Pole barn build now or wait?

   / Pole barn build now or wait? #31  
Wow,....That seems as though you got a great price!

If the OP isn't aware, there is a very good YouTube channel that has a ton of videos on building "pole barns". He uses Post & Beam construction, and has convinced me that it far superior to building conventional pole barn procedures.

Also, whenever you build something from a kit, you will run into unique situations on your own site. And you will likely have to adapt components of the kit to fit your situation. That's why I always use a local lumber yard for my supplies. And often times they are less expensive and have good service.

Anyway...here's the link to the YT videos if you care to check them out:
Not sure what you mean by "far superior to conventional pole barns".
I have a now 37 year old Morton Buildings "conventional pole barn", and though the construction techniques have now improved even more, my pole barn remains in excellent condition.
Within 1/4 mile of a large salt water bay too.
 
   / Pole barn build now or wait? #32  
With a pole barn, the poles themselves are the actual footings - they typically get placed 3 to 4 feet down, atop concrete pucks or encased in some concrete. This is below the frost line and is what structurally holds the whole building up. You just then toss a simple slab down inside the skirt boards, no footings needed. On my 30x36 pole barn, I did dig a 2' narrow rat wall around the perimeter though.
Is your barn heated full time? If not I would think the floor would crack from the freeze-thaw cycle.
 
   / Pole barn build now or wait? #33  
Is your barn heated full time? If not I would think the floor would crack from the freeze-thaw cycle.

We live in Northern indiana. There is a barn on our property with a concrete floor. Footings are as described, the poles being 4 feet down and sitting on a concrete "biscuit". The floor is just poured. It has been there for at least 20 years. There are a couple cracks in it, but nothing that would require it to be redone. You could still roll something on small casters over it with no troubles.
 
   / Pole barn build now or wait? #34  
We live in Northern indiana. There is a barn on our property with a concrete floor. Footings are as described, the poles being 4 feet down and sitting on a concrete "biscuit". The floor is just poured. It has been there for at least 20 years. There are a couple cracks in it, but nothing that would require it to be redone. You could still roll something on small casters over it with no troubles.
Have a neighbor down the road whose barn was built in the 50's-60's (long enough ago that the metal is actually aluminum) with a floor poured after it was built. Like yours, it has some hairline cracks but it otherwise fine. No heaves or whatnot.

Had my MiL's built 15-16yrs ago, floor poured afterwards also, and as of now still not even hairline cracks.
 
   / Pole barn build now or wait? #35  
For my money having a all metal structure built by experienced builders was well worth the money. I probably had 10 days invested in getting the groundwork done and they constructed the building in less than 3 days.

For anchors it has 22, 1/2"x4' rebar driven through the tops of the base beams and 27 4" diameter screw anchors with 1/2" shanks and eyes sunk 30" and through bolted through the sides of the base beams. I think it's going to sit pretty steady.
 
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   / Pole barn build now or wait? #36  
I put up a 36x50x12 with (2) 10x25 porches a couple years ago. Most of the floor is packed 1" crusher run stone, except for one of the porches and a 12x30 ft interior area under a loft that includes an enclosed and heated 12x20 ft woodshop and an open 12x10 ft metal shop, which are concrete.

I made the loft and interior shops using American chestnut lumber (hand hewn posts and beams) reclaimed from my great great grandads 1883 barn that was previously on the site.

I love the concrete floors in the shops and porch but I also like the stone floor in the rest of the barn. It is nice not to have to worry about tractors dropping a little oil or my boat leaking water from the bilge or live well plugs.
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   / Pole barn build now or wait? #37  
I put up a 36x50x12 with (2) 10x25 porches a couple years ago. Most of the floor is packed 1" crusher run stone, except for one of the porches and a 12x30 ft interior area under a loft that includes an enclosed and heated 12x20 ft woodshop and an open 12x10 ft metal shop, which are concrete.

I made the loft and interior shops using American chestnut lumber (hand hewn posts and beams) reclaimed from my great great grandads 1883 barn that was previously on the site.

I love the concrete floors in the shops and porch but I also like the stone floor in the rest of the barn. It is nice not to have to worry about tractors dropping a little oil or my boat leaking water from the bilge or live well plugs.
View attachment 712989View attachment 712991
Very nice!
 
   / Pole barn build now or wait?
  • Thread Starter
#38  
Dwellonroof - I too am in the planning stages of a Pole Barn (30x40 ft). It would have the side lean-to extensions as extra space requirements.

what barn kits have you been looking at ? - that is of interest to me

- my primary use would be for critters (chickens, rabbits, sheep, donkey), feed, supplies, and for equipment storage.

- I certainly plan on having a concrete floor, from the start, ... agreeing with the others

- I'm considering adding a corner 2 pc washroom - toilet, sink, small counter

- given that future storage might include vehicles, I have thought of the space requirements of a car lift also

- I am probably 18 months away from seeing this develop, because I want to pay it outright. :)

happy planning
I ordered it from Menards, I really do not care for the company because of prier experiences but we will see.
https://midwest.menards.com/postframe-web/redirect.do#/home
 
   / Pole barn build now or wait?
  • Thread Starter
#39  
If the OP isn't aware, there is a very good YouTube channel that has a ton of videos on building "pole barns". He uses Post & Beam construction, and has convinced me that it far superior to building conventional pole barn procedures.

Also, whenever you build something from a kit, you will run into unique situations on your own site. And you will likely have to adapt components of the kit to fit your situation. That's why I always use a local lumber yard for my supplies. And often times they are less expensive and have good service.

Anyway...here's the link to the YT videos if you care to check them out:
I have priced the lumber yard around the corner but they were around 2k higher.
 
   / Pole barn build now or wait? #40  
I have priced the lumber yard around the corner but they were around 2k higher.
Sorry to hear that. Guess I'm lucky with the lumber yard I have available. 20%-30% less than the big box stores on virtually everything.
 
 
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