 40' span. All others buildings are 6x6 and shorter. I understand the lamination idea but unless you can get ground contact rated 2x8's I would advise against it. Your post are going to be ground contact treatments.
Bolt the trusses to each post even with a notch and let the post run to top of truss then cut off with roof pitch. Then on trusses between post I still add a post stub in header to bolt the trusses too.

I know the laminated posts add a layer of complication to the whole process, but there's advantages too. Stay straighter longer, possibly better pressure treating of lower members, can build bottoms ahead of time, set them, and then add tops on site. In order to get PT 6x6's in the length I would need, I would have to have them ordered. If one or multiple posts have knots and are warped, I can't take them back.
Menards is about an hour away, and they can order laminated posts ready made in any size, length, and number of laminations.

 

[farmer2009]

If you have a good source for them then yea laminated post do have advantages. As we don't have a good source. But still let your post run long and bolt trusses through.

You said you wanted to pour concrete in bottom of hole. I would use gravel it drains better and won't rot the post end as fast. If you want to pour the hole up the post rap the post in either plastic or tar and drill and pin to concrete.with gravel in bottom also. This keeps the wood from touching concrete and let's the water drain out.

 

[gocards1177]

I'm considering options on truss spacing and I have a couple questions about purlins. First lets assume I went with 8' truss spacing and placed 2x4 purlins on edge with 24" OC spacing overlapped 12-24" and face nailed together at the truss. Is a single 60D nail going through the purlins into the truss really how these are attached? I'm assuming the purlins would be drilled, but is the truss drilled too? Is it safe to walk on purlins this way? I could see walking on them near the trusses like a ladder without issue, but in between the trusses that seems iffy. At what roof pitch does it make more sense to lay them flat instead? I'm thinking 6:12 or 7:12 pitch, so I'm thinking on edge should be fine.