Storage building choices: monitor barn vs. clear span structure

rbstern · Mar 15, 2022

bigtiller said:
Why are you limited to 40x45?
That is a nice 3 SUV/pickup garage.
For a living space, boat, trailer, 2 compact tractors, some implements, an ATV, a log splitter, a tiller, etc. you might run out of room.

Hills, ravines, woods, existing structures, property lines. I could go to another part of my property and clear more space, but that wouldn't serve my purposes well.

If I can't fit it in this space, I'm selling it.

rbstern · Mar 15, 2022

EddieWalker said:
You didn't mention anything about a workshop, or a place to build stuff. To me, it sounds like you want a building to park all of your stuff and keep it out of the weather. Then you are thinking of creating a small house on top of this building just in case somebody comes to visit or stay with you.

In my opinion, it's a massive waste of money to build for the unknown. What if you build it and they actually show up and want to use it? I want visitors to leave as soon as possible. Long stays are never welcome. I could spend the money into making them comfortable on a lot of other things, including their hotel if I really wanted them to visit, and not have to deal with maintaining an empty space after spending a lot of money creating that empty space.

A loafing shed is basically a long building with one wall open for getting into the building. It's very common for livestock and hay storage. It's also very common for tractors and implements. If there is no other reason to spend a lot of extra money, then all you need is 3 walls and a roof. You can add garage doors to it later if you want, or just leave it open.

Eddie, I've got a basement workshop, and an oversized 2 car garage where my welding workbench is set up. This new structure is really about storage, with the potential for living space above.

I know a lot of folks are allergic to having guests around for extended stays. We're generally not, especially if they are in a different building. We're on a lake, and our extended family frequently come for a week at a time during boating season. And my son just got engaged. If he said, "Dad, me and the to-be-bride want to live on the property in a couple of years," we'd gladly welcome them.

We actually have two houses on the property, one of which serves as our offices/studio (wife is an artist; she has a pretty good workshop, too). We have extra bedrooms already. This would just be another option. It might just end up as hay storage. The extra posts are really the only concern. The extra wood I'll have to mill, and other materials for the second level are not overwhelming.

dmccarty · Mar 16, 2022

If you have parents, will you need space for them if they can no longer take care of themselves? Just something to consider.

When we designed and built our house, we cleared space for a garage, which we had hopped to have built by now, as well as a having sewer pipe laid out so that it would be easy to connect too if we wanted/needed too. Part of the garage plan, and I have two or three versions drawn up,

was to have space to take care of elderly parents.

Later,
Dan

ponytug · Mar 16, 2022

On the elderly parents front, I would point out that frailty and stairs don't go well together. So if you are considering second story accommodations for elderly relatives, I would at least think about an elevator.

All the best,

Peter

rbstern · Mar 16, 2022

ponytug said:
On the elderly parents front, I would point out that frailty and stairs don't go well together. So if you are considering second story accommodations for elderly relatives, I would at least think about an elevator.

All the best,

Peter

Noted. That will never be the purpose of this structure, unless my family decides to lock me away in there, in my golden years. If it goes that way, they can deal with the stairs issue.