Pole Barns ColoradoInfo about pole barns in Colorado

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Post Frame Buildings

Pole barn construction requirements vary greatly depending on the intended use of the building and many other factors. Here are important things to consider when planning any pole barn construction project.

Zoning and Building Codes

Site selection will impact the material requirements of your project. Building permits and zoning requirements can impact site selection. So, make sure you know where you want the building and local rules.

Site Selection

How level the ground is and the soil type impacts the material requirements and design of your building. Soil quality and slope impacts pole embedment depth for construction of pole buildings.

Gravelly and sandy soils work much better than clay soil. On the up side, sloping land can be used for your barn that would otherwise be useless to preserve your prime real estate. Be sure to select the right materials for your buildings pole barn foundation.

Orientation

Where do you want the barn doors? Sun, wind, and shading from surrounding trees can all impact your decision making process. Proper orientation can provide natural sunlight and conserve on resources.

Framing Options – Pole Barn Design

Pole framing is cheaper and provides superior structural strength since the poles support and tie together the entire pole building. Wind and any other lateral force is transmitted through the pole and is absorbed into the ground. That said, a big long pole is more difficult to erect and requires equipment or at least more muscle power.

Pole placement for pole barns are generally plumbed on the outside to create the vertical wall. The poles are visible inside the barn.

Platform framing is the more conventional method of framing. It is a bit simpler using individual small studs and joists to frame walls and floors. This method does not provide as much structural stability to lateral forces.

Roof Styles – Pole Barn Design

For northern climates a typical gable roof is best since it sheds snow easiest. It is also the simplest pole barn construction type for roofing.

Gambrel roofs provide more head room inside for lofts, are harder to frame, but also add a distinctive touch to finish off the pole barn.

Flooring

Finally, don’t forget to consider the flooring in your pole barn construction project. A floating concrete slab is easier to clean and maintain but adds considerable expense compared to typical dirt or gravel flooring.

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To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

polebarninsulation.net

Owning a pole barn can be a cost-effective way to have a sizable barn on your property. Pole barns can be constructed in a variety of sizes, shapes and with different materials to suit your specific needs. However, to make a pole barn a more effective means of storage, you may choose to insulate your pole barn. Depending on how your pole barn is constructed, you may have several different options.

Dealing with Moisture Buildup

If you are constructing a pole barn with the intention to insulate it, you can make a few modifications in order to make the insulation process a bit easier. A common problem that many people encounter when insulating a pole barn is the wicking of water and moisture from the metal siding into the insulation. In order to prevent this, you can use spray foam insulation. However, be sure that the foam insulation that you are using is not pure urethane, as this type of foam can “rot” when exposed to excessive moisture. Most new spray foam insulation formulas are designed to avoid degradation that can occur over time.

Another way to help combat the moisture buildup from the metal siding on a pole barn is to use a moisture barrier. This can be accomplished by installing a layer of heavy-duty plastic sheeting in between the insulation that you are using, and the metal side of the barn. However, don’t forget that the metal of your barn may rust, as trapped moisture can sit in between the metal and the plastic sheeting for quite some time in certain weather conditions.

Types of Insulation Used in Pole Barns

Fiberglass Blanket Insulation?:

Many steel buildings use fiberglass blanket insulation. This type of insulation is sometimes housed in vinyl, and does not require additional support upon installation. To find this type of insulation, it’s best if you begin shopping around to find the best price. It can be secured with a staple gun to the joists in your pole barn.

Fiberglass Board Insulation

Many people choose to use fiberglass board insulation for their pole barns, though it does require the addition of a vapor barrier to help with condensation. The fiberglass board should be installed in between joists, with a custom cut to ensure that it fits tightly in between the joists.

Spray Foam Insulation

Perhaps the most widely accepted way to insulate a pole barn is to use spray foam insulation. While this is seen by many as being the best option, its main downfall is that it tends to be fairly expensive. Depending on your budget for insulating your pole barn, you may or may not choose to go with spray foam insulation.

Cost of Pole Barn Insulation

Depending on the type of insulation that you choose for your pole barn, your costs may vary. While spray foam is the most expensive way to insulate a pole barn, it is also noted as having the most insulation benefits in prevention of moisture buildup, as well as a reduction in monthly heating bills. The prices per foot of different types of insulation are entirely dependent on the thickness of the insulation.

Approximate Per-Foot Insulation Costs:

• Spray Foam – $1.25 to $2.25 per square foot
• Fiberglass Board – $0.20 – $0.95 per square foot
• Fiberglass Blanket – $0.20 – $0.55 per square foot

To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

nfta.org

Editor’s note: This story appeared on livingstondaily.com, where the building is referred to by the common misnomer “pole barn.” Although “pole barns” were originally developed using round utility poles and these formed the prototype for the design that evolved into modern post-frame buildings, round “poles” have been used instead of square “posts” for many decades. Hence, the correct term is “post-frame,” which describes a very differnt and significantly improved design compared to “pole buildings” or “pole barns.”

