Raising height of pole barn

ed_v · Sep 17, 2018

My wife and and I are in the process of buying a new house. The house has a shop with nearly the same size and layout as what I currently have now, but is several years older. We will replace all the metal siding on it.

The issue is that the sidewalls are only 10ft high. I would like to have 14ft to accommodate a lift. Does anyone have a good idea for raising the roof?

My ideas are:

Disassemble building. Jackhammer concrete around posts. Dig up posts and replace with taller posts.
Cut down existing posts an set new taller posts out several feet on each side. This would give a wider shop but would require new trusses and more concrete poured.
Sister new taller posts to existing post.

Which idea do you all like best? Other ideas are appreciated. Thanks

Firebrick43 · Sep 17, 2018

Seen it done before. Company place ledger boards across post, place jacks, cut off post at ground level, jacked it up and braced building so winds wouldn't push it. They then dug out post from the outside. They used laminated longer post and cut original post bottom so it was a tongue and groove type joint and set it back down. No concrete needed busted out.

larry_g · Sep 17, 2018

Do you have room to add a bay just for the lift? My old shop had a stepped roof for a tall section and a shorter section for just parking. If you enter on a side wall you could also only raise a section of the roof. Again a stepped roof.

Like the above picture you could add 12' for one bay. If you have to enter the gable end then a 24' addition will get the job done. I would think an addition would be comparable in cost to a roof lift plus you gain the extra space.

lg
no neat sig line

ed_v · Sep 17, 2018

larry_g said:
Do you have room to add a bay just for the lift? My old shop had a stepped roof for a tall section and a shorter section for just parking. If you enter on a side wall you could also only raise a section of the roof. Again a stepped roof.

lg
no neat sig line

I do have the room, and it might be the most cost effective way to do this. I worry about leakage with the stepped roof and metal siding though.

Ed

ed_v · Sep 17, 2018

Firebrick43 said:
Seen it done before. Company place ledger boards across post, place jacks, cut off post at ground level, jacked it up and braced building so winds wouldn't push it. They then dug out post from the outside. They used laminated longer post and cut original post bottom so it was a tongue and groove type joint and set it back down. No concrete needed busted out.

I think I follow what you are getting at. I figure you'd need to dig around the post before jacking it up though.

larry_g · Sep 17, 2018

ed_v said:
I do have the room, and it might be the most cost effective way to do this. I worry about leakage with the stepped roof and metal siding though.

Ed

My old shop is 25+ years old with not a leak, just have to do the flashing correctly.

lg
no neat sig line

buildingup · Sep 17, 2018

How about modifying the truss's where the lift would be placed? I've seen this in a few shops.

Voi · Sep 17, 2018

Is there a ceiling?

Do you know the truss spacing?

If the trusses are 8' on center (or greater) with purlins you can remove a section of ceiling and put your lift under that. A member here on GJ often posts a picture of his shop in these types of threads.

I'll see if I can figure out who that is.

ed_v · Sep 17, 2018

buildingup said:
How about modifying the truss's where the lift would be placed? I've seen this in a few shops.

This was my original thought as well. I could gain a couple of feet that way, but not four feet.

ed_v · Sep 17, 2018

Voi said:
Is there a ceiling?

Do you know the truss spacing?

If the trusses are 8' on center (or greater) with purlins you can remove a section of ceiling and put your lift under that. A member here on GJ often posts a picture of his shop in these types of threads.

I'll see if I can figure out who that is.

Thank you.

There is no ceiling and trusses are spaced at 5 feet

Voi · Sep 17, 2018

ed_v said:
Thank you.

There is no ceiling and trusses are spaced at 5 feet

If you're replacing roofing as well as siding I'd want to at least figure out if removing a truss and engineering the adjacent two and the purlins over them was affordable. Even if you're not it would be a good time to do it.

Are the overhead doors on the eaves or the gable? If the latter then you might also need to price adding an overhead door to the area opposite where the lift would go.

Voi · Sep 17, 2018

ed_v said:
This was my original thought as well. I could gain a couple of feet that way, but not four feet.

Even if it were a parallel chord truss?

ed_v · Sep 17, 2018

Voi said:
If you're replacing roofing as well as siding I'd want to at least figure out if removing a truss and engineering the adjacent two and the purlins over them was affordable. Even if you're not it would be a good time to do it.

Are the overhead doors on the eaves or the gable? If the latter then you might also need to price adding an overhead door to the area opposite where the lift would go.

There is going to some cost with any way I do this, and I'm fine with that. I'm just trying to keep it simple and get it done in the quickest manner. There is an overhead door on the overhang end and opposite gable end.

Ed

86turbodsl · Sep 17, 2018

Theres a fellow near me that did this to a pole barn he purchased at an auction and had moved to his home. He jacked up the whole building, scabbed in some laminated posts to the bottom, and set it down in the new holes he dug below. Had a 4' wainscoting added to the bottom to make it look like it was built that way. Worked slick.

Firebrick43 · Sep 17, 2018

ed_v said:
I think I follow what you are getting at. I figure you'd need to dig around the post before jacking it up though.

The jacks wee placed and brought up tight but it wasn't lifted until all the post were cut you don't want to use the part that was in the ground anyhow.

