Questions From a Future Barndominium Owner
Reader MATTHEW in MOUNT PLEASANT writes:
“I am interested in and currently planning a barn-dominium as a future primary residence for myself. (Male, Single, 35, 1 Cat, 1 Dog) The questions i had for you were: For someone who is inexperienced in the realm of pole barn and construction in general, what should be the first key considerations in the Planning Phase before you talk to a builder? Is there a software for the Design Phase that you would recommend that a CAD orientated person could use? Given a build where drawings show lengths ranging between 70-90FT…..What would you recommend as the maximum ceiling truss width? Would a 54x54FT 2-Story Barn-dominium be possible without specially ordering trusses? Do floor trusses impact heating concerns for us in the north with heavy snowfall and multiple day spans of below 0 temperatures? you recommend a solid slab -or- a crawlspace for a barn-dominium build? Apologies in advance for the multiple criteria of questions…just getting started on this journey.”
No apologies necessary, it is always a pleasure to talk buildings! This article gives a helpful overview of where to begin: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2021/02/a-shortlist-for-smooth-barndominium-sailing/
For design phase, for as little as our professional floor plan specialists charge, even a CAD oriented person can’t afford to invest in software and time it takes to use it (see #3 in previous link).
As far as trusses go – we build every truss to order, to match your site’s specific loading conditions, as well as wants and needs for things like roof slope and any interior slope. You will typically be slightly more cost effective (think cents per square foot, not dollars) to build in multiples of 12 feet for length and width.
Two (and even three) stories are totally possible (ours is two stories plus a partial mezzanine).
Floor trusses are fabulous for minimizing interior bearing walls and being able to run utilities through them. We are in Northeast South Dakota, so we know cold. Our floor trusses have no impact on our ability to heat and cool.
Although we have a slab on grade (due to parking vehicles in portions of our lower floor), for living areas, I and my knees sure like living on wood floors. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2019/03/slab-on-grade-or-crawl-space/
