Barndominium/Shop or "real" House?

[ETD66SS]

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.

In the shop area, I have always planed on putting steel on the ceiling & walls (no drywall) and doing conduit over that. Living space, will have drywall so will be more traditional wiring.

I think it just makes sense in a shop to use EMT conduit and metal boxes.

Except I guess where I have to for the fire separattion between the shop and living space.

 

[MossRoad]

....

Except I guess where I have to for the fire separattion between the shop and living space.

I think you'll still have to run it between the two areas in conduit, then plug the ends with fire stop material.

 

[civilian]

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...

Something about no or not enough protection from outside of metal sides to the wires. Jon

 

[JasperFrank]

All anyone can do is to try and make helpful suggestions based on direct experiences. And to humbly, point out something that doesn't look right on paper.

One of my neighbors decided to build a Barno. I should better say, they took over a failed attempt at a Barno that was started earlier by this neighbor's brother. The brother was use to living in Alaska, and had no concept of CODE.

The brother put $200,000 into his back of the napkin design. None of it was code complaint. But he did get to a point where by it could be called an AG building.

When the other brother asked me what to do with the structure, I said leave it AG and start completely over some where else, on the property and build a new domestic dwelling. This advice was not followed, and they spend another $280,000 to make this building compliant. This is in 2007 money. They got the occupancy sign off in 2011.

To me personally, this house was an un-practical and aesthetic nightmare. That ended up with 1,200 square feet of livable space, over the garage, and the "Garage" bit had to be turned in to a wood shop/man cave sort of area with a few couches around the wood stove. They never use the very expensive, tall garage doors. This area became the wood shop.
The up stairs has only three spaces. A tiny bed room, a tiny bathroom and a very limited space, kitchen/living/dinning room. For near 1/2 million in 2007-2011 money. And you have to walk three flights of narrow stairs to get there from the unused front door, and three flight down to get out because the stairway had to be fire rated and isolated from the garage part. And he had to build a very expensive secondary egress in the form of an outside stairway they never use. This one experience with Barno, is what I have to relate.
Not saying your ideas are bad in any way, but I would pick the A frame ground level concept over the Barno. Or just stop right now, and rethink all your ideas, and look at a great deal of standard "Off the Shelf," plans that are available. You might find one that works and checks all the boxes: Or not. If not, go back to your original plans.

It is a wonderful thing to design your own house and be involved with its construction. "This is MY house." It is a very powerful feeling when you walk in to YOUR house, and you designed it. And most of it worked perfectly. And very fun, to give the 50 cent tour to a guest once it is finished.

I see an issue with trailering something in to the garage space, with how your driveway system is layed out. There isn't enough room. Just say'en.....

 

[ETD66SS]

All anyone can do is to try and make helpful suggestions based on direct experiences. And to humbly, point out something that doesn't look right on paper.

One of my neighbors decided to build a Barno. I should better say, they took over a failed attempt at a Barno that was started earlier by this neighbor's brother. The brother was use to living in Alaska, and had no concept of CODE. The brother put $200,000 into his back of the napkin design. None of it was code complaint. But he did get to a point where by it could be called an AG building.
When the other brother asked me what to do with the structure, I said leave it AG and start completely over some where else, on the property and build a new domestic dwelling. This advice was not followed, and they spend another $280,000 to make this building compliant. This is in 2007 money. They got the occupancy sign off in 2011.

To me personally, this house was an un-practical and esthetic nightmare. That ended up with 1,200 square feet of livable space, over the garage, and the "Garage" bit had to be turned in to a wood shop/man cave sort of area with a few couches around the wood stove.
The up stairs has only three spaces. A tiny bed room, a tiny bathroom and a very limited space, kitchen/living/dinning room. For near 1/2 million in 2007-2011 money. And you have to walk three flights of narrow stairs to get there and three flight down to get out because the stairway had to be fire rated and isolated from the garage part. And he had to build a very expensive secondary egress in the form of an outside stairway they never use.
Not saying your ideas are bad in any way, but I would pick the A frame ground level concept over the Barno. Or just stop right now, and rethink all your ideas, and look at a great deal of standard "Off the Shelf," plans that are available. You might find one that works and checks all the boxes: Or not.
It is a wonderful thing to design your own house and be involved with its construction.
I see an issue with trailering something in to the garage space, with how your driveway system is layed out. There isn't enough room. Just say'en.....

I spent the better part of 20 years looking at stock house plans. None of them seemed to work for me. I'll pick the Faux A-Frame house soon as someone gets back to me with a reasonable estimate.

As far as backing in a trailer in any of the garages. I've tried many different combinations. When I try to account for that on all garage doors, the amount of stone I would need is quite silly.

The last option is not great because the living space is now taking on the westerly winds. And the sun is setting on the living room window ruining TV watching. And to get my tracked equipment into the shop I driving over the drievway for my cars digging the stone all up with the cleats.

 

[ETD66SS]

This configuration would require the least amount of new stone. No doors facing the west wind.

 

[ETD66SS]

Or give myself a little more room, and only start with stone in front of the 3 car garage, add more to other doors as time goes on.

 

[2manyrocks]

Conceptually, houses are too limiting when built as houses and shops are too utilitarian. So I get the barndo concept.

On the other hand, it looks like so much of your design and your cost is being incurred for the purpose of providing space for heavy machinery. Part of me wonders if your desires in this regard will continue into your retirement years. If there comes a point when this no longer interests you as it does now, you're kind of stuck with this space the way it is once you build it. It's not like you can sell off the shop to someone else while you continue to live in the living quarters.

You've indicated that several builders aren't interested because they can make more building more typical buildings. If the economy turns sour, they might be more willing to work on your project if they lose their other work.

The two most dangerous places in any house are the bathroom and the stairs. The advice others have offered to provide wheelchair accessible space on the ground floor is worth repeating. You're going to the trouble to trying to make space accessible for your machinery. You should make ground floor space accessible for yourself if for no other reason than life throws all of us unexpected curve balls given enough time.

 

[ETD66SS]

You've indicated that several builders aren't interested because they can make more building more typical buildings. If the economy turns sour, they might be more willing to work on your project if they lose their other work.

I meant my stick frame design. The builders don't want to mess with it due it being unconventional. And I could not bring myself to spend ~$300k on a house design picked from a book that I really don't like.

My intentions were to build both a house and a shop, however once I started getting estimates, building both is simply not an option for me unless I win the lotto.

The shop is likely where I will spend 90% of my time when I'm not sleeping. And I want the shop now while I can use it not in 10 years when I save up enough to finally build a shop. And I think the costly part is the living space, not so much the shop. Initially the shop will have a stone floor and be uninsulated.

I don't want to plan things thinking it will burn down or I will be in a wheelchair. If I'm in a wheelchair I won't be living there.

 

[2manyrocks]

Always a good idea to incorporate flexibility to allow for easy changes in use as our interests evolve in life.

If you were ever in a wheelchair (hopefully not), why would you want to go somewhere else instead of staying at the property you worked so hard to have?