Above 1200 Sq/FT 32x40 barn-style garage build

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Got a new addition to the family last week, so little progress, but the siding is going up now. A couple pics

Great pictures..we have a similar structure but now have to design the layout for the upstairs to be used as guest quarters...we are looking for any ideas. We couldn't have any plumbing due to the city nazis, but this is our summer get away and we need some place for our adult children and grandchildren to sleep.

 

[jbs]

I've been making some slow progress lately. I got tired of drywall, so I decided to do a few other things. I installed some outside lights. We had been waiting and looking for a deal on some nice quality lights. These are not that. They were on sale at Lowe's and were too cheap to pass up. Hopefully we'll find something nicer down the road, but at least we have light in the meantime.

I installed a couple cheap exterior doors, one between the hallway and garage, and one for the closet under the stairs.

I installed a couple TPI electric hydronic baseboard heaters from globalindustrial.com. I expect to add a few more, but these have kept it comfortable when its been below freezing lately.

I added some beadboard on the 16" kneewall. I originally intended to do this so I could cover the off-angle joint between the kneewall and the rafters. I figured such a long run with my taping/mudding skills, would be crooked and ugly. It actually looked pretty good, but I decided to do the beadboard anyway. It will be painted eventually.

I also worked on some of the trim in one of the upstairs rooms where the drywall is finished and painted. Being strongly right-handed means I end up in some awkward positions instead of just using my left hand.

On the casement window, I built jamb extensions, and trimmed with 1x4 pine. I wanted to keep it simple since it is a "barn". It turned out pretty well I think, and since it will be painted, I could easily hide my mistakes.

On the roof window, I just lined the rough opening with beadboard and trimmed it out. I did this for a couple reasons: I figured that unless I bought pretty decent wood for the jamb extensions, it would probably end up cupping (the rafters are 2x10s, so the extensions would have probably been 1x10s ripped down to width), and it would have been hard to shim. I also wanted to keep the window opening as wide as possible for light. This probably didn't make much difference with the trim, but oh well...

I reinforced the stairs (not real happy with the pre-built stairs- already had a couple loose treads). They are much sturdier now (sorry, no pics).

And I even hung some more drywall. Almost done downstairs...

 

[bighammer]

Just found this build. Can't believe I've missed it so far. Great work. Looking forward to completion.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

Great design and build! Fun to watch it unfold; please keep us posted.

Isn't it amazing how expensive most light fixtures are! Years ago, 'This Old House' visited a restoration business that specialized in lighting fixtures. I believe they were in the Boston area (?), but I wonder if you have looked at anything like that to get a 'period correct' style without paying through the nose for new product?

With the downstairs almost all sheet rocked, will you be doing any taping & mudding this winter? I have a bunch of mudding to do and I wonder how warm the interior has to be to get decent results. Not to highjack this thread, but does anybody have any tips, advice, or cautionaries?

 

[jbs]

Great design and build! Fun to watch it unfold; please keep us posted.

Isn't it amazing how expensive most light fixtures are! Years ago, 'This Old House' visited a restoration business that specialized in lighting fixtures. I believe they were in the Boston area (?), but I wonder if you have looked at anything like that to get a 'period correct' style without paying through the nose for new product?

With the downstairs almost all sheet rocked, will you be doing any taping & mudding this winter? I have a bunch of mudding to do and I wonder how warm the interior has to be to get decent results. Not to highjack this thread, but does anybody have any tips, advice, or cautionaries?

Thanks. Good idea on the restored old fixtures. I have been mostly watching craigslist/ebay.

I was wondering the same thing about taping/mudding in the cold. I can easily keep it in the 50s with the heater, but the wall surface itself will likely be colder and of course the humidity will be low. I'd welcome any suggestions on this.

 

[KyleQ]

What a nice shop you have! I'm getting all sorts of ideas as I bought my house this Jan and it has a 30x40 horse barn on the property with a 2nd story. The ceilings are low, so I'm going to have to cut a hole in the floor for the hoist, but your up-stairs plans are awesome!

From the attic style stairs

From the opposite corner


How expensive was it to insulate the upstairs? I can't decide if I'm going to make it livable space or storage...

 

[joepittsburgh]

Excellent project...thanks for all of the details.