It all began in Oceola Township, 22 years ago. A stark, chop shop on 6 acres of land, barely visible from the traffic on M-59, became the eventual dream home of Barb and Bill Blevins. But the building renovation really wasn’t part of the plan in the beginning. It became a matter of economic necessity.

“We were renting an apartment and owned the building,” said Barb, who married Bill in 1989. “It didn’t make sense to be paying for two separate buildings.”

So the Blevins decided to turn the large, 2,400-square-foot pole barn into a home. “It was very rough looking and there was no grass around — just thick clay,” said Barb, a full-time legal clerk at the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus. “I remember our son walking in the mud and losing his shoe because the ground sucked it up. But, it was a great investment with a very good location.”

The problem was their budget didn’t include hiring a contractor to do the work, or even the money to buy a lot of construction materials. Fortunately, Bill is resourceful and he is a very adept handyman. Self-employed as an auto-dealer hydraulic-hoist repairman, Bill is handy with tools and decided that he could undertake the remodeling project himself — with the help of his best friend and partner, Barb.

“We planned the work and did it ourselves,” said Barb.

So, for the past 19 years, the Blevins have been remodeling and renovating a little bit at a time. They have chosen an unconventional method of building — from the inside out.

“We put up portions of the roof by building them on the floor and then hoisting them up to fit in place,” Bill laughed. “Then we constructed the walls to support the roof.”

What made matters more interesting — and frustrating — was that the cement floor was built on a slope to allow for drainage. That meant that every 2-by-4 board used to make the walls, had to be sized differently to accommodate for the gradual slope.

Additionally, telephone poles were placed every 14 feet to support the building’s roof. But, each pole was a different thickness. The result?

“All of the walls are different thicknesses, 12-14-inches thick,” said Bill. “It was also a challenge keeping the walls straight.”

Speaking of the walls, the insulation in each is a combination of insulation products from several construction sites — all part of the Blevins’ “budget plan.”

“I would drive up to construction sites and look for discarded insulation,” said Bill. “We never stole any materials — these were things in the dumpster.”

“Bill would find used 2-by-4s, pull the nails, and reuse them,” Barb said. “We went to a lot of garage sales, too. Our first cast-iron bathtub cost us $1, and lasted 15 years.” Finding materials that fit their budget is probably the main reason why the Blevins have taken so long to get this far. But they enjoy the fact that the renovation is perpetual — it gives them things to do and to look forward to each year.

“We do what we can,” said Barb. “It took us a while to get kitchen drawers in our cabinets, which we installed one at a time. The plumbing was a challenge because the pipes kept freezing and the bathroom flooded a lot. But, Bill wrapped the pipes and buried them in the yard and everything has been fine since.”

The couple added an above-ground swimming pool with decking 15 years ago, which was a gift from Bill’s sister.

“I took it all apart at her house and reassembled it back here,” he said.

“Next year, we want to finish the laundry room and the play room,” added Barb.

And speaking of a play room, there are many areas for the couple’s six grandchildren to play inside and out. There is a picnic area with tables and a fire pit, swing set, an old motor home converted into a kid’s playhouse, and a small, heart-shaped pond.

The home itself has an open floor plan with high ceilings. A wood-pellet stove provides heat — they have a furnace, but it hasn’t been used in years.

A combined living room and dining room greets visitors. The open kitchen has a bar and barstools, and leads to the master bedroom and rear bathroom. There are also two other bedrooms, another bathroom, kitchen pantry, and a family room.

But, with all of the room and amenities, Barb is very partial to one place in particular.

“I love to sit on our front porch,” she said. “We do everything out there including throwing parties, eating meals and playing cards. We can see all kinds of wildlife through the windows, such as deer, fox, turkeys and even coyotes.” Barb said her family, friends, and neighbors can’t believe the home began as a pole barn.

“They say it is awesome, beautiful and peaceful,” she said. Perhaps the most “awesome” thing is how the Blevins used creativity to fund and design their dream home.

To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

(By Diane Heilenman www.courier-journal.com • October 26, 2008)

Actually, it is a post-frame building (often called by the old-fashion term “pole barn” – round “poles” have long been supplanted by square posts and other advancements)…with overtones of Louisville shotgun houses and warehouses. It is the urbane-yet-simple live/work space for architects Roberto de Leon and Ross Primmer.

A 75-foot-long table accommodates the six-person staff at De Leon & Primmer Architectural Workshop.

A pair of two-story-tall lattice front doors produce the shifting light patterns familiar inside fast-vanishing Kentucky tobacco barns. Open or closed, the doors reveal the heart of the operation, day and night.

It’s a 75-foot-long white table that accommodates the six-person staff of De Leon & Primmer Architectural Workshop.

The table is a signature note of three things:

First, of how much de Leon, 41, and Primmer, 42, dislike the modern model of isolated cubicle office space. At the workshop, everyone uses the table as they need to. No one has a special chair or place. Each carries their laptop to where they want to work. The three resident dogs, Pablo, Lucy and Phyllis, sit and relax where they want.

