Wall height increase

[USAFpj]

30x50 pole barn. True height from floor to bottom truss is 12ft. Trusses spaced every 10ft. Knowing what you know now, do you spend the extra $2K and go to 14ft? Taller is generally better, but that $2K goes a loooong way to getting that 4post lift I want.

I got one chance to get this right...

 

[cat06]

go to 14 and check pricing for 16, with 16 you could add a second floor area for storage

 

[KaiserJeep]

It really depends on your plans for the barn. With 12' ceiling height (planned) your doors are what, 10' tall? If it fits through the doors, will the other 2' (from 12'-14') really gain anything for you? Trusses at 10', should allow plenty of open space above the 12' height.

My new shop has 13.5' side walls with 12' x 12' doors. We needed the height at both to get some tall stuff inside.

 

[USAFpj]

Do I need it now? Nope.
You're right- 12ft and the space between trusses is still quite a bit of space if used wisely. I'm 41 now- my concern is inheriting 'stuff' from my in-laws and Dad in the future. So a mezzanine idea drives the 14ft height.

But on a more philosophical viewpoint, is it not insane to spend thousands more on wall height, mezzanine lumber, lighting, etc... just to store 'stuff'??

It seems like 50% of posts is about needing more storage space, and the other percent discuss getting rid of clutter...

 

[Cyberbear]

Taller is always better, you won't regret it later unless you didn't go the extra height and wish you had years afterwards, when it costs more.

 

[finn]

I've got both a 15' and a 16' building.

The 12' is ok for most things and is easier to heat. I can fit an F600 dump truck in with room to spare, but not an RV.

The 16' seems to stay cooler in the summer without a/c, and is better for welding fumes.

The 16' has potential for a mezzanine, as already noted. I'd probably end up filling it with cluttered, though.

 

[North Run Grader]

Go with scissor trusses on the back half. Gives the potential for a mezzanine for storage with around 6' height on a 30' truss.

 

[USAFpj]

North Run- my pole barn builder doesn't offer scissor trusses- could order them separately I reckon.

I didn't think about the taller ceiling being perhaps cooler in the summer...

 

[NUTTSGT]

The taller wall height would be nice but will it look out of place along side the house ?

 

[USAFpj]

Hey, Nutt- the shop will be 100ft away from the house, and thankfully, the wife could care less what it looks like! We've tried to get close to the house color, which blends in with our heavily wooded acreage.

 

[My Old Tools]

Mine is 12' side walls with a 8/12 pitch. That gives 22' in the center of a 30x40. I have a second floor loft in half of it. Plenty of headroom to within 4' of the wall.

 

[larry_g]

In my old shop I had a stepped roof. 10' walls for 2/3s of the building and 14' walls for the other third. The tall walls were for a second story room. The current building, below, I went with 14' the whole building but still kept one bay for a second floor. I went taller because of getting tractors and stuff in that would not fit in the old building.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Voi]

Mine is 12' side walls with a 8/12 pitch. That gives 22' in the center of a 30x40.

Is this with rafters and a ridge beam? Or do you mean between the trusses?

 

[Bill Anderson]

If you go 12' tou wl kick yourself later down the road. If you're building a pole barn that big, and you're worried about an extra $2k, then you maybe shouldn't build the pole barn. But my guess is the $2k won't break you, since youre putting up a nice size building. And like some of the others said, check on 16' and later you can add a 2nd floor to part of it. Ive made enough mistakes trying to save money to know that its wiser to to do the way you want it the first time.

 

[ZRX61]

In a perfect world I'd never go less than 16ft

 

[NUTTSGT]

Hey, Nutt- the shop will be 100ft away from the house, and thankfully, the wife could care less what it looks like! We've tried to get close to the house color, which blends in with our heavily wooded acreage.

Well that is good and it rules out any possible arguments from the wife. Noticing your screen name, is this going to be a permanent home, no more duty stations ?

If this is it, I'd seriously consider the taller ceilings, maybe the 16 footers for a possible future RV or building a mezzanine/second floor in part of the shop.

It's easier and cheaper to spend the money on the building shell now than to have to go back and redo something later.

 

[My Old Tools]

Is this with rafters and a ridge beam? Or do you mean between the trusses?

Metal I-beam construction. Clear span.