Brand new 40x60x12... I think...

[Joshua.b.sweeney]

Hey all,

So I am almost about to pull the trigger on a 40x60x12 Pole barn and just wanted to find out if anyone had any suggestions about wether or not to go with a gamble or regular roof. I will be using it primarily for workout equipment and storage of stuff and vehicles. Please give me some input cause I only want to do this once.

 

[Catadj78]

Why spend the extra money on a gambrel?

 

[sickjuice]

You only want to do this once? Go bigger then lol

 

[Joshua.b.sweeney]

I wasn't sure if someone had gotten the gambrel before and decided it was better than a regular old roof so I figured I would ask. How big is too big? ha ha

 

[holdover]

my suggestion is to use some sissor trusses especially if you plan on lifts in the future. I did my 40 X 60 with half sissor and half reg trusses. 3/12 pitch inside 5/12 pitch outside

 

[dynahoe]

a gambrel truss can give you a 20 foot wide 8 high room upstairs.my trusses were just quoted at 377 each for that space.right around twice the cost of a standard 4:12 truss.20 x60 makes a hell of an exercise room.good luck can't wait to see the build

 

[NUTTSGT]

Why spend the extra money on a gambrel?

Because it can easily increase the usuable space of your garage.

a gambrel truss can give you a 20 foot wide 8 high room upstairs.my trusses were just quoted at 377 each for that space.right around twice the cost of a standard 4:12 truss.20 x60 makes a hell of an exercise room.good luck can't wait to see the build

Double the cost the truss, came out to ?? Just under 6 grand ? If you can afford it and it meets code in your area, it's helluva way to increase the space of your garage without a larger footprint or losing more yard.

 

[nehog]

I wasn't sure if someone had gotten the gambrel before and decided it was better than a regular old roof so I figured I would ask. How big is too big? ha ha

I have a regular roof with 12' eves and I'm happy with the result. My 2 post lift fits in nicely, no problems at all, no need for any headroom above what I have now (about 15-16 ft along the ridge.)

Only reason I can think for a gambrel is if you are matching a nearby building style. Gambrels were used to provide storage for hay on farms mostly.

 

[gnxtc2]

If you are planning on putting a lift in, get a 14' ceiling.

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[Joshua.b.sweeney]

First off thanks to everyone for replying with their views, I actually decided today I am going to go with 14' ceilings now instead of the 12' I originally planned on so thanks for helping solidify that choice. My next big thing is wether or not I want to spend the extra money for the 18" overhang? Does anyone have any input on this?

Oh and ya its definitely going to be a full gym for a couple people since I do a lot of training ha ha. I also will be using it for a vehicle lift and storage.

 

[wedge40]

your money, but if it was me, Id do the gambrel. SOOOO many uses for the extra space. Like someone mentioned before, IF..you p;an on a lift, go 13 or 14 feet high. Lots of nice cad packages you can play with to lay things things out. It's a cheap way to get an extra 1200 sqrft of usable space.

I put attic trusses in mine.

 

[CNGsaves]

With the big space in attic, be sure to plan access to get stuff up there. A nice outdoor patio (seating area) with sliding door would give you a place to easily bring in large sheetrock and furniture (ie straight shot into space). Just design the railing on the patio to be removable.

With that same problem in mind, keep stairway plenty wide along with wide doors so schlepping up the stairs isn't a total hassle.

 

[cj7jeep81]

Since you're looking at a pole barn, I'd recommend going 64' long. It is a super cheap upgrade since they normally set the posts on 8' centers. No extra posts to buy, just an extra truss (if 4' center) and some metal.

 

[Diesel Dan]

First off thanks to everyone for replying with their views, I actually decided today I am going to go with 14' ceilings now instead of the 12' I originally planned on so thanks for helping solidify that choice. My next big thing is wether or not I want to spend the extra money for the 18" overhang? Does anyone have any input on this?

I'm glad that I have the 14' sidewalls, you will like it.

Also I went with overhangs on all sides, less chances of leaks between roof/wall connections. Looks better too, IMO.

