Above 1200 Sq/FT Bailey's Barn Build

[mwbailey]

I introduced myself with "Sandlapper's Dream" at "Introduce Yourself Here", but figured the general garage discussion was the place to continue [note: then NUTTSGT suggested the Gallery, so here it is]. I've enjoyed reading other build posts, so will share my experience, as well.

Today was a big deal! We got the county building permit so we could go further than just clearing land. The crew began to level the dirt for the main floor and dig footings. There's a 3' cement wall (that allows height for car trailer and boat trailer) to be installed at the front of this pix.


I hope to have plenty of clearance for a lift under the hammer truss -- my favorite part of the barn. Here's a screen capture of a drawing with the trusses/bents featured.

 

[HOTFR8]

Awaiting progress .

 

[mellamoesrico]

Very nice! Hammer trusses are beautiful. I've always liked the arched ones like you see in old churches and the like. But the raw functional style in your plan fits so well with the utilitarian nature of a barn. I can't wait to see pictures of the frame bents once they are up. Are you doing true timber frame style construction using only wood joinery (mortise and tenon joints held with wooden pegs) or bolted steel plates at the joint connections?

 

[mwbailey]

Mell. . .,

I'm afraid "The Wife" thinks I worship cars and "junk" too much already -- arched trusses would give her more "evidence"!!

It's hard to see, but the thumbnail picture (in first post, above) shows some of the steel plates; this garage will be held together by bolts, screws, and nails.

Evening Edit: I wouldn't want to challenge Shopnut or others for most posts, so I'll just add an update to this one with a couple of photos. Yes, we even made progress on the 4th since we're expecting the barn "kit" to arrive in two weeks and we need to get the foundation and slab poured! I was glad to see a good footing dug for the 3' wall (seen in photo).

 

[HOTFR8]

Nice progress. Keep posting updates.

 

[ed_v]

I love barns! I look forward to the updates. Thank you for sharing.

Ed

 

[NUTTSGT]

Looks like a great undertaking. I'll try to watch this one too.

Most members put their build thread in the gallery section, if you want it moved, I'm sure one of the Mods would more than willing to help you out.

 

[5lima30]

Nice start! Looking forward to seeing your build progress! Welcome to the forum!

 

[mwbailey]

How many "permits" are required to build a garage?! Let's see, for us it has been:
1. Demolition permit to remove small cinder block house built in 1950's
2. Buffer permit since the lot is on the lake
3. Shoreline stabilization/dock permit; well, not really required to build garage, but what's the sense of being on lake if you don't have a dock?!
4. Septic permit, which didn't work out since the lot didn't perc so we now need engineered system (and I think there was another permit, but the septic system guy got it)
5. Visit by County Environmental Compliance Administrator since "somebody" turned us in; not really a permit, but would have been one if we were moving dirt on more that 1 1/2 acres
6. & 7. TWO building permits; one for garage and one for house
8. And most recently, a compaction test for the soil below the garage footings; again, not really a permit, but a piece of paper nonetheless that the County Inspector required.

"Compaction tester" looked at two spots; here's one in thumbnail; notice the small, circular hole "dug" next to the form.

But we did get the footing poured for the 3' wall. The dirt on this site has been called pit gravel by the site prep guy AND by the concrete guy. They both felt there would be no issue with the compaction test; they had firsthand experience with digging in this dirt! The County inspector really only had issues where we had filled in above the "root line" in leveling up the pad.

Notice that I was too late getting there to mark my name in the concrete! With the temps so high around here, the concrete guy is waiting for mid next week to pour slab, so everything worked out OK. Oh, and just as the guys figured, the soil was well-compacted and passed inspection.

Not a lot of progress, but relatively steady!

 

[NUTTSGT]

I was a little baffled by the right thumnail picture. Then I went back and looked at the drawing in your first post. Am I correct to say that the garage will sit on higher ground and have a step down to the porch ?

 

[mwbailey]

NUTTSGT,
Yep, maybe not the best approach to do all we want to do, but it allows us to keep the same roof line from the main barn and still get a car trailer under it -- I HOPE!! Other possibilites included raising the whole barn, which seemed excessive; parking the trailer in the open, it's been there for a few years as has my boat but I'm ready to put both under cover; having different rooflines on left and right of barn, not aesthetically pleasing; etc.

