Pole Garage Question... a 'lil backward const.

   / Pole Garage Question... a 'lil backward const.
  • Thread Starter
#11  
Couple of more details. The site (40x40'?) I'm building on is solid! It's about 2' higher than the surrounding ground. It's been in the family for generations, since the 1860's. I'm told that it had a barn on it years ago. No evidence of a barn foundation, but lots of 'fist' sized to larger rocks, uncommon to the surrounding soils. God only knows what I'll encounter when I try to auger! The frost I would think would go to 3'. The rough-cut is a full 4"x4"! Typically about 42 cents a board foot. I've considered the power-pole route for the corners, Artist, but anymore, (at least in NYS) I think they're considered 'hazardous waste' due to the creosote content, and you can't get them! I'm not sure of the tax consequence that your refer to. ~S
 
   / Pole Garage Question... a 'lil backward const. #12  
I'd think stick built with 2x walls would work out better for you if this is the direction you are going. Pole building is cheap if you burry the poles; side with girts & tin, and keep the costs down.

By the time you use concrete & metal connectors to set the poles in, and side with plywood or strandboard, you are cheaper to go with stickbuilt. You use the same amount of vertical wood either way; the cheaper part is in the foundation & siding of a pole barn. You are using the expensive parts of concrete & siding anyhow, so might as well spread your poles out into real stud walls.

'Here' you can buy a premade roof truss cheaper than you can build one & the inspectors are happy, but might be different where you are.

Not saying your plan won't work, but I'd want the shelter from the weather first - why have a concrete floor & there you are tarping your machinery for a year? And then I think you will spend more for your version than just stick building it by the time you are done. The stick built is easier to hang shelving, or insulate, etc if you want to end up in that direction.
Random thoughts, your place, your money, you might have different conditions than I'm used to.

--->Paul
 
   / Pole Garage Question... a 'lil backward const. #13  
There's nothing wrong with pouring your piers/floor first, if what you're looking for is a firm, level place on which to park your vehicles and complete the rest of your construction.

I built such a building about twenty years ago. The "poles" (4x4's) sat on top of the concrete piers (8' on center, max).
It was not an easy thing to put up. The first reason was that no matter how hard one tries, you'll never get the tops of your piers to be all at the same height, which makes determining the length of each pole time consuming.
Second, and of particular relavance to your idea, is that such a building frame doesn't adapt well to the "build the wall on the deck and erect" method of construction. The "poles" themselves are the main reason for this, since they interrupt the shear plane of the walls.

You mention "cutting the tops" off of square tube in which you'll set your poles.
There are commercially available products that serve the same purpose. True, they cost you some , but they'll save you time in the long run and you can put your tube to better use.

Here's what I would do:
1) Pour your piers and floor, leaving the piers about 2" proud of the floor.
Use the commercially available sill bolts in the piers. 3/4 allthread is
expensive overkill.

2) Determine the height of your highest pier. That will be the base plane of
rest of your building.

3) Lay down a pressure treated sill (2 layers of overlapped 2x6's is the
usual), shimming atop the piers as needed to achieve a flat and level
perimeter on which to build. You can loosely fasten the nuts on the sill
bolts.

4) Your walls will be constructed as follows: The bottom chord should be
2 2x6's with 1/2 plywood sandwiched between. Overlap the joints and be
sure to leave a gap in the plywood where the wall will sit over the piers.
This gap will form a mortise. The top chord should be built the same
way, but use 2 2x8's instead.
The vertical pieces (poles) should be 2 2x4's with 1/2" plywood
sandwich. 2 2x6's would be better, but you decide. The poles, you
remember, will have the sandwiched plywood protruding out each end
a sufficient amount to form a tenon that fits the mortises you have in
the top and bottom chords. You'll also need some intermediate studs to
which you'll attach your sheathing, but those can be toe-nailed to the
chords.
Use a generous amount of construction adhesive.
You can attach the sheathing before you erect the walls, but the walls
are going to be quite heavy that way. If you decide to sheath the walls
later, you'll need to add temporary diagonal bracing.
What I've described is basically "continous header" framing and it's
very strong.

5) Be sure that you make the walls tall enough to allow for deep headers
over your doors.

6) As others have mentioned, 24' trusses are not expensive. Save yourself
a bunch of time and buy them.

Have fun:D
 
   / Pole Garage Question... a 'lil backward const. #14  
Just a note, I purchase 24' trusses at least 2-3 times a year for cabin projects and they generaly run about 75 bucks apiece as said inspectors lov um. as far as frost line here in W. Mass (runs about same temps as Buffalo)
They call for Piers to be 4' below ground on a 6-8" thk pad. You can just get a item called "big foot" from home depot fairly chaep. It pays to do it right the first time as I have fixed more then one pole barn that has lifted from frost (I've seen 1 corner lift more then 10")
 

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