Do you have any idea how much your foundation and slab work cost. We are in the beginning stages of a project and are trying to figure out if the bid we received is reasonable. We are GCing a project similar to yours except we will use the upstairs as a small cabin on a piece of property we own.

Thank you...joe

 

[jbs]

What a nice shop you have! I'm getting all sorts of ideas as I bought my house this Jan and it has a 30x40 horse barn on the property with a 2nd story. The ceilings are low, so I'm going to have to cut a hole in the floor for the hoist, but your up-stairs plans are awesome!

From the attic style stairs

From the opposite corner


How expensive was it to insulate the upstairs? I can't decide if I'm going to make it livable space or storage...

Great building. That truss design is great-lots of open space! What is the roof height there? I would like to see more. Be sure to post your progress. The insulation wasn't too bad. I don't remember exactly since I bought it slowly over several months, but I was getting the R30 rolls for under $10 at HD. I think the craft-faced R-19 was more expensive, but I only needed that on the gable walls. The blown-in over the smaller rooms was maybe $200. If I had to guess it was $500-700 for the upstairs insulation, but that's a rough guess. I'd definitely try to insulate if possible. It REALLY makes a difference I think. It is comfortable (45-50) up there all the time, even without the heat on. It also makes it quieter.

Excellent project...thanks for all of the details.

Do you have any idea how much your foundation and slab work cost. We are in the beginning stages of a project and are trying to figure out if the bid we received is reasonable. We are GCing a project similar to yours except we will use the upstairs as a small cabin on a piece of property we own.

Thank you...joe

I was originally planning to do everything myself except the slab. The quote I got was $13k including stubbing out the plumbing (trenched and tied into the house water and septic). Since the project got a bit behind my scheduled spring start, I hired framers and roofers so the framing wouldn't be exposed to the weather for so long. Probably saved my a year. LOL

 

[Fatts91]

I have been stalking your build for three days now. I am really impressed with the framing crew that you had. I was orignally going to do trusses for my upstairs but stick framing it will be a lot better and so much more room. What I'm really worried about is finding a truss builder that can do Gambrel trusses in Kansas/Oklahoma. I seen the dutchcraft.com design on here was going to show that to the engineer guys and let them figure it out. Thanks for sharing your amazing project. If you can keep the room above 50 degrees 24hrs a day you can mud all you want just dont let your mud freeze. Might look into 90 minute mud. Thanks again

 

[RusherRacing]

Signed up because of this build! I am hoping to start one similar in the near future and this garage is basically exactly what I want!

 

[jbs]

I guess its been quite a while since I posted an update. The drywall downstairs is now all taped. I still need a few more coats of mud before paint. I had some extra drywall, so I doubled up the bottom course for a little better impact resistance. To hide the step, I added 1x6 "chair rail". I'll probably paint this, and the visible part of the stem wall, a dark green or blue.

One of the upstairs rooms is almost finished with paint. It just needs flooring, and then we can check that off the list.

 

[jbs]

I have been stalking your build for three days now. I am really impressed with the framing crew that you had. I was orignally going to do trusses for my upstairs but stick framing it will be a lot better and so much more room. What I'm really worried about is finding a truss builder that can do Gambrel trusses in Kansas/Oklahoma. I seen the dutchcraft.com design on here was going to show that to the engineer guys and let them figure it out. Thanks for sharing your amazing project. If you can keep the room above 50 degrees 24hrs a day you can mud all you want just dont let your mud freeze. Might look into 90 minute mud. Thanks again

Signed up because of this build! I am hoping to start one similar in the near future and this garage is basically exactly what I want!

Thanks for the kind words! Glad you're enjoying following along. I've gotten so many good ideas from this site, its the least I can do to give back. I'll try to be more timely with my updates. It just seems to move so slow, I almost don't notice that I've made progress until I check back at my last post.

 

[Accrdwgnguy]

Wow excellent work so far.

 

[jbs]

A few updates
Drywalled the ceiling upstairs (mostly as an ignition barrier over the rigid foam since we will likely do pine over that)

Had one of my assistants help with the taping/mudding

 

[Viriiguy]

Wow! That place is going to be awesome!!

 

[flybefree]

Love the look, you have really done a nice job on design.

Shaun

 

[Lunker]

Nice work.

