Floor for pole barn?

[Arc weld]

I'm thinking more about building a pole barn but can't afford a concrete floor right now. I did want part of it to be kind of an office/lunch room though. Is a wooden floor built over the clay/gravel a viable option? I've read some conflicting info. I'd like to have 400-600 sq. ft. of office space framed in and possibly have storage on top of it.

 

[CalG]

Keep the ground moisture out!

 

[cat fever]

Is pouring concrete only where you want the office an option? You can do the rest at a later time.
:2cents:

 

[Sysop]

Lay some large pavers down to set the floor on to keep it off the clay slightly. Do it like you would a small shed.

 

[s219]

If I didn't want to have implements on rolling dollies, I would have just put down plastic and then dropped gravel down (perhaps #8 or crusher run -- #8 is nice because it self compacts, though it would probably stick to muddy tires). Concrete was expensive, and a hassle to find a contractor (should have just done it myself). And as Eddie Walker points out, kind of kills the cost benefit of a pole barn.

If you just need an office lunch area in a section of the barn, I'd say put down plastic, then gravel, and then build up a floor deck with lumber where you need it. Pressure treated frame (can be 2x4 if resting directly on gravel or well supported with blocks, and just for foot traffic and light loads) with some 3/4" T&G plywood will be nice and firm, and not too expensive.

 

[LD1]

600sq ft of concrete for an office space would only be ~5 yards of concrete. Around here that would be about ~500.

With stone, plastic, wood, etc I'd imagine there wouldnt be a huge cost difference.

 

[EddieWalker]

600sq ft of concrete for an office space would only be ~5 yards of concrete. Around here that would be about ~500.

With stone, plastic, wood, etc I'd imagine there wouldnt be a huge cost difference.

I'm wondering what the difference in cost would be going with something other then concrete? Have you priced out what it will cost to do a wooden floor then compared the difference to concrete?

I've never regretted spending more in doing the best I can, but I've always regretted spending less for something not quite what I wanted when I knew something better was an option

Eddie

 

[KevT]

I too am looking at building a new pole barn, but will probably do the same thing I did for my wood shop. Put down 2 layers of 6mil visqueen and then put down 8" of crushed concrete. After it was down, I sprinkled it with a hose and rolled it. Once I had the building erected I put down stall mats from corner to corner. On the pole barn I will leave out the mats. I called around and found the crushed concrete for $30 a load. What I saved on the base helped pay for the matting.

 

[LD1]

Well, a 2x6x8' board will cover roughly 4 sq ft, and is about 5-6 bucks a board, that is over $1 per sq ft.

So $600+ just for the flooring.

Even plywood @ 50 cents per sq ft would be $300 just for that, not counting the joists and whatnot.

 

[Arc weld]

600sq ft of concrete for an office space would only be ~5 yards of concrete. Around here that would be about ~500.

With stone, plastic, wood, etc I'd imagine there wouldnt be a huge cost difference.

How do you figure only $500 for 600 sq. ft.? Going by that math, I could do do a 40 x 60 floor for $2000. Concrete delivered is about $300/meter and that doesn't include rebar, forms or finishing. I was quoted $10.50 sq. ft. including everything. 600 sq. ft. comes to $6300!