We'll still need to do a little work on the entrance to keep the trailer from bottoming out.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I think it'll come out looking nice. If a building follows the lay of the land it usually looks good.

 

[mwbailey]

These guys impress me -- worked the 4th and were at the lot on Saturday! Sure was easy to dig holes for pole footings with the auger. . . . Rebar and forms still being installed. Inspection and termite treatment Mon; pouring slab on Wed if current weather forecast for cooling (maybe less that 90 degrees) holds.

 

[56rpm]

Welcome and good luck with your build. I sure do like the drawings. As much as a pain the inspectors are, think of them as guys who you paid to make sure the subs do their work right.

 

[mwbailey]

Hello RPM,

Well, I'm paying my subs (actually, the builder is) to make sure THEY do the work right!! But, I understand your point. My problem wasn't so much that I objected to the permits and inspections required as that you just don't realize how many there are until you get started -- and one permit sometimes depends on the other. When your barn kit is showing up in a few weeks, every day or two delay can create a little more stress.

The various bureaus and organizations have actually been pretty cordial, cooperative, and helpful. For example, my site prep guy said to check on the cost to have "the government" put in a culvert for the drive and it might be cheaper than what he could do. I called SCDOT and they said they would put in the culvert AND an asphalt apron for "FREE" -- OK, so we've paid for it with our taxes -- but they saved a little money for me anyway.

 

[HOTFR8]

That is the best and quickest way to bore foundation holes.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The various bureaus and organizations have actually been pretty cordial, cooperative, and helpful. For example, my site prep guy said to check on the cost to have "the government" put in a culvert for the drive and it might be cheaper than what he could do. I called SCDOT and they said they would put in the culvert AND an asphalt apron for "FREE" -- OK, so we've paid for it with our taxes -- but they saved a little money for me anyway.

It's great when paying taxes actually works to your benefit, as it's far and few between.

 

[mwbailey]

This may not be progress at the site, but my wife and I visited where our "barn kit" is being manufactured. Sand Creek Post and Beam has two fabrication facilities: one in Nebraska and one in Cleveland, GA. The latter site is closer to us AND uses Southern Yellow Pine, primarily. Being from the South, SYP is my preference. It took about three minutes for my wife to renew her acquaintance with the GA facility manager and soon she had confirmed that he was her new best friend.


This is an "outside" truss or bent. Looks pretty big to me. Another bent is being built on top, using the first as a pattern.


The floor boards in the loft will be 2 inches thick, full dimension; and these two glulams will provide support where the hammer truss is.

 

[mwbailey]

Well, we may have missed a good opportunity to pour the slab today, but the threat of the first rain in a LONG while scared they off. Probably tomorrow.

In the meantime, York Electric Cooperative put the power line underground for us. One other crew has confirmed that the ground is hard to dig!! YEC was very cooperative -- they tried hard not to get dirt on the gravel we just paid for!?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Power coming back to the site is great progress, it'll speed things up later on having it available.

 

[mwbailey]

NUTTSGT -- you're certainly correct! I'm not the hands-on builder that you are, so my builder is the one that will really appreciate the power. I can't wait to have enough room to spread out my car and start working on it.

By the way, builds like yours (upgrading an old filling station) have me eyeing every dilapidated gas station I drive by and wishing I had one! Speaking of wishing they had one, I'll keep my wife away from your thread and the fantastic wrap-around porch on your house -- she'd be asking for that in the house we want to build!

 

[56rpm]

That lumber looks stout!

 

[NUTTSGT]

NUTTSGT -- you're certainly correct! I'm not the hands-on builder that you are, so my builder is the one that will really appreciate the power. I can't wait to have enough room to spread out my car and start working on it.

By the way, builds like yours (upgrading an old filling station) have me eyeing every dilapidated gas station I drive by and wishing I had one! Speaking of wishing they had one, I'll keep my wife away from your thread and the fantastic wrap-around porch on your house -- she'd be asking for that in the house we want to build!

Give me her email, I'll send her the link myself.

 

[mwbailey]

56rpm, The lumber is about as stout as a Ford 427! Someone said we should post a guard at the lot to keep anyone from stealing the beams. I don't think most people could lift them!

NUTTSGT, I think I'll pass on ANYthing that gives the wife new ideas; she has enough of her own, thanks.

Feels like we made progress today:




Seems the "pumper" has the right job. He gets to run heavy equipment AND play "video games" -- note joysticks on belt.