 

[oldgymnast]

Looks great!

 

[jbs]

Thanks for all the kind words. I finally stopped working on the drywall upstairs. Its not perfect, but good enough. I got some priming and painting done this weekend. Hopefully we'll get the pine flooring/ceiling ordered soon. After that its on to the real "garage" part of the build.

 

[Dumpster]

Love the build.. Great thought in the design.. I am planning on building a 28x40 very similar to yours except the upstairs will be an open floor with a small room for storage. Why do you think that the 28x40 wasn't a good dimension? Was that meant for your application or in general? I plan on having the doors on the side, not on the end.. I have the building permit application in hand and the area staked off...Keep the pics coming.

 

[rmckee]

Simply amazing. The design itself looks spectacular, and being a New Englander myself, I love the gambrel style that perfectly fits in with your surroundings. Look forward to seeing more - you certainly got me thinking about how my barn build will turn out!

 

[jbs]

Love the build.. Great thought in the design.. I am planning on building a 28x40 very similar to yours except the upstairs will be an open floor with a small room for storage. Why do you think that the 28x40 wasn't a good dimension? Was that meant for your application or in general? I plan on having the doors on the side, not on the end.. I have the building permit application in hand and the area staked off...Keep the pics coming.

I thought the 28x40 might be a bit too narrow for us, especially upstairs (the useful space upstairs was a big part of the motivation for this build). Downstairs, it probably would be fine, especially if you could do it without the posts down the middle like I have. From the outside, I think that higher length/width ratio would actually look better. 32x40 is right on the edge of looking too "fat" to me.

 

[jbs]

A few updates. I added the crossbucks (fake barn windows) to the west side:

I also finished the drywall (well, it wasn't totally finished, but I was) and moved on to painting downstairs. Still have some trim left, but it is coming along. Went with BM Brilliant White, Pewter, and Chrome Green. The posts are Rustoleum Safety Yellow. Hopefully it won't look too busy.

We also ordered and started installing the pine plank flooring upstairs.

I wasn't sure what finish I wanted, so I purchased some Waterlox (Tung oil based) and some Bona Traffic (cross-linked waterborne polyurethane).

I finished the landing on the stairs and the little kids' areas (over the bathroom and entrance hall) with Waterlox:

And finished the bedroom with Bona Traffic:

I like both, but will go with the Bona for a few reasons:
1) The stupid VOC laws here only allow us to by Waterlox by the quart, which makes it way more expensive (by the gallon they are similar)
2) The Tung oil is a richer amber color, which will deepen with age. I like it, but prefer the lighter look (want to keep the room bright), which Bona is said to preserve.
3) The water cleanup with Bona is a nice bonus.


That's all for now. We'll continue painting trim and start the install of the pine on the ceiling. I'd say I'll update soon, but by now everyone knows that is a lie.

 

[ed_v]

I really love the job you did on this. It really goes well with the surroundings. Beautiful piece of property you have there.

Ed

 

[Leeroy254]

Any updates? Really cool build.

 

[Wilbur]

Just awesome build! Love the look and how well it fits with the home. Just curious why you didn't put windows on the west side? (Not throwing stones by any stretch! Just curious?)

The views from upstairs look great - as evidenced by this:

Really great!

 

[jbs]

Just awesome build! Love the look and how well it fits with the home. Just curious why you didn't put windows on the west side? (Not throwing stones by any stretch! Just curious?)

The views from upstairs look great - as evidenced by this:

Really great!

Thanks Wilbur. No updates of consequence lately. I had to build a woodshed to keep our firewood dry this winter, so I've been working on that the last month or so. I'll post a few pics later. There are windows on the west side. Maybe you mean the north side? There are no windows downstairs on the north side for a few reasons: 1) money- budget was tight, so I cut them, justifying it by: 2) not much light to be gained from north-side windows, and 3) less wall space lost- I want to build some cabinets high up on the walls for mid- to long-term storage of "stuff".

The picture above faces south, and yes, we love the views!

 

[HOTFR8]

Any updates as to the book shelf door ?

 

[BARN ONE]

Very Nice!!! Everything looks like it belongs there. Keep up the nice work.

Mine is 32x60 when I built the upstairs I came in 4' on each side and built an open stud wall. That left 24' open in the center, and I used standard 24' garage trusses on top.

