Garage type?

[Mike65]

My wife & I are selling our B&B in western NY stste & moving to NE Pa & we are planning the garage for the new house. We are thinking of between a contractor to stick build one, or one of the builders who build the pole barns, or one of the DIY kits that I see advertised in the woodworking magazines like Miricle Truss. What do you all think?, opinions please. Thanks Mike.

 

[rodnok1]

Really depends on how big and what you are going to do with it. Pole barns are generally cheaper per sq ft and go up quicker, but they are harder to finish inside generally. If you're staying smaller and don't need 12' ceilings and what to heat and/or cool whole thing I would stick build, or if you what a second story. I looked for a long time and couldn't justify the more expensive all metal buildings since I'm building myself.

 

[SteveU]

Pole barns are nice & IMO are not any harder to finish than anything else. I bought 2x4x10's & nailed them horizontal between the upright poles, stapled 6" faced insulation to the 2x4's & then screwed 1/2" insulation board & 3/4" plywood to the 2x4's & painted it. Electrical can be ran in conduit or surface mount channel along the outside of the wall & cabinets can be hung from the plywood. Sheetrock could also be hung if you so desired. My barn is 100x40 with a 14' eve & the front 48' is walled off from the rest & finished this way. Ran about 2000 for 2x4's, 6" fiberglass insulation, 1/2" insulation board. Ceiling was put in from old metal siding off the barn when it caved in from snow & was rebuilt & has 8-10" of blown in insulation. It is great being able to do woodworking & not have to worry about hitting the ceiling & in the event that someday I can afford to put in a hoist there's plenty of height for that. One thing that I will do in the next few years is put some ceiling fans up to blow the heat down in the winter & get a better heat source. When we put in the office bldg on the property we did it pole style drywalled, plumbed, carpeted, insulated & vinyl sided it with a shingle roof & ridge vent, you can't tell the difference between whether it is pole or stick built either inside or out by looking at it. It is also probably stronger than stick built on a sill since it has 4x6 treated poles cemented into the ground 48" every 8'.

 

[RAYJAY]

if you go with a pole barn stockade buliding http://stockadebuildingsinc.com/suburban.htm

mine been build for 14 years and its great plus you can dry wall and insulate with out adding any other framing

Jeff

P.S. where in ne pa are you relocating to I'm in NEPA by elk mnt. ski area

 

[Krodad]

I have a bias towards ICF's (insulating concrete forms) because I am a manufacturer of them..though I don't sell any into your part of the country, so I'm not trying to drum up any business for myself.
If you are going to insulate, that job is done with the ICF's, and you eliminate the cavity walls which are a major source of problems with critters, condensation, etc. Also very secure. It will definately cost more, but you could heat the thing (depending on size) probably with a 1500w electric heater.

 

[Mike65]

Thanks for the info guys. BTW my garage size will depend on if the new house we buy has an existing garage or basement. The sizes I am looking at are either 45w X 30d, w/3bays, or 65w X 30d with 3 bays on the side & 2 bays on the end.

 

[kbs2244]

This is a size, style and purpose question. If it just going to be a place to park the cars and you are not going to be doing a lot of work in it (that changes it from a garage to a shop) then stick built by the local garage contractor is the way to go for up to 24 x 32. (3 cars) They do all the time and are fast and know all the local codes, inspectors, etc.
If you need something high and big for trucks, or a motor home, then stick built can get a bit complex and expensive. There is a never ending debate between pole barn style vs steel truss style in this area.
IMHO I think it comes down to looks and what the builder is comfortable with.
Guys that work with metal go for the steel truss. Guys that understand wood go for the pole style.
Either one can be **** ugly or made to look good with a little more effort and money.

 

[kbs2244]

You got that out while I was typing.
With that size in mind, the guys like RayJay suggested are the ones to talk to.
I would be willing to bet a Coke that you end up with a pole barn type of construction.

 

[Old Moparz]

I saved a lot of money by doing a wood pole building over a stick built. One of the biggest reasons was because of the foundation differences. I'm in Newburgh, NY which probably wouldn't vary much in cost differences, or the type of construction & footings from NE PA, so maybe get a couple of quotes if you aren't considering the work yourself.

My original plan was a 4' deep footing & foundation, but after getting quotes from a low of about $6000 to a high of $16,000 for the footings, foundation, & floor, I redesigned it as a pole building. The cost of labor & materials to install a 6" concrete floor of just over 800 sq. ft. was roughly $2000. That's a $4000 difference from the cheapest quote I had.

Someone I know locally, a construction materials supplier, was considering this place in the following link for their pole building. I have no idea whether they are any good or not, but I'd definitely consider this company for a quote.

http://www.conestogabuildings.com/

There's no issues with finishing off the inside of my building even though it's a little different than a stick built structure. The 6"x6" poles, & 2"x4" horizontal purlins on the outside of them, will give you an 8" thick wall & plenty of room for a high R value's worth of insulation. The utilities & wiring will fit too. I have pics of mine in the garage gallery if you do a search.

EDIT: I just saw this on the site from the above link I posted, it's a schedule of home show events they will be at. I wish they were going to one near me so I could meet them & pick their brains. I'd like to add on to my garage & would love a few ideas. All of these are in the NY, NJ, & PA areas.

http://www.conestogabuildings.com/events.htm

 

[RAYJAY]

mike go as big as you can afford, you always need the space.....

Jeff

 

[Mike65]

I ws looking at Conestoga buildings & Morton buildings as the other & will also consider the one Rayjay suggested when I am ready. It will be a garage to park our trucks & our 2 Mustangs, for working on the cars & doing maintenence on our daily driver trucks, possibly a woodworking shop for my other hobby (if the house doesnt have a basement), & possibly a future project when I get the Mustangs finished.

 

[bluesman2a]

OK, so does anybody have any experience or any resources for a pole barn erectors in the SouthEast? I'm specifically looking for a company serving the Atlanta area.

This seems to be a pretty affordable way to meet my needs for an auxillary shop that would be tall enough for a lift, and I would like to do some more research on it before I make a decision to enlarge the existing shop or just build another complete building.

 

[kbs2244]

I think the best way to find a good guy who puts up good building is a two prong approach.
First, check the internet for the type and style you like. Get local erector names. Get referance customers.
Second, check out your local neighborhood for buildings you like, go up to the door and ask who did it for them. Don't be shy. Some guys may blow you off, but I have even got tours by others. They can point out things they like, don't like, would do different, etc. You may even make a new friend.

 

[SteveU]

Mike, you are going to want at least a 10' ceiling if you do anything with plywood & probably a 12' or 14' if there is any chance that you will want a lift at some time in the future. One of the main things I remember guys not liking about their woodworking shops on the forums were low ceilings that they were always banging into or that limited the size bandsaw they could get. When my barn caved in I thought about rebuilding it with a 12' eve but am glad now that I kept the 14'. Build it higher than you think you need now because you never know how your interests will change over the years, when I bought my house in 89 I didn't do ham radio, woodworking or work on cars now I do all 3.