Second, the table symbolizes the workshop philosophy of creativity over hierarchy. It is a place where “everyone counts,” says Primmer. “Everyone is very invested. No one has a role to play.” There is not one person designated to make models, for example, he says, “We all do it. And no one in the office including Roberto and me says: ‘I am the designer.’ ”

And third, the table is the physical proof of the workshop dream that has been simmering most of Primmer’s life. He still has the book in which he saw a real workshop table some 200 feet long filled with models and ringed by designers in a sun-filled 19th century London shipbuilder’s office.

Ross Primmer, left, and Roberto de Leon at their workspace on Shelby Street in Louisville

De Leon is a native Californian. Primmer is a native of Ohio. They met in 1993 while at Harvard Graduate School of Design and later got a taste of Kentucky working for Louisville’s respected firm Bravura.

After trying North Carolina and California for their firm, they elected to come back to Louisville and explore the kind of clients they love — nonprofits and arts groups that often have limited budgets and open minds.

One of their first independent jobs was a little plum for the visitors pavilion added to a barn at Yew Dell Gardens in Crestwood, Ky. It won them an American Institute of Architects Kentucky regional award in 2007 and garnered them recognition in the national “Architectural Record” journal as an emerging firm with a bent for inventive and economical design that is respectful of place and nature.

Their own best client has been, of course, themselves.

Committed to details The urban workshop — the pole barn transformed — was one of three De Leon & Primmer projects that won 2008 awards from the AIA Kentucky.

It is, literally, a pole barn, erected by a pole-barn specialist from Bardstown, Ky. Economy speaks to them too, Primmer says. The land cost $90,000, and they spent $270,000 on all the rest, carving out an office building, a garden, an apartment for an intern from the University of Kentucky and two condominiums, where the partners live.

A pair of remarkable light sculptures above the long table are abstractions of falling cherry blossoms. They are composed from ordinary, inexpensive fluorescent rings mounted on economical porcelain bases, but done as a cascade of forms on a vertical wall.

“We are good at finding nuance in the ordinary,” de Leon says. “Ross and I are happy to think inside the box and look for nuance.”

That is what makes them different.

De Leon & Primmer’s workshop for its staff includes a table, which symbolizes the philosophy of creativity over hierarchy. The pole barn also is home to three resident dogs.

“The process is as important as the end result,” says Primmer. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a 7-Eleven, a Speedway or the Filson (Historical Society).”

“It doesn’t matter what the program is as long as it’s a chance to explore,” de Leon expands.

This comes in large part from their shared Harvard education where, Primmer notes, “architecture is spelled with a lower case ‘a’ rather than a capital ‘A.’ ” It is not so much a profession, he said, “as a way to make us think.”

Other influences are quickly pointed out: “The Shakers, the Vanderbilts and a book called ‘Graphic Standards.’ This is not a joke,” says De Leon.

While Shaker simplicity and invention is universally admired and almost everyone loves the way the Vanderbilt family could be entrepreneurs and enlightened patrons, many feel that “Architectural Graphic Standards,” with its reams of lists and measurements, is a bit of a dullard architect’s crib sheet.

However, de Leon says, “We’re quite normative. We use the standard kit of parts. How I think we’re different is we’re (committed) to details.”

Primmer says they put pressure on themselves to do the opposite of what’s expected in these days of glamour buildings with expensive parts.

They prefer to stick with common materials and make it uncommon. This way, they “avoid reliance on the trendy, the popular, the consumer-branded or the expensive. One of our strengths is that we don’t have a look,” he says. “Or, at least, I hope we don’t have a look.

“We’re not interested in selling granite countertops. It’s a commodity with a price tag. It is not architecture or design,” Primmer says. “It’s people buying a terminology.”

That strategy is used all over the country, notes de Leon. He said what may set De Leon & Primmer apart from the masses is that they are designers with a sense of regionality. For example, he says, solar panels are a good idea in Phoenix, but not necessarily in Kentucky — even though current marching orders for “green design” give high points to solar panels. Instead, they devised deep overhangs that avoid excess solar collection for an Oldham County house that also has extensive windows and views.

“I don’t think we’re ‘green architects.’ I think we’re regionally responsible architects,” says Primmer. “I’ll say it’s a common-sense approach,” de Leon adds.

An example is that, in working with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System for out-buildings at an Oldham County farm, they couldn’t follow the LEED checklist. Instead, they brought new design ideas to LEED as solutions worth points toward certification for an agricultural application.

Following the farm manager’s criteria, for example, they have designed a radically new hay barn in a grid of lashed-together local bamboo — which meets specifications of sustainable material regionally produced with inexpensive technology — to form a lacy building with sufficient ventilation to be a perfect fodder storage.

“I won’t say we’re brilliant that way, but I will say we try,” says Primmer.