 

[binder man]

Loving the inspiration. Hopefully close to what I'm wanting to

 

[jbs]

Any updates as to the book shelf door ?

Nothing yet. The floor is almost done and we just measured, marked and laid the first course of wood on the ceiling, so the rest should go pretty quickly. Various built-ins are next, but I imagine I am still several months away from the bookshelf door.

Very Nice!!! Everything looks like it belongs there. Keep up the nice work.

Mine is 32x60 when I built the upstairs I came in 4' on each side and built an open stud wall. That left 24' open in the center, and I used standard 24' garage trusses on top.

Fantastic! I love really big barns. It looks like you have a lower "walk-out basement" level there as well? Do you have a build thread?

Loving the inspiration. Hopefully close to what I'm wanting to

Thanks for the kind words. Happy to help.

 

[BARN ONE]

Fantastic! I love really big barns. It looks like you have a lower "walk-out basement" level there as well? Do you have a build thread?
Thanks for the kind words. Happy to help.

Yes here is a link to the build thread, 3 story barn. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=161250

Yes I have a basement with a 16' garage door, thats where I have my shop area. I have not been able to get any good pics. right now because I am on crutches recovering from a broken ankle.

 

[Wilbur]

There are windows on the west side. Maybe you mean the north side? There are no windows downstairs on the north side for a few reasons: 1) money- budget was tight, so I cut them, justifying it by: 2) not much light to be gained from north-side windows, and 3) less wall space lost- I want to build some cabinets high up on the walls for mid- to long-term storage of "stuff".

The picture above faces south, and yes, we love the views!

My bad! Thanks for explaining it.....makes sense!

 

[xjjeepman]

Love the build jbs! Was curious what brand/where you ordered the pine plank flooring from. Its gorgeous!

 

[gricegear]

What an awesome barn! My dad is always talking about building a barn style house or converting an old one over. He is the one who taught me everything I know. I will send him a link to this thread. This build is great! I like your attention to detail that makes everything come together nicely. Keep up the great work. I'm jealous!

 

[HOTFR8]

Ah OK, will keep watching.

 

[jbs]

Love the build jbs! Was curious what brand/where you ordered the pine plank flooring from. Its gorgeous!

The wood floors are local eastern white pine from a local mill (Brownell lumber in Edinburg NY).

What an awesome barn! My dad is always talking about building a barn style house or converting an old one over. He is the one who taught me everything I know. I will send him a link to this thread. This build is great! I like your attention to detail that makes everything come together nicely. Keep up the great work. I'm jealous!

Thanks. I'm learning as I go. Its nice to hear that all the flaws aren't visible in the pictures

 

[jbs]

As I said, we haven't gotten much done lately since we've been working on a woodshed, so here are a few pics of that.

Leveling the site and digging the holes was easy since my great neighbor is generous with his tractor. Site leveled, and digging holes:

Since it is meant as a wood shed, I did not want a floor. I was going to make basically a mini pole barn, but a couple of the holes were only about 2 feet deep before hitting bedrock. So for whatever reason (not that it would necessarily be any better), we made it basically a pier-and-beam. We put piers in the holes and built the walls on top of them. Piers poured and gravel filled in:

The walls went up quickly. Luckily my neighbor had some nice aluminum I-beams to build the walls on (since there is no slab), or it would have been a bit of a pain.

more to come...

 

[jbs]

Here's how we built the walls on the I-beams. Very convenient. Then we sheathed it (you'll see the reason for the gap at the bottom is that I wanted to add some PT 2x8s (which I did not have yet). They keep the sheathing away from the ground (rot) and act as a strongback for the 4x4 sill plates the walls are sitting on. Then we made some simple trusses and put those on.

 

[jbs]

We put some tar paper on (mostly to keep it a bit dryer during the week of rain we got halfway through the build). Then put horizontal strapping over that (for the board-and-batten siding). At this point I was really regretting not having done a pole building. The rafter tails will be exposed, so we put some leftover t&g pine there and on the gable overhangs. And finally, added galvalume metal roof and board-and-batten siding (in progress). The last step is to finish the soffits and trim details, and bring the grade up above the 4x4 sill plate inside and out with gravel.