Building my barn!

[EddieWalker]

I understand the engineering on those purlins being on the flat with the ribbing of the metal siding providing the support for them once it's installed, but that sag in them is driving me crazy. If it was mine, I would install a single stud, or vertical blocking in the center of the span to support them.

 

[paulsharvey]

I understand the engineering on those purlins being on the flat with the ribbing of the metal siding providing the support for them once it's installed, but that sag in them is driving me crazy. If it was mine, I would install a single stud, or vertical blocking in the center of the span to support them.

Typically, the shop drawings will call for a 2x4 temp brace, until siding installed. Basically just a block. The dunnage the metal came on works great for this. It can be removed once your metal is screwed off.

 

[PistolPete]

I’ve added vertical 2x4 braces on the inside of wall girts since those photos were taken. Looks a lot better with straight lines. Plus I can climb up the sides as needed. As mentioned, those will go away once I’ve screwed off the wall panels.

I’m hoping to finish the roof framing this weekend, weather permitting. Framing the sidewall overhangs has been a PITA to do solo - holding the fascia in place to attach is difficult, and the eave struts need to each be notched on each end to fit inside the steel brackets. Last weekend I managed to do 1/3 of them, when I’d hoped to do all of them.

 

[lcalverson13]

Over the past two weeks, my concrete guy has dug out the footers, rolled the sub base and stone, added a f***-load of rebar and wire, and finally poured the footers and floor. They pumped the footers in a day (38 yards!) and then did the floor over the next two days for a total of approximately 80 yards of concrete. Don’t ask what that cost me. But they did a great job and this thing ain’t goin nowhere.

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Anchor bolts for the columns were cast in place. I build some little jigs to hold them in place against the slab forms. Now I’m just waiting for the concrete to harden up over the next week or two before I can start raising the steel!
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I am doing a Quonset and found the cost of cement staggering. I paid $225 / yard in MI. That was a Saturday delivery so it was more. Getting a cement company is a good move. It was 90 and we were unable to finish the cement quick enough. We kept adding water and had visqueen under it but it was not quick to harden and too dry coming off the truck. We had 32 yards delivered of 4500 psi. I had a large stone base that is tiled and great drainage as spring is a mud hole on the clay. What is unsaid with Quonset buildings is the baseplate option. It would cost an additional 7k for a 30 X 48. I am building my own but it is a challenge. I am thinking 40k by the time I am done and that is doing all the work myself.

 

[Jims1025R]

I'm finishing part two (the unheated garage for the tractor and Ranger) by myself. Lifting the sheet steel up by myself without damaging it seemed challenging. My JD1025 loader would not lift quite high enough, until I had the vision that the forks will fit on the fork lift frame up side down. So I built a special skid out of scrap 2x4's and sawed some cedar posts to a taper on the sawmill. The result is a pleasing skid which holds the sheets one at a time, and I can postion them so I can climb up, and pull them the rest of the way up without damaging them. I did the first roof (over the silver board (heated) portion of the workshop) last summer, and am just finishing the rest now. After the roof is complete, walls, and then siding to match the house...

 

[PistolPete]

That’s a pretty neat idea for lifting the roof panels. I’ve thought about something similar, though since my panels are 23’ long, I thought about something perpendicular to the tractor. I may end up need a helper on roof day - not sure how much those panels weigh.

When you slide the panels up, do they move across the purlins pretty easy, or do they get hung up or scratched while moving them?

 

[Jims1025R]

When I pull up the panels, I climb up the purlins as I pull them, so I hold them up off the purlins. The panels slid off the three "fingers" of my home made skid for most of the length of the panel, and then just drop off the fingers onto the purlins more or less in place. I then slide the panel to the side, catching the ridge of the next panel over the panel of the already set panel. Adjust the "height" of the new panel to the set one.

One thing I have learned is to measure and mark the lowest and highest purlin the same distance from whichever is the more critical roof peak for appearance. It is possible for the sheets to be a little bit off square to the rafters and purlins, particularly if you accidentally screw a top or bottom rib too tight, and squish it out a little. Lining the edges of the next panels up to measured marks on the purlins is a double check for you that the panels are not working off square. If they are, a little bit of tweaking is possible, as the panel will stretch or compress a little across its width if you need to, but not needing to is better.

I can't speak to 23' panels - it sounds to me like a job for several experienced people using a bigger tractor than my 1025R!

 

[PistolPete]

Some serious progress today. Had the scissor life delivered and got to work on the above-ladder-height roof purlins.

I’ve never used a scissor lift before but it’s pretty easy and quite intuitive. The work was physically tiring but straightforward. I managed to complete 3 of the 5 bays before I had to go do dad stuff. I’ve got the machine for a month so it’s not a huge rush but I do need to use it for more than just the roof.

 

[EddieWalker]

Looks good.

My only issue with scissor lifts is getting in and out of them. The fewer times I do that, the better!!!

 

[Doorman63]

Looks good.

My only issue with scissor lifts is getting in and out of them. The fewer times I do that, the better!!!

Beats a ladder sir!!

I like the metal style “framework” of this barn.
Do the frames have pre drilled tabs to screw the girts/purlins too?