He also notes that the notion of how an architectural practice that focuses on “seemingly small” projects can have big impact came about in part from a project done in 1995 with Mary Moss Greenebaum of the Kentucky Author Forum based in Louisville. Her “uncompromising … aspirations for exceptional fare” through all levels of life has become their “signature ethos” too, Primmer says. They want to demonstrate that the kind of imagination that creates world-quality buildings and parks can be part of the whole fabric of Louisville as well.

More projects Other De Leon & Primmer projects coming up include the Birthday Pavilion near the Big Four Bridge in Waterfront Park to honor Patty Smith Hill and Mildred J. Hill, the sisters who wrote “Happy Birthday to You.” Fundraising is under way for the $500,000 open-air pavilion.

De Leon & Primmer also have the co-lead with Carman Associates of Lexington for the planned Riverview Park being developed since 2006 by the Waterfront Development Corp. in Southwest Jefferson County. The De Leon & Primmer solutions for a park in an area vulnerable to flooding include raised marsh walkways and an extendable gangway at river’s edge that will allow visitors to walk directly over the Ohio River as far as 80 feet.

An expansion of St. Francis High School, in the 1913 YMCA Building at Third and Broadway, will make the arts and athletic facilities more visible on the Third Street side of the building. The new façade designed to externalize these programs also will serve as a space for collaboration with artists.

Additionally, the workshop is on board with the Filson Historical Society in Old Louisville for a possible new building.

(By Diane Heilenman www.courier-journal.com • October 26, 2008)

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To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

Just before starting your pole barn construction, or any building work, you really should verify with your neighborhood preparing inspector for any constructing permits, codes or regional laws that may possibly impact your structure. The inspector will also want to know what the barn will be made use of for such as storage or agriculture. You might also want to get the go-forward from the tenants association if applicable. With your pole barn programs to hand this stage should not be a issue.

Utilizing your blueprints mark out your plot and then invest in the necessary timber and fittings necessary. It is probable to get your timber cut to size from your programs leaving you to just place it all collectively.

You now will need to dig the postholes for your uprights and set them – effectively upright – this yet again will be explained in your blueprints. Your poles will want to be set in concrete, unless of course the developing is temporary, and based on the size of your construction you would both blend your very own using a little hired concrete mixer or call in the all set combine men.

Your pole barn development may possibly basically be a set of upright poles with a roof and no facet walls or something a lot more ambitious with room for a barn dance!

Flooring is optional and typically not utilized nevertheless if this is your choice some thought must be offered when determining in which to create your barn with regards to drainage.

An individual of the simplest and in all probability among the oldest of setting up solutions is the pole barn construction and with a superior set of plans the job results in being even simpler.

Ahead of starting your pole barn construction, or any setting up work, you really should check out with your local planning inspector for any making permits, codes or local regulations that may possibly influence your style and design. The inspector will also want to know what the barn will be made use of for this sort of as storage or agriculture. You may perhaps also need to get the go-ahead from the tenants association if applicable. With your pole barn strategies to hand this stage must not be a difficulty.

Employing your blueprints mark out your plot and then acquire the crucial timber and fittings demanded. It is possible to get your timber minimize to size from your strategies leaving you to just place it all together.

You now need to have to dig the postholes for your uprights and set them – perfectly upright – this once more will be explained in your blueprints. Your poles will need to have to be set in concrete, until the building is temporary, and relying on the size of your construction you would both mix your personal making use of a compact hired concrete mixer or contact in the all set combine men.

Your pole barn construction may well simply just be a set of upright poles with a roof and no facet walls or some thing extra ambitious with area for a barn dance!

To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

majon.com

If you’re planning to build a barn or workshop on your property, a pole barn kit means that you don’t have to spend a fortune. Pole barns enable you to store farm equipment, an RV, tools, or feed and accessories for horses and cattle. You can create a workshop area or use a pole barn for other needs. A pole barn is basically a structure supported by wood beams with a metal shell. A high quality barn will have a solid roof made with trusses and may also have a concrete foundation.

The only drawback to building a pole barn is the expense. There are two options: hire someone to build it or build it yourself. If you choose to build your own pole barn, consider purchasing a pole barn kit or metal building kit. These are kits that include the materials and plans necessary to build a barn or workshop. Materials include roofing, siding, lumber and more. They do not include labor or concrete for the foundation; but you can make adjustments according to your needs.

Pole barn packages are designed to save time and money by providing items for your exact needs. The kits eliminate all the guesswork so you can build your barn quickly. You won’t have to use your own truck or rent a truck to go pick up materials….these will be delivered to your doorstep when you order a pole barn kit. You’ll receive building materials in just a couple of shipments instead of having to order from numerous companies.

Starting Your Pole Barn Project

Develop a plan to fit your needs. Consider the size and design of the pole barn based on your property layout and how you plan to use the barn. Check with the local building/zoning department in your area to see what’s required for building a barn-you may have to obtain a building permit. Determine the type of foundation you will use. Then consider whom you will hire to help if necessary. Next shop for barn building kits while comparing pricing, quality and design.

