Post Frame vs Stud Wall

[theboman]

I'm outta space in my studio which is only an 8X10 storage shed with lots of insulation/sound absorbtion material.
I'm eyeing a 24X24 to 24X32 garage. 1/2 will be my music studio the other with be storage for my toys.

FYI, both sides will be insulated (not necessarily finished).

So, what's the advantages / disadvantages of Post Frame vs
Stud Wall?

 

[Stonewall]

With a building of that size the stud walls will usually sit on foundation of some sort and if that's done even marginally well it will be more sturdy and last longer than the post frame with the poles in the ground. If by post frame you mean Post & Beam then it's somewhat a different story in that P&B construction is very durable and also sits on a foundation. While P&B is pretty to look at and will be here when your grand kids are old and grey it is not the most efficient use of lumber and these days that figures into my plans. Finding someone who actually knows what their doing with it is also an issue. P&B is also more expensive than regular stud walls and, unless it's common in your area, the county guys don't always know how to inspect it - and that is YOUR problem. I'm in the same boat with you on this. The post barn that was on the property when I bought it houses the Tractor and tools but it has seen better days (c1930s) and I don't know how many more 24" snows it will take before I have a rescue on my hands. I'm looking at pulling it down next spring and putting in a 24' X 30' mono-pour foundation and sitting a barn style prefab on it. It's cheaper than a custom gives me a loft for whatever.

 

[Mosey]

I'm no expert, but I'm going to take a shot at this because I'm getting ready to build a 24x24 garage myself. I'm going to use post frame construction, ie it will be a pole barn type building. But, when I get done it will look like a garage rather than a pole barn. I plan to use OSB siding covered with vinyl siding. The inside will not be finished and it will not be insulated right away, but I might add insulation and interior walls later on. I'm going to use roof trusses and a shingled roof. The reason I'm doing it this way is because it's cheaper and easier than pouring a foundation.

 

[Egon]

Thoughts:
A normal stud wall building is adapted to fit with most hardware,sidings,doors,windows and insulation etc. It is the most common form of construction for small buildings. Walls are built on the ground so it's easy to get them square. You also get to do a lot of work at ground level.

Post buildings are usually taller, larger and have a tendency to be used for large equipment storage, shops and feed storage. They are definetly the ideal for farm/ranch/multi toy owners.

Each have their own merits for the use they will be put to. For 24x28 I'd go to garage package. Two young ambitious fellows can do this in a weekend excluding the concrete. Well maybe a little more time if you figure the insulation/wireing and proper detailed finishing.

Egon

 

[cstocks]

Mosey,

Why are you going w/ OSB siding and vinyl siding? Did you consider Hardiplank?

 

[Mosey]

cstocks - I'd never heard of Hardiplank until you mentioned it. I just looked into it a little and it looks expensive. I'm trying to keep the costs down.

 

[BOOMHAUER]

I work for a timber frame company. The advantages of Heavy timber construction are quick construction, aesthetics and the ability to accomodate all kinds of open floor plans. They can be more expensive than conventional framing, but if your able to erect the frame yourself, you'll save some $$. The end product is truly awesome to behold when looked at from inside!

 

[djradz]

I just finished insulating and finishing my pole barn and essentially had to build an inner wall in order to hold the insulation and wall board. I know there were other ways to have done it, but if you want somewhat of a clean solid interior wall, this is really the best way to go. If you plan on insulating, I'd just go ahead and build 2x4 or 2x6 walls. Also, consider insulating the floor. Non-insulated will help keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, but if you're planning on heating the space, a lot of heat goes out through the slab. A number of folks in our area are insulating the slab and then putting PE tubing or copper pipe in the slab and using a small residential gas water heater for heating the entire building. Beautiful, quiet, no-draft setup. If I had it to do again, I think this is how I'd go. Instead I have to rely on the wood stove, fortuneately there's lots of fuel on the property.

 

[gmason]

Boomhauer, I'm looking to build a pole frame barn and was looking to find someplace to get a few of the timber frame tools. Like the large chisels and a few other items. Is there a good web site to find these tools and not pay a arm&leg??
thanks
gary

 

[theboman]

http://www.lehmans.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/lehmans/dsphomepage.dw/report

Check out this place!

 

[theboman]

After all the info if and when I take the plunge it'll be a stud wall. The package deals from lumber companies are cheaper for the stud wall (still ain't figured that one out), and the insulation/wiring will be easier to do.
I'm figuring out how much I can afford, and where I can get the time.

 

[BOOMHAUER]

We buy our chisels from Barrtools.com. A quality chisel will run you $80-100. This chisel will last a lifetime, sharp is an understatement!

 

[BOOMHAUER]

Structural panel construction is another option. Very competitive with stick framing, better R-value, and much stronger. A panel barn/structure goes up super quick. Panels can be manufactured with electrical channels cut into foam.

 

[chim]

Depending upon how soundproof you want to get it, frame may help. I remember seeing plans for soundproofing rooms that involved offset installation of the studs. I can't recall exactly how they did it, but think they used 2X4 studs that shared a 2X8 plate top and bottom. Sound-dampening blankets or insulation was serpentined horizontally betweem the offset studs. Interior finishes were on one set of studs, and exterior on the other..................chim

 

[Ozarker]

Under Floor radiant heat is becoming popular. You can put the pipes under your drive as well and just melt the snow and ice off.

 

[rationalizer]

Boman,

That is the decision I made - sinking wood into the ground just doesn't appeal to me - and when I looked into the final cost of an insulated/finished space it was close on cost - so why not build a building that will be more "robust". Pole barns are great for lots of things - but when you start insulating and then putting in walls I think "stick frame" is the way to go. Have you looked at "www.barnplans.com"?

Bill

 

[Wingnut]

I think that, for what you're doing, a stud wall is definitely a better alternative. I built my shop from a 24 x 32 garage package.
Studs are easier to work with as far as insulating, providing nailing surfaces for sheves, wallboard, counters, etc. Also easier for a guy to do himself (I did the whole thing without any assistance ... made me feel pretty good)
Studs are also cheaper (since they're mass produced by machine and you get a lot more 2x4's from a large log than 4x4's (or larger posts). They also don't need to be treated, etc.
When I built mine, I put one course of cinder blocks on the slab to raise the height ... when I was almost finished doing the inside, I was wishing I'd used 2 courses and had a 10 foot ceiling. 9 foot works pretty well though.
Good luck, when you decide and get to it!

pete

 

[Hoeman00]

I used 2x6x14' YP w/ double top and bottom plates.
It gave me 14' 6" ceiling ht. and could use 13' 6" overhead door
(low overhead kit).
1/2" osb, building wrap, and vinyl siding outside.
R-19 in walls and 5/8 drywall.
Works VERY nice.

 

[theboman]

I'm now way past the 60% phase of I have to do this now. I also made a decision that on the garage side of the garage that the last rafter or two will be beefed up enough so I can hang my 60" MMM for winter storage (the neatest thing I've seen/heard done in a while, thanks TBN folks), I'll just hang a couple of short chains and get one of those small hoists to leave mounted.
The studio side will be wired for audio as well as electric. I'll have some sort of heating/cooling in there but it's not the most important thing to me at this point since I have a widow unit AC and a portable heater.

 

[Elkoboy]

As an alternative to a conventional masonry foundation, wood foundations are being used as well.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.woodbasement.com/>http://www.woodbasement.com/</A>