Took Down Pole barn 48 by 90, Move it and rebuild to 48 by 88 for $1 SQ FT

ovrszd · Jan 23, 2020

I absolutely understand your goal.

I lived in a two story house for 40 years. Even had two steps from attached garage to house. Last May we moved into our new house on a concrete slab. We don't have a single step anywhere. Attached one car garage. No step into house.

We don't migrate South so heat was important. We heated our slab, including the garage. Auto door opener on the garage. Drive in, get out of car, remove coat, boots, etc., hang them in the heated garage. Carry groceries in with no steps. Even used a low clearance threshold on the door going into the house. Used 36" doors everywhere. 48" hallway. 48" wide showers. Everything accessible in a wheel chair if needed. We'll die in this house.

I have a detached shop that's 30ft from the house. I spend a lot of time in the shop. Am there now. I originally planned to build something similar to yours, all under one roof. After visiting with several people I consider experts, including Eddie Walker from here on TBN, I decided to separate the buildings. The work I do in my shop is noisy and smelly. Lot of metal work, cutting, welding, etc. I didn't feel confident I could isolate the shop enough.

We had our concrete floor in the house stained and sealed. We use throw rugs. We really like it. It cost us $5000 to have the floors done on 1750 sqft. The contractor that poured our floor did an excellent job. Very flat and uniform. The contractor that did our stain used a buffer with a grinding wheel and ground off the finish to a slightly rough texture so the stain would stick. After he finished it with sealer it's again smooth. I'll attach a couple pics of the stain. The choices are limitless.

If I had a do over it would be to insulate all the interior walls in the house. Noise transmits easier when living on concrete. The garage walls that the house shares are fully insulated just like the exterior walls. Spray foam and then filled with fiberglas. The garage floor also slopes toward the overhead door and is recessed so no liquids coming from the car can enter the house. If I'm sitting in the living room and my wife comes home I don't hear her until she opens the door to enter the utility room from the garage. Very good noise discipline in those walls. We never smell the car.

You might want to talk to your insurance company about your design. They may have requirements regarding the separation of your living quarters and garage?? Not sure about that. Our insurance agent asks us about the joining wall's construction. He also commented positively about the floor design.

I would suggest that you construct as if you are going to spend the Winters there. We never know what the future holds. You might find yourself unable to make the trip South each Winter.

Anxious to follow your progress. Thanks for starting the thread and taking the time to keep us updated!!!

Michelle K linnane · Jan 23, 2020

Wow I love your floors. that is exactly what I am talking about. I had floor in in my old barn but don't want to bother in new one.
My truck will not go in garage just underneath my overhang so long as the sun and weather don't hit it that is all I care about.
Yes I will insulate fully and have the systems to deal harsh winters and staying warm.
I had done the same thing in part of my old barn

aczlan · Jan 23, 2020

ovrszd said:
You might want to talk to your insurance company about your design. They may have requirements regarding the separation of your living quarters and garage?? Not sure about that. Our insurance agent asks us about the joining wall's construction. He also commented positively about the floor design.

Excellent point, in many cases they will require a fire-rated door and fire rated sheetrock with all penetrations sealed with the red calk.

If you're going to be there in the winter, I would strongly recommend that you look into putting in radiant heat in the slab. It makes for amazingly comfortable heat in a living area.

Aaron Z

ovrszd · Jan 24, 2020

aczlan said:
Excellent point, in many cases they will require a fire-rated door and fire rated sheetrock with all penetrations sealed with the red calk.

If you're going to be there in the winter, I would strongly recommend that you look into putting in radiant heat in the slab. It makes for amazingly comfortable heat in a living area.

Aaron Z

I agree. If you already intend to insulate the concrete the additional cost of PEX is minimal. Insulation is pricey though I spent $480 for the PEX under my house floor. Originally didn't intend to use it. But couldn't pour the concrete without installing the PEX. I was insulating either way.

3Ts · Jan 25, 2020

We just built our forever house. It has 4 foot hallways, 3 foot doors, handicap bars in bathrooms, and the laundry is next to the bedrooms where most of the laundry is created. We have an interior bathroom so we have a tubular skylight to light it up. Freezer is in the mud room and a counter top is in the mud room to catch all the odds & ends that would otherwise end up on the kitchen countertop.

Keep in mind you will want a small (we have 1.5" step up from the outside porch to the inside of the house to keep water from running in under the door. (same for attached garage with floor sloped to the door)

We have a dehumidifier which is separate from the Air conditioner. We have propane forced air heat which is not as efficient as a heat pump, but I do not like cold air blowing on me when it's trying to warm up the house. We have a (propane only) fireplace that is only 14" deep so it doesn't stick into the room much.

We also have stained and honed concrete floors. We like them, sort of. The problem has to do with the quality of the concrete and the ability of the applicator. When the applicator has to come back to do a touch up, it won't be the same color. Also, if they don't prep the floor properly and use an angle grinder to "smooth it up" it's not going to turn out well. We are putting in an epoxy floor, we're expecting it to be completed next week. We have high hopes for it, we'll see.

Also, consider requiring all outside doors to be solid core. Note: solid core and solid wood are not the same thing. Solid core allows use of manufactured wood.

ovrszd · Jan 26, 2020

3Ts, our concrete guys were great. The floors were properly poured, prepped, stained and sealed. So far we haven't had any issues.

As to the step at the door. Our concrete porch is poured 1/2" lower than our slab. Then it is gently sloped up to the entrance door. You don't even notice the rise and no step.

When you get your floor redone I'd be interested in hearing about it.

quicksandfarmer · Jan 26, 2020

Congratulations on a great project. Well done. A man after my own heart!

Michelle K linnane · Nov 29, 2021

Updated project pictures have 200 ton of crusher run before the concrete pour. By the time I took barn down and transported it and put it back up again if has cost me $1 a square foot. barn is 48 by 88 4224 square feet. The picture is not clear as I took it thru truck windshield.

I could not predicted how much building materials were going to go up when I started this project pre COVID back in 2019. I did buy the 3 sliding glass door as it lets more light in the door and I prefer to frame in 1 door as opposed to doing 3 windows. But when we took all the metal for the ceilings and I can use in my garage area man am I glade I did this. We still have at least 3 to 4 tons of metal still left over so I can use on other projects. Want to build a shed roof for me new toy hauler to park under I will live on the the toy hauler in summer until barn is completed. My plan is I work from home as an IT project manager I plan to spend winter in Texas and summers up here.

When the Amish took barn down they saved all the electric outlets, all the pex fittings, all the lights, fans, doors, windows, they even saved the light bulbs from the shop lighting in the barn.

The apartment will be 28 by 48. The garage will be 18 by 48, The over hang space which will have 3 sides eventually only gable end open will be 40 by 48. Everything under one roof, clean off my truck in the winter, no carrying stuff up steps. Have not had a attached garage in 14 years will nice to walk into garage for something i need instead of going out to barn. not far but 150 feet is a pain in the neck when winter time.

But will building materials being so much I think this is good alternate route if you have Amish close and a friend with a tractor trailer to move trusses 18 miles away. Many people when I first posted this thought it was not worth doing.