We recently built a 40x60x14 iron barn with a plan for it similar to yours. Our primary usage is a weekender for the ranch. Apartment inside with upper and lower bedrooms, closets, a bathroom and a kitchen - all walls and ceilings are fully insulated with roll fiberglass. Floors are LVP or engineered wood. That takes up about 21x22. 4Ton HVAC - with a long trunk on a damper to make the barn a separate zone. 1" of spray foam insulation throughout the barn. Walk doors on 3 sides and big doors on each end - 12x12 & 12x14. Conduit-ed electrical and 200A service. A couple things we WISH we had thought of is to put in hook-ups for a washer and dryer. We are kicking ourselves for not plumbing that into the floor before we got started. Too late now without trenching the floor. Also, out kitchen runs out into the barn along the front wall in an open-style layout. If I did it again, I would have enclosed the kitchen so the AC would cool all the living spaces. It's hot as balls here already and the AC in the barn (and kitchen) really struggles. I dont want to put in a mini-split in the barn and adding more insulation is too expensive to retrofit, so it's going to be expensive during the summer. Some things we did get right...We polished the concrete floors and it really keeps down the dust. I also added brushes to the edges of the roll-up doors and they are a game-changer. There are no wasps, moths, flies, etc. that get in. If you are in a "safe" place, put in as many windows as you can afford. A walk door near each rollup is helpful too. Maybe consider making a covered porch. The porch separates the dirt from the inside and is a good place to grill, sit and relax, etc. Finally, budget about 2x what you _think_ it will cost!
Help Me Design/ Build a Shop
- Thread starter LittleBittyBigJohn
- Start date
I just signed a post-frame contract for a 40x50x12 garage with a small shop. 12' shed along the 50' side. I really appreciate you asking the question, because I learned a lot here. I'll use the post sleeves. Probably bite that cost bullet and spray foam insulation.
My son-in-law builder just built two 60x80 shops on his farm. One is dirt floor and uninsulated for machinery storage. The one with spray foam insulation is heated/cooled with just two small mini-splits. He says it is so efficient he doesn't notice the bills. (wild Kentucky climate) Built as a farm shop, but with large windows overlooking the lake, he installed a bath and small kitchen after the inspectors were gone. It's nice enough that church bible study groups meet there year-round.
Be sure you understand your codes and inspection requirements. We learned that if it can be used for residential, the utilities won't even allow power or gas without full septic system all codes, and a final inspection.
My home is a separately owned lot surrounded on 3- sides by the farm. If the building is on that lot, there is a whole separate set of codes required. If I build it 30' from the house on "the farm" we can do most everything ourselves. (Unless we make it possible to have living quarters.)
So I'm building pretty basic, Just adding a wash sink, so no black water drainage. Conduits to the house basement for natural gas, water, electricity, and data cable for security systems. But most of that work will be done later so no inspections required. I am thinking 100 amps since I will be only using one machine at a time and the mini splits don't draw very much.
Question.. My hobby is rebuilding classic motorcycles, small trailers, lawnmowers etc. Instead of a lift or a pit has anyone tried a platform and ramp to drive these small vehicles up for service? I'm 77 and getting up and down is a little more struggle than it used to be.
My son-in-law builder just built two 60x80 shops on his farm. One is dirt floor and uninsulated for machinery storage. The one with spray foam insulation is heated/cooled with just two small mini-splits. He says it is so efficient he doesn't notice the bills. (wild Kentucky climate) Built as a farm shop, but with large windows overlooking the lake, he installed a bath and small kitchen after the inspectors were gone. It's nice enough that church bible study groups meet there year-round.
Be sure you understand your codes and inspection requirements. We learned that if it can be used for residential, the utilities won't even allow power or gas without full septic system all codes, and a final inspection.
My home is a separately owned lot surrounded on 3- sides by the farm. If the building is on that lot, there is a whole separate set of codes required. If I build it 30' from the house on "the farm" we can do most everything ourselves. (Unless we make it possible to have living quarters.)
So I'm building pretty basic, Just adding a wash sink, so no black water drainage. Conduits to the house basement for natural gas, water, electricity, and data cable for security systems. But most of that work will be done later so no inspections required. I am thinking 100 amps since I will be only using one machine at a time and the mini splits don't draw very much.
Question.. My hobby is rebuilding classic motorcycles, small trailers, lawnmowers etc. Instead of a lift or a pit has anyone tried a platform and ramp to drive these small vehicles up for service? I'm 77 and getting up and down is a little more struggle than it used to be.
albs
New member
Suggest you look at the YouTube channel “R&R Buildings”. He’s a wealth of knowledge about pole barn building. 12 days ago they showed how to lay out the foundation and set the foundation.
