Western Mass. 25x35 Pole Barn - Build Thread

[Natty Bumppo]

Hey everybody. Long time lurker here. Seems like I have been using this forum for info for the past 20 years or so? Decided to join today and see if I can be more active and give back a little.

Bought my house in the Berkshires Hills of Western. Mass in 2001 and have dreamed of building a barn/workshop since then. Three summers ago I finally broke ground on a 25x35 pole barn. Besides the cement slab, I have done all the work myself...taking my time and doing my research. I am a high school teacher by trade. But I've got some decent skills I've picked up over the years. My summers off is when I really made most of my progress. The barn is 90% complete. Thought I'd introduce myself with a build thread.

The barn is 25x35 with 12' walls and a 12/12 pitch roof.

This set shows the holes being drilled and my posts going up. I did not want the 6x6 PT posts to be in contact with the ground. I know they are PT, but I've seen 6x6 PT posts here in New England rot off at ground level. I used a product called Perma-Columns. They are 5' long pre-cast and reinforced cement piers. The 6x6 post bolts into these and the wood sits above ground level. Drilled 16 holes and only had to pull one massive boulder. Got lucky. I notched in and bolted the double 2x12 top plate and used stainless fasteners for the skirt board.

Summer of 2017.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

This set shows the trusses and metal roof going on. I used my JD 990 to pick up and carry one truss at a time to my buddy's mini-excavator. He made a jig that would clamp on to the trusses and then we used it to pick the trusses up to the top plates. It was a little sketchy, but it worked. About a day and half for the trusses and another day and half for the metal roof. The only thing I couldn't figure out was how to get the ridge cap on. 12/12 pitch on the roof and I had no clue how to get up there and work safely. Ended up renting a man-lift for a day.

Also had a 6" cement pad poured. It's reinforced with wire mesh. Wish I had put in drains. Didn't think of that for some reason.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

This set shows some of the pine board and batten going on. I wrapped the barn in Tyvek and nailed the 10" ship-lap boards to nailers placed 2' OC. Found a great window on Craiglist for one of the gable ends. Used a pulley and my ATV's winch to lift it into place. I've got attic trusses with a ton of storage upstairs. This window will let some nice light in.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Some stain going on the pine. This was last summer...summer of 2018. Had some transom windows custom made in New Hampshire. Also a few pics of the interior bracing I used. I lagged pine 4x6's into each corner.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Spent my first winter with tarps covering the doors. Last summer I finally installed overhead doors....high-lifted them. On the gable end I built barn style doors. But I am now realizing these are terribly drafty. I plan to heat this barn in the future so I think I am going to have to do an overhead door here too. They look great. Just really inefficient at getting a good tight seal.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

This past summer was mostly all interior work...insulation, electrical, and interior walls. I used 2" polyiso in between the posts and on the ceiling and foamed sealed all of the seams. Sometimes I wondered if I was going overboard, but I want to be able to work out there on cold New England days and not freeze my **** off. I then wired the entire barn and brought power out from my house to a 100 amp sub panel....wall outlets, hot outlets for drops, switched ceiling outlets for LED lights, 30 and 50 amp circuits for future welders and air compressors, a 30 amp outlet for a lift, etc. I was dreading driving the 8' ground rods, but much like my 16 holes for the posts, I didn't hit thing. Had them both in in about 10 minutes. Got lucky.

You can see some of the interior work in these pics. On the walls I used 10" ship-lap pine up to 8'. From 8' to the ceiling (which is 12') I used OSB. OSB is also going on the ceiling.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

And here it sits today. Took this picture this afternoon. I have been using a small portable buddy heater to work in the barn and it gets nice and toasty. I am currently working on installing an 80,000 BTU Mr. Heater Big Maxx on the ceiling. Hope to have that up by Christmas.

Next summer, my fourth working on this, I'll build a set of stairs and a deck to that second floor entry door to the attic space. Think I'll also add a shed roof to the rear of the barn for my implements.

Hope you enjoyed.

 

[Cemoto]

Congrats! Savoy is a nice part of the world.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Congrats! Savoy is a nice part of the world.

Thanks. Yes, Savoy is nice..super wintery right now.

I see in your thread that you had the same considerations that I did in terms of a foundation vs. poles in the ground in wet clay soil. Somebody commented that for fungi to thrive they need wood, water, and oxygen and without one of those the PT will outlast the owner. What happens though is that the PT post IN the ground do fine. And the PT posts above the ground do fine. But that 4 to 6" part of the PT posts at ground level which is exposed to both air and water rot and compromise the entire building. At least here in New England.

Nice looking garage. Got to read your whole thread.

 

[pbon]

Barn looks great! If it was connected to the house for more comfortable access in winter, you might use it more. I find myself in my heated attached garage more than in the detached garage at my old house that was only 15-20’ away.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Barn looks great! If it was connected to the house for more comfortable access in winter, you might use it more. I find myself in my heated attached garage more than in the detached garage at my old house that was only 15-20’ away.

Thanks pbon.

I hear you. I actually have a heated 30x40 garage attached to my house. Between the wife's car and 7 cords of firewood we stack every fall, and the kids' bikes and skis and sleds, etc., it became a pretty cramped workspace. Needed my own space away from all of that!

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Spent the last 4 weeks or so hanging an 80,000 BTU Mr. Heater Big Maxx. Went pretty well. Took me a few tries to get it kitty-cornered perfectly on the ceiling where it need to be. Used Heat Fab 4" stainless class III Saf-T-Vent and a low-temp. thermostat. Ran 1/2" black pipe from double 100 lb. propane tanks on an automatic switchover regulator.

Got power. Now I've got heat. Need to finish the ceiling this winter and I'll be ready to move in.

 

[JoeyB]

This is absolutely beautiful! I love it. You did a fantastic job man. This is inspirational to me as it's pretty much spot on what I am planning! Following.

 

[captain14]

Very nice barn and shop area. If you build the exterior steps and deck for the top floor entrance, is that on the side that receives the least amount of winter weather?

How much light does the transom windows provide in the shop area?

 

[M-technik-3]

Nice place you there, Savoy is about as obscure in Mass as you can get. Was working at Mass Moca last fall and it's seems to take forever to get there from Springfield area.

Strange seeing early 80's Chevys in our region as most have rust the death.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

This is absolutely beautiful! I love it. You did a fantastic job man. This is inspirational to me as it's pretty much spot on what I am planning! Following.

Thanks for the kind words. Appreciate it.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Very nice barn and shop area. If you build the exterior steps and deck for the top floor entrance, is that on the side that receives the least amount of winter weather?

How much light does the transom windows provide in the shop area?

Thanks for the kind words. The 2nd floor stairs will face west, which is unfortunately where we get most of our winds and snow from.

I threw the transom windows in for pure aesthetics, but they actually do provide some nice natural light in. Very easy to walk