Pole barn interior finishing and supports

[freeskier44]

Hey all, new to me poll barn. Been reading through a lot of posts and trying to come up with a solution. Most folks poles are mounted a lot closer than mine. My pole barn has approximately 13 feet between posts with standard 2x6 girts. There were a few bookshelf girts installed along with the standard ones as well as seen in the photos. There’s only 2 on each wall as you can see.
I would prefer to remove these and run some kind of studs up the wall or instead just install plywood or OSB directly to the girts for cabinet mounting. Will that work? Or do I need to do another option?
Thanks!

 

[Fav Onefour]

You will still need something to keep the wall from moving in and out with wind pressure.
It is a pretty long span between posts. The bookshelf girts are there to keep the walls from flexing in and out.
Honestly, it might be a better building by going in the other direction with your plan. I'm talking about adding the bookshelf reinforcement to girts to the rest in areas you want the flat wall.
The idea of removing the current braces and adding studs doesn't address the long span issue between posts.

I like a lot of the shed construction and the fact it already has insulation. I'm impressed with the visible top boards in the pic. Looks like that is designed for snow load. Are the other trusses heavy duty too?
I do have a question about the tie bracket from the rafter to the post. Do you see any type of nail plate or reinforced attachment to either end of the vertical piece? That bracket will also get load pressure from the wall trying to flex. It's not a huge deal with 14'? walls, but it will be one of the first items to start moving.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Most folks I know, add a few more bookshelf girts, then vertical 2x4s laid flat against the bookshelves. Then apply the inner skin to those.

 

[billconner]

Vertical studs between bookshelf girts? Might even be fine with 2x3s. Would need a sill plate and maybe a new top plate depending on ceiling plans.

 

[freeskier44]

You will still need something to keep the wall from moving in and out with wind pressure.
It is a pretty long span between posts. The bookshelf girts are there to keep the walls from flexing in and out.
Honestly, it might be a better building by going in the other direction with your plan. I'm talking about adding the bookshelf reinforcement to girts to the rest in areas you want the flat wall.
The idea of removing the current braces and adding studs doesn't address the long span issue between posts.

What would be the best way to add the bookshelf girts? The current ones appear to be nailed from the outside so unless I removed the exterior metal I wasn’t sure.
I unfortunately already removed one of them to get my mini split mounted as it was in the way.
I did find it strange they only did 2 sets of bookshelf girts up the entire span of the wall.

I like a lot of the shed construction and the fact it already has insulation. I'm impressed with the visible top boards in the pic. Looks like that is designed for snow load. Are the other trusses heavy duty too?

Let me get additional pictures that show the top part better. I have all the build notes that the company left. It was built in western Washington (we don’t get too much snow)

I do have a question about the tie bracket from the rafter to the post. Do you see any type of nail plate or reinforced attachment to either end of the vertical piece? That bracket will also get load pressure from the wall trying to flex. It's not a huge deal with 14'? walls, but it will be one of the first items to start moving.

I’ll get this in the other pictures. I’m very new to this and not the most building savvy lol.

Most folks I know, add a few more bookshelf girts, then vertical 2x4s laid flat against the bookshelves. Then apply the inner skin to those.

Vertical studs between bookshelf girts? Might even be fine with 2x3s. Would need a sill plate and maybe a new top plate depending on ceiling plans.

Yeah this sounds like the general recommendation that I am getting and I’ll need to figure out adding the girts.
l was really hoping to just add vertical 2x6s or 2x4s and that securing them to the bottom piece of wood would be enough to prevent any sagging. But it sounds like the problem exists with the in and out flexing of the wall.

 

[billconner]

What would be the best way to add the bookshelf girts? The current ones appear to be nailed from the outside so unless I removed the exterior metal I wasn’t sure.
I unfortunately already removed one of them to get my mini split mounted as it was in the way.
I did find it strange they only did 2 sets of bookshelf girts up the entire span of the wall.

Let me get additional pictures that show the top part better. I have all the build notes that the company left. It was built in western Washington (we don’t get too much snow)

I’ll get this in the other pictures. I’m very new to this and not the most building savvy lol.



Yeah this sounds like the general recommendation that I am getting and I’ll need to figure out adding the girts.
l was really hoping to just add vertical 2x6s or 2x4s and that securing them to the bottom piece of wood would be enough to prevent any sagging. But it sounds like the problem exists with the in and out flexing of the wall.

I meant just add studs between the existing bookshelf girts - no added girts. Seemed to get you everything you wanted at lowest cost and left bookshelf gifts for wind load.

 

[Fav Onefour]

I meant just add studs between the existing bookshelf girts - no added girts. Seemed to get you everything you wanted at lowest cost and left bookshelf gifts for wind load.

That is a beautifully simple solution.
@freeskier44 , Are the current bookshelf pieces 2X4 boards. Either way, you can do studs and use those sections kinda like top plates. The biggest trick would be toenailing into the other vertical girt sections.
If you go with the idea of adding and attaching more bookshelf sections, Just use 2X6 attached to the top or bottom side of the empty girt framing. They don't have to be done any with any fancy method. Anything you add and attach decently will give you more structure.