 

[rburke65]

It's a very smart decision going with the 14' side walls. I went with the 12" overhangs BUT in hindsight the 18" or 24" would overhangs would have given the build a more desirable face. It just looks as if it was designed rather than built. And as always, just my opinion. Good luck. That is a nice sized shop.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd do the 18" overhangs to make it look "correct".


Anybody built a gambrel roof with a split truss design ? Having an attic space/room above on part of the building and an open area above the rest for a taller ceiling for lift placement ?

 

[Joshua.b.sweeney]

Alright so here is where I am at now, Again thanks everyone for your input I appreciate it. As much as I was debating the Gambrel roof I decided not to go for it.

I am going to go with a 40x60x14 with two sliding doors on the gable ends. Here is my next dilemma, I am going to have two 10' doors so they will both open out leaving the center of the building wide open for a drive through but am unsure of wether or not I should go with 12' or 13' height as I can do both but don't know if that extra foot is worth it or not. If anyone has any input please feel free!

Thanks again!

 

[wedge40]

you do know they can make attic trusses that span 40'.

Wedge

 

[sberry]

I am not big on sliding doors. Door placement is critical, ideas that look good on paper don't always work out and can become unused expensive features. 40x60 is pretty respectable.

 

[iceman5]

I have sliding doors on my 30x40 and I'm not a big fan ... and I've only used it for a week. The sliding door doesn't seal well if you are planning to insulate and condition the inside. I can also see where snow and ice could be a problem getting the door open. I haven't had that experience yet but I'm sure that others here can chime in.

I'm planning on getting rid of my sliding door for overhead doors here in the near future.

 

[sberry]

I would add 10 more feet of width and skip the upstairs if I wanted more space. I really might skip the drive thru and put 2 doors on one end and 10 ft is kind of narrow if its continuous use.

 

[Yeager]

The biggest difference between the doors is in the looks. Overhead doors are more functional, but they look much more industrial which can be a negative in some situations. Wood sliding doors will have much more of a barn look to them, which can be good or bad. You can seal them up, but not as well.

 

[Diesel Dan]

With turn buckles and latches you can get a sliding door to seal decently. My dad has his sliders sealed decently. Slider does not loose any head room either. You can also make a slider thicker for a higher R-value in really cold climates.

They all have their pros/cons and you just need to determine what YOU need/want.

 

[bazzateer]

Sliders on the outside for looks and a roll-up door inside for insulation & double the security?

 

[readhead]

If I am pricing a building and the owner wants sliders I give the option of overhead doors or going with another builder. Sliders in snow country are a pita. We got to the point of to many callbacks for problems that we were not responsible for that I decided we would not do them anymore.

 

[Diesel Dan]

Sliders on the outside for looks and a roll-up door inside for insulation & double the security?

Slider would give better security than the OH door.
The slider in this case would function as a storm door as well.

 

[Joshua.b.sweeney]

Fortunately I am not planning on insulating the room as it will be a Training center/ Vehicle storage so I wasn't too worried about the door seal, I also live in Portland Oregon so I don't have to worry about cold weather all that often. I didnt know that they made attic trusses for that but I also don't anticipate wanting that now or in the future, I like to be a minimilist when it comes to extra stuff.

 

[Joshua.b.sweeney]

So I totally missed the 2nd page when i was responding, I am going to have one split 20x12 sliders on each end not 10x12, I realized I worded that wrong later. I guess being here in portland I am not too worried about weather conditions because it only happens every so often if at all that it gets too nasty to function. Besides the wife and i both agree we would like the barn look and sliders with the cross bucks really makes it look more appealing and less industrial.

Diesel Dan if you could snag a photo of how your dad sealed up his sliders I would greatly appreciate it. If he has something that works I might as well take a look at it.

Thanks!

 

[Grape Ape]

I have a 40 x 60 x 12. My two post lift fits nicely between the 24" OC trusses (I'll box it in eventually). The shut-off bar is lower than the ceiling height so there are no issues with not being able to fully raise vehicles. I went with two 10' wide x 11" high OH doors on each end.