Stick, Pole, or steel?

[tncumminsguy]

Looking at purchasing 20 acres about 30minutes from town to build a big shop with small studio apartment so I can stay overnight. Thinking of building a 100x50 or 80x40 and was wondering what type of construction I should go with? Planning on standard metal sides and roof

 

[dulle1999]

are you planning on building your apartment on the main level or upstairs? If you plan on building upstairs the steel building will allow for this to be done with no posts. Just let the building suppliers know and they will order thicker self supporting trusses for that side. All wiring will have to be done in conduit as it its hard/expensive to try to finish it off.

Stick building would be my second choice with the proper footing/foundation. Depending on you electrical code this allows us here to wire without conduit (romex) and cover the walls and ceiling with osb. An upstairs apartment would require posts to support it.

Pole barns I don't care for. I know the poles have footings under them but I still feel the pad or floor needs to be separate so it can move without cracking, because depending on the moisture content in your soil at different times of the year that pad will rise or sink.

 

[carhunter]

My vote is for steel. When I did my pole building, quotes for steel frame were comparable in price, and supposedly the labor cost was cheaper. They require more foundation work however.

At the time I was paying for the building piecemeal, and it was cheaper to get a crew started on a wood structure.

However to me, steel buildings feel more professional and more versatile. I may be wrong, but the fit and finish of steel should be better and longer lasting.

 

[carhunter]

Does anyone have experience with resale value? I'd expect a steel building on a piece of land would have more value on the market than a pole building, with stick frame in the middle.

 

[Cobble]

if finished properly with sheetrock, or other inside finish to cover the frame, one may not initially notice the difference.

 

[tncumminsguy]

I'm thinking steel so that I can run a I-beam above one of the bays and a chain hoist

 

[EOC_Jason]

If you plan on doing that and want to have the i-beam tied into your columns, you need to let the builder / engineer know so they can design for the load.

My vote is for steel too...

Don't be afraid to ask questions to for "what if" scenarios... Like:

What if you went from 16' eve to 20' eve height?
What if you want from 12' wide door to 14' wide (or wider)?
Rollup vs sectional doors...
etc, etc...

 

[NUTTSGT]

Pole or steel, I think the size you want is huge for stick building unless you have a short sidewall.

 

[tncumminsguy]

just did some quick research online and came up with a company that does metal buildings in TN. They do a 60x100x16 with a 1.12 or something pitch roof as a special. I will lay down my plan for y'all and have to agree that a steel building is my best bet.

-20x40 apartment in one corner framed in with stick and over head storage so I'm thinking 16' ft would be a minimum.

- Four 12ft wide roll-up doors with one of them being 14ft tall and maybe 14ft wide? at far end so I could back rockcrawler on gooseneck in and leave it inside

-one 12ft or 10ft door on side or back wall to help with air circulation and moving projects around

- one 2 post lift and maybe a 4 post one day, Two post must be big enough for 3500 dodge single rear wheel 4x4 or 3500 dually

- talked to parents contractor and we are gonna make the last bays concrete slab sloped with drains for washing ( same bay for gooseneck or RV)

- Really would love to have a overhead chain hoist for unloading heavy things from trailers or truck beds in one bay.

- Depending on the lot I build on, if making the rear garage door a loading dock could be done economically. I would love to do that for deliveries and unloading