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Barn Doors? Houses? Materials!

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Where can I find barn doors, sliding steel style? They have no internet presence, or else there is a secret name for them. Thank you! BONNY in FRANKFORT

DEAR BONNY: If you are in search of a steel covered, metal framed sliding door (which is what the huge majority of sliding doors are) you are not finding them on the internet because they are components which are put together for the door frame and then the steel siding is added.

We provide literally thousands of these doors a year, however they are only available with the investment into a complete post frame (pole) building kit package, due to the logistics of avoiding shipping damage.

If you are looking for just the door, my recommendation would be to stop at the Pro Desk of your local The Home Depot®. They should be able to fix you up with everything you will need for successful completion of your sliding steel barn door.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Looking 1700 sq ft 2 bedroom pole barn house great room 1 bedroom 2 floor 2 full baths. DAVE in BELLVILLE

DEAR DAVE: Post frame (pole barn) buildings make for fabulous homes, as they are affordable, can easily be constructed by the home owner, go up quickly and offer a tremendous degree of flexibility.

In the case of Hansen Pole Buildings, we take care of the perimeter structural design, provide all of the engineered building plans for the shell (along with assembly instructions) and deliver the materials to your jobsite. Once the building shell has been completed, you are then free to place interior walls wherever will best meet your needs.

You can find out more about barndominiums here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2016/04/the-rise-of-the-barndominium/.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I recently started erecting the pole barn material you had supplied and found that the gable posts aren’t long enough for the design. The drawings call for the posts to be set in the ground at 40″ and then rise up to support the trusses 11 feet above grade. That would require a minimum of 14′-4″ posts. The posts that were delivered are 14′-0″. In order to proceed with the project I need 16′-0″ posts. How should I proceed? Ideally I will be reimbursed for the new posts that I purchase today since I need them to continue progress on the building. Please advise. PETER in RHINEBECK

DEAR PETER: Thank you for being on top of inventory. We so appreciate clients who inventory promptly and report any discrepancies immediately through their online login. Although 16 foot long columns were ordered, it appears whoever pulled the order in the lumberyard did not look very closely at their tape measure.

To aid in speeding replacement, please provide a photo showing the columns along with a tape measure which confirms the incorrect length. The lumberyard should be able to have the corrected materials pulled within hours and delivery and swap out done immediately following.

This entry was posted in Lumber, Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Structure, Pole Building Doors, Pole Barn Homes, Uncategorized and tagged materials, inventory, pole barn house, Barn Doors, Sliding steel, homes on September 18, 2024 by Rick Ochs.

Insulation Costs, A Pole Barn Home, and Wall Steel Options

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about adding insulation to a quote, a quote for a pole barn home, and the use of standing seam steel on exterior walls.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I live in Jim Thorpe, PA and have ordered a 20×24 Pole Building. The quote didn’t include insulation. So I asked for a separate quote. The quote included the following:

Openings
(1) Ceiling Liner access door insulated White $275
Insulation
Wall: R-21 w/Liner
Roof: R-38 w/Ceiling Liner
$5,808
$2,323

They don’t include the materials used, so I can’t research the materials cost. But does this sound like a reasonable quote? Seems high, but this is my first pole building. Maybe material cost is like lumber, UP UP UP…?

Can you give me your opinion or shed (no pun intended) any light on this? Thanks so much! ROBERT

DEAR ROBERT: Without knowing your building height, number and dimensions of windows and doors and how your building is proposed to be framed (without any liner), it is impossible to determine if this is or is not reasonable. Keep in mind, probably roughly half of this price is due to your provider’s overhead, profit and labor, so if you are handy at all, you might want to consider doing this work yourself.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Looking for a pole barn home.
Wish List:
Ranch Style
3 bedroom 2 bath
1 craft-hobby room
Overhang porch
Attached 2 car garage
Can this be designed and priced?
JOLENE in DUBUQUE

DEAR JOLENE: Yes, it can be both designed and priced.

