Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT Small Pole Barn in Virginia

[Keith460]

New member here but feel it is a place with knowledgeable individuals who know a thing or two in their lifetime, me included.

While getting very close to retirement age as a Senior Field Engineer for Bakery Equipment Company we've been with for over 42 years, I wanted to post a few photos of the pole barn we had built in southwest Virginia on our 16 acre lot. The barn will be used for tractor storage, workshop, maintenance and general tinkering and puttering around. A house will be built on the property also, but we all know as men, you build the workshop first!

 

[mike93lx]

Welcome

 

[GlennSullivan]

Welcome, nice looking shop. What Bakery Equipment co, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[jessew]

Looks great, are you gonna stain the board and batt?

 

[Notgrownup]

Keith , I love it.

 

[Old tool guy]

What county?

 

[Keith460]

What county?

Welcome, nice looking shop. What Bakery Equipment co, if you don't mind me asking?

Giles County in VA.

I work for the Gemini Bakery Equipment Co. in Philadelphia PA. Moved to Virginia back in September of 2023. Ready to retire in a few years and getting things in order...

 

[Keith460]

Looks great, are you gonna stain the board and batt?

No, want it to weather that good ole' barn wood look that last 100's of years. I might apply a mixer of Boiled Linseed Oil + lacquer thinner + mineral spirits if I want to keep the fresh look.

 

[kj_mustang]

I have never made up to the Cascade Falls in Giles Co. during all my times in Blacksburg. Beautiful area. Really nice looking building too.

 

[GlennSullivan]

Giles County in VA.

I work for the Gemini Bakery Equipment Co. in Philadelphia PA. Moved to Virginia back in September of 2023. Ready to retire in a few years and getting things in order...

Gemini, know it well. Still on Gantry Road in North Philly? Is Mark Rosenberg still running it?

 

[Keith460]

Gemini, know it well. Still on Gantry Road in North Philly? Is Mark Rosenberg still running it?

Yes and yes. Your name sounds familiar for some reason also.

 

[GlennSullivan]

Yes and yes. Your name sounds familiar for some reason also.

I was last involved in the baking industry in the mid-late 1980's. I loved the industry, but the traveling 200+ days per year was just too much.

 

[Nolift911]

Great build down in Hokie territory - I have family in Marion.

Forgive my pole barn ignorance but that in my mind is an actual barn barn built like a brick ****house! That thing looks heavy duty all wood!! Most seem to go the cheaper route with metal roof and sides etc. Planning on a concrete floor?

Nice build and yes you have the order of ops correct - workshop first

 

[Keith460]

Forgive my pole barn ignorance but that in my mind is an actual barn barn built like a brick ****house! That thing looks heavy duty all wood!! Most seem to go the cheaper route with metal roof and sides etc. Planning on a concrete floor?

I always preferred the old look of wood board & batten barns. It was $3000.00 more for the board & batten vs AG panels. More labor involved to attach the board but if ever hit by a flying object or misguided tractor implement, no worries, easy to replace vs AG panel with a dent or rip torn in the metal.

Contractor pouring the concrete floor today as a matter of fact.

 

[larry4406]

Nice barn!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Mezz2006]

Nice looking building. I have always liked the look of board and batten. Nice little John Deere you have there too. I have the same one but with ag tires.

 

[captain14]

Nice barn. What projects do you have planned first?

We all know you can’t build a house without a barn or workshop first.

 

[Keith460]

Nice barn. What projects do you have planned first?

We all know you can’t build a house without a barn or workshop first.

After the concrete cures, 3-4 weeks, we will be adding 5/8" ply wood for the attic flooring above the main section. I will have a pull down 12ft ladder to get up there once in awhile at the back of the barn. Was going to build steps but decided not necessary since it takes up valuable floor space and would seldom be going up in the attic except to retrieve stored items. But I also intend to make a 4'x4' opening at the frontal area and have a hoist to lift items up into the attic with a cargo net. I already purchased a 440lb single line lift hoist with wireless remote. It will be attached to Uni-strut the entire length of the ridge board using bearing rollers to slide the hoist back and forth where needed in the attic area.

That's just for starters, I have lots of plans for this barns interior but need to bring down all my equipment that is still in storage. From 80 gallon two stage air compressor, sand blasting cabinet, central shop vac and tons of tools and wood working equipment. I will be busy years to come with the barn shop layout.

 

[FTWingRiders]

Just beautiful!!! I love it, and the area.. my wife and I have always talked about heading that way for retirement, but a first grandson has us rethinking being that far away.
And you can’t beat a wood barn! I built my timber framed barn 9 years ago and don’t regret it for a minute, we even have the same taste in decor! I also built a hoist lift using a HF 2000 lb hoist.. you might want to go a bit bigger hoist, for safety factor. The loft is invaluable for storage, you can see mine in front of the RV

 

[larry4406]

Just beautiful!!! I love it, and the area.. my wife and I have always talked about heading that way for retirement, but a first grandson has us rethinking being that far away.
And you can’t beat a wood barn! I built my timber framed barn 9 years ago and don’t regret it for a minute, we even have the same taste in decor! I also built a hoist lift using a HF 2000 lb hoist.. you might want to go a bit bigger hoist, for safety factor. The loft is invaluable for storage, you can see mine in front of the RV

Nice Barn!

