George Marsh - Pole barn followup question

In the condensation thread you mentioned using trusses on 2ft centers and standard sheathing/shingles for roof. What was the support system for this roof? Want to know the pole spacing, pole sizes and how big a header to carry the weight across the span between posts. Any other details that you have would be helpful. Pics would be even better.

Did you have the barn built or did you do it yourself? Where did you get the trusses?

I need to build a shop that looks like my house, but want to use pole barn techniques, then side it with same siding, and use same shingles.

John in Salem, Ill - not too far from you...

John, The crew that designed and put my pole barn together drove 7 hours. They lived in Michigan. The pole barn was designed for Michigan snow load. Poles on 8 ft. Headers are 12 inch. I did the excaviating, wiring and cement work. The cost for a 30x40x10 was $12,000. Finished price with 6 in floor, wiring, garage door opener, benches was just under $16,000.

If I were to do it over, I would want the translucent windows all the way down both sides and they would be shorter, the spacing between the top perlan and the headers.

My post holes had to be 4 ft, I had to get a permit and have it inspected. Next time, I will have 6-8 inches of concrete put in the hole and let it set up before the poles were installed. That's why I put the braces on the inside on the pole.

The trusses and roof are the same construction as you would use on a house or garage, 2 ft centers, 1/2 osb, 35 arct. shingles. Not the first sign of condensation. No plastic under concrete, clay soil, water runs away from building, no floor drains, water on the floor drys in a day or two even in the winter. No plans to insulate, I want the barn to breath and stay dry.

I also had my pole barn termite treated, because today's treated lumber is junk, thanks to the EPA.

If you have anymore questions, I've opened my e-mail.

Hope I've helped
George in Terre Haute

Pretty elegant light fixture for a shed.

Tom,
It meets my basic requirements for light fixtures, FREE! I also have a FREE ceiling fan with a fancy fixture over the other work bench.
George

Thanks George. Just what I needed to know. A couple more questions if I may,

In the last picture, is that a 6x6 treated post or a 4x6? Did you use 6x6 throughout or mix 6x6 and 4x6?

At 8ft centers, you have 6 posts on each long side. What was the spacing of posts on the ends? I would think every 10ft on a 30ft run except for the wide door.

Why did you add the two non-treated boards on the bottom?

John

John
The support boards on the posts are treated. They are to prevent post from settling, because the bottom of the posts are resting on dirt, not concrete. I've read on YT where over the years pole barns settle and posts rot off at ground level. If my posts rot, I plan to use metal attach posts to concrete floor

All posts are 4x6. On the 30 ft end they are 10 ft apart.

Door end, which faces the house for security reasons, posts on both sides of doors.

George

Nice building, George.

I like your idea of the support boards to prevent the posts from settling. I may do the same to my building.

If I were to do mine again, I would have installed OSB or plywood beneath the roof steel. My trusses are on 4' centers and I have a reflective bubble type condensation barrier. I question the long term (20+ year) durability of this arrangement.

The builder usually sets trusses on 8' centers (I specified 4') and uses the same bubble type plastic. He says that he has been doing this for years with no issues but my engineering background makes me suspicious.

I wanted the translucent plastic panels aalong the entire length of both sides but my builder talked me into 2 windows on either side. I believe that this was a wise choice as the ventilation is great and lighting is not an issue in most cases.

Dean

Dean, At my age, 20 years from now, I'll be dead. If you are questioning will my 35 year shingles last 20 years, my answer is that in 20 years or less my insurance company will replace the shingles, hail damage. I've had 3 major hail, wind claims in my life time, each are less than 20 years apart.

BTW, metal roofs may last longer, however ask the question on this sight, how many metal roofs leak, condensation, screws leaking?
George

Actually, George, I'm questioning nothing.

Dean

Nice looking shed, and I'm not questioning anything that meets your needs or is required by silly local codes...

But I would do _anything_ to avoid using typical tar shingles.

They are awful quality any more, and on the large uniteruped size of a taller machine shed, the wind will have loads of fun with them.

Friend of mine works at a lumber yard, got the better shingles for his house. Nine years later, I helped him replace them, were all worn out, the tar let go, etc.

He put up the Decra metal shingles, look like tar, but it is a metal 3x4 or so pannel with the pattern stamped in, tar & pebbles on top. If you have to have the tar shingle look, check those out. Look like they will last.

Dad was cursing tar shingles on the barn 30 years ago, he & I put tin on it back then, still good to this day, has lots of life in it.

Tar shingles are just a mistake in a bag at this point, poor quailty, poor product.

For poles I really like the laminated style. New wood is so twisty and warps and knotty, a laminate of 3 2x6's will be much stronger and stay truer. As well, they come with the lower portions treated real strong, the above ground is untreated so you don't have to use special screws or nails to finish out the inside, etc. Put the money into the parts that need it, and have a stronger post as well.

The poles shoulds be sitting on a concrete circle or have a bag or 2 of concrete put into an oversize hole in the bottom to act as a footer 4 feet deep, and there should be no worry aboyut the pole settling. Agree a pole alone can settle with allt hwe weight on it, need that mini footer of some type.

Those little wood wedges tying the pole to the floor would be a bad idea 'here' in the clay of Minnesota, where the frost will heave the floating floor up & down a little, while the pole stays put. Actually need to put tarpaper or a sleeve bewteen the concrete and pole to allow for this floor movement. You'd create a disaster if you tried to lock the poles to the floating floor like that 'here'.

To each their own and different needs in different climates, but that is my thinking on machine pole sheds for my area.

--->Paul

Paul, Recently put on a room addition. Here the building code is the bottom of the footer must be only 24 inches below grade, frost line. Post have to be 4 ft for wind shear.

Haven't any problems with frost heaving the floor or posts.

Got the idea of adding wood wedges from Tractor Talk. A guy did it to stop his barn from settling. Think about it, my posts have 3.5 x 5.5 inches resting on dirt. My wood wedges put 3 x 5.5 inches resting on 6 inches of concrete.

My floor and barn is 4 years old, hasn't settled and no cracks in concrete. Hope it stays that way.

Each to their own, as for me, you couldn't give me a pole barn with a metal roof. The shingles match the house along with the color of the barn and THAT'S WHAT THE BOSS WANTED. Works for me.
George

Thanks for the info George, now I have a pretty good idea of how to construct the shop. We must have the same BOSS. I was told the same thing, has to match the house. 8)

John

Paul are these bought already laminated or did you put them together. I was curious about the partial treatment. Were they bought that way or did you treat them? Thanks, Rodger

Paul,
You are welcome to have your BOSS take a look at my BOSS's pole barn. Just 10 miles south of Terre Haute, In. email is open My next pole barn will have a few changes.
George

Sorry John, got your name wrong
George