Bookshelf Girt Question

[Joe_K]

I have a pole building with 4x6 posts 8' on center, and regular 2x4 girts on the outside of the posts. I'm getting ready to insulate with Rockwool 24" OC R23 batts. I was going to use nailer blocks and attach 2x6 bookshelf style girts 24" on center between the posts. Wall covering will probably be plywood. I was wondering if I could skip the nailer blocks and use joist hangers turned sideways? Less lumber to cut and another 3" of insulation between the posts. Probably less time involved as well? Thoughts?

 

[HoosierMark]

Sure seems like a miter saw and a form to cut blocks off a 2 x6 plus an nail gun would be a lot faster then joist hangers. Cut the pieces say 6 inches each and nail them up. Rest the girt on them and toe nail in. Easy and simple plus would joist hangers support as well as a block of wood for the bookshelf board to rest on?

 

[Joe_K]

Sure seems like a miter saw and a form to cut blocks off a 2 x6 plus an nail gun would be a lot faster then joist hangers. Cut the pieces say 6 inches each and nail them up. Rest the girt on them and toe nail in. Easy and simple plus would joist hangers support as well as a block of wood for the bookshelf board to rest on?

That was my original plan, I have a mitre saw, nail gun, any tool you can think of. I started thinking about joist hangers for ease of installing the insulation. I wouldn’t have to cut notches out of the batts. Still undecided.

 

[3rdgendslmech]

Is there any advantage of doing bookshelf girts vs traditional frame walls?

 

[Joe_K]

Is there any advantage of doing bookshelf girts vs traditional frame walls?

There's several reasons I'm going this route.

1. I see no point in building a pole building then framing a traditional building inside of it. I could not get permits for a 36'x60' stick built garage in my township, but they consider pole buildings utility sheds with no square foot limits.

2. I'll save a little floor space by running horizontal girts inside the posts versus screwed to the face of the posts.

3. I believe it will be less lumber and be easier to install the batt insulation.

4. The poles are below the frost line but my 6" concrete floating slab is not. I don't believe it's a good idea to frame traditional walls on top of a floating slab in a pole building. I'm an engineer so details like this keep me awake at night. There will be some room for movement the way I'm building it. My bottom girts/plates are not attached to the posts. I screwed the bottom girts/plates to the concrete between the posts with tapcons. When I install my wall covering I'll leave an inch gap and I won't fasten it to the bottom girt/plate. If the concrete lifts I don't want it to push the poles out.

 

[3rdgendslmech]

There's several reasons I'm going this route.

1. I see no point in building a pole building then framing a traditional building inside of it. I could not get permits for a 36'x60' stick built garage in my township, but they consider pole buildings utility sheds with no square foot limits.

2. I'll save a little floor space by running horizontal girts inside the posts versus screwed to the face of the posts.

3. I believe it will be less lumber and be easier to install the batt insulation.

4. The poles are below the frost line but my 6" concrete floating slab is not. I don't believe it's a good idea to frame traditional walls on top of a floating slab in a pole building. There will be some room for movement the way I'm building it. My bottom girts/plates are not attached to the posts. I screwed the bottom girts/plates to the concrete between the posts with tapcons. When I install my wall covering I'll leave an inch gap and I won't fasten it to the bottom girt/plate. If the concrete lifts I don't want it to push the poles out.

Okay. I just see a lot of barn builders talking about them and I'm just about done with my walls that I did traditionally. I just layed a PT 2x6 down between the posts and ran 2x6 studs vertically in between the truss hangers at 24"oc.

 

[Joe_K]

Okay. I just see a lot of barn builders talking about them and I'm just about done with my walls that I did traditionally. I just layed a PT 2x6 down between the posts and ran 2x6 studs vertically in between the truss hangers at 24"oc.

You'll probably be fine, it's the "what if's" that bother me. I'm in PA so we can get some nasty cold winters.

 

[Voi]

Here is a thread where bookshelf girts are discussed. I'll link directly to post #23 where a member makes an argument for a second layer of regular girts on the inside instead of bookshelf girts plus exterior girts.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7450416&postcount=23

 

[mtwaterguy]

The benefits of bookshelf/commercial girts are really only achieved if done during the initial build. Framing both inside and outside walls at the same time is a great way to save both time and materials. In addition you also gain a stronger building that will resist racking better. If you've attached outside girts during the initial build the only saving is with 24" spacing. Horizontal or vertical makes no difference.

 

[larry_g]

Lay it out carefully and you'll find the lumber amount is virtually the same. To fill the area with vertical or horizontal studs take the same amount.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Augus7us]

Currently in the process of insulating my new to me pole barn. I ended up going with a top and bottom plate and 3 vertical studs in between my 8' o/c poles. Probably about the same amount of material as if I went with interior girts. I didn't want to do that because a friend of mine has a building like that and he said it is spongy inbetween the poles. I'm not in hurricane country so I didn't see a need to improve the buildings structural integrity with this, just allow me to hang some insulation and sheet rock.

 

[Joe_K]

Lay it out carefully and you'll find the lumber amount is virtually the same. To fill the area with vertical or horizontal studs take the same amount.

lg
no neat sig line

The big difference is only having to buy 8’ lumber vs 12’ for vertical.

 

[Joe_K]

Currently in the process of insulating my new to me pole barn. I ended up going with a top and bottom plate and 3 vertical studs in between my 8' o/c poles. Probably about the same amount of material as if I went with interior girts. I didn't want to do that because a friend of mine has a building like that and he said it is spongy inbetween the poles. I'm not in hurricane country so I didn't see a need to improve the buildings structural integrity with this, just allow me to hang some insulation and sheet rock.

I started framing today. It’s rock solid, I was standing on the girts.

 

[Joe_K]

I framed a good chunk of it over the weekend. I used blocks instead of joist/truss hangers. I'm pleased so far, it really seemed to stiffen up the walls.