First Step is the design phase:

Have professional floor plans and elevation drawings done before pestering a builder. Very few builders are professional designers or architects – expecting them to be is unrealistic.

If you do not own the dirt, it is impossible to craft a barndominium plan to best fit with your building site.

Some plan tips to consider:

Direction of access – driveways are not cheap and shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
Curb appeal – what will people see when they drive up? This may not be important to you, however some day someone will try to resell your barndominium.

Is there an appealing view?

North-south alignment – place no or few windows on north walls, but lots of windows on south wall. Roof overhangs on south wall should provide shade to windows from mid-day summer sun.

Is there a slope on your building site?

Work from inside out – do not try to fit your wants and needs within a preordained box just because someone said using a “standard” size might be cheaper. Differences in dimensions from “standard” are pennies per square foot, not dollars.

Popular home spaces and sizes need to be determined:

Room in a Barndominium

With all of this in mind, order our custom designed floor plans here: http://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/post-frame-floor-plans/?fbclid=IwAR2ta5IFSxrltv5eAyBVmg-JUsoPfy9hbWtP86svOTPfG1q5pGmfhA7yd5Q

Once your floor plans and elevation drawings have been completed, we can then give you an exact price.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi, my question is, can the standing seam roofing material you show in your building catalog be use for siding? RICH in MARYVILLE

DEAR RICH: Absolutely, however it would need to be applied over 5/8″ CDX plywood as it is non-structural. Small world – my oldest son and his family lived in Maryville for many years, his mother and I helped build a post frame garage with a mother-in-law apartment above it in their backyard.

This entry was posted in Steel Roofing & Siding, Pole Building Siding, Alternate Siding, Budget, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Homes, Pole Barn Design, Pole Barn Planning and tagged steel siding, standing seam steel, pole barn house, Post Frame Home, building quotes, insulation on August 9, 2021 by admin.

Protect Your Right to Freedom of Choice

Today we take a momentary pause from contracts to protect your right to freedom of choice.

Your first question is going to be, “Why should I care about what Madison County, IL does?

Easy answer – because what one jurisdiction does, another is sure to follow, then another, then another.

But I don’t care about post- frame homes or a pole barn house!

If you think this will stop at just post-frame, I have some ocean front property in Arizona for sale on the cheap!

This is from a June 23 story in “The Telegraph” (you can email the author at SCousins@thetelegraph.com):

“Madison County is considering a minor change in zoning codes dealing with pole barn houses.

On Tuesday, a petition for text amendments to Madison County zoning ordinances to tighten requirements for “pole barn houses” in agricultural areas was presented to the Madison County Zoning Board of Appeals.

Current ordinances require 2 acres to build the homes. If approved, the change would require 5 acres.

The county routinely reviews zoning codes and makes amendments every year or so to reflect changes in state or local laws and to correct any mistakes. The last time that was done was in 2019.”

In response I sent this email to zoning@co.madison.il.us and asked for it to be directed to the Zoning Board of Appeals (chairperson is a Mr. Metzler):

“I respectfully submit, for your consideration, the following:

Fully engineered post-frame buildings (pole barn houses in this article) can be entirely Code conforming structural systems. There may be a thought pole barn houses are ‘unsightly’ to some, due to being most often sided with roll formed steel panels. Post frame buildings can have any roofing and/or siding materials found on other structural systems, such as stud wall (stick frame). Sidings can include wood, vinyl, masonry, stucco, the possibilities being endless. To place a restriction only upon one structural system, rather than all systems universally could be seen as prejudicial, as well as a restriction of free trade and Interstate Commerce.

Rather than taking the proposed approach, I would offer up for consideration allowing for any engineered and Code conforming structural system to be used for a dwelling in any allowable zone, with the caveat of placing restrictions instead upon what materials may be used to clad said systems. If the true objection is to vertical steel siding, unpainted galvanized steel cladding, or even particular color(s) or combinations, then state as such and make it universal on any fully engineered structural system.

