dmccarty
Super Star Member
There sure are alot of people building Pole Barns! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif My plans have been on and off again for years but this time I have to do something so here is what I'm thinking about building.
I don't like the idea of wood below grade. I know it can be done but I ain't doing it. What I plan on doing is building a 36'x 24' barn with a gravel, ABC, floor. With this size I can have 12' oc spans which makes it a bit easier and cheaper to build. BUT, I will have to have a line of poles running down the center of the barn. BUT, BUT, this really won't matter because....
What I have to do first is get a storage container. I need a place to act as a mini garage to store my tools and such at the new house. I want to sit this thing once and never move it again. AND, in the future I don't want to see it. SOOooo, I'm going to put it where the barn will go and eventually the barn will hide the container.
One of the problems that I have is money and time. I'm out of both. So I'm going to set the container in its place and build the barn later. But this means I have to get any digging done before I place the container. I'm going to put in retaining wall blocks around the perimeter of the barn to hold in the ABC and to level the gravel. There is a slight slope where the barn is going. I don't want to dig down due to tree roots so I will build up.
To put in the retaining wall block, I'm going to trench down 12 inches or so, put int 6 inches or so of 67 stone to get level walls. Freeze line in my area is 6 inchs or so.
My big problem is that I need concrete piers to support the columns and I need to dig them now since once the block and the container will make it very difficult to get the backhoe in position to dig. Soooo, I'm gong to dig deeper holes where the piers will be located and for the time being fill the hole with 67 stone and retaining wall block. When its pier building time I'll have to untack the block and dig through the gravel to get the bottom of the hole but that is not that hard with gravel. I have thought of building PT forms and putting them in place now but decided against this idea.
So how crazy is this. I have run this buy the building inspecters and they are ok with this plan.
One question I do have is what size piers should I build. My original plan was to put in 12 inch solotubes even though this seemed like it might be building to much but one of the other discussion on barns mentione 24 inch piers! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
I have been looking at 6x6 PT 12 to 16 feet long for the columns. I might go to 4x6 if they can handle the load. I'm pretty sure that they can and they are roughtly $25 vs $35.
Thoughts?
Later,
Dan
I don't like the idea of wood below grade. I know it can be done but I ain't doing it. What I plan on doing is building a 36'x 24' barn with a gravel, ABC, floor. With this size I can have 12' oc spans which makes it a bit easier and cheaper to build. BUT, I will have to have a line of poles running down the center of the barn. BUT, BUT, this really won't matter because....
What I have to do first is get a storage container. I need a place to act as a mini garage to store my tools and such at the new house. I want to sit this thing once and never move it again. AND, in the future I don't want to see it. SOOooo, I'm going to put it where the barn will go and eventually the barn will hide the container.
One of the problems that I have is money and time. I'm out of both. So I'm going to set the container in its place and build the barn later. But this means I have to get any digging done before I place the container. I'm going to put in retaining wall blocks around the perimeter of the barn to hold in the ABC and to level the gravel. There is a slight slope where the barn is going. I don't want to dig down due to tree roots so I will build up.
To put in the retaining wall block, I'm going to trench down 12 inches or so, put int 6 inches or so of 67 stone to get level walls. Freeze line in my area is 6 inchs or so.
My big problem is that I need concrete piers to support the columns and I need to dig them now since once the block and the container will make it very difficult to get the backhoe in position to dig. Soooo, I'm gong to dig deeper holes where the piers will be located and for the time being fill the hole with 67 stone and retaining wall block. When its pier building time I'll have to untack the block and dig through the gravel to get the bottom of the hole but that is not that hard with gravel. I have thought of building PT forms and putting them in place now but decided against this idea.
So how crazy is this. I have run this buy the building inspecters and they are ok with this plan.
One question I do have is what size piers should I build. My original plan was to put in 12 inch solotubes even though this seemed like it might be building to much but one of the other discussion on barns mentione 24 inch piers! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
I have been looking at 6x6 PT 12 to 16 feet long for the columns. I might go to 4x6 if they can handle the load. I'm pretty sure that they can and they are roughtly $25 vs $35.
Thoughts?
Later,
Dan