Digging was done from the outside and having the building up allowed them access. As 86turbodsl mentioned a wainscoting detail a 4' were added

JPinSTL · Sep 17, 2018

My poles were laminated and I had an 8ft sidewall height 24x40. I did it the hard way and EMPTIED the whole thing. Dis-assembled the roof piece by piece by removing all the purlins (ring nails sucked) and trusses. We then sistered in/on 4ft pole extensions and reset the trusses. We did a 12ft enclosed lean-to addition off the back and a 10ft open at the same time.

I wanted to go 14ft tall but we were concerned by the depth that the original posts were set and wind shear so we kept to 12ft. If you don't know who built your barn keep the post depth in mind however you go about raising the height.

I was able to reuse ALL of the roof metal, purlins, and some of the sidewalls, but basically 3 sides got new metal. Front roof metal stayed the same, original rear roofing went to the open leanto, and the rear roof got new metal.

Since my house and barn were placed in the extreme corner :-( of our 10 acres with setbacks and ground slope adding another bay was not possible. It would have been far easier/faster/cheaper to just add another bay and I'd suggest that if its an option.

Stuart in MN · Sep 17, 2018

Pole barns generally have trusses spaced pretty wide apart, maybe 4 feet on center or even more. Is there room in yours that the vehicles's roof would be able to extend up in between the trusses if the lift is located in the right spot?

manwithtools · Sep 17, 2018

Voi said:
If you're replacing roofing as well as siding I'd want to at least figure out if removing a truss and engineering the adjacent two and the purlins over them was affordable. Even if you're not it would be a good time to do it.

Are the overhead doors on the eaves or the gable? If the latter then you might also need to price adding an overhead door to the area opposite where the lift would go.

I agree with this. Be aware of the post spacing if it's a two post lift. My trusses are on 10 ft centers and my lift posts are the same. I was going to have to get very creative with the trusses to make it work. Sadly we are moving, so I'll never know if my truss modification plan would work or not.

I'll bet you could eliminate one truss and use heavier purlins to span the 10 foot gap if you replaced / reinforced the trusses on either side of the lift. This is a case where the truss company or an engineer could be your best adviser. The fact you are replacing all the metal already makes this all the more sensible.

BDT/NWMN · Sep 17, 2018

How big is this pole shed?

ed_v · Sep 17, 2018

BDT/NWMN said:
How big is this pole shed?

28x36x10

lostmind · Sep 19, 2018

ed_v said:
28x36x10

Add a 14' tall bay , you need the room. Two walls and a door and some trusses
probably less cost then raising whole structer

mab · Apr 4, 2020

I realize this is an old post. JP, I'd be interested in how you raised your roof.

Thanks,
Mike

kbs2244 · Apr 4, 2020

Sistering new posts to the old would be the fast, low cost, low hassle way.

mab · Apr 4, 2020

The posts are about 8.5 feet I'd like to extend them 3 feet. I was considering 2x6's on 2 sides and 1/2' carriage bolts. I was also thinking about steel, but I'd like to avoid that cost if I can.
I'm worried about the whole think hinging.

Thanks,
Mike

mab · Apr 4, 2020

That's 1/2".

Mike

kbs2244 · Apr 5, 2020

sistering a 2x6 on each side of the existing post will keep the truss load points in line and cure the hinging worry.

mautotech · Apr 5, 2020

I wanted to put a hoist in my 32'x48' pole barn, but the bottom of the trusses are 10'.
The roof peak is 16', so I removed the trusses in half the barn and made it into a vaulted ceiling. Even with the hoist positioned across the short 32' axis of the barn, this gave me way more than enough room to put an extended height hoist in. And I can lift full size tall trucks with lots of room to spare. No need to lift the roof of the barn.

rayra · Apr 6, 2020

I'd suggest attaching new poles of sufficient length to the top sill / roof system, then severing the tops of the original poles and jack the roof up the desired amount, then sistering the new posts to the old.

Lot easier to do it at the ground end though. same way they move a house. And a LOT easier to work on modifying the framing. Then you just fill the new bottom gap of the wall skin with a wainscot sort of treatment.

mab · Apr 7, 2020

The vaulted ceiling probably won't work in this case. There are 6x6 posts at 12' intervals. The roof needs to be replaced. Most of the purlins are rotten and most of the corrugated fasteners no longer have a seal. I will likely remove the roof entirely, extend the posts, add beams (there are no beams perse - just a 2x12 nailed to the side of the posts to support the roof). Then I'll put up a roof. On the more interior posts and beams, I'll add a pony wall to support the roof.

Thanks,
Mike

mab · Apr 7, 2020

I appreciate all the ideas and suggestions. Please keep them coming.

Mike

austing312 · Jan 6, 2024

I see this is an old post, what did you end up doing to raise your wall height. I am in the same boat looking for options. Thanks!

jonesg · Jan 6, 2024

they raise barns all the time up here in maine.
some planks and bottle jacks do the lifting, build a wall underneath and lower the building again, bolt walls to the new footers.
lots of videos on youtube, you just have to accomodate the doorway.

mab · Jan 10, 2024

I ended up making sleeves for the posts, building wall extensions and adding headers in each opening. So far it seems good.
Thanks,
Mike

Raising height of pole barn

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