 

[j p smith]

Off to a really good start

 

[Old tool guy]

Why wait 3-4 weeks? Concrete achieves 75% strength in 7 days, that’s more than enough to be working on. It’s enough for car traffic too, but no reason to push it.

 

[Dividing Creek]

Gorgeous area. The Rover Owners Association of Virginia used to have an annual event outside Pemboke Va on a trail network on the mountainside leading up to Mountain Lake Resort.

 

[Keith460]

Just beautiful!!! I love it, and the area.. my wife and I have always talked about heading that way for retirement, but a first grandson has us rethinking being that far away.
And you can’t beat a wood barn! I built my timber framed barn 9 years ago and don’t regret it for a minute, we even have the same taste in decor! I also built a hoist lift using a HF 2000 lb hoist.. you might want to go a bit bigger hoist, for safety factor. The loft is invaluable for storage, you can see mine in front of the RV

Hey, love your barn. It's above and beyond a New England style.

Question, can you provide details of the base cove or base board trim you used around the 4x4 post that supports the porch area of your barn? I like to do the same as my current 4x4 post, with the upper board & batten trim, look like chicken legs. Fat at the top and skinny legs so to speak.

I edited your photo to show to an arrow to what I'm pointing at.

 

[mike93lx]

Hey, love your barn. It's above and beyond a New England style.

Question, can you provide details of the base cove or base board trim you used around the 4x4 post that supports the porch area of your barn? I like to do the same as my current 4x4 post, with the upper board & batten trim, look like chicken legs. Fat at the top and skinny legs so to speak.

I edited your photo to show to an arrow to what I'm pointing at.

If you wrap yours to get to about an 8x8, I think they'd look great. Then add some additional blocks like that at the base for an even more substantial look, plus giving some more protection

 

[FTWingRiders]

Hey, love your barn. It's above and beyond a New England style.

Question, can you provide details of the base cove or base board trim you used around the 4x4 post that supports the porch area of your barn? I like to do the same as my current 4x4 post, with the upper board & batten trim, look like chicken legs. Fat at the top and skinny legs so to speak.

I edited your photo to show to an arrow to what I'm pointing at.

Thank you for the compliment! I was very lucky to get to build my dream shop.
My posts are 6x6 with the bottom wrapped in 2x10” with just a simple miter cut to fit and a 45 at the the top, about 20” tall. Simple, but effective.

You could build yours up as Mike suggested, then a simple detail like mine would really finish it off.

 

[Ton ton]

Welcome to garage journal!

 

[Keith460]

Thank you for the compliment! I was very lucky to get to build my dream shop.
My posts are 6x6 with the bottom wrapped in 2x10” with just a simple miter cut to fit and a 45 at the the top, about 20” tall. Simple, but effective.

Ah, I see what was done. Only two pieces of 2x10’s on either side except the corner post which has two pieces facing the porch.

I stand corrected, I have 6x6 post also and not 4x4 posts.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Nice, Giles County. I live in Roanoke and work in Christainsburg. Welcome and love the barn.

 

[MacTexas]

Welcome to garage journal!

 

[Ford52PU]

Great looking barn! I was also a Field Service Engineer for 44 years in the Philadelphia/SE area working on laboratory equipment. I retired in December 2021 on my 65 birthday. Love that area of VA, had family in Front Royal.
Good luck and Happy Retirement

 

[Keith460]

Been busy around the barn installing a new lift for maintenance work. Got the loft completed thanks to a cheap Amazon hoist that provided the lift for the plywood and storage containers to be put up top.





Next came the all important coat hanging nails that we cut in half and pounded in to place.

 

[Keith460]

We picked up the lift at a warehouse in NC to save the 200 bucks in freight cost. Only cost me a half a tank of fuel or 50 bucks to go down and back to get it.



Had to offload it by the tractor since we couldn't back the trailer down into the barn to use the hoist. Too steep and it bottomed out. I can't excavate the area due to it being part of the septic system drain field but the tractor did the job.


Don't scold me on how I lifted the column. I put it back down and used a choke hold on the strap after the photo was taken.

Got the columns up and standing where they needed to be and they sit atop 24"L x 24"W x 30"D concrete pads I had the concrete contractor put in while he was pouring the floor.





Done and it works great.






Next up will be building a workbench with vise along the back wall.

 

[captain14]

The lift project looks good.

Is there a stop to keep the lift going higher?

Does the tractor live outside under the left lean-to full time?

I see your GR is comfortable on his bed keeping an eye on everything.

 

[CoyoteDuster]

Nice! That is one fancy pole barn.

 

[mwbailey]

Been awhile since I've messed around in Garage Gallery, but great to see your "barn" in VA. You mentioned you liked for the wood siding to show a little age, which I do also. Although I did use a couple of coats of Sikken over the dozen years or so of aging. What's nice, in my opinion, is the outside ages and the inside doesn't. . . as much. Good to see the two post lift!

In past decades I spent some time at the Happiday (?!) Motel in Pearisburg/Narrows working for Celanese in Giles County. Had some good steaks at the Farmhouse in Christiansburg. Beautiful countryside.

Oh, and this barn was built before the house, too. Priorities, of course.