Pole Barn Sizing

[Lucky_Ducky]

I am designing a pole barn and need opinions from people who already have one.

Already decided specs:
48'x72'
Attic trusses with 16' wide room
12' wrap around porch on one corner extending 24' each on eave and gable end
(6) 2'x6' transom windows
3 service doors
Radiant heat slab
Spray insulation
Tyvek wrapped
Full bath
NG


One of the last things needed to be decided is the sidewall height and door(s) sizing. I currently have it spec'd at 12' walls and (1) 12'x10' door. It would cost $3k more to go with 16' walls and (1) 12'x14' door. Is it worth it? Do I need more overhead doors? What does 16' walls get me besides increased heating/cooling volume and more expensive lighting?

 

[Roadworthy]

I'm not the guy to ask. My sixty foot long building was eighty four feet long before I was done. Be sure your plans are FIRM before starting construction.

 

[David in KY]

I am designing a pole barn and need opinions from people who already have one.

Already decided specs:
48'x72'
Attic trusses with 16' wide room
12' wrap around porch on one corner extending 24' each on eave and gable end
(6) 2'x6' transom windows
3 service doors
Radiant heat slab
Spray insulation
Tyvek wrapped
Full bath
NG


One of the last things needed to be decided is the sidewall height and door(s) sizing. I currently have it spec'd at 12' walls and (1) 12'x10' door. It would cost $3k more to go with 16' walls and (1) 12'x14' door. Is it worth it? Do I need more overhead doors? What does 16' walls get me besides increased heating/cooling volume and more expensive lighting?

One thing a 16 foot ceiling will give you is the ability to add a mezzanine in the future for storage or work space. Also, it would allow headroom for the installation of a vehicle lift.

 

[Lucky_Ducky]

I'm not the guy to ask. My sixty foot long building was eighty four feet long before I was done. Be sure your plans are FIRM before starting construction.

Building dimensions are maximum allowed by code/zoning so there is not much to change there

 

[fatjay]

When in doubt, go bigger/better. You can't go back and change it after the fact. Especially at a 3k more, that's a no brainer. It's a drop in the hat compared to the overall cost of the building.

I have 12' walls, and that is the absolute minimum I would go. A standard class A RV is 13' tall. 2 post auto lift is 12-14' high.

I would get the hight.

 

[JimRB]

Horses might like that heated floor. I figure barns are for animals, hay and equipment. You are building a pole garage/apartment? As others mentioned if you want to do a lift, do the headroom math. Or if you want drive on 4 posts lift that lets you double park vehicles do the headroom math.

Another thought you probably figured out. Garage doors need to roll up and up if you have a lift right there. If the lift is way back having a garage door roll on to horizontal tracks is not a big deal. Insulated roll up doors? Don't those tend to be 2 foot tall panels? Since you are talking about heat you might want plans to keep the heat in around doors that do not have the R value of the walls.

I read some discussion about open cell and closed cell insulation. Kind of heated discussions. Spray foam insulation or spray cellulose insulation? Might be other kinds of spray insulation. ;-)

Are you doing foam under the slab so the heat works better?

 

[grsthegreat]

Sectional doors extend on overhead tracks . Roll up doors only take up a foot or so if the ceiling over door and dont get in the way of anything,

 

[ericm979]

Do I need more overhead doors?

Depends on what you're doing. If it's something like a wood shop you may not.

I'm putting five of them in my 40x80 building. Two in the 24x40 farm equipment shed part and three in the 56x40 shop part. The two doors on the equipment shed means I won't have to move a bunch of stuff to get something out of the back.

Multiple doors for the shop is so I don't need to reserve room for vehicles to manuver around inside the building. But the shop is also vehicle parking.

What does 16' walls get me besides increased heating/cooling volume and more expensive lighting?

16' means you can put in a mezzanine. 12' is a little short for many two post lifts. Ceiling height is a bit nominal in pole barns. You may need some clearance for lights and overhead doors. 14' is enough to be safe for those but a little short for a mezzanine, though its probably possible if you're ok with tight ceilings.

I think at 16' you can use high bay lights but at 12' they're probably too bright. More diffuse lighting may actually cost more than the high bays.

 

[ericm979]

If you're heating the building you likely want sectional doors. Roll up doors have a big gap at the top when they are down. The insulated ones don't have as much insulation as insulated sectional doors. I think good sectionals also seal better on the sides than roll ups.

They can get the tracks to within 6-8" of the ceiling.

 

[ericm979]

I don't know if you need Tyvek and spray foam. The Tyvek is for air sealing and spray foam would also accomplish that. But some metal building constructors don't want to put spray foam directly on the metal. Maybe the wrap is for that.

You may want to have the inside finished with liner metal. I think bare foam looks awful and it seems like it would get dirty and look even worse after a few years. I'd also worry about it being a fire hazard.