Tips for Buying Pole Barns Kits

Before buying a pole barn kit, check the retailer’s rating online in customer service and quality. Is the retailer a member of an organization or association such as the NFBA (National Frame Building Association)? How long has the company been in operation? Are other customers satisfied with the plans and materials received? A great resource to learn about a company’s service track record is Better Business Bureau.

To ensure quality materials, be sure the company will disclose the type and brand of materials being shipped. Some trusted brands include Owens Corning Roofing, Fabral Steel, Simpson Strong-Tie, Wolverine Siding, National Hardware and Tuff-Post.

Check online for an affordable barn building kit that meets your specifications. Many retailers offer not only pole barns kits but also metal building kits, garage building kits, and items for other building projects. Once you find a reliable retailer, you can order home garage kits and other items with confidence!

To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

motherearthnews.com / Steve Maxwell

If you need to add shelter to your homestead easily and economically, pole barns are right for you. They’re the fastest, most cost-effective way to build permanent, solid shelter to store equipment, house livestock, or function as a garage or workshop facility. You can even use the pole barn approach to build a year-round home. A big part of the attraction is simplicity. There are only four steps involved in pole-barn building, and the first one’s even optional! None of the work requires fancy tools or finely honed skills.

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The steps to pole-building success are simple: Create a level base pad (if you want more than just the earth underfoot), set poles vertically into holes in the ground, connect them across the top with beams and braces, then put roof trusses on top. No need for a complicated foundation, either. Even in regions with cold, frost-prone winters, pole barns endure well with nothing more than the simplest connections to the earth. And if this weren’t advantage enough, pole barns also offer the option of using your own logs and rough-cut lumber for many parts of the job. The only thing wrong with pole barns is the name. This building approach is so much more useful than for building barns alone.

If you’ve never constructed anything large before, then a pole building is a good place to start. The illustration and information you’ll find in this article will equip you to custom build your own durable pole barn based on universal design and building principles. Most building authorities require simple plans for project approval, though many will accept hand-drawn versions. Agricultural extension services across the continent also offer basic pole building plans for free. You can buy fancier ones online. Either way, success ultimately comes down to the kind of hands-on know-how you’ll find here.

Create a Base

Besides the fact that you’ll need to locate your pole building on flat, well-drained ground, consider adding fill to create a raised base area. This isn’t necessary for all applications, though it provides a more level floor space that’s raised enough to keep water from draining in, even during wet seasons.

There are four reasons crushed rock screenings are my favorite choice for a raised base. Screenings are usually less expensive than other types of aggregate because they’re a byproduct at many quarries. Screenings also are small — typically less than a quarter-inch in diameter, with lots of stone dust mixed in. This makes screenings easy to rake and level accurately. They pack down firmly, too. And screenings don’t ruin the future growing potential of soil forever. When your pole barn needs to come down after its working life is over, scrape off the screenings and use them somewhere else. Unlike larger grades of crushed stone, the leftover screenings that the loader can’t remove will disappear when you till the soil.

Before you order any fill for a base, you’ll need to mark out an area to guide the location and level of material required. Read “Stake Your Ground,” below, for tricks that speed this process and the work of laying out wall post locations later.

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Installing Poles

The plan shows the 8-foot pole spacing that’s common for enclosed walls on most pole-barn designs. You can stretch that to 12-foot spacing on open sides where animal and machine access is required.

Pressure-treated timbers make good poles for small designs, and reclaimed utility poles (as long as they’re in sound condition) or rot-resistant logs cut from your own forest are good for large ones. The key is to select the right diameter poles for the height and spacing you’re planning (check with your local building inspector).

If you have health and environmental concerns about using pressure treated lumber, there’s good news. Today’s most common wood preservative compound, abbreviated ACQ, replaces the arsenic-bearing substance called CCA that was used to preserve wood until 2003.

ACQ is one of a handful of new preservatives that are thought to be significantly safer than CCA. But all these new products do have a downside. They’re much more corrosive to nails, screws and support brackets than CCA ever was. And as you’d expect, this corrosive action is greatly enhanced in the presence of moisture. As a minimum, use hot-dipped galvanized nails and screws when building your pole barn. Better yet, for critical connections where additional fasteners can’t be driven in later, use stainless steel.

Poles should be installed in 5-foot-deep holes, standing on top of concrete footings pre-poured into the bottom of each hole. This gives them the strength needed to support the roof. Does this seem unnecessarily diligent? Don’t fool yourself. The work of installing poles correctly is a small price to pay for a foundation under a building as large as a typical pole barn. And if that foundation should ever fail because it wasn’t properly built, all your other building work (and everything stored in the structure) will be threatened. Chances aren’t worth taking here. Required footing diameter depends on the width of your building, pole spacing, the type of soil you have and the expected loads. Typically, 18- to 24-inch-diameter footings are needed. Poles on open sides of a building must also be anchored vertically, to prevent wind uplift (see illustration).