 

[mwbailey]

The garage is loaded and on the way. Two flatbeds plus a smaller truck later.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Looks like your builder will be putting together a puzzle very soon.

 

[mwbailey]

So, the barn "kit" arrived today -- only three truck loads so far and more to come with the SIPS insulation panels! I think they underestimated with two flatbeds and a "smaller" truck (that I heard earlier). We were about to run out of room to stack the lumber. Maybe the builder will start on the "puzzle" tomorrow, NUTTSGT!






Amazingly, out of all of that I think I'm only missing ONE 1X10 board. GREAT!

 

[geezer48]

barns are cool

 

[mwbailey]

Yep, barns are cool -- check this one out:
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/3311...dA/list/Dream-Workshop-in-a-Rural-Sonoma-Barn

"We" managed to make some progress today -- the barn is about 2 inches taller than the day before with sill plates almost in!



But they also got all the "bents" (posts/beams) organized. The pieces of the puzzle (as NTTSGT called them) came bundled for easy shipment; not for easy assembly! They plan to get a couple bents installed tomorrow. . . .

I counted the screws, bolts, brackets, and such today (well, not individually, but by buckets) and cannot find anything left out. With all the pieces to supply, Sand Creek P&B did a great job.

 

[mwbailey]

Didn't get two bents, but did finish up the central portion of the first. It was a learning curve experience!
Buidling bent on flat surface
Beginning to pull upright
Hope it will stay up overnight!

Maybe two bents tomorrow?!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Hey, that's going to be taller tha I thought.

 

[mwbailey]

Well, a couple more days and the progress is obvious! All the bents are in place, more or less. Four plates for each of the two glulam beams, a few knee braces here and there and the central sections will be complete. These guys are picking up on the process well, but now we move on to the two 9' lean-tos and the open "porch" outside of the slab.

Gee it's been hot here. . .



My favorite part of the workshop is the hammer truss centered here in the other bents:

 

[mwbailey]

So, why does a guy need (well, "want" might be better) a new garage? Sometimes because he's filled up the old garage!

About 15 years ago, I purchased a house with a one-car garage. Most of you know that's murder for working on a car. So after 6 or 8 years with that set-up, I decided to add two bays. That was fine until I found another car to work on. Then, after 10 or 12 years from the original purchase, I added a lean-to onto the two new bays. I still have to move the vacuum cleaner, pedestal grinder, dolly, and a couple of other things to get to the front suspension. . . .

Here are photos of "old" garage:


And the new barn has most of the floor joists for the 1/2 loft installed.

 

[mwbailey]

The workshop is beginning to look like a barn!! Added the five short lean-to bents on one side and only two of the bigger lean-tos on the other side.

First five went VERY smoothly:


Then we found the rafters to be about 1/2 to 1" too long. Bummer. And, as it turned out, we measured the second bent incorrectly. Got most of the beams and posts lined up except horizontal beam on the far right.


We'll fix that and get the other three up tomorrow -- or so we plan.

 

[mwbailey]

The plan worked -- three more leanto bents and many of the knee braces. A few more knee braces and brackets and the post and beam part will be complete. Bud had a birthday today, so the crew closed up shop a little early. Besides, it was starting to drizzle and there was a threat of lightning.

This is what I thought it would look like!

Front of slab from this view will be for lift and automotive work, rear will also be for automotive work/storage as well as mechnical room. Upper rear will be 1/2 loft. Open leanto on right is for storing car and boat trailers.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'm liking it and waiting for more.

 

[mwbailey]

It's hard to tell from the pictures that progress was made the last couple of days, but there's more room in the "lumber yard" so I KNOW something has happened. The girts around the shop are just about complete (left the near end open to place more materials inside as needed), all the knee braces are in I think, a couple of additional vertical members installed, etc. Hope to start putting the purlins on the rafters Monday!

 

[mwbailey]

Making good progress on the purlins. All but one section on the "long" side completed and should complete the others tomorrow.


Another development is in the making that may distract my attention: footings for the house were poured today:

 

[mwbailey]

Didn't complete the purlins yesterday due to rain-slicked rafters. Did get them completed today, however! Even pressure-washed the frame to remove dirt and grime. Hope to start installing siding tomorrow.

 

[Shoottx]

Great build, another one I am watching but not commenting on, just thought you ought to know we are watching. Keep posting pictures