# Pole Barn Questions



## Sib (Jan 8, 2003)

Thanks for all the great tips guys, it's always good to hear the plus and minuses from people that have been down this road. I definitely want to go with at least 12' side walls and floor drains as well. Rodents are a concern, too, since I plan to do my deer processing and have somewhat finished party room. Also appreciate hearing about the metal roof issues. I see they have an interior metal to skin the wall, but I imagine that would also increase the echo and condensation.

My time table is still on the drawing board. I will probably get the tree work started 1st and then start to look at someone to build the structure, with me doing a lot of the finish work on the inside (insulation, etc). 

Thanks for all the tips!


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## Mark S (Nov 4, 2009)

SIB
When you get ready to start this project price out a garage the same size also. Pole barns are the way to go to save money on a dry storage building but on a finished building they require more work and in most cases cost more when considering the total project cost. I did a cost comparison for a customer last year on a 44x48 with 14ft side walls finished, the savings were just short of $4,000.00. Either way staying away from the metal roof on a finished building gets my vote too.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

I'm still toying with the idea of creating a taller pole barn with trusses designed such that most the upper level could me made into a living space with lots of storage below. Always liked the idea of a metal roof for durablility....


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

So you guys are saying the metal roof will eventually leek even if the steel is properly overlapped and only screwed on the ridges? I guess the o-rings on those screws will eventually fail.


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## old school (Jun 2, 2008)

For your rat wall, your could always take some Steel sheeting the height you desire(depth) below and above your floor.(1/8" or something) Wrap all the walls that way.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Steve said:


> So you guys are saying the metal roof will eventually leek even if the steel is properly overlapped and only screwed on the ridges? I guess the o-rings on those screws will eventually fail.


Any roof system that:
1) Is held in place with exposed fasteners is inherently flawed. 
2) Relies on single overlaps that run the same direction as the pitch to keep water out is inherently flawed.
3) Relies upon anything other than gravity to keep water out of lap seams and the the building itself is inherently flawed.
(flashings and projections excluded)

There are metal roofs that are excellent roofs. Double lock standing seam roofs, Metal Shingles, Pittsburgh lap roofs(for low slope). 
But the stuff they put on with snap caps, single overlaps etc are all doomed to fail.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

So if I want to go that way, make sure that the metal roof if of double lock construction.....


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## tmanmi (Sep 20, 2005)

Maybe run some 3 or 4 inch PVC through the floor and out under one of the walls before you pour concrete in case you want to run water to it later.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Steve said:


> So if I want to go that way, make sure that the metal roof if of double lock construction.....


Or metal shingles.


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## HTC (Oct 6, 2005)

Sib said:


> Wood or Steel supports? Most I see look like 6x6 sunken into the dirt, but I drive past a barn that is being built with a steel "skeleton" and wonder what the advantages are for steel vs traditional wood. Is steel that much more expensive than wood?


I may go by that one everyday too...is it the one going up along 96 just north of Leonard? If it is know that they dug and poured footers and set a steel frame on to them. So it really isn't a pole barn in the sense that it has a normal foundation.

I built mine 4 years ago. It is 26 x 40 with a 14 x 40 second floor. I started just like you beginning with site prep. Today I have one side as the butcher shop and the other is a work shop and tractor home. Feel free to stop by anytime that you are over to Mike's and I can give you my experience.

This is it about 1 year in to construction....the cows only have to walk from that red gate to the first garage door.


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## FIJI (May 15, 2003)

maybe I'll have them come spray RhinoLining on mine :sad:


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## The_Don (Apr 28, 2008)

ESOX said:


> Or metal shingles.



Ive seen them on a show, now those are slick.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

FIJI said:


> maybe I'll have them come spray RhinoLining on mine :sad:


Mike, see me when the weather warms. I have some new stuff, you can be my test dummy.


Wait, that doesn't sound right.........:lol:


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## slowpoke (Jan 30, 2001)

ESOX said:


> Mike, see me when the weather warms. I have some new stuff, you can be my test dummy.
> 
> 
> Wait, that doesn't sound right.........:lol:


My steel pold barn roof leaks also.


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## Sib (Jan 8, 2003)

HTC said:


> I may go by that one everyday too...is it the one going up along 96 just north of Leonard? If it is know that they dug and poured footers and set a steel frame on to them. So it really isn't a pole barn in the sense that it has a normal foundation.
> 
> I built mine 4 years ago. It is 26 x 40 with a 14 x 40 second floor. I started just like you beginning with site prep. Today I have one side as the butcher shop and the other is a work shop and tractor home. Feel free to stop by anytime that you are over to Mike's and I can give you my experience.
> 
> This is it about 1 year in to construction....the cows only have to walk from that red gate to the first garage door.


Hey thanks for the offer. Yeah it's the one on 96 and sounds more than I want to spend. I thought about you when I made this thread, because I remember running into you at the big orange when you were buying insulation. I'm not sure when I'll start having poles put in the ground yet, but I'm done pruning my apples and will start on getting the site prepped. Once the weather breaks I'll pm you so I can stop by...with beer of course.  Oh yeah, I got tractor envy now, thanks. :lol:


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## HTC (Oct 6, 2005)

Sib said:


> Oh yeah, I got tractor envy now, thanks. :lol:


That tractor really is awesome, I use it daily....and a little known fact about it, even though the ROPS, (roll bar) is 1.0" higher than the garage door header, if you get it going fast enough, it will go right in:yikes:


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

slowpoke said:


> My steel pold barn roof leaks also.


Wheres your problem at Jim?


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## jogodlew (Mar 22, 2007)

As stated already, pole barns are never too big. I ended up going 72'x48' with 14' walls with 3 14'x12' roll-up doors on one of the long sides and 1 14'x12' rollup across from the middle door on the other side. This is good for cross ventilation in the summer as well as drive through with trailers. Make sure you put an entry door on one end so you don't have to open a rollup to enter and exit and loose all of your heat in the winter. I ran a 4" pvc drain pipe down the middle with 3 floor drains, 1 in each bay, They come in handy when I wash the floor down or snow melts off of the equipment. Also plan ahead for a water supply line from outside and bring it up through the concrete and cap it until you need it. I put my pressure tank in the barn so I have a water hookup there. Also plan on a bathroom/shower and put the plumbing down before you pour the floor, that way if you decide to put a bathroom/utility room in, you will have it. Make sure you do not leave any stumps or grindings under the concrete. It will rot and create cavities in the ground later. I was lucky with the sand for ground prep. My builder dug a hole to bury the stumps on the side of the property and we hit the mother load of sand, so there was plenty to spread around for a good base. I would also make sure your slab is higher than normal grade so you have good runoff. the large roof area drops a lot of water during a rain. then build up a good base of crushed limestone in front of your doors. I sealed the bottom of the steel siding to the floor strip with a few cans of low expansion spray foam. It seems to have worked in keeping out mice, chipmunks etc.


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