rok_hunter
Well-known member
Someone recently asked if I considered a build thread for my under-construction enclosed pole barn, so here it is.
This thread comes with some caveats and assumptions, at my end and yours.
1) The build has already started. Feel free to tell me all the things I've done wrong, the poor choices I've made, and the changes I should have done - and don't be upset if I ignore it because I'm past that point.
2) Where I live there are specific things that had to be done per local code. The plans for this build needed to have an engineering review & approval done before permits could be pulled, so know that someone considerably smarter than me - and probably most of my audience - has reviewed the entire design and determined it meets requirements for the hurricane/wind zone I live in. Your requirements may vary.
Now that that's out of the way: my specs!
I'm building a 30x40x12 enclosed pole barn in Northwest Florida. To say "I" am building it isn't totally accurate, it's being built by a very highly rated pole barn company from a couple hours down the interstate. It'll have a 4", 3,000 psi slab, single walk-through door, 10x10 roll-up door, and two windows. The base frame is 6"x6" posts and the wall framing is 2x6 studs on 24" centers, with 2x6 horizontal girts that will hold the 29ga steel exterior. Five engineered steel trusses, also with 2x6 stringers on 24" centers, will hold the 29ga steel roof panels at a 4:12 pitch.
When I was talking to the local sheet metal company (that happens to be three blocks down the road), I asked for colors that would help minimize heat retention in the building - turns out they had a list of their available colors, WITH reflectivity ratings (SSR Value and SSI Rating)! Based on that I chose Sierra Tan and Ivory for the roof and wall colors, both among the highest rated, and Berry (dark maroon-ish) trim.
For insulation I'm planning 2" closed-cell spray foam on the walls, and 3" closed-cell spray foam on the ceiling. HVAC will be handled by a single 36K MrCool DIY Mini-Split system, rated for 1500sf.
Lighting was strongly influenced by the "The Best Lighting Feature Ever" thread here on GJ (https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278420), using the 3-d Illumination Tool recommended there by Platonic Solid. Based on those recommendations, that tool, my budget, and online reviews I've settled on two rows of six 96" Lithonia Lighting LED strip lights, suspended 12' from the floor, on three switches. You can see the lighting/electrical plan in the attachments. This setup should give me 86fc of illumination on a 36" work plane, which is where my workbenches will be.
Speaking of that lighting/electrical plan, I'm planning 110v outlets around the barn at approximately 7.5' intervals. I'll have two 220v outlets, one at the front for a welder and any other high-voltage accessory, and one at the back for the mini-split. The outlets on the bottom right corner of my plan are clustered closer together because that's where the workbench will be, and I expect to have lots of gadgets there. I'll also have a single 110v outlet on each exterior wall. I've talked to a lot of people who say "you can never have enough outlets!", and others who say "yeah, I've got a lot, and over half of them are covered behind stuff.". My outlet plan is a nice compromise and meets MY needs. Again, yours may vary.
So, as of today, what would I change about my design? First and foremost, I think I'd like to have my roll up (Drive-in) door 3-4' from the end wall so I can pull a vehicle in and have plenty of room to walk around while I'm working on it. My design has it only about 1' from the end wall - this maximizes the storage space and open floor space in the rest of the barn, which is mostly what I need it for, but it will force me to pull a vehicle in at an angle to get full walk-around working space. Not a deal breaker by any means, but something to think about on my next build.
Ok; enough words. Time for pictures!
This thread comes with some caveats and assumptions, at my end and yours.
1) The build has already started. Feel free to tell me all the things I've done wrong, the poor choices I've made, and the changes I should have done - and don't be upset if I ignore it because I'm past that point.
2) Where I live there are specific things that had to be done per local code. The plans for this build needed to have an engineering review & approval done before permits could be pulled, so know that someone considerably smarter than me - and probably most of my audience - has reviewed the entire design and determined it meets requirements for the hurricane/wind zone I live in. Your requirements may vary.
Now that that's out of the way: my specs!
I'm building a 30x40x12 enclosed pole barn in Northwest Florida. To say "I" am building it isn't totally accurate, it's being built by a very highly rated pole barn company from a couple hours down the interstate. It'll have a 4", 3,000 psi slab, single walk-through door, 10x10 roll-up door, and two windows. The base frame is 6"x6" posts and the wall framing is 2x6 studs on 24" centers, with 2x6 horizontal girts that will hold the 29ga steel exterior. Five engineered steel trusses, also with 2x6 stringers on 24" centers, will hold the 29ga steel roof panels at a 4:12 pitch.
When I was talking to the local sheet metal company (that happens to be three blocks down the road), I asked for colors that would help minimize heat retention in the building - turns out they had a list of their available colors, WITH reflectivity ratings (SSR Value and SSI Rating)! Based on that I chose Sierra Tan and Ivory for the roof and wall colors, both among the highest rated, and Berry (dark maroon-ish) trim.
For insulation I'm planning 2" closed-cell spray foam on the walls, and 3" closed-cell spray foam on the ceiling. HVAC will be handled by a single 36K MrCool DIY Mini-Split system, rated for 1500sf.
Lighting was strongly influenced by the "The Best Lighting Feature Ever" thread here on GJ (https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278420), using the 3-d Illumination Tool recommended there by Platonic Solid. Based on those recommendations, that tool, my budget, and online reviews I've settled on two rows of six 96" Lithonia Lighting LED strip lights, suspended 12' from the floor, on three switches. You can see the lighting/electrical plan in the attachments. This setup should give me 86fc of illumination on a 36" work plane, which is where my workbenches will be.
Speaking of that lighting/electrical plan, I'm planning 110v outlets around the barn at approximately 7.5' intervals. I'll have two 220v outlets, one at the front for a welder and any other high-voltage accessory, and one at the back for the mini-split. The outlets on the bottom right corner of my plan are clustered closer together because that's where the workbench will be, and I expect to have lots of gadgets there. I'll also have a single 110v outlet on each exterior wall. I've talked to a lot of people who say "you can never have enough outlets!", and others who say "yeah, I've got a lot, and over half of them are covered behind stuff.". My outlet plan is a nice compromise and meets MY needs. Again, yours may vary.
So, as of today, what would I change about my design? First and foremost, I think I'd like to have my roll up (Drive-in) door 3-4' from the end wall so I can pull a vehicle in and have plenty of room to walk around while I'm working on it. My design has it only about 1' from the end wall - this maximizes the storage space and open floor space in the rest of the barn, which is mostly what I need it for, but it will force me to pull a vehicle in at an angle to get full walk-around working space. Not a deal breaker by any means, but something to think about on my next build.
Ok; enough words. Time for pictures!
