Enclosed Room proposed in a pole bldg

[Gitche Gumee Kid]

I have a 36'x63'pole bldg ( built in 1981 ) "Floor" is Cl 5 gravel over 4" to 6" heavies. Location---> WI

I want to make an enclosed room in one corner 12'x18' with a 4 to 5 inch poured conc slab.
At the moment , there is a storage loft in that corner (to remain)

The question I have is should the two new walls that are to be made rest on the slab or should three new posts be buried to the same level as the outer wall posts?

I'm speculating that the slab should "float" and the posts should carry the walls.

GGK

 

[arlen4720]

I have 2 Morton buildings, both with interior rooms. One of them have the walls sitting on the slab, one has poles supporting the walls. Neither of them have gave me any problems. The one with the walls sitting on the slab is 15 years old, and that is how I would do it if I did it again.

 

[bigtiller]

I made a 10x10 room in one corner sitting on the floor and never had a problem. I insulated it and plugged in an electric heater.

 

[boggen]

on the slab, would be advised. granted it is assuming you have good "drainage" and min frost heave already. gutters help great amount, and then making sure land around shed/barn slopes away from it.

drilling a hole and dropping a post in the ground, if not correctly compacted, could lead to water buildup, causing the slab shift more. granted it would be inside the building. but moisture, etc... will find its way to the low spot and frost heave. all the other posts (around outside) been there for years and is as compacted as it will get.

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i have same like doing in one of my sheds. "an enclosed area" the problems i have had.. are mice and ra-co ons. getting up on top and making a poo piles, along with rat droppings (not mice but rat) all it takes is one or the other and a week and it is a stinky ugly mess to clean up.

i also have had problem of high wind / rain, getting in around the metal siding and roof, letting just a little bit of water in. not much to even see dripping, but enough to cause rot. i have had to replace some metal sheeting siding roofing nails along with some silicon around the nails to cure the ingress of water.

i have also had to use some "great stuff spray foam closed cell (red can)" to fill in around the metal siding, and were 2 sheets overlap on the walls.

there is a stair case to get up on top... but it is rather ugly very steep steps. the steps take up a large amount of room. if done again... i would most likely put then between the outside wall and enclosed area... so the bottom side of the stair case was accessible inside the enclosed area. or place the stair case out into the middle of the shed.

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with above said... now that i think about it... i would most likely pull the loft area out above completely. and just put 2 walls up all the way up to the ceiling. lighting is an issue, shelving is an issue, granted more area above to heat.. but... 12 feet wide, with shelving on each side, doesn't leave you much wiggle room. exception standing a ladder up through the middle. 12' doesn't really give you much room to get a vehicle in there or like to work on it either. nor much space to actually get a medium size project going in there.

find a spot for window a/c unit, along with a dehumdifer, and some sort of heater on thermostate.

install a couple cheap windows (new construction windows = nail tab around window). one on each end of the 18' or like. so a box fan can be setup in one window and pull air through the enclosed area. windows don't have to go to the outside, just point them back into the shed.

 

[Gitche Gumee Kid]

[Dreaded double post (deleted)

 

[Gitche Gumee Kid]

Ok. Thanks for the replies.

My next question deals with the four loft supporting posts ( in red in the not quite to scale enclosed diagram) The pole bldg posts are in black.
Should a separate pad (footing) be made for each "red" post prior to pouring the floor for the "room' and isolating it from the poured slab with "sliip forms"?

Will try to post diagram.http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af61/GitcheGumeeKid/Project/EnclosedRoomProject_zps2984efc5.png

GGK

What size should the pads be? How thick ? Below the frost line?
W

 

[JimRB]

What are you putting in the loft? I would probably do conventional stud walls, double top plate and appropriately sized 2xjoists stacked over the studs covered with 3/4" plywood, no posts in the middle of the new room. If you are saying you have existing posts to work around supporting an existing loft that is another discussion. I would install the slab and conventional pressure treated floor plate, studs and finish as desired. I did this between existing post in our pole barn. No frost heaves to speak of where I live though.

 

[Gitche Gumee Kid]

What are you putting in the loft? I would probably do conventional stud walls, double top plate and appropriately sized 2xjoists stacked over the studs covered with 3/4" plywood, no posts in the middle of the new room. If you are saying you have existing posts to work around supporting an existing loft that is another discussion. I would install the slab and conventional pressure treated floor plate, studs and finish as desired. I did this between existing post in our pole barn. No frost heaves to speak of where I live though.

^^^^This is what I am saying.
GGK

 

[rocketfish]

What are you putting in the loft? I would probably do conventional stud walls, double top plate and appropriately sized 2xjoists stacked over the studs covered with 3/4" plywood, no posts in the middle of the new room. If you are saying you have existing posts to work around supporting an existing loft that is another discussion. I would install the slab and conventional pressure treated floor plate, studs and finish as desired. I did this between existing post in our pole barn. No frost heaves to speak of where I live though.

X2. JimRB. That is what I would do. I learned a lot working for my buddy's dad. A contractor for 40+years. Keep us up to date on progress.

 

[hslogger]

I live in Western Oregon, don't have the harsh winters temperature wise you do. But we have more rain than you can imagine.
I have a large pole barn with dirt floors, real wood siding, metal roof, mostly metal over plywood.

I wanted a proper room for storage of leather and livestock gear,grain, vet supplies and stuff.
We poured a five inch slab on top of plastic sheeting on top of gravel. Plastic is the moisture barrier. With out the plastic, the room would suck up moisture in the slab. I built my enclosed room with two by four studs,fully insulated, ceiling insulated too. I have a home made insulated door that is 95 percent air tight. I leave a hundred watt light bulb on all the time. The untight door allows air circulation enough to hinder mildew. If I had it do do over again, maybe I would use a store bought door and vents, but this is a real nice set up for me and I have been very happy with it.