As it now stands, one could erect a stick framed home, and cover it with steel cladding, whereas it would appear from the street to be a “pole barn house”, yet it would be conforming.”

I implore you to take a few minutes from your busy day and email Madison County’s Zoning Board of Appeals and Mr. Cousins at The Telegraph to assist in defeating this onerous proposal.

Madison County’s Zoning Board of Appeals meets next Tuesday, so please do not delay as time is of the essence.

I thank you, in advance, for your consideration. Please share this with your friends.

This entry was posted in Barndominium, About The Pole Barn Guru, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Homes, Post Frame Home and tagged freedom of choice, The Telegraph, Madison County, Madison County Zoning Board of Appeals, pole building, pole barn house, barndominium, Post Frame Home on June 25, 2021 by admin.

Barn Conversions, Raising a Building, and Pole Barns on Concrete Slabs

Today’s Pole Barn Guru discusses a possible conversion of an old pole barn, raising a building, and how site preparation helps with concrete slabs.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Have a 40’ x 100’, 2 sides enclosed, pole barn I would like to convert to a house / garage combo. Columns are 20’ on center in the front and 10’ O/c in side and back. (Pics attached). Is this doable in Ky and roughly cost per sq ft.? We plan on 3 bed, 2 bath, open concept, 40 x 50 living and 40 x 50 garage. Thank you for your input / knowledge. JIM in FRANKLIN

DEAR JIM: Pole barns for agricultural use are rarely designed by a Registered Professional Engineer and in many cases do not require a Building Permit. If it did happen to be both of those things, it was probably designed to a lower set of design standards than a residence would be. Is it doable? Perhaps, however it may cost so much to upgrade your existing building so as to make it financially unrealistic. If you want to pursue this avenue further, it would be best to invest in services of a competent local Registered Professional Engineer who can do a physical examination of your building and make detailed recommendations as to what it would take to make necessary structural upgrades.

Your best solution might be to erect a new building properly engineered to residential requirements.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a newer pole barn, 30 ft wide, standard trusses 10ft. above the floor. What options do I have to raise the clearance to 14ft? Trusses with a kick up, add a knee wall, scissor trusses? Would prefer whole area at 14ft but could consider just the center 12 ft or so to accommodate a travel trailer. RON in MANISTEE

DEAR RON: It could be possible to increase height of some or all of your building however it will take some significant structural engineering (as well as a serious investment of labor and materials) in order to do so – a competent Registered Professional Engineer should be engaged to visit your existing building, do an analysis and provide a design solution. My educated guess is it will prove to be less expensive to erect a new post frame (pole barn) building to fit over your travel trailer, than to make an attempt to remodel what you have.

pole spacing

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Builders in the northwest Ohio area don’t seem interested in building a pole barn house with a concrete slab. They said not a good idea do to cracking but there are all sorts of commercial pole barn facilities built on concrete pads. Couldn’t I just use fiber in the concrete to help with expansion? MATT in ARLINGTON

DEAR MATT: Your top factor for getting a good result from a slab on grade concrete slab in a post frame (pole barn) home is proper site preparation. (Read more beginning here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/site-preparation/) Just adding fibermesh to your concrete mixture is unlikely to be a satisfactory solution unless you have a great site prepped.

For a pole barn house, you might want to consider building over a crawl space – investment is probably fairly similar, however wood is so much more comfortable to live on.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure, Concrete, Rebuilding Structures and tagged Barn Conversion, Increase height, lift building, concrete slab, building site preparation, pole barn house, shouse on October 7, 2019 by admin.

Extreme Efforts to Add Post Frame to House

Extreme Efforts to Match Post Frame to House

Reader JOSH from POST FALLS and I have previously communicated. He is doing what I refer to a piecemealing – putting together his own building by making repeated trips to the local lumber yard (learn more about piecemealing here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2014/03/diy-pole-building/.