If you run the water lines under the slab, then put them inside another pipe so if you have trouble you can pull them out. … I also agree that I would put a separate service but if you’re going to put 400 on the house, I guess that’s good enough….. build it tall so you can have overhead floors for storage
You said you may have accomodation in your shop while building your house. As an ex farmer there is a glaring omission and that is a dirty gear room,ie rain coat and leggings gum boots , snow gear and snow boots, leather work boots. It is best to have a sloped floor for ease of cleaning/hose out. Also plenty of cupboard space.
Another thing is to make sure you have a water proof membrane under your concrete floor or it will "sweat" after a cold snap, and the carpet will be clammy.
Building: is 12' high enough to be future proof?
Fire safty, most juristictions require a minimum of 2 external egress in event of fire.
Suggestion, Lay in power cable to support EV now AND have stand alone EV shed in case of battery fire.
Suggestion Due to LiON batteries burning a dedicted fire proof battery charging area may be a good idea. Ask your insurance co what they think?
Locally the most cost effective building is a pole shed with non-load bearing walls. Is it the same for you?
Adding a "lean-to" type open side extension(impliments) won't be practical at a 12' roof on the main building.
Floor: will 4" be thick enough to future proof?
Honey room: Be sure to allow for expesion and PLAN on a warm room /large cupboard to warm (not hot) honey to a temperature that is easy to work. Cool honey slows things down a lot and forget about working with cold honey.Don't cheap out on the concrete apron in front of the main shed either, you will find it is very useful for small quick jobs.
DESIGN the shed to be built in stages. This gets you the building consent and allows you to build as finances permit, while insulating yourself against policy changes.
Pay attention to the floor fall to avoid standing puddles from wet machines.
Where are you going to do wash down of vehicles?
Ensure wash down, spouting, water tanks etc discharge well away front sheds. Some people forget water won;t run uphill.
Some food for thought.
Good Luck
Another thing is to make sure you have a water proof membrane under your concrete floor or it will "sweat" after a cold snap, and the carpet will be clammy.
Building: is 12' high enough to be future proof?
Fire safty, most juristictions require a minimum of 2 external egress in event of fire.
Suggestion, Lay in power cable to support EV now AND have stand alone EV shed in case of battery fire.
Suggestion Due to LiON batteries burning a dedicted fire proof battery charging area may be a good idea. Ask your insurance co what they think?
Locally the most cost effective building is a pole shed with non-load bearing walls. Is it the same for you?
Adding a "lean-to" type open side extension(impliments) won't be practical at a 12' roof on the main building.
Floor: will 4" be thick enough to future proof?
Honey room: Be sure to allow for expesion and PLAN on a warm room /large cupboard to warm (not hot) honey to a temperature that is easy to work. Cool honey slows things down a lot and forget about working with cold honey.Don't cheap out on the concrete apron in front of the main shed either, you will find it is very useful for small quick jobs.
DESIGN the shed to be built in stages. This gets you the building consent and allows you to build as finances permit, while insulating yourself against policy changes.
Pay attention to the floor fall to avoid standing puddles from wet machines.
Where are you going to do wash down of vehicles?
Ensure wash down, spouting, water tanks etc discharge well away front sheds. Some people forget water won;t run uphill.
Some food for thought.
Good Luck
jim_wilson
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This is a personal prejudice of mine - but I hate trusses. I think they're completedly wasted space. You paid for walls and a roof, might as well take advantage of ALL of the space contained within those walls and roof. I built my 28x42 barn/garage about 14 years ago - and stick framed it. I designed it in such a way that I have attic space on both ends. One end has two garage bays with 9ft ceilings and a full room overhead - and above that is attic space with about 4ft of height at the peak. The back half has the ceiling 15ft high - so I can put a lift in there. Above that is "attic" space that is over 6ft high at the peak so I can walk standing up in the entire space.
Both attic spaces are full of stuff that needed space to be in storage. If I had used trusses - that would been completely wasted space. I see a lot of houses designed these days with trusses used for the roof structure - and even though they often have 12 pitch roofs and are large houses - they have almost completely un-usable "attic" space because trusses were used. I've seen houses with what could be massive living and or attic space - designed like this and the space is pretty much completely unused because of the use of trusses.
People trade some slightly faster construction times and possibley cheaper material costs - for 100 years of wasted space. Seems foolish IMHO.
TimberFarm
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You can have a truss designed to give open area for storage
jim_wilson
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It still doesn't give you an open room. It gives you one that has less web pieces in the way.
I forgot to mention the other reason I don't like trusses - I don't trust them to stand up to snow load - in the long term. I live in snow country , and every time there's one of those massive snow winters the news starts filling up with stories of collapsed roofs. Trusses are strong - until they're not. Then it seems like they catastrophically fail - sort of like that imploded submarine.
Al Ben
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TimberFarm
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What do you mean by open room?
You can get an open room area like in Cape Cod 2nd flr, with trusses. Open down the middle and knee walls on the lower slope of the truss.