Another crucial issue is pole length. The top ends of all poles must end at exactly the same plane in the air. And because the depth of pole holes vary, you can’t simply cut all your poles the same length and expect them to work out fine up at the top.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to tackling this challenge. Some people like to bore all holes first, set poles in place temporarily, then mark the tops level before removing the posts, custom-cutting each pole to length on the ground, then setting them back into the holes before bracing and backfilling. I prefer to install all poles permanently, wait for the concrete to harden, then cut the pole tops level following a laser or water level. The price of cutting each pole in the air while you’re on a scaffold seems worth the extra accuracy. It also saves a ton of work lifting poles in and out. Regardless of which approach you choose, use the two-tape method to layout each side of your building with perfectly square corners. (See “Stake Your Ground,” below.)

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If the soil in your area freezes solid, anticipate problems from frost jacking. Even if your poles extend below the frost line, they could be lifted by the action of frost gripping the outside surface of the concrete at ground level, if you’ve used concrete to fill the hole around each pole. You can avoid frost jacking by keeping the level of concrete around each pole below any bell-shaped flare-out that might exist near the top of the hole. Stop pouring concrete 6 to 8 inches below ground level, where hole sides are still parallel, and you’ll be fine.

Adding Beams and Braces

The roof of your pole barn sits on horizontal beams that span the distance between each pole at the top. But before you install these beams, you’ll need to cut all poles to precisely the same height (if you haven’t already). Use your laser level or water level to mark the top ends of all poles before cutting.

When it comes to securing beams on top of poles, you’ve got two options. The plans show both. The first is to notch each pole 8- to 12- inches from the top, then set the beams into these notches and bolt them together. This is tricky, but it saves you the cost of metal connector plates. The other option involves setting the beams on top of the poles and securing the connection with bolted metal plates. Either way, beam size is crucial. Double-check with your local building inspector before settling on a particular beam size.

Fastening beams to poles always involves boring large, deep holes, and for this job you’ll need something called a ship’s auger. This is a type of large drill bit that’s available in various diameters and lengths, depending on your particular situation. Ship’s augers are great because they always include a self-feeding threaded portion on the tip of the bit. Chuck the auger into a large drill, then start drilling. The design of the bit draws itself into the wood, with no pushing required on your part.

Framing the Roof
The best pole barns include a roof structure that’s self-supporting over the width of the building, eliminating the need for any interior support posts. This is easier than ever thanks to advances in roof trusses. Ready-made trusses are economical, easy to install and readily available in widths up to 40 feet and more. You need to understand three things as you install trusses: safe lifting techniques, the need to brace walls while trusses are going up, and the details required to secure the trusses properly to the beams.

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When lifting trusses into place, there’s no substitute for lots of willing hands. One trick for making steady use of help is to raise all trusses up onto the walls at once, then set them side-by-side on the wall, upside down, peak pointing toward the ground. Later, when the crowd is gone, fewer people can tilt the trusses upright, then anchor them to the wall and add roof strapping. Whatever you do, don’t rely on nails alone to hold the trusses to the beams they rest on. Metal connector plates are specially made for this purpose and are well worth the price, especially in areas where severe weather is common.

Pole buildings are more than just practical and economical to build. They’re great confidence boosters, too. When you step back and look at the big, solid structure you’ve built, it makes every other kind of building project seem possible.

Stake Your Ground

Whether you start by laying out boundaries for a crushed stone base, or you simply need to square the footprint of your pole barn, these techniques are crucial to success.

Use 12-inch spikes for the initial layout phase. If you’re marking out your base location, make it extend at least 3 feet beyond where your pole-barn walls will be, except in locations that will include a door. Here you’ll need to extend the base out further to ramp up the screenings from the level of the surrounding soil.

Pound two spikes into the ground to define one side of your base, then locate a second side perfectly square to it, using what I call the two-tape method. Slip the tip of one tape measure over the spike at one end of your base area, then unroll enough tape to get you a little beyond the intended length of the adjoining side you’re laying out. Think of this as your “side tape,” and eyeball it square to the existing side for now. Next, slip the hook of your second tape measure over the spike at the other end of the base side. This is your “diagonal tape.” Somewhere out in the ether is a length on that diagonal tape that yields a square corner when it overlaps the intended length of the second side of the base you’re locating. And to find this magic crisscross point, you need to turn to a high school geometry formula for help:

Length of diagonal tape = Square root of [(Length between spikes on existing base side)²+ (Length of proposed base side)²]

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This is the Pythagorean theorem in action. When your diagonal tape overlaps the side tape at the number determined above, you’ve got a perfectly square corner. Guaranteed. It works in every building situation where square corners must be laid out in large scale.

Repeat the process for the other two base sides, then replace the corner spikes with 2-by-2 wooden stakes that are tall enough to extend higher than the deepest part of the crushed stone base you’ll be making. Stretch mason’s line between these stakes, then add more stakes between them — one every 8 to 10 feet. Mark a point at least 6 inches above the soil on the highest stake around the perimeter of your base (the minimum worthwhile thickness of any aggregate base), then use a laser level or water level to mark level points on all stakes. You’ll need one of these tools later for building, even if you aren’t installing a raised base.

Reinstall the strings on the level points you’ve just marked on the stakes to guide the placement, grading and compaction of your base fill material as it’s trucked in, dumped and spread.

Plumbing Your Poles

The best way to install poles is by supporting them with temporary tripods of wood while concrete and soil is packed in around them. The time you spend screwing braces in place is short compared with the speed you’ll gain by not having someone try to hold the poles steady while backfilling around them.

Roofing Fast and Simple

There are three reasons pole barns usually have metal roofs. The first is installation speed. Most types of metal roofing can be ordered custom-cut to extend from eaves to peak on your particular building, so there are few seams. Metal roofing also eliminates the need for full roof sheathing on top of trusses. All that’s required to anchor metal is 1-by-4 or 2-by-4 strapping nailed across trusses after installation. Durability is the third reason metal is so popular for pole barns. Today’s modern, washer-head screws hold on forever. You’ll find a cordless impact driver with magnetic driver tip ideal for torquing down roof screws. Tap the screw tips into ridges of the sheet metal using a hammer, then drive them the rest of the way with a cordless impact driver fitted with a magnetic driver tip. As you drive the screws, be sure to stop just as the screw head begins to compress the metal.

To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

build-yourown-home.com

I have been interested in pole barn homes for some time. We are still in the market to build a vacation home and a barn home would fit when building our own vacation home.

There are many distinctive advantages to building barn homes. One that most interests me is of course the lower cost of construction. Another is the ability to roll the barn doors closed and the pole barn home is secure form break ins and bad weather.

Recently one of my buddies built a new barn home and I have included a picture of it above.

He bought some property in the country and over the last several months he completed building the barn home. He was initially attracted to the open pole barn design because he could build it cheaply and it has an open floor plan. For more information concerning barn home plans go to the house plans page.

He started with a simple plan to have a weekend spot to go to and it evolved into a full blown pole barn home that he is going to live in everyday and commute to and from town for work.
My buddy had some choices to make before starting building his new home. First he needed to decide if he was going to general contract the construction himself or hire one.

If you haven’t reviewed the Pre-Construction page that covers how I built my home and the options available, review it and come back here.

Ok we are all back and ready to proceed with my buddy’s  decision making process on how to build his new barn home. He has a very busy schedule and decided to hire a barn building contractor to build his new home turnkey. In the beginning it was a great idea but he had a few challenges later on.

The pole barn building contractor constructed the barn and then my buddy finished the inside himself and with the aid of building contractors. The building contractor list included a well contractor, a septic contractor, a finishing carpenter that completed the inside wood paneling, cabinets, shelves etc… and electrical contractor, and a structured wiring contractor for the satellite, internet phones and such.

Let me review a few of the challenges, not to be critical, but to help you when you build your own home. the biggest challenge was the schedule who was doing what when.

Remember earlier when I mentioned the Barn home started out to be a weekend spot and then became considerably more because my buddy decided to live in it full time later on. He added several building contractors to the schedule and the timing with the general contractor got messed up.

Some of the walls were closed in before all the wiring was complete. This was due to the general not paying attention to the new needs for a more complicated build. The schedule changed and the general contractor did not communicate this with his sub-contractors.

The sub-contractors just showed up one day and closed in all the interior walls without some of the wiring and plumbing and you guessed it, the walls had to be opened up again. This caused some issues with the general contractor and slowed everything down considerably.

Remember with building your own home, or dealing with a general contractor or a sub-contractor you need to be specific, and make all your requests and revisions in writing to help eliminate as many misunderstandings as possible.

In the end everything turned out great for my buddy and he now has a great pole barn home in the country.

To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

ehow.com

A pole barn carries the building’s weight load downward through its skeleton of vertical poles or columns rather than along its walls like the stick-built method. This allows you to build a barn with a large clear span of open interior space. A metal pole barn is economical to erect, in part because it requires minimal site preparation and fewer framing members. These buildings offer high fire resistance, require little maintenance, are customizable and can be recycled.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You’ll Need
Tape measure
Mason’s lime or chalk line
Pick and shovel
Gravel
Concrete forms
Plywood
Circular or table saw
Electric drill
Anchor bolts and nuts
Carpenter’s level
Crescent wrench
Concrete
Scrap lumber
Metal frame components: columns, girts, eave struts, purlins, and rafters
Baseplates and flat washers
Mounting hardware for frame members: clips, bolts, nuts, splice plates
Ladder or scaffolding
Block and tackle or crane
Spud wrench
Base-angle and rake-angle trim pieces
Hammer drill
Concrete anchors
Hammer
Metal wall and roofing panels
Vise-grip clamps
Pencil
Self-tapping screws with sealing washers
Screw gun
Corner and eave trim
Sealant tape
Ridge cap
Finish trim: end caps, peak boxes and rake-angle finish trim
Foundation

1
Lay out the placement of the exterior walls on the building site using a tape measure to make parallel walls the same length. Draw lines representing the walls on the ground using mason’s lime or chalk line. Measure two diagonal lines from corner to opposite corner. Adjust the perimeter until the diagonal lines are equal in length to ensure the foundation is square.

2
Mark placement of foundation piers by making Xs on the ground with mason’s lime at the building’s corners and at recommended intervals along perimeter based on building load and column size/strength. Dig a hole at each X with pick and shovel. The holes should be larger than the forms and extend below your area’s frostline. Fill the holes with 2 to 4 inches of gravel. Insert concrete forms and backfill around them with excavated material transferred by shovel. Saw plywood into template pieces big enough to cover each form. Drill holes through plywood to match exact placement of column anchor holes and extra holes for air release when floating concrete. Put anchor bolts through designated holes with the threaded ends extending above the plywood. Check that each bolt is perpendicular to the plywood template using a carpenter’s level. Use fingers, then crescent wrench to fasten nuts snugly.

3
Fill forms with concrete, float and scrape the tops level with scrap lumber. Attach templates to forms using a hammer and duplex nails, with long ends of anchor bolts in the concrete and the bolts plumb. Let concrete cure as recommended.

Framing

1
Loosen anchor nuts with crescent wrench and remove with fingers. Slide a baseplate over the anchor bolts on each pier and place a flat washer on each anchor bolt by hand. Install vertical columns on anchor bolts beginning at the center of the sidewalls. Use carpenter’s level to ensure that each column is plumb before hand replacing and tightening its anchor nuts.

2
Attach girts or horizontal braces to columns with bolts, clips and hand-tightened nuts. Alternate small and large flanges as you overlap girt ends. Stand on ladder or scaffolding to install high-level girts and eave struts at top of columns. Hand tighten mounting hardware.

3
Lay out pairs of rafters on the ground and connect them by tightening peak slice plate hardware securely with a spud wrench. Lift each rafter assembly with block and tackle or crane beginning at center of sidewall. Check that rafters are plumb and level with carpenter’s level. Attach to vertical columns with mounting hardware and hand tighten. Brace in place with scrap lumber as necessary. Attach purlins across rafters by hand tightening nuts on bolts.

4
Square and plumb the central frame assembly. Tighten mounting hardware securely at the base and where the rafter meets the sidewall column with a spud wrench. Work outward, squaring, plumbing and securing each frame assembly. Construct end wall frames as you did sidewalls.

Sheathing

1
Make pilot holes in foundation piers with hammer drill. Secure base-angle trim with concrete anchors applied by drill, hammer or product-specific recommended method. Secure rake-angle trim to end gables with self-tapping screws with sealing washers inserted with screw gun. Fit flush to eave struts. Stack and align groups of 10 wall panels on the ground. Secure with vise-grip clamps. Mark fastener holes with pencil beginning at vertical center of panel, using tape measure to space them 20 inches apart on center. Drill holes at marks. Stack on ground, align and clamp together sets of 10 roof panels and mark for holes 12 inches apart. Leave 2 inches minimum between each end of panel and first hole mark. Drill holes at marks.

2
Attach first wall panel of a sidewall to end column, eave strut and base-angle, using screw gun to install self-tapping screws with sealing washers through pre-drilled holes and keeping panel’s bottom edge at least ¼ inch above the ground. Overlap the next panel and attach to the frame. Repeat the procedure across both sidewalls, then on end walls. Use screw gun and self-tapping screws with sealing washers to attach corner and eave trim.

3
Clamp roof panel to peak purlin and eave strut with vise-grips and attach using screw gun and self-tapping screws with sealing washers in pre-drilled holes. Leave a 2 inch minimum gable-end overhang and work along both sides of ridge line until roof is covered.

4
Apply sealant tape to the roof where the lower edge of the ridge cap meets the panels to restrict water entry. Install ridge cap, pressing to tape to make a firm seal. Place fastening screws above the top edge of the tape. Apply finish trim with mounting hardware over the sealant tape.

To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.

nfba.com

NFBA is now actively planning the 2012 NFBA National Conference and Frame Building Expo at the Americas Center in St. Louis, Missouri, February 29-March 2, 2012.

All NFBA members are invited to submit a proposal to present an educational session at the conference.
Click here for the presentation proposal form.

Please submit your proposal by May 30, 2011.

Each proposal is reviewed by the NFBA Convention Committee, comprised of industry leaders. The Committee will select presentations based on their overall quality, relevance to the post-frame industry (factoring in attendee feedback from previous NFBA educational sessions), and application relating to innovations in industry technology or business thinking.

A proposal should have a well-defined focus and clear learning objectives, as well as practical application to post-frame industry professionals.

We look forward to receiving your ideas.

To get additional information about Colorado barn, Colorado pole barns, and Colorado pole buildings, please visit our pole barn Colorado informational site.

To get additional information about horse barn, horse barns Colorado, and pole barn, please visit our pole barn building informational site.

To get additional information about pole barns, pole barns prices, and pole building, please visit our Colorado pole barns informational site.