Josh’s new post frame garage is adjacent to his home and he wants things to match up.

Josh writes:

“Thanks so much for your offer for help. The knowledge of other people’s questions on your site is a great resource. I’ll buy my next pole structure kit from you for sure.

Quick question. I have an 18″ overhang with 2×8 purlins and truss top members. My pole garage is next to my house and will be matching the exterior of the house. The varge rafter and fascia on the house are 2×6. It looks like I can just trim the bottom off on the fascia side, but what is the recommended way to match the gable end to the house if the purlins on the garage are 2×8 instead of 2×6?

Also are the varge rafter and the facscia both 1×6? or 2×6?

P.S. I noticed you used grok in one of your answers to a question. Haha, first use of grok in a non-technical setting I’ve seen. You must have a technical background.”

Mike the Pole Barn Guru Writes:

My mission is to be informative and entertaining – if grok got a chuckle from you, then all is good! I also try to throw out some occasional words most people do not use every day, with the hopes it will expand the vocabulary of some.

Unless your pole garage is attached to your house, frankly no one except you or I would ever notice the fascias are not the same dimension. People just are not finely attuned to details such as these. If it is really important to you, you could cut the overhanging portion of the purlins down to 5-1/2″ by ripping a chunk off from the overhanging portion, without it negatively affecting the structural ability of the purlins to carry the load. Your Building Department may require a letter from the engineer who designed your building on this one, however.

I would go with two inch nominal material for both the varges and fascias – they will be far straighter and will tend not to wave as much between supports.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Questions, Constructing a Pole Building, Trusses, Pole Barn Homes and tagged post frame garage, fascia, purlins, pole barn house on October 13, 2017 by admin.

Barn Doors, Freight, and Barndomonium!

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I would like to see if there is a product out there for the back of my barn. My barn is set up with two stall doors. The back door allows the horses to go into their pastures 24/7. I currently have tin on wooden doors and this cuts them up occasionally. Is there anything I can put on there besides tin? Any recommendations would be appreciated. DEBBIE in WILLARDS
DEAR DEBBIE: Your best solution for covering the doors is “tin” (actually it is steel), as it will be both the most affordable and most durable. If your horses are getting cut by it, it means the steel was improperly installed. Any edges of the steel should be tucked neatly into J Channel trims, which will protect your horses from snagging an edge. Take a color photo of the door(s) along with the measurements of the door to the Pro Desk at your local The Home Depot® and they should be able to assist you in getting the needed parts.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How much is shipping for a building to Michigan? DON in RICHMOND

DEAR DON: In the continental United States (a.k.a. the lower 48) shipping to your accessible site is always included in the basic price, other than if a toll ferry is involved. In those cases, the actual ferry charges will be added as incurred.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi, my husband and I are looking I to purchasing a small piece of land and want to build a pole barn home on it. I’m envisioning 4 bed upstairs with 2 bath and a loft area and on the main floor a master bed with bath , kitchen/dining, great room at least 3 car garage . So you have anything that would be close to what I’m thinking? KELLI in NEW BADEN

DEAR KELLI: All Hansen Pole Buildings’ post frame buildings are custom designed to best meet with the needs of our clients, so in answer to your question – yes. We do not include the design of your interior rooms, however. Our specialty is the design and provision of structural members, which would include the building shell, and raised wood floors (including over crawl spaces and basements, second or third floors, lofts and mezzanines), as well as stairs.

Browse on line and look for a room layout which would meet with your needs and chances are excellent we can design the structure which will fit it.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Planning, Steel Roofing & Siding, Pole Barn Homes and tagged Barn Doors, homes, Door materials, shipping, freight, pole barn house on July 17, 2017 by admin.

Hangar to House?

