Georgia 30'x48' Pole Barn

[georgiashop]

Greetings,

After lurking on this forum, and drooling from other's garages. My family moved and I was able to build a shop.
Thanks to everyone's efforts here, and the great amount of knowledge freely shared. I would like to share my in progress build and thoughts behind decisions I have made.
Running the numbers I decided to go with a pole type building. Looking, at others builds, recommendations and availability in my area I got estimates from Morton and Lester. I went with Lester and couldn't be happier. I decided on Lester for two main reasons: a slightly more screw-heavy construction and the local contractor lives less than 5 miles away.

Sorry, I can't figure out the picture attachment thing (not computer savvy).
The first picture is clearing the land. Next is my son, who is a big helper (as you can see) and LOVES all machines big and stinky.
Next is the tree guys taking away a total of four loads like that. One load went to the plywood mill and the rest to mulch. I didn't want to just burn all of that wood. With a lot of searching and pleading, these guys came and took the majority of it. I kept the hardwoods for some projects I have in mind. And two loads of stumps to the county mulch yard. I did not want to deal with moving and burning those!

 

[georgiashop]

Next up:

Making the pad. It was a really wet fall. The track loader operator dug down and got some "dry dirt" to build with and then put the mud in the hole. From this pic. you can see the rear vantage point of the shop, the hole behind the shop and the side of my house. The shop is basically square with this side of the house.

 

[georgiashop]

Removing one stubborn stump that threatened the existing driveway. It was lifting the slab when pushed.

Digging deep. Our rear property line is about 20 ft past the loader. I tried to take the photos mostly from the same spot in the middle of the house garage doors.

Pad finished! Gravel down and I covered with sheet plastic because it was raining for about four months straight. I was so excited I didn't want to be held up by more mud.

 

[georgiashop]

So, my thoughts on the placement of the shop. From the previous posts you can see my house and the pad in relation. Our lot is 6 acres and change and it is a flag lot (long driveway). The existing driveway offered a good starting point and the corner where the stump was ground is approximately the high point. To the front of the house is a low area with seasonal drainage. The other side of the house has access from the circle drive, but also the septic and drain field. The rear has an existing shed, playhouse and garden. My wife said I can't put it where the garden is because she won't ever get her garden back if I did,... she had a good point.
In this picture to the left of the pad is the pump house and two feet in front of the planned site is water and electric going to a small greenhouse and the garden. I really didn't want to move those, so I adjusted the footprint back about five feet to accommodate. Also that is my pile of hardwoods, saved for later.

To the other side is a small greenhouse and chicken coop combo building left by the previous owners. So far we have only used them for storage.

 

[georgiashop]

It's here!
And that's my builder, Eddie.

He backed all the way down the almost 1000' driveway including this tight s curve.

Bundles everywhere. He said that he wanted a 20' work area around the pad, now I see why. And that skid steer had a tough time with most of the load.

 

[georgiashop]

Footings being dug, the bottoms tamped down. My helper supervising.

A finished hole with the prefab "cookie" at the bottom.

Posts in the hole. Truing up the corner posts.

 

[lakeroadster]

Looking forward to following this thread. I'm on my second Lester building. Great quality Engineering, Design and Materials.

What I learned on my second building though is the quality of their Contractors varies... like... alot.

1st 30 x 40 building (erected in Ohio, circa 1990's) was done within 6 weeks... completely.

2nd 30 x 44 building (erected in Colorado, now) took 10 months and the attention to detail by the GC and his crew was, let's just say, sub-standard.

Couple questions for you:

1. Did you personally check out any of the other buildings your GC has built?
2. Did they compact the fill, in multiple lifts, that they put into that cavernous hole that was dug?
3. Did you personally measure the depth of the column holes? My contractor dug the sidewall holes nearly foot to shallow, I caught it, they had to rework it. Note that on my building the sidewall columns specified the holes nearly a foot deeper than the endwall columns. The sidewalls are designed to have concrete under the "pucks", not just dirt. May not be the case on your barn, but worth checking. See details below.

Also, a couple of heads up items:

• Have the contractor open the box for the man door and inspect it. My steel door had a basketball sized "blister" where the steel separated from the core. Lester replaced it, but we didn't catch it until we went to hang it.
  
• Some of the steel trim for around the doors was scratched up and needed to be replaced. This is becasue it was the only steel that didn't have the protective plastic covering on it. Probably worth your time to go through the box of trim and inspect it now, that way if any of it is damaged you can get replacement materials now.

Good Luck and enjoy the build.

 

[georgiashop]

Looking forward to following this thread. I'm on my second Lester building. Great quality Engineering, Design and Materials.

1. Did you personally check out any of the other buildings your GC has built?
2. Did they compact the fill, in multiple lifts, that they put into that cavernous hole that was dug?
3. Did you personally measure the depth of the column holes? My contractor had them a foot to shallow, I caught it, they had to rework it. Note that on my building the main support columns specified the holes a foot deeper than where the concrete puck sits. That extra foot had an actual concrete footer.

Also, a couple of heads up items:

• Have the contractor open the box for the man door and inspect it. My steel door had a basketball sized "blister" where the steel separated from the core. Lester replaced it, but we didn't catch it until we went to hang it.
  
• Some of the steel trim for around the doors was scratched up and needed to be replaced. This is becasue it was the only steel that didn't have the protective plastic covering on it. Probably worth your time to go through the box of trim and inspect it now, that way if any of it is damaged you can get replacement materials now

.

Good Luck and enjoy the build.

I did not check out any of his other builds. But I checked out his ratings and others were very happy with the work. Also because he lives so close, he has a bit more skin in the game. I am very happy with the work.
I did oversee the hole fill and they did compact multiple times as refilling.
The engineer had a fairly large range of depth with the holes. The contractor had a drill attachment for the holes and maxed out every time to about 5' witch was the lower end of the specification.

I checked out all materials and didn't have any problems, save for some missing screws, that ended up being subbed for a longer one. No problem overall.
Some of the wood was cracked, but they sent enough extra wood and trim that they could pick and choose. I have enough left over to use on some other projects.

 

[lakeroadster]

Some of the wood was cracked, but they sent enough extra wood and trim that they could pick and choose. I have enough left over to use on some other projects.

I've got a can of worms for ya... care to open it? http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=310429

 

[georgiashop]

I had no problem keeping my leftovers. I asked and he said he normally keeps them unless the owner asked. He just wanted a bag of the grey colored screws. He likes to keep them on hand in case he is shorted, so he won't get held up waiting. My color was a bit out of his ordinary orders. He mostly does horse barns around here.

 

[Beenman]

Next is the tree guys taking away a total of four loads like that. One load went to the plywood mill and the rest to mulch. I didn't want to just burn all of that wood. With a lot of searching and pleading, these guys came and took the majority of it.

Dang. We'd kill for wood like that in SA.

Not sure how it works in the US - Do you have to pay the guys to come and collect it, or do they pay you for the wood?

 

[georgiashop]

Dang. We'd kill for wood like that in SA.

Not sure how it works in the US - Do you have to pay the guys to come and collect it, or do they pay you for the wood?

It was an even swap for these guys. They won't make but a couple of hundred off of the "scarred" logs. I'm sure the plywood logs fetched more. I was very happy that they were gone, and that someone could use them, not just burn or leave them to rot. Most of the pine had large scars from some sort of fungus that came through. They did cut down several extra and trimmed everything up. They cut and stacked the hardwood that I'm going to mill into beams.

I have family in SA. Durban and Pinetown. My in-laws are visiting and doing the touristy stuff right now.

 

[georgiashop]

Purlins going on the walls. I opted to install them this way. It is a preparation for insulation. I assume that most work spaces get them this way, and barns get them the traditional way. So far they have been handy for storage.

Door Beams in. Getting ready for roof cross beams, using metal brackets.

Roof deck in place. 1' overhang on three sides and 2' on the front installed with perforated eaves and flashing in place. This step was a lot of work compared to the rest of it.

Windows in. Doors framed. I did two windows on this back side, and one each on the left and right, I would like more, but that pesky money thing. I made left and right the same as you would look at them in plan view, mirrored as you face the outside. This was because I wanted two ways out in case of an emergency. The right side is to the rear because I do auto mechanics primarily and it lines up with the walkway inbetween cars and tool box/workbench.

Here's some of the mud that we had to deal with. The rain had mostly stopped while building, some light showers, and rain only on the weekends. But previous rains had left things very soggy.

 

[Beenman]

I have family in SA. Durban and Pinetown. My in-laws are visiting and doing the touristy stuff right now.

Good time to do this. Weather ***** here now with the cold, and I'm sure its nice and warm in Georgia.

 

[miker88]

This is coming along very nice. Are you going to use fiberglass Batt insulation?

 

[lakeroadster]

Slick idea for the purling supports nailed to the columns. Is that your contractors idea or something Lester specified?

 

[bauschracing]

I see the Georgia red clay, where are you located? I am in Columbus.

Mike

 

[georgiashop]

This is coming along very nice. Are you going to use fiberglass Batt insulation?

I hope to be able to use one inch of spray insulation, and then batts. I haven't made a final decision on the wall covering yet.

 

[georgiashop]

Slick idea for the purling supports nailed to the columns. Is that your contractors idea or something Lester specified?

It's a no cost option. And it seems to be a quick way to build. They set one corner post Plum and in place, the purlin dimention ( precut at the factory) puts the other posts right where they need to be.

 

[georgiashop]

I see the Georgia red clay, where are you located? I am in Columbus.

Mike

South of Atlanta, Fayetteville.

 

[66slabside]

Man, I may have to come by and check this thing out as I am hoping to one day do a pole building also. I'm right next door to you in Peachtree City and work out at the airport.
I love the picture of your son holding his toy truck watching the guys work in the back ground.

 

[georgiashop]

The roof is up. Knowing that I would not be able to put in ceiling and insulation for a while, along with the moisture from curing concrete, I optioned for the dryloc system. This is a felt kind of thing put on the back of the roof material that will soak up condensation during temperature swings and allow it to dry later. This is one of the things I learned from this forum, thanks guys! I reviewed a lot of stories of "raining" inside, and learned not to repeat that mistake. It wasn't but a couple of hundred for the whole thing. I think it was well worth it. Plus it adds a small r value, anything helps.

Outside view. The roof and trim color is pewter grey. It is a high reflection color without being glaring.

Setting posts for the carport.

This is the result of my failure to properly gauge the depth of a spinning auger bit. The Previously mentioned power and water between the outbuildings is in the bottom of this hole, and yep hit them both. I asked the guys to do this while the auger was hooked up to speed my installation of a water outlet. So, I was going to cut the water anyway, and just the insulation was nicked on the power. It was a ****** trying to track down a splice kit on the weekend, but I got it done. On that note, previously I decided to simplify the shop I would only have the outside spigot. I don't really use water that often inside, and I had gotten used to it in my old garage. It's working out well.

 

[georgiashop]

The porches framed. Now I wish I had done the carport on both sides, but oh, well. I'm very happy with only one. I put the other porch over the second man door to keep the weather off.

Side metal going up, along with trim. You can now see the shape and the idea of the front. I chose to do the doors this way, because I wanted 10' doors. I sketched it out to see what it would look like, and if there was room. I thought it looked like a storage unit. I had another thought, of the big center door, which might make it easier to get on the lift once it's in. So far it has made backing the trailer in easier on my mind. It's nice just needing to watch only one side. The car trailer stays under the carport mostly, but I've moved some stuff that would be better if it didn't rain on it, so it's handy to have the option. I'm happy with this door set up, it breaks up the front that is facing the house.

The back, looks boring, but I don't see it all the time. And second porch. I have added an air compressor room on this side(pictures to follow).

Doing the trim

 

[georgiashop]

Gutters up. My contractor said the gutters from Lester come in pieces, and are guaranteed to leak. So, he has a local guy come and do seamless gutters. And they are the same color! My outside spigot installed, frost proof so I don't need to worry. The garage doors going in. I got insulated with some big windows for light, and so I can see who's coming up the driveway. A tip: you must pre-specify if you want a height other than standard. I figured the guys would have a few extra pieces of track on the truck to move them up to the ceiling to clear any trucks on the lift. But no. So I'll need to call them and order extra and have them redo what they have already done.

Ta-da! Another thing these usually come with cupolas. I asked for it to be removed. I don't know how much extra it costs. Just in time for Christmas.
Nice present, eh?

Another present: the straw that broke the camel's back. With all the rain we have had, a big one came on Christmas day. This is from my front porch and there is 6" of water over the driveway. This area is a wash from the field next door, that is usually dry. The house and garage are fine, on high ground. The road did wash out to the west of our driveway. A small inconvenienced for a while, now fixed, and improved.

 

[lakeroadster]

... I would like to share my in progress build ...

..... With all the rain we have had, a big one came on Christmas day. ..

So.. is this an in progress build.. or a thread to document how the barn was built last year? Not that it matters.. I'm just confused by the Christmas comments.

 

[georgiashop]

So.. is this an in progress build.. or a thread to document how the barn was built last year? Not that it matters.. I'm just confused by the Christmas comments.

Yes, it's in progress:

It's not done yet.

And yes the pictures so far are from 10 months ago. I haven't had the time to post here until now. Thanks for viewing. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[georgiashop]

Concrete started. These are the footers for the 2 post lift. I took a lot of pictures and measurements for the install later.

The inside poured first. This is the first question I get when describing the building process. Yes the concrete goes last.

Floating it out. They used a power float to give it a polish.

Starting the driveway and parking. I had thought I might do this in rock and not bother with the concrete, but I'm glad I did it!

 

[georgiashop]

So.. is this an in progress build.. or a thread to document how the barn was built last year? Not that it matters.. I'm just confused by the Christmas comments.

I viewed you build also. We are similar in design. I like your color choice. Best of luck in the future.

 

[Bib Overalls]

Nice project. If you have not noticed most of the GJ members also have a lust for anything automotive. From your signature line I'm guessing you have that affliction as well. As said many times before "We like pictures."

 

[georgiashop]

As said many times before "We like pictures."

Can you not see my pictures? I had great difficulty to put them up, but with guidance from computer savvy members I was able to do the thumbnail cut and paste method. I cannot see them on my iPhone, and I believe that is something inherent in this forum. Am I right, or wrong?

 

[66slabside]

I believe he means because your signature line reads "Speed is just a question of money. How fast do you want to go?" he (all of us) want to see what automotive/motorcycle/etc. you own to make you say this.
Pictures of your shop are showing up just fine and I am enjoying your build.

 

[georgiashop]

Nice project. If you have not noticed most of the GJ members also have a lust for anything automotive. From your signature line I'm guessing you have that affliction as well. As said many times before "We like pictures."

Here you go. Speed is a question of money, and I have none, so my vehicles reflect that.

This is my daily driver. 1998 Honda Civic LX. 208,000 mi. I've swapped in a trans from a civic HX, which has something like a 3.88 final drive compared to the stock 4.10. I get 40 mpg

My Old knock arround truck, 1990 F150 Lariat, 5.0 auto, 141,000. This one never fails to start, and get done what I ask it to while getting 12 mpg, ...always..., load or no load, 12.

This is my tractor, and yes it is a subaru. 1993 impreza wagon 5 spd, 230,000 mi. I don't register or insure it, I just use it like a tractor, pull logs around the yard, rocks in the back. It has some problems, sticky brakes, crunchy trans. I figure those new side by side rigs cost a good bit, this one is 4wd, comfy, and has air and heat, works for me.

My wife's 2003 Accord LX 210,000. Stone reliable comfy car.
My mother (who lives with us) 2008 Chevrolet Uplander 55,000
These two stay in the house garage.

My Dad's old truck and now my tow rig/comfy ride. He bought this new off the lot and was very proud of it. 2006 GMC Sierra LS 4.8 auto. 80,000mi He added some accessories. In central Texas the grill guard is a must for the deer, and I've hit a doe here (saved a few hundred in repairs & we both walked away). 22mpg hwy

This is my project. It's a 1985 BMW 535i, that was given to me. One family owned. The odo stopped at 237,000 and the last owner was particular with maintenance and used it for a long commute, kept figures on the mileage, now 440,000. He did the head and gasket at 250,000 and the bores still had crosshatch. Right now it has a broken rocker arm. I'm debating fixing that or a V8 swap. It's in my old garage.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=567356&d=1468273013