 

[billconner]

Depending on width of existing bookshelf girts and stud size, studs my not even contact the vertical girts. All the better. Even with 2x3 studs, use thickest batts available. (I am assuming insulation but don't know where project is.) I would set studs flush with face of columns (poles) so ply (right?) could be continuous (assuming bookshelf gifts are not proud of columns).

 

[freeskier44]

I meant just add studs between the existing bookshelf girts - no added girts. Seemed to get you everything you wanted at lowest cost and left bookshelf gifts for wind load.

That is a beautifully simple solution.
@freeskier44 , Are the current bookshelf pieces 2X4 boards. Either way, you can do studs and use those sections kinda like top plates. The biggest trick would be toenailing into the other vertical girt sections.
If you go with the idea of adding and attaching more bookshelf sections, Just use 2X6 attached to the top or bottom side of the empty girt framing. They don't have to be done any with any fancy method. Anything you add and attach decently will give you more structure.

Here’s what’s currently there. Hopefully this is more helpful than the previous photo. The 2 bookshelf girts are 5 and 10 feet up all around the pole barn. They are 2x6s. I would likely have to add more bookshelf’s due to the distance between right?
What do you mean by attaching to bottom or top side of the empty girt framing? As in the bottom of top of the current 2x6s. It’s probably obvious but I’m not sure.
What I’m gathering then is I would add bookshelf girts and then studs and the plywood?

Depending on width of existing bookshelf girts and stud size, studs my not even contact the vertical girts. All the better. Even with 2x3 studs, use thickest batts available. (I am assuming insulation but don't know where project is.) I would set studs flush with face of columns (poles) so ply (right?) could be continuous (assuming bookshelf gifts are not proud of columns).

Yeah there’s already some basic insulation I don’t plan on adding anything else. I wasn’t too set on “hiding” the poles and generally don’t mind if they are visible.
If it was my choice, we would have just built stick frame to begin with.

 

[billconner]

it looks like 2x6 bookshelf girt is flush with posts. What I tried to suggest was set a pressure treated 2x4 sill on slab also flush we with girts/posts, and install studs from sill to first girt, and another on top of first girt to second. Probably buy 10' studs and cut in half. I see no reason for more girts. And I'd consider 2x3 studs on 24" centers. All they support is plywood walls. Simple and efficient install if ply runs across posts.

 

[Fav Onefour]

Here’s what’s currently there. Hopefully this is more helpful than the previous photo. The 2 bookshelf girts are 5 and 10 feet up all around the pole barn. They are 2x6s. I would likely have to add more bookshelf’s due to the distance between right?
What do you mean by attaching to bottom or top side of the empty girt framing? As in the bottom of top of the current 2x6s. It’s probably obvious but I’m not sure.
What I’m gathering then is I would add bookshelf girts and then studs and the plywood?

That picture helps to give a better idea of the overall construction. Interesting truss setup.

Hope we aren't making this confusing.
@billconner , brought up a good suggestion and I was trying to look at a hybrid approach. I see no need for the bookshelf reinforcement and studs.
The idea I suggested, of doing bookshelf type on each girt would make those the back mount for your plywood finish. And yes, I meant as you describe by attaching to the bottom or top of empty girts. If you mount the new pieces with the same face depth, it would be a continuous mount depth all the way up the wall.
Doing short studs between the current bookshelf brackets is another separate option.

Honestly, either one would work if you are facing with plywood. The vertical studs might seem more normal for options down the road.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

What exactly is your wind load in your region? If you're in the mountains and/or sheltered by trees and have minimal wind load removing the horizontal girts may not be an issue. I certainly don't think you need to add any more.

If you want to keep them, I would just add short 5' pieces of vertical studs between the book shelf girts to carry the load of your shelves.

It would help to know where this barn is. Is it heated?

 

[Hubmonkey]

this is how I di the walls inside of mine..

 

[CraigStu]

To me it depends on how much plywood wall you want to end up with. If you want to do a 4ft wide section here and there, then Billconner's idea of adding some vertical studs makes sense. And 2x4s are less $ than 2x6s. Also look at real lumber supply places to find out what is available in 4x10 plywood or osb. You could run that up to the second bookshelf girt and stop there. If you want to cover a wall section between the 6x6 verticals, then I think 2x6s creating additional bookshelf girts would be the better idea. Construction adhesive and 3 inch construction screws would be real easy to add the bookshelfs. I would put them on top of the girts just because it would be easier for me to do that myself. I see no reason to add studs between girts. But I would run a treated 2x? on the floor so the plywood would sit on it. That takes all the vertical load of the plywood itself as well as any cabinets you screw to it. One other thought although we don't know the exact dimensions. You could ad plywood below the 5ft bookshelf girt and start plywood at the next girt up. So you have an automatic open shelf like the one to the right of your sink where you already store cans of stuff. Perhaps cutting 4x10 plywood in about half so you have 4x5 plywood, you could do as I mention above and the other 4x5 plywood starts at the next girt up and runs all the way up the wall.