This article was triggered by an article I read recently by Karen L. Chandler at www.readingeagle.com in regards to a post frame building in Perry County, PA., excerpted below:

“In other business, attorney Zachary A. Morey of Hoffert & Konis PC of Reading asked the supervisors to consider allowing an addition to Peter Lombardi’s pole building on Skyline Drive. The proposed addition would be used as a residence by Lombardi’s father.

Body noted the pole building was previously used as an airplane hangar, but Morey said it was now used for storage and as a part-time residence.

Supervisors Chairman Dean A. Adam said the pole building was never intended to be a residence and questioned why Lombardi could not build a house on the site.

“It was not disclosed to us what he’s doing until he did it. He’s defrauding us.” Adam said, adding that the property was not assessed as a residence for tax purposes.

Morey said Lombardi had gotten an occupancy permit for the building in 2001, but Shollenberger said if the building is permitted as a hangar, it could not be converted to residential use.

Body asked Morey to provide documentation confirming the tax assessment on the property is accurate and said the property should be inspected to ensure it is appropriate for a dwelling before an addition is approved.”

Unless the hangar was to be used commercially, it is most likely designed at a Risk Occupancy I building (and probably constructed without engineered plans). Residences require a Risk Occupancy II which has more stringent requirements for resisting climactic loads.

There are more than good chances the hangar was not designed with trusses capable of supporting a significant ceiling load (like gypsum wallboard) or walls stiff enough to support drywall without cracking.

Structurally, albeit with some possible modification, a RDP (Registered Design Professional – architect or engineer) could review the original plans and make a determination as to the repairs necessary to properly upgrade the building. This will probably also involve acquiring an engineered truss repair from the truss manufacturer. If a dead attic space is created, then ventilation must be attended to. Energy codes must also be addressed. It is possible these fixes could involve some significant expenses.

Now this does not even begin to tackle the question of whether or not the property happens to be residentially zoned.

How can you avoid these challenges with your new post frame building?

Design appropriately as a Risk Category II building, framed ready for sheetrocked walls and ceiling, with the appropriate ventilation and provisions to be insulated. The minor up front investment makes this route the road to race down!

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Homes, Pole Barn Design, Building Department, Pole Barn Planning, Trusses, Professional Engineer and tagged post frame house, hangar house, hangar residence, pole barn house on June 21, 2017 by admin.

Barn Doors? Houses? Materials!

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Where can I find barn doors, sliding steel style? They have no internet presence, or else there is a secret name for them. Thank you! BONNY in FRANKFORT

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Looking 1700 sq ft 2 bedroom pole barn house great room 1 bedroom 2 floor 2 full baths. DAVE in BELLVILLE

You can find out more about barndominiums here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2016/04/the-rise-of-the-barndominium/.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized, Lumber, Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Structure, Pole Building Doors, Pole Barn Homes and tagged Barn Doors, Sliding steel, homes, materials, inventory, pole barn house on January 9, 2017 by admin.

How Deep Should Pole Barn Holes Be?

Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” email address.

Email all questions to: PoleBarnGuru@HansenPoleBuildings.com

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am concerned that my plans might not have my pole barn holes going deep enough. The person I have hired to drill the holes for me has had a couple bad experiences with ‘frost heaves’ in our area, specifically when he didn’t go at least 4 feet down. My plans call for a 42″ depth for the pole barn holes, and the post going down only 34″. I would like to go down as far as possible with my posts, but obviously don’t want to be short on the top. Can you please take a look at my plans, and tell me what my maximum post depth would be? Thank you. JOE IN TAYLORS FALLS

DEAR JOE: Frost heaving is certainly a valid concern in areas of the country where deep freezing can be an issue. The requirements for frost depth are one of the items we have every client address, when they have their Building Code and load information verified by their Building Department prior to ordering their new Hansen Pole Building kit package.

