Reinforcing floor in a banked barn?

[mike758]

I just bought a home and although I already have plans for a pole barn, the funding is still years away. The property has a small 20x20 banked barn though. I would like to use it to store a few small tractors (farmall cub and Shaw Duall, 2,000 lbs and 1500lbs), a lawn mower, and some lawn equipment. The floor is plywood, but sits on huge 4x12 timbers that span the whole length, spaced about 3’ apart, and sit on the stone foundation. The lower level is almost useless, very damp, low ceiling, and small doorway.

I was thinking of maybe adding a 4x4 on jack posts down the center of joists, and running 2x6’s diagonally as the new floor deck. Would this be an effective solution? I guess I can consider filling in the whole lower area with stone, and concrete, but that might be expensive and I’m not sure how legit that is.

 

[pbon]

I think your reinforcement idea would be more than sufficient for your intended use. It’s nit like you are storing forklifts.

To make it sturdier, run a standard 2x12 (or 2 sistered together) between the 4x12 so you have a joist every 18”. To go further, rather than a 4x4 supported by upright posts, sister a pair or three 2x8 or 2x10 or 2x12. Do all that and you can park just about anything in there.

Ideally use sauna tubes for the column bases but many of us have used posts on rocks and checked every few years and shimmed if needed.

I also once filled in the basement of a barn with sand and gravel and poured a slab, but it had foundation walls to hold it in. If you don’t have that, you have to make forms and pour foundation walls first.