Barndominium/Shop or "real" House?

[LouNY]

Yes. It seems like there would be more thermal bridging than with just the standard post & beam construction. But so far all the builders keep saying bookshelf is best for the living spce as it provides drywall nailiners.

I'm almost thinking to go with standard outer wall girts, then just use 2X4 stud walls between the colums in the living space flush with the inside of the posts, that way I have normal stud walls for drywall, and have a cavity of ~3-3/4" between the stud walls and the outside girts for insulation. The only thermal bridging in that scenario is at the columns where the outer girts connect.

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I like that with one difference, I had a vaulted ceiling done with closed cell spray foam this summer. Amazing the difference, it is expensive but the performance of it exceeds the R value difference. Fiberglass batting is very poor in my opinion especially in windy areas. I am convinced of the benits of spray foam at this time.

 

[ovrszd]

My Son rents space in a 100x70x16 pole barn with bookshelf design. Metal outside/inside. Spray foam insulation. Sits on an open ridge. It racks during 30mph wind. You can hear it. If you lean against a wall you can feel it. Pretty sure they didn't use blocking at the ends of the shelves. Just toenailed them.

 

[ETD66SS]

My Son rents space in a 100x70x16 pole barn with bookshelf design. Metal outside/inside. Spray foam insulation. Sits on an open ridge. It racks during 30mph wind. You can hear it. If you lean against a wall you can feel it. Pretty sure they didn't use blocking at the ends of the shelves. Just toenailed them.

Maybe this is why some builders are recommending the exterior and roof is sheathed before the steel goes on...

 

[civilian]

I was told by an electrician that the space behind the columns on a normal pole barn above the 2x4" girts was not for running wire. Wire had to go up and down columns and around columns in attic space. Way much more wiring that way. Couldn't drill holes in columns either. Jon

 

[ETD66SS]

I was told by an electrician that the space behind the columns on a normal pole barn above the 2x4" girts was not for running wire. Wire had to go up and down columns and around columns in attic space. Way much more wiring that way. Couldn't drill holes in columns either. Jon

Well that is something I definitely need to talk to an electrician about, cause that's a crapload more wire than I was thinking. I wonder if that is NEC code or maybe local to your municipality...

 

[rScotty]

Ok, so asking a few insurance agents about my Barndominium. Will they need to look over the drawings etc? I assume if yes they need to be stamped? Anyone ever go over insurance options with an agent before a structure is built? In my area, seems everyone is building Barndo's now, so it is a thing...

Interesting discussion on the Barndominium. I thought about building that way myself. and also thought about building a barn large enough to park an RV in, and using that for living while doing some traveling. In the end, I couldn't resist designing a house and building it myself with help from subs.

I was not able to find an insurance agent who was capable and interested in looking over drawings and insuring outside the norm. There must still be such independent insurance agecy owners, but I did't find one. It's worth trying, though.

Whether or not drawings need to be stamped and how much inspection is required during building is a local thing and varies from nothing to overbearing. Just gut it up and do it.

I would encourage you to have your drawings gone over in detail by a structural or architectural engineer who has a P.E. stamp. It will pay for itself when you insure the final product and just makes good sense. Any good one can improve your design in a dozen ways. Typical cost here is a thousand dollars and includes some consultation during construction.
rScotty

 

[ETD66SS]

Interesting discussion on the Barndominium. I thought about building that way myself. and also thought about building a barn large enough to park an RV in, and using that for living while doing some traveling. In the end, I couldn't resist designing a house and building it myself with help from subs.

I was not able to find an insurance agent who was capable and interested in looking over drawings and insuring outside the norm. There must still be such independent insurance agecy owners, but I did't find one. It's worth trying, though.

Whether or not drawings need to be stamped and how much inspection is required during building is a local thing and varies from nothing to overbearing. Just gut it up and do it.

I would encourage you to have your drawings gone over in detail by a structural or architectural engineer who has a P.E. stamp. It will pay for itself when you insure the final product and just makes good sense. Any good one can improve your design in a dozen ways. Typical cost here is a thousand dollars and includes some consultation during construction.
rScotty

I just got off the phone with my insurance agent. He said there would be no issues getting a standard homeowners policy on the Barndominium "once it's completed", tons of ppl in my area are doing so. But he did say they and most other insurance agencies do not offer builders risk insurance. So I will have to contact my insurance broker who carries my Inland Marine policy on my quipment to have them find builders risk insurance. Since I no longer own a home and am living with a relative until I build, I only have renters insurance, which covers liability and personal property at my land, but would not cover the structure while it is being built. And if I do most of the work myself it will take me years to get to the point of occupancy permit. So I absolutely need builders risk insurance.

As far as PE stamp, my local build dept requires this, so I have to have that done no matter what. I worked out a deal with a local RA where I do all the CAD work, he redlines my drawings for any needed changes, and then he stamps them once they are all in order. He will also deliver a code review document, which is also req'd by my local building dept.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes. It seems like there would be more thermal bridging than with just the standard post & beam construction. But so far all the builders keep saying bookshelf is best for the living spce as it provides drywall nailiners.

I'm almost thinking to go with standard outer wall girts, then just use 2X4 stud walls between the colums in the living space flush with the inside of the posts, that way I have normal stud walls for drywall, and have a cavity of ~3-3/4" between the stud walls and the outside girts for insulation. The only thermal bridging in that scenario is at the columns where the outer girts connect.

View attachment 786525

Yes, I wasn't disagreeing with the reasoning for using it, was just curious about increasing the thermal bridging by a factor of X.

 

[ETD66SS]

Yes, I wasn't disagreeing with the reasoning for using it, was just curious about increasing the thermal bridging by a factor of X.

Most of the builders I have talked to have suggested it. They must like it for a reason, i.e, they make more profit...

 

[rScotty]

I just got off the phone with my insurance agent. He said there would be no issues getting a standard homeowners policy on the Barndominium "once it's completed", tons of ppl in my area are doing so. But he did say they and most other insurance agencies do not offer builders risk insurance. So I will have to contact my insurance broker who carries my Inland Marine policy on my quipment to have them find builders risk insurance. Since I no longer own a home and am living with a relative until I build, I only have renters insurance, which covers liability and personal property at my land, but would not cover the structure while it is being built. And if I do most of the work myself it will take me years to get to the point of occupancy permit. So I absolutely need builders risk insurance.

As far as PE stamp, my local build dept requires this, so I have to have that done no matter what. I worked out a deal with a local RA where I do all the CAD work, he redlines my drawings for any needed changes, and then he stamps them once they are all in order. He will also deliver a code review document, which is also req'd by my local building dept.

Sounds like you have it covered.

BTW, something to think about: I just finished rewiring my barn entirely. Took a year of spare time. This time I did all the runs external to the inside of the walls, and all of EMT - steel tubular conduit.

The reason was discovering places where rodents ate into the original wiring. It was basic NM cable/Romex and unarmored. That is an allowable and common way to wire, but there are other better ways to build.

The project was actually kind of fun and very neat - EMT is sort of like tinkertoy construction. And much safer.