Pole barn renovation/modernization

[RedTailHawk]

I may have mentioned here somewhere that I was planning to do some improvements to my rustic pole barn. Well, we just completed one of the first major phases. Had a beautiful stamped concrete floor installed just last week. Here are a few pics of the before, during, after.

Before picture of the barn


Inspiration for my barn improvements


Pictures during Installation


Antique color being applied

Concrete sealer being applied


The finished floor






The next problem to tackle...

Before the concrete floor was installed, the wood exterior walls were in direct contact with the ground. I plan to trim the wood about 1-2' up from the ground, and then replace it with a stone pseudo-foundation, or facade, all around the barn. Just not sure where to start in terms of a backing to adhere the stone.

Here's a picture of the cabin with a stone foundation that I want to replicate on the barn:


Any suggestions on how to go about the stone facade would be appreciated. In the meantime, I will be working on running a water line from the cabin to the barn (I think I posted about that in a previous thread)

 

[GPintheMitten]

Very nice. Are you going to use this for living space, maybe a guest house?

 

[cat fever]

Looks really good so far. Looking forward to more pictures as the work progresses and maybe a little history about the barn.

 

[RedTailHawk]

Call me crazy, but it will still house my Kubota, Polaris side-by-side, and ATV. I will also be setting up a workshop area (something I couldn't really do when it was just a dirt floor). The upstairs loft may be just a studio or a safe area for guests to spend the night (rather than in tents around the bonfire, and risk an encounter with a black bear in the middle of the night).

 

[Rustyiron]

The "lick & stick" fake stone is a good choice, and only requires a sturdy wood wall. I'd frame it 16"oc and sheath it with 5/8 osb or plywood. The only thing wrong with that fake stone is you know it's fake. It's impossible for someone else to know unless they walk up to it and "knock" on it like a door. The sound is all that will give it away.
I've been through your town, real pretty area. Friends had a camp on the river over towards Paw Paw.
Nice job by the way:thumbsup:

 

[bigtiller]

The Chevy dealer near me has a new stamped concrete floor in the corner of the show room floor reserved for new owners driving just sold cars off the lot. It was painted somehow that it looks wet all the time.

It is beautiful, and so is yours!

 

[EddieWalker]

That floor looks beautiful!!! If you're gonna do it, might as well make it as nice as possible

 

[RedTailHawk]

As pleased as I am with how the stamped concrete floor with antique coloring turned out, I found myself *almost* regretting getting this nice floor installed as I was constantly sweeping dirt, leaves, debris all weekend. Just gotta get used to it.

However, a question for everyone. When I park my Kubota L3430 and rest the FEL bucket, I don't want to scrape up the floor over time. Does anyone put something under the bucket? I was thinking about some of those foam pool noodles. Just don't want to have to park the tractor, jump out to line up the noodle, then jump back in to lower the bucket onto the noodle.

 

[Tompet]

Beautiful job on the barn reno....that photo that was your inspiration for stone base was even nicer!

As far as protecting your floor from your FEL two things:

I would just use a strip of 1/2" plywood (stain it to match floor if aesthetics comes in play?) or the other option is nothing as when you park the tractor, just gently lower the FEL to floor. They use those kind of stained/polished concrete floors in commercial settings and I would think yours is similar.

The only difference I could see is the stamping might make an edge a little more vulnerable to scraping rather than if it was a smooth troweled finish with stain/polish. But if you are careful raising and lowering FEL, I just don't see it as much of a problem. Enjoy the new shack!

Just thought of something else, at the local home center they have the rubber runner on 2' wide rolls, I have a short runner that is rubber diamond plate style I got from McMaster Carr, anyway a piece as long as your bucket gives you easy protection with margin of error you can drive over w/o concern.

 

[bigtiller]

You do have a conundrum. It isn't just parking the loader but you also have other implements that will be swapped out for different jobs.

If it doesn't hurt too much, have all your friends over while it is new, have some beers and then just go about your normal live. Because, just driving on it will eventually damage the paint anyway. Maybe think of it like a new pick-up truck for work, you expect it to get damaged sooner or later.

 

[kcflhrc]

A Pole Barn in Kansas looks nothing like that. Our Pole Barns have no sides, just poles and a roof.

 

[Wakey]

Really nice barn!

 

[RedTailHawk]

It is making me rethink some of my plans in the barn. I was planning to put storage cabinets/shelves, workbench, etc. Now I'm going with a strategy of "nothing stored on the ground", so all the floor isn't covered up. My workbench will either be a mobile bench or anchored to wall like this: DIY Project: How to make a workbench

Then, without a bunch of junk on the floors, I can just take an electric leaf blower to quickly clean out the barn.

 

[bigtiller]

I like that idea. Are you thinking of a work shop for hand tools only, and going somewhere else with the tractor?

 

[rgr33]

Holley cow RedTail, that is going first class on the floor. Now I hate my plain old concrete floor. I also really like the stone facade idea, maybe you should quit your job and become a barn designer. Wish they had a program like that on HGTV, I'd watch it.

 

[RedTailHawk]

I like that idea. Are you thinking of a work shop for hand tools only, and going somewhere else with the tractor?

My original plan was to setup the barn with several different workshop stations (i.e. wood working, metal working, etc). I was also planning to build specialized dollies for each of my tractor attachments and I could bring those into the barn for storage rather than leave them outside all the time. However, once I started moving stuff into place I quickly realized those plans were too ambitious. I may have to build another building just for storage. Ha.

 

[Zerk]

Call me crazy, but it will still house my Kubota, Polaris side-by-side, and ATV. I will also be setting up a workshop area (something I couldn't really do when it was just a dirt floor). The upstairs loft may be just a studio or a safe area for guests to spend the night (rather than in tents around the bonfire, and risk an encounter with a black bear in the middle of the night).

I had table saw and planer in my pole barn with gravel floor. I moved it in the basement, just so I can putz more in the winter. Concrete floors are nice, but if gravel is all you got, it is all you got. I still use my barn as a shop.

In MI and WI a pole barn would be something the had poles every 6 or 8 feet with perlins, 2x4s or 6s, run hoirzontally between poles, on outside, to attach metal side and roof too.

 

[Zerk]

It is making me rethink some of my plans in the barn. I was planning to put storage cabinets/shelves, workbench, etc. Now I'm going with a strategy of "nothing stored on the ground", so all the floor isn't covered up. My workbench will either be a mobile bench or anchored to wall like this: DIY Project: How to make a workbench

Then, without a bunch of junk on the floors, I can just take an electric leaf blower to quickly clean out the barn.

Personally I think 6 or 8 is to far to go on a work bench without some support in the middle, especially with 2x4s, as the guy in the link did. That would not be sturdy enough for me. Might holdup just fine, I am just paranoid.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Personally I think 6 or 8 is to far to go on a work bench without some support in the middle, especially with 2x4s, as the guy in the link did. That would not be sturdy enough for me. Might holdup just fine, I am just paranoid.

Yes, but easily remedied. Run a 2x6 between the posts just above the floor. Then you can put a couple more diagonal braces. To prevent the 2x6 from bending attach a 2x4 on edge along it. Cross section would be a T.

 

[joeyd]

During the winter when I park my tractor in the pole barn I just put two 24" stakes about 3' apart on the floor and set the FEL down on them. It doesn't take much lining up and they are really easy to pick when I don't want them on the floor.