What size beam to use for 16' doors on polebarn?

rambler · Jan 2, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

( 4"-6" of snow is big here,but I guess 12" is not out of the question.The barn fit perfectly between my other barn and fence,but the other way I would of ran into some pad building.I am going to put a 16' deep shed that runs the eve when I'm done so you will actually be under roof entering and exiting the doors. )

Even more reason for an end door, not side door, in my opinion. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

1. you will be giving up height. As the lean-to open side gets lower, you will not be able to use the cieling in your new building. Us farm types keep getting bigger & taller toys, you will have a building taller than it's doors, and will not be able to put the big toys in under the lean-to roof.

2. You will lose the storage space of the lean-to. You are giving up an area 16' by 16' of lean-to space as just driveway to enter your building this way. With doors on the end, you could use that space to store stuff. Now, it is just a driveway - useless.

Please don't take my comments as anything but conversation, I don't want to sound critical or in your face. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Just chatting with you, there are many good reasons you can have for building what you are building.

In my case dad wanted to use the pull-type combine & drive in the shed, circle through the middle & drive out again. So he put 2 sidewall doors in. Turns out to be the dumbest, stupidest, most _UN_handy thing on this whole farm, and I'm living with the problem. What can I do, the building sits there, too good to tear down, I'm too poor to build new.... Dad used 2' high concrete foundation & it's studded walls, so pretty hard to add an endwall door. He designed the 6' spaced trusses himself, pretty much designed the whole building, it uses home-sawn lumber. Dad built it like a rock. Beautiful building, only 2 years younger than I am, and looks to have a lot of life in it yet.

And there it is, with those stupid sidewall doors. Just makes using that building miserable.

Grrrrr.

Good luck with your project. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif PS: Man you have a shallow roof on your house! Up here in snow country of Minnesota we need to have some angle on the roof to get the snow load off, and wind loads to design for because we are on the prairie, and.... Looks like it would be easy to make a building where you are, nothing to worry about! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul

phantom309 · Jan 2, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

Howdy Plumboy-

I am a newbie to the world of construction (especially so when dealing with wooden members) so I can't offer you any advice.

But I am trying to learn as I plan for my own pole barn and have a question for you. Your original post stated:

( I'm planning on running a 2x12 around the top outside and a 2x8 as the top plate and truss for each pole. )

I'm trying to merge my limited understanding of pole barn building and traditional stick building to picture what you are describing. Do I understand that the 2x12 is oriented vertically, and the 2x8 top plate sits on that horizontally as in stick framing? Is this recommended for pole barn construction?

I have been thinking of following in the footsteps of others that have posted here and using two 2x12's around the top and setting wooden prefab trusses on those. Should I put a 2x6 top plate on top of the 2x12s to set the trusses on? I'm guessing that would give a larger contact area for the trusses to lessen the maximum compression they would see.

One other interpretation of your note is to do as I was originally thinking and setting the trusses on the 2x12's, but put a horizontal 2x6 top plate between the trusses to provide something to secure the ceilings sheetrock to at the corner.

Thanks for any advice. I enjoy learning more and this site has been a wonderful reference!

Best,

Mark

plumboy · Jan 2, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

The 2x12 runs horizontal with the top of all the posts and the 2x8 sits on the post and the 2x12 like an L tying the posts together at the top.I'm only using one 2x12 because there is no truss load between posts.This is just a rough hay storage barn so I'm not putting any drywall nailers in.

johnday · Jan 2, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

plumboy;Alright! The lightbulb finally lit, I really didn't get what you were trying to bring out earlier.

IMO, you need to notch both sides of your posts for the header, thru bolt them after counterboring the "outside LVL, then nail on your 2X12 top girt, and cap with your 2X8 "top plate". By the time you're done with that you could probably park your machine on it and still have no sag. Earlier I just could not picture what you were saying. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Hope I didn't screw you up on anything. What have you settled on for the door?

phantom309 · Jan 2, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

( The 2x12 runs horizontal with the top of all the posts and the 2x8 sits on the post and the 2x12 like an L tying the posts together at the top. )

Gotcha. That is what I was picturing, but didn't say very clearly! Is the purpose of the 2x8 that runs horizontally (and is also oriented horizontally (flat)) to provide bracing for the 2x12 to prevent it from deflicting sideways?

Do I understand correctly that the solution is to use an LVL beam on the inside of your pole and a 2x12 on the outside (over the door)?

Thanks again.

Mark

plumboy · Jan 2, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

( What have you settled on for the door? )

I dont know much about doors but I would like to use overhead if the rails and such can be put up in the trusses so I can get maximum clearance.If not It will be the sliders which are fine with me,BUT,ultimately money will decide when it comes time to close the holes.
Phantom the reason for the lvl's are cause the doors are on the load bearing(eve) side and carry all the roof load.If it were on the gable side I wouldnt worry because the truss would be carrying the weight.

I put a couple of pics in the farm link I took with my phone camera.Me and my 11 year old son got the rest of the post in yesterday in the rain.So far we have 14.5 hours in it.How do I know...because I have to pay him by the hour! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Anyone ever weighed one of these posts?

frank_f15 · Jan 3, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

when i had my garage built, i wanted 18ft. doors, so the contractor used 2x12's sandwiched around a steel plate and set on triple studs. seems to have worked fine. He did not want any sag whatsoever and it seems to have a done the job.

johnday · Jan 3, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

plumboy;Since you are using the 2X12 top girt, and I assume 2X trim board, just measure down from the bottom of the header. This will give you the max door height you can go. With 11 3/4" deep header, you should wind up with plenty of room for an overhead door track. In my area, anything over an 8' height takes quite a leap in $. Those are mostly considered commercial doors at that point. I usually use Wayne/Dalton doors and have the guy I buy them from install them. I've not done an internet search, but I'm sure there are other quality doors out there. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Hope I'm helping, PM me anytime. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

plumboy · Feb 27, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

Made a little progress on the barn thought I'd post some pics.The more I look at my pics the more I dislike the quality of my blury fisheyed free phone camera LOL.Just about done with the walls,ran out of 2x4's to run down from the top plate to my horizontal wall bracing.Using all treated so I could get yellow pine.I'm ordering my trusses and will go ahead and roof it but right now I cant decide if I want to use metal on the sides or tyvek and oak siding.The oak will save me over a grand but will cost me extra time,no biggie,and metal to me just gets stail looking.The pics are in the link below.

johnday · Feb 28, 2005

Re: What size beam to use for 16\' doors on polebarn?

plumboy; Good progress. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif How did you decide to do your header? And before anyone else, MORE photos!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif