Old pole barn

[iWantasickSHOP]

Hey everyone,

I've been lurking here for a while and I have finally gotten a shop of my own. Thank you to everyone who has shared information and inspiration for those of us waiting to get a shop of our own. I just have a few quick questions that I haven't found answers too in searches, before I go back out to enjoy the shop.

Its an older 30x48 pole barn that has been through multiple owners modifications for their use of it.

I want to protect the insulation and "finish the interior walls" before I damage it working in it. It is insulated with the pole barn faced roll insulation. From what I've been able to find the facing on the insulation is a vapor barrier so I shouldn't need to add one before I close it up, is this correct? I will also tape up the tears before closing it up.

The barn has horizontal 2x6's on two of the lower siding boards all the way around the shop. Does anyone know what these are for? My dad and I's best guess is that they are to help brace against wind.

Can the horizontal boards be removed if I am going to sheet the inside? Or should I frame the lower halves of the walls to include these boards.

I do alot of welding and fabrication so I am going to finish the walls with fire and mold resistant drywall. In some sections I will put OSB behind the drywall so I can hang tools and knick knacks without using anchors. Is there any issue in screwing the sheeting directly to the 2x4s that make up the walls? Or do I need a bigger air gap so it can breathe?

For OSB, should I prime the insulation side of the wall portion with something like kilz mold resistant primer before I hang it? Or is it the OSB already sealed enough as is?

The last question for now, I have 12' ceilings and at the peak it is almost 15'. I was going to do the ceiling in only OSB and paint it. I'm not that interested in doing overheard drywall. Has anyone that sheeted their ceiling in OSB had an issue with stray sparks reaching that high?

Thank you for any advice. I'm sure these questions are trivial for a lot of you. I am just a diy'er that likes to learn new things and do them to the best of my ability. I attached a photo thay shows the insulation and the horizontal boards I asked about. If I need to add clarity to anything please let me know. And thank you again for any help.

 

[racecougar]

It is insulated with the pole barn faced roll insulation. From what I've been able to find the facing on the insulation is a vapor barrier so I shouldn't need to add one before I close it up, is this correct? I will also tape up the tears before closing it up.

Correct.

The barn has horizontal 2x6's on two of the lower siding boards all the way around the shop. Does anyone know what these are for? My dad and I's best guess is that they are to help brace against wind.

Correct.

Can the horizontal boards be removed if I am going to sheet the inside? Or should I frame the lower halves of the walls to include these boards.

Not advisable without providing more information first. What is the span between posts, wall height, and local wind load building code?

I do alot of welding and fabrication so I am going to finish the walls with fire and mold resistant drywall. In some sections I will put OSB behind the drywall so I can hang tools and knick knacks without using anchors. Is there any issue in screwing the sheeting directly to the 2x4s that make up the walls? Or do I need a bigger air gap so it can breathe?

No issue, but are you piecing in around the horizontal 2x6's then?

For OSB, should I prime the insulation side of the wall portion with something like kilz mold resistant primer before I hang it? Or is it the OSB already sealed enough as is?

The last question for now, I have 12' ceilings and at the peak it is almost 15'. I was going to do the ceiling in only OSB and paint it. I'm not that interested in doing overheard drywall. Has anyone that sheeted their ceiling in OSB had an issue with stray sparks reaching that high?

No advice related to OSB here. My preference is liner panel for shop interiors

 

[kj_mustang]

You need to verify that the roof system can handle the weight of the osb. I will add another question to Racecougar's list, what type of trusses/rafters and how far are they spaced?

 

[iWantasickSHOP]

You need to verify that the roof system can handle the weight of the osb. I will add another question to Racecougar's list, what type of trusses/rafters and how far are they spaced?

The first 36' are fan trusses, the chords are 2x6 and the web are 2x4's. They are on each side of the pole barn poles 11'6" apart. The last 12' is a loft section that has what looks like attic trusses that are supported by 6x6's

 

[iWantasickSHOP]

Not advisable without providing more information first. What is the span between posts, wall height, and local wind load building code?

Wall height is 12', and 11'6" between posts

No issue, but are you piecing in around the horizontal 2x6's then?

Yes, I would keep the 2x6's and frame it like a false wall with 2x4's or and sheet over that

No advice related to OSB here. My preference is liner panel for shop interiors

Thank you for taking the time to answer all of this. I will look up my local code when I get home this evening. I originally wanted to do the ceiling in pole barn siding, but the metal is ridiculously expensive here even used stuff on marketplace.

I tried to upload truss photos but they arent showing up, I will try and upload them tonight when I get home.

 

[HoosierMark]

Make sure you check the poles for rot before doing anything. My brother had a nice but unfinished pole barn on a hill. Upon inspection he found multiple poles almost rotted off. He demolished it, I thought he should have sistered new poles to the bad ones but what do 73 yr old little brothers know!
When I finished my 14 foot tall pole barn I put two rows of 4x8 plywood up first the a 2 ft wide strip then a 4 x8 strip. The 2 ft wide strip has minimal screws holding it on. That lets me remove it and adding additional wiring if needed ( and l have).

 

[Skooterj]

Is there a placard with the post frame manufactures name anywhere? A gable peak? Maybe a stamp on the trusses?

Double trusses on each side of a post is a Hansen thing, but I've seen others do it. Is there a permit with the drawings? I would see if I could find the engineering company that designed the building and ask about the horizontal boards. I've never seen a building with both standard girts and bookshelf girts needed, but maybe it was engineered that way. If the company is still in business, the should have records. If it was permitted, the permitting office should have records. If not, I would consult a structural engineer before removing any framing boards.

 

[iWantasickSHOP]

I haven't found any placards, I will give it another look through for something that identifies the builder. If I cant, I will probably just leave them in and make do around them.

 

[iWantasickSHOP]

Make sure you check the poles for rot before doing anything. My brother had a nice but unfinished pole barn on a hill. Upon inspection he found multiple poles almost rotted off. He demolished it, I thought he should have sistered new poles to the bad ones but what do 73 yr old little brothers know!
When I finished my 14 foot tall pole barn I put two rows of 4x8 plywood up first the a 2 ft wide strip then a 4 x8 strip. The 2 ft wide strip has minimal screws holding it on. That lets me remove it and adding additional wiring if needed ( and l have).

Luckily no rot on the poles. There is one 2x6 that the barn slider is attached to that needs replaced but that it that I've found

 

[racecougar]

Based on the answers to my questions above, I would advise against removing the horizontal 2x6's in your wall framing.

 

[kj_mustang]

You really would need to know the bottom chord load rating on those trusses but 11' span between trusses is a looong ways. I have 32' fan trusses over half my building space. Building designed by a pole building company engineer. Those trusses have 2x4 bottom chords and are spaced every 4 feet. I don't have the plans handy but they may have been designed for metal liner panels as the ceiling on the bottom chord as I told them that was what I was using.