a BONUS PBG for Monday May, 20th — A DIY solution, a Clear Span, and a Crawl Space.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi we are looking for something to live in that we can put together ourselves possibly convert to a living space unless you have something that is affordable that is already residential use. We are buying property around the Punta Gorda FL area and we would like to purchase something to place on our property. We have about 25 grand to work with us that doable? NESSA in PUNTA
GORDA DEAR NESSA: While 25 grand will get you a small building shell, engineered to meet residential requirements, you might want to investigate our financing options (www.HansenPoleBuildings.com/financing) to allow you to get closer (or meet) your end goals.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am looking to build a 24×32 pole barn. On one side i will have a 10×24 lean to. The lean to would be closed exterior wall and open to the inside of the main building. My question is, would it be possible to clear span the 24′ opening from the main building to the lean to with no center posts. That LVL header beam would support roof trusses 4′ oc and the rafters for the lean to. Where I live we have a snow load of 35. I was thinking that a 2ply minimum of 1.75″x18″ would be capable of supporting the load. I cannot find any calculators to support that with facts. BYRON in OSCEOLA
DEAR BYRON: While it would be possible, there are easier and less costly ways to achieve your goal. If your proposed building will have trusses spanning 24′, just extend roofline out to make building 24′ x 42′. If trusses will span 32′ direction, use 42′ trusses. Either of these will now allow for full headroom throughout your structure. Placing trusses every four feet on headers, is actually a very inefficient way to build. We can engineer to eliminate those truss carriers completely.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I wanted to see if it is possible to build a post frame building on a crawl space foundation. I want to build the crawl space foundation to be able to add on later if need be and to run everything under the building to keep from any chance of burst lines in the ceiling. The crawl space will be insulated and have a plastic waterproof barrier to prevent moisture. I have added a picture of what I am thinking on the crawl space. STEVEN in BERTRAM
DEAR STEVEN: Yes, it is very possible to build a fully engineered post frame building on a crawl space. Best news – it does not have to be poured concrete. We can engineer your new building utilizing a permanent wood foundation between columns, in order to keep your building from being overly tall.
