?? For EddieWalker

Peter 315 · Apr 8, 2020

I put the 2x6 in so I would not push the siding out stacking the hay with the tractor hopefully it works......

747driver · Apr 8, 2020

If you go with a pole barn or red iron make sure you compare apples to apples. What gauge is the roof and wall siding. The standard use is 26 gauge. 29 is just to thin, i had 19 gauge installed. My posts ( 6x6 laminated ) are bolted to metal flanges which are anchored to concrete pilings. This eliminates any wood posts in the ground. R and R buildings really does some great interior finishing with the metal ceilings and walls ! Pole barns are much more flexible in putting in windows and doors after the fact. Red iron buildings require more engineering in terms of windows and doors.

hawkeye08 · Apr 8, 2020

I have a pole barn (I call it my shop).. If I was doing it today, I would have the fancy new posts that have steel or concrete in the ground and all the wood above ground (no posts rotting off).

fried1765 · Apr 8, 2020

hawkeye08 said:
I have a pole barn (I call it my shop).. If I was doing it today, I would have the fancy new posts that have steel or concrete in the ground and all the wood above ground (no posts rotting off).

Good advice, but my posts are 39 years old, and still SEEM good.

Hay Dude · Apr 8, 2020

AlbertC said:
Hey Eddie

I don稚 post often but I do have respect for your knowledge of building and construction and would like to ask your opinion. I have been trying to decide what type of building I would like to have for my workshop, have looked at red iron, stick built and pole barn. I mostly would use the bldg for my woodworking and to maybe store my tractor and pickup.

I like the steel buildings but am aware of the problems sometimes associated with them such as insulation, running electrical, hanging stuff on the walls, etc.. I had not really considered a pole barn building because I had alway considered them to be a lower quality build and I want a building that has a nice finish inside and out. I know I can go with stick built but it is probably the most expensive option

However I was looking at some you tube videos on pole barns the other day and there was an outfit call R and R buildings that has some videos of their pole barns. I was surprise about how nice they looked inside and out. After the buildings were finished out, I don稚 think most people could even tell it was a pole barn building. I would assume the pole barn building is a cheaper option.

Can you tell me How you feel about the pole barn construction building vs stick built? If you were building for yourself, which do you like better? I haven稚 ruled out the metal building but am starting to think the other options might be better for me. I live in middle Georgia so it gets pretty hot but not really that cold in the winters anymore.

Thanks for any input you may have.

Very easy to stick build a building like that with just a little subcontracting. I build them that size all the time.
Is cost a big consideration? Any zoning restrictions? Pole barns run the cheapest because there?s so little involved in foundation work. You can have a building like that framed in 2-3 days.
Probably need to know more about your budget. Whether it?s a metal or wood pole barn, a block wall building or stick framed with 2-bys, they?ll all do the job.

EddieWalker · Apr 10, 2020

AlbertC said:
Hey Eddie

I donç¨š post often but I do have respect for your knowledge of building and construction and would like to ask your opinion. I have been trying to decide what type of building I would like to have for my workshop, have looked at red iron, stick built and pole barn. I mostly would use the bldg for my woodworking and to maybe store my tractor and pickup.

I like the steel buildings but am aware of the problems sometimes associated with them such as insulation, running electrical, hanging stuff on the walls, etc.. I had not really considered a pole barn building because I had alway considered them to be a lower quality build and I want a building that has a nice finish inside and out. I know I can go with stick built but it is probably the most expensive option

However I was looking at some you tube videos on pole barns the other day and there was an outfit call R and R buildings that has some videos of their pole barns. I was surprise about how nice they looked inside and out. After the buildings were finished out, I donç¨š think most people could even tell it was a pole barn building. I would assume the pole barn building is a cheaper option.

Can you tell me How you feel about the pole barn construction building vs stick built? If you were building for yourself, which do you like better? I havenç¨š ruled out the metal building but am starting to think the other options might be better for me. I live in middle Georgia so it gets pretty hot but not really that cold in the winters anymore.

Thanks for any input you may have.

Sorry for taking so long to reply, I just noticed this thread.

For me, the deciding factor is how are you going to finish off the building? Are you going to pour concrete? What type of ceiling do you want and how big of a span do you want?

The most affordable building is a pole barn where the posts are set in the ground and purlins are run from the post and trusses across the top. The wider the span for the trusses, the more money you spend. There is a point where metal becomes more affordable then wood trusses on large spans, and then there is the added benfit of the open arch of the metal for a roof wich is especially useful for a commercial building.

When you add concrete to a pole barn, going with posts now becomes an option depending on how you plan to finish off the walls. If you want just a shell on the inside, then posts are the most affordable. If you want finished walls, like plywood or OSB or even sheetrock, then posts are not longer the best option since you will be framing up the walls for the interior siding. Then stick built becomes the better option.

In my opinion, 12 foot walls with 2x6's stick framed on a concrete slab is the starting point when figuring out what to build.

For a roof, if you go metal, you can get away with a lower pitch, which may or may not be an issue. 4:12 is what I like and what I'm comfortable walking on in dry conditions. Steeper has a nicer look to it, but it's gets a lot harder to walk on if you ever have to go up there. For shingles, 4:12 is the minumum slope and 6:12 is about the steepest I'm comfortable walking on. Shingles are going to cost more money in trusses because of their weight. You have to put those trusses on every 2 feet and then put decking over them. For metal, I like my trusses every 4 feet so I can put 2x4 purlins on the flat on top of the trusses for the metal. You can go a lot farther apart on your truses, but then your purlins have to be on the edge. This gets to be a math challenge if you want to cut down on trusses and increase the size of your purlins that is beyond me on where the ideal span is. I just stick with trusses on 4 feet.

An added benifit to 4 foot spacing of trusses is that you can easily install metal R panels for your ceiling on the inside of the building without adding any additional lumber. If your trusses are farther apart then 4 feet, then you will have to build a frame work to attach a ceiling. If you want plywood or sheetrock for your celing, then 2 feet is the fartherst span you can get away with. and if you use sheetrock, it has to be 5/8's or it will bow on you between joists.

The thing that I like about metal on the ceiling is that you can blow in insulation in the attic space yourself. Comparete to all other insualtion options out there, nothing else comes close to what it costs for R value up there. Foam is better, but a lot more money and a very long return on your investment when compared to blown in. If you are going with Metal, or an open ceiling, then spraying closed cell uder the roof metal or shingles is the best choice. Never used open cell, it holds moisture that comes from humidity and leads to rust or rot over time. Open cell is cheaper and easier to install, but in the long term, not a good choice.

Door size, lean to and layout are all more depending on your use and location. I would start the process on where you want to building to be, how you will access it and if you can add on to it in the future. Bigger is always better, but that's more money. Building the main structure now with space to add leantoes onto the sides in the future is a good way to get your building done now, and still have the ability to have more space if you ever need it.

Hope this helps,
Eddie

ultrarunner · Apr 10, 2020

repowell said:
We went with Morton. Our stables are 10 years old now with zero issues. They are not the cheapest but are top quality.

View attachment 649779

View attachment 649780

That is a great looking setup...

joeyd · Apr 10, 2020

hawkeye08 said:
I have a pole barn (I call it my shop).. If I was doing it today, I would have the fancy new posts that have steel or concrete in the ground and all the wood above ground (no posts rotting off).

I would too!