I’ve written extensively on frost heave, as well as what to do, or not to do here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2013/11/frost-heave/

For your state, Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry has available a frost depth map: https://www.dli.mn.gov/ccld/pdf/bc_map_frost_depth.pdf

SquareFoot™ concrete footing forms has a frost depth map for the United States: https://soundfootings.com/pdf/US_Map_Frost_DepthAVG.pdf

In your particular case, with a perfectly level site, you could have the pole barn holes as deep as 56″, which places the bottom of the columns at 48″ below grade. The key word being “perfectly level”. It is acceptable to dig the holes deeper yet, and increasing the depth of concrete below the column.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a pole barn built in 1971 by Moriarty. My FRP Skylight has deteriorated and rotted off do I have any options other than replacing the whole roof, no one seems to be able to match the rib pattern.

Thank you GARY IN RIDGEVILLE

DEAR GARY:

Over the years there has been a consolidation of steel roofing and siding profiles, to the benefit of all involved except those who have older buildings with more unique rib patterns (like yours may very well be). Skylights (whether FRP or Polycarbonate) should really be avoided in the roof plane as they are not designed to withstand horizontal wind loads.

Some choices (other than entirely replacing the roof) – replace the areas of FRP with new steel panels which have the same net width coverage. Obviously the colors will not match, so you may consider using an entirely different color as an accent panel. Or, send us photos and measurements which will clearly delineate all dimensions. While we cannot recommend this as a structural solution, if our polycarbonate manufacturer can match it – it does afford a solution.

For more reading about old skylights: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2014/09/skylights-2/

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hello,

My husband and I are considering on building a pole barn house. The one question we currently have is: How would the house stand up to our Canadian weather? We live in Saskatchewan where the weather can drop to -55c in the winter. Thanks TRINITY IN TISDALE

DEAR TRINITY: Good for you and your husband for considering a pole barn house. Regardless of whether your weather is extreme cold or heat, post frame (pole) building construction can prove to be very energy efficient. Roof systems can be created to allow for R-60 or greater insulation depths and wall cavities can be designed to meet any desired insulation thickness.

In most cases wall and roof systems can be designed to minimize thermal bridging.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Questions, Columns and tagged polycarbonate skylights, thermal bridging, polycarbonate roof panels, pole barn house, pole building hole depth, post frame column depth, FRP on September 14, 2015 by admin.

Moving Sliding Doors to Inside of Building

Email all questions to: PoleBarnGuru@HansenPoleBuildings.com

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hello, we have a problem with our sliding barn doors hanging up on the siding and getting froze into the ice/snow or stuck in mud. Is there any reason to not relocate them inside the barn? Our barn has a concrete floor but the outside approach is dirt and grass. Moving the track and (2) doors inside would prevent snow and mud from interfering with opening and seems to be a win win. We have just never seen this done before. Thanks for your time! BRANDONN IN MUSKEGON

DEAR BRANDONN: Your situation is a prime example of why I try to discourage the use of sliding doors in snow country. In most instances sectional overhead doors are a much better design solution.

Most clients with sliding doors do not want to mount them on the inside because they do not want to sacrifice the wall space. Nothing can be hung or placed against the interior of the wall in the direction the door (or doors) slide.

In many instances exterior sliding doors can be taller than interior sliding doors, as the interior doors must hang below the bottom chord of the trusses. This may be an issue in your case.

As far as relocating – if it was my own building I would want to re-side this wall, to eliminate the slot in the siding where the track board currently resides. Most of the balance of the expense (or time) will come from labor. But yes, you can move them, with the above considerations in mind.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How much a square foot for a horse area that is 50’wx128’Lx14′ eave height, metal painted siding and white metal roof with an 8×10, 10×10 and 12×16 roll up metal insulated doors with 2 man doors, 8-4’x6′ sliding double pane windows, and an 8×8 tack room? JOHN IN GARDEN CITY

DEAR JOHN: Thank you very much for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building. While we appreciate you having worked out so many of the dimensional details, as well as doors and windows, it is always best to discuss your exact building needs with one of our Building Designers at (866)200-9657. Every quote is free, and your Building Designer will contact you as much – or as little as you wish.

