Does anyone know of a website dedicated to pole barns/metal buildings that's not just a sales site? I live in far east Tennessee. Had an order in for one to be made from an outfit in Colorado....things went downhill as delivery kept slipping. So I'm looking for a "user/owner" group to see whats going on generally with guys putting up shops. Looking locally it's a horror story of web sites, passwords, and promises. Any info is appreciated.
The "garage journal" forum is full of guys building garage/shop/barns and setting them up. Similar to here- in that no advertising is involved. Of course all the info on any forum is worth what you are paying for it. My personal opinion- drive around your local area, and look at new buildings currently being put up- and find out who's doing it, check with the local lumberyards to see who is putting up their buildings. Local guys plan on building in their local area for years, the fly by night outfits come and go. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/
The Pole Barn Guru has a LONG series of articles regarding design, planning, materials and construction. I'm still learning myself. Had a 72'x80'x18' paid for before the lockdown. Got it up in 2020 didn't get concrete and some wire in it till this fall. Already discovered a problem with the wainscoting leaking.
The "farm shop ideas" group on facebook is pretty good, and "R&R buildings" on youtube is pretty good, too
Look for a supplier that works directly with an installation crew(s). I put up a 40x60 pole shed and it took 6 days start to finish. Could have been done in 5 if they worked longer days but 6 was still really quick. I went to a big farm show to check out different building suppliers. Because I didn't technically have a farm I required trusses on 2ft. centers and engineers drawings that added to the cost. The farm store I went with had the engineers drawings for about half of what any other suppliers wanted. They also worked with 3 crews to put the buildings up which meant they could schedule everything and I didn't have to find a builder. The farm stores closer to me had the building packages and may have been able to recommend builders but didn't work directly with any builders. I not only got the best price on the building by quite a bit but also got the lowest cost engineers drawings and the supplier arranged the whole process giving me a timeline. I was very pleased. They even had a policy that the final payment (paid in 3 installments) wasn't to be paid until myself and the store buildings manager were both completely satisfied. He came out and did some final adjustments to the man door and set the deadbolt and handle locks. The only thing I needed to supply was the 3/4 washed rock that went around the posts. Holes were drilled 24in. and 7ft. deep with 2 bags of quick Crete poured in each hole to make a bottom cookie. Laminated posts had in-ground preserved wood for the portion surrounded by the washed rock. You don't want to cement the posts in. They will soak up the moisture and rot. I built the area up for my shed and it looks brand new almost 8 years later. Luckily there is a gravel pit adjacent to my property that supplied the washed rock. They actually custom crushed it for me because all they had was 5/8" at the time. Engineer spec'd. 3/4" so incase there were any issues I figured it's best to use the 3/4". The other thing I found when shopping around is many suppliers specify their way of attaching trusses is better than the other suppliers. They are several ways to attach trusses to walls and it's highly unlikely any of them would ever fail under normal circumstances. You have a tornado rip through all bets are off no matter what design was used. Just remembered a couple other features my supplier provides. The building is wrapped with house wrap and the ceiling has a membrane applied to help stop condensation from dripping under the metal roof. I've only ever seen it drip once and I think it was because of a weird weather pattern right around freezing temp. Never saw any other signs of it dripping. Most of the other buildings I looked at, I don't think used the house wrap or membrane.
Welder Dave has a lot of it figured out. Need an engineer for the cookie or poured in place. Pretty famously a new shop blew across 4 lanes of I90 when it didn't have enough hold down in the foundation. Ceilings are often aluminum because they are cheaper (Subject to what you voted for) and don't sweat. The big downside is with a fire they hit a few hundred degrees and fail usually dropping cellulose insulation into the hot air and the otherwise winnable/extinguishable fire just went to a total loss. So my third building has a steel ceiling and fiberglass blown in. A big advantage of wood is the ability to "do-over" and change a lot of things. Need to move or add a door, window? Pole Barn doesn't make it impossible. Layout is vital. Personal diligence and discipline and their lacking have turned a lot of shops into a mess. I've seen a lot of brilliant and well equipped shops that turned into firewood central because that was the chosen heat source. Insufficient insulation and "cheap" mentally made expensive floor space into firewood storage.
I'm not sure if it's what you are looking for but DIYPoleBarns did me VERY right. They were the lowest cost, at size and height, a treat to work with, and local to me (but very regional, anything this side of the Mississippi River, it sounds like). They had a 2 man crew come out in late February/early March (if I recall) and took about 2 weeks to put up my barn. The crew I had were considered "certified builders" for DIY and it sounds like that is all they use (but that is likely just some marketing lingo), but I could not have been happier. Here is a link to my whole building experience.
Didn't lap the wainscoting trim seam, did they? Or any other measures to prevent moisture intrusion at the seam. The last pole barn I built for a customer, I pushed for housewrap under the steel and synthetic roofing underlayment under the roof steel. We sheeted ½" osb over the roof purlins, then synthetic underlayment, then steel. The osb provides sound dampening for the interior workspace during rainy weather. It definitely works. Yea, it adds some cost up front, but part of that barn was kennel space for some working dogs and sound reduction was important to the owner.
