Outside building need input please!!

Not with standing, the old addage of being frugal,I surely would appreciate any GOOD INFORMATION as to what to buy. Looking for a quonset type bldg that has a 12 ft door opening to accomodate a 706 with a cab.Over 11 ft tall including turn signals and overhead lights.Gonna store equiptment i.e.O.C.46 crawler loader, 706 IH,722 bobcat. log spliter,garden tractor.Will be at least a time for the ground to settle down,(freeze& thaw).A building that can be erected by just a couple of guys using the loader lift from the 706. We have been searching the internet for some of em but not sure what some company"s are reputable and not gougers. Hate to invest any dough with those who promise good products then dont deliver on their promises. What do you guys have in the way of a quonset bldg that didn"t break the bank. I"m very limited as to what I can do in the way of constructing such a building. Most of the labor will fall to my son and maybe my Son In law.Pictures sure would be of great help if you guys have time. I"ve seen coverings like Jde has,with a roof and open walls using what looks like pipe or heavy wall conduit. That would be a quick fix for us as tarping the side walls would break the wind. Hoping to get the floor cemented with legs in the floor to help supply strength to keep it from cracking under load. If We do the cement floor, it will have legs(holes) filled with cement as the floor is being poured. Did our steep drive way, that way at 8" thick with re-rod and wire mesh. Been that way for over 14 years and holding up great. Gonna have to do a LITTLE AT A TIME due to expenditures all at once wouldn"t be possible. Will print out your suggestions and hopefully pictures for us to help determine what we will be able to do and can afford. Thanks for the help. Truly appreciate you guys taking the time to respond.
Warmest reguards LOU& VICTOR

Go to barngeek.com look at the post and beam buildings

From your post, it sounds to me like you are looking at a metal arch building? If so, I would advise talking with any local people that have one to see how they like it. Mine is a 50X80 from US Buildings. It has straight sides up 5' and then curves. Lots of room, little wasted space. If you put on of these up, YOU NEED VENTILATION!!!!!! Moisture collects on the arches and when the metal warms up it RAINS inside the building. I asked about vents when I bought it, but the salesman wouldn't even give me a price, said theirs were too expensive, buy them from local Menard's, Home Depot, etc. BUT, they tell you to bolt the spacer angle iron on the top of the arch and then you can't put the ventilators on. I have 2 small vents in each end and they aren't enough. Also, awful hard to hang something on the walls. WISH I HAD A POLE BARN!!! I talked to one of their construction supervisors when problems came up erecting it, he said they would have it up in a day and 1/2. Took us 2 weeks with 5 guys working all week. I personally think they are a waste of $$, you are better off with a pole building. You need to run any electric wires in conduit( More expense). I have a 20X14 door in each end and a walk in door, 3 skylights. They insisted on a floating footing, should have put in a regular footing, kinda late now. I would have to think REAL HARD if they gave me another one if I would even take it. I know of one guy with one, he never close the doors because of condensation. Do some more home work before buying one of these buildings. Another thing, you are supposed to be able to pull the arches up with ropes and S hooks. After the first one straightened the S hooks, I made a boom for the loader that would reach high enough and we bolted angle irons to the arches to lift them with. Chris

From your post, it sounds to me like you are looking at a metal arch building? If so, I would advise talking with any local people that have one to see how they like it. Mine is a 50X80 from US Buildings. It has straight sides up 5' and then curves. Lots of room, little wasted space. If you put on of these up, YOU NEED VENTILATION!!!!!! Moisture collects on the arches and when the metal warms up it RAINS inside the building. I asked about vents when I bought it, but the salesman wouldn't even give me a price, said theirs were too expensive, buy them from local Menard's, Home Depot, etc. BUT, they tell you to bolt the spacer angle iron on the top of the arch and then you can't put the ventilators on. I have 2 small vents in each end and they aren't enough. Also, awful hard to hang something on the walls. WISH I HAD A POLE BARN!!! I talked to one of their construction supervisors when problems came up erecting it, he said they would have it up in a day and 1/2. Took us 2 weeks with 5 guys working all week. I personally think they are a waste of $$, you are better off with a pole building. You need to run any electric wires in conduit( More expense). I have a 20X14 door in each end and a walk in door, 3 skylights. They insisted on a floating footing, should have put in a regular footing, kinda late now. I would have to think REAL HARD if they gave me another one if I would even take it. I know of one guy with one, he never close the doors because of condensation. Do some more home work before buying one of these buildings. Another thing, you are supposed to be able to pull the arches up with ropes and S hooks. After the first one straightened the S hooks, I made a boom for the loader that would reach high enough and we bolted angle irons to the arches to lift them with. Chris

Thanks Super99,really appreciate the information.It looks like what we don't want to get involved with.Sweating and all.We're trying to make something to last and not hold snowfall,arch roof seemed the way to go. After your experience,we're not so sure.Warmest reguards,LOU

1) Decide what you want and start accumulating materials.

2) Of course you can wait on gravel, concrete, electricity, etc, but I wouldn't do the actual structure a bit at a time-- I'd wait until I had the funds to do it all at once. I guess you could wait on the doors and finishing touches, but I'd build the entire shell from start to finish or wait until I could.

3) Any "package" you purchase will have extra "profit" in it for the design and assembly of all things needed for completion. Also, who do you turn to when you are unsure what to do next? Some website? That wouldn't work very good, I'd bet.

I'd go another route:

a) Do you have a good lumberyard near by? Not a Big Box store, but an old-fashioned lumberyard?
Tell them your wants and limitations, and they will get you everything you need. They will know the appropriate truss design (snow load), etc. If you want to use rafters instead of trusses, they will tell you what sized boards on how wide of centers your locale needs for snow load, too. Maybe you have utility poles, some used lumber of certain lengths, etc. They will help design something that works with what you have on hand, and as long as you buy the rest of the material from them, they will help you anytime you are stumped/confused how to do something. I have built 5 sheds this way, from large and complicated to small and simple. I also have 4 Morton buildings, and while they are wonderful, they cost A LOT more than the sheds we built ourselves with our local lumberyard's help.

I would strongly recommend you scrap the "bit at a time" idea. My preference for style/design would be a pole building using utility poles if you can find them. A bit of a bummer getting started--using round poles to build square corners-- but once you figure that out it will go up FAST--a metal shed can be done in no time at all once you get the poles and rafters or trusses up.

IMO, a post-frame building (aka pole barn) is a much better way to go. Most of those free-standing steel buildings are pretty junky.

Them dammed ole red and yellow things you got can't get much uglier, just park them in the back yard and put a bean can over the exhaust :shock:

Dave

Dave were So ashamed of the red & yellow ,best we get it tucked away so it wont be embarrassing for the neighbors to have to look at. lol.
LOU.

Mark B Thanks for the reply And so far from what we recieved, it looks like the building will be a pole bldg. Lots of good advice and swell pictures. Reguards LOU& VICTOR

Iowa corn and Hogs. Makes sence.Thats what I did when building our cottage. Saved up and stored building materials every week. Made a check off list so I didn't duplicate materials. Your reply brought back some Great memories. THANKS for the sound advice. Gonna be a pole building from what I can gather from the guys here. Never did one but I ain't dead yet. Thanks again LOU & VICTOR

Cecil.Looked st barngeek.com website. Interesting. Thanks for the reply. LOU& VICTOR.