Your request for a tack room leads me to believe some portion of this building may eventually have some stalls in it. If so, we can perhaps make some suggestions as to size and locations which would give you the most bang for your investment.

I always encourage horse enthusiasts to read through some of the most relevant articles on equestrian facilities, prior to getting ideas “set in stone”.

Here are a few:

Arenas: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/07/the-perfect-indoor-riding-arena/

Stalls: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/12/horse-stalls/

Aisleways: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/12/horse-aisleway/

Ventilation: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/11/horse-barn-ventilation/

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Could you tell me how tall are the side walls on project 04-0509 please? If I wanted to build a combo workshop and home, a home with two floors, how tall of a side wall do you recommend? If I got a quote from you for 16′ tall building, 60 x 40. How much of a difference is it to change it to 18′ side walls. Or can I get two floors for my house out of a sixteen footer? Please advise. Thank you. PAUL IN MECHANICSBURG

DEAR PAUL: The walls on Project 04-0509 are 18 feet tall, which is the bare minimum needed to get two full eight foot tall ceilings. You need to account for the thickness of a nominal four inch thick concrete slab, the thickness of the floor system (usually around a foot) and the thickness of the roof system (always at least six inches). In order to get the full thickness of attic insulation from wall to wall, I recommend using raised heel trusses (read more here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2012/07/raised-heel-trusses/), which means you will generally need to add yet another foot to the eave height.

Keep in mind – fire separation requirements between mixed uses (shop and living areas), which will entail a minimum of one-hour fire resistance.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How much does a pole barn materials weigh? 30×40 x12 DONALD IN LIBERTY

DEAR DONALD: Obviously the features of any given building will change the weight. For the dimensions you have mentioned, with average features, expect it to weigh in at about 8,000 pounds.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Questions, Building Styles and Designs, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Building Doors and tagged pole building quote, pole barn house, horse pole barn, horse stalls, horse barn on August 17, 2015 by admin.

Residential Pole Barns

Common Sense – It Isn’t Common Any More

As reported in the West Frankfort, Illinois Daily American, in an article posted November 12, 2014 by Leigh M. Caldwell:

“The much-discussed ordinance establishing codes for mobile homes, modular homes, portable buildings and pole barns will go back before city commissioners tonight for a vote.

West Frankfort’s Planning Commission has drafted a couple of different versions of the ordinance over the past few months, garnering much discussion and public comment.

As for portable buildings and pole barns, the proposed ordinance would ban them from being used as residences. Anyone wanting to build a so-called pole barn house would have to meet the requirements for residential structures.”

residential-home For the benefit of the unenlightened in West Frankfort (or anywhere else in the United States), “pole barns” are actually more technically “post frame buildings” and their construction is covered as Code Conforming in the International Codes.

It could be unlawful, as well as possibly unethical, for a jurisdiction to deny a Code conforming structural building system. However, as best I have been able to ascertain, to place limitations upon types of roofing and/or siding as well as even colors is certainly within a jurisdiction’s area of control.

Now if you are one who is faced with these types of limitations – keep in mind the folks who have enacted them were either elected by you, or appointed to positions by the folks you elected!

Regardless of the type of building system, whether it be stick framed (stud walls), masonry, concrete, straw bale, or yes – even pole barns – if it falls under residential pole barns, the International Residential Code (IRC) requirements must be adhered to.

The September 2014 Rural Builder Magazine recently focused upon residential pole barns, including the cover story which was authored by yours truly! To read more visit: https://www.constructionmagnet.com/post-frame-technique/post-frame-comes-home-part-i-brave-new-world-of-the-pole-barn-house

This entry was posted in Building Department and tagged post frame construction, Illinois Daily American, pole barn house, residential pole barn homes, Rural Builder Magazine, Post-Frame, Pole Buildings on November 26, 2014 by admin.

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