I have done 2 from Barn Kits of America. One is 36' x 84' with walls. I did spray foam insulation with 3/4" foam board over the top of that as well as a poured slab. The 2nd is 40' x 40' and only the roof, ie. a carport. I am happy with the product I was sold.
Colson04 that was where Friday hit. They were a little bit short of getting it done and I guess they didn't caulk the overlap on Monday morning. I put a ceiling in and fiberglass even if I have no intention of heating. Birds, noise, lights in addition to temp moderation. From here on out I'll do WRB between steel and wall girts. Until I have it destroyed by raccoons or something.
That sounds like the membrane under my galvanized steel roof. OSB under the steel is a good idea if you'll be in the shop in bad weather quite a bit. I was in my shop when a freak rain and hail storm came through. It was so loud a friend and I couldn't hear each other talking 10ft. away! 5 minutes later it starting to get sunny. The quick Crete is basically the same as poured in place but dries much faster. 2 bags were dumped in and then a pail of water. By the time they finished all the holes they could could go back to the 1st one and set the post. The concrete cookies prevent the posts from sinking over time but need to be below the frost line so they don't heave up. The house wrap is beneficial if you want to insulate now or at a later date. Another thing to compare is the metal gauge of the roof and walls. My 40x60 was quite a bit cheaper per square foot than a 30x50. $6000 more but 16ft. walls instead of 14ft. and a 14x14 overhead door instead of a 12x12 overhead door. Overhead door is far better than a sliding door unless you're parking a wide combine or something in the building.
Yup, higher building seems to increase price quick! I couldn't afford overhead doors on mine, another thing that saved me about 2500 bucks, if I recall. Sliding kind of sucks (and I damaged a lower rail when I was grading outside, I still need to fix, giving the door a hitch in its getalong).
Combine won't fit in a 14' door without dropping the bin extensions. That was a mistake I made on a 60-80' in 2008. 20'-14' door and you can't just drive in! New building is 18' ceiling with 28'-16' door and I had the jib on my forklift almost on the ceiling to pull the rotor drive gearbox. Wouldn't have fit if I had a gantry crane that would clear the lights. (much grumbling and regretting not going to 20' ceiling). I can see the same situation with a dead excavator or payloader.
Darn, forgot to put my response at the end. It doesn't show up unless you expand the post
Well I wouldn't They banned me within a week of being there, they said I was too wound up
I got banned too when they changed form formats. Told them the new one sucked and who complained about the old format? Didn't like that at all, criticizing the master. Old format was much better than the new one, which sucks by the way. Joe H
Seems the don't want to compete with who is more wound up, seems they are more wound up than me from that statement.
Well, Spud, it looks like you followed their instructions and found a better forum.
Spud monkey...... potatoes?
In the context of your 1971 Chevy 1-ton flatbed dually project, comparing a 3/16" rectangular tube to the existing 1/4" C-shaped flat stock, the key factor is the cross-sectional shape. A 3/16" rectangular tube, when properly designed and welded, can offer similar or even greater strength than a 1/4" C-shaped flat stock for automotive frame applications. The inherent strength of a box section (like a rectangular tube) lies in its geometry, which provides resistance to bending and torsional forces. Ensure sound engineering principles, welding quality, and design to maximize the strength and rigidity of the new steel structure. This decision aligns with your steel structure introduction.
Mostly old timers collecting and polishing tools and "shops" that are cleaner than a hospital with a small handful that actually work on stuff.
???? What does pole shed construction have to do with vehicle frames?? I don't have a flatbed dually project but do know that tube is stronger than channel even if the wall thickness is a little less.
Some manufacturers will sell direct. I mean a real manufacturer, not a marketer. I purchased a 50'X75' Whirlwind directly and had a local contractor erect it. I am in the process of finishing it now.
I belong to the Farm shop ideas group (previously mentioned) on FB. there are some good tips and tricks shared on the building science (moisture and thermal bridging) that are important to understand when planning a building and site. My shop is constructed from a combination of salvaged materials from buildings I have assisted in renovating/remodeling/demolishing (my wife says I am A cheapskate!?) But if I could go out and buy one my choice would be a Quonsett style building. I helped put one up last fall and was impressed by the pre-stressed steel sections and ruggedness of the completed structure and a assotment of end wall options and finish options offered by the manufacturer. I have seen good deals offered at local state fair sales displays on the quonsett huts.
Built this from cheapskate materials... Puts a Quonset to shame on room availability/usability.
Wow Spudmonkey that is truly a masterpiece! and a masterclass in salvaging design/build. Bravo
When i looked into that world, I was warned that the salesmen for these metal buildings were worse than used car sales droids. The industry is really sleazy, and you have to be very careful when making a purchase.
emmett, I found a lot of ads for very favorable pricing, until I was getting a real quote those prices went up quickly. When I found a local supplier and went and visited them I found them to be a treat, but I feel like it was likely a rare experience.
I went to a farm show and talked to a few building suppliers. Most were ridiculous for prices on engineered drawings that I required because I wasn't technically a farm. Anywhere from $4-$6000. They all claim their buildings are built better. I went with a Co-op that had the best base price, building crews they worked with and much more reasonable engineered drawings. They said about $2500 depending and got it down to around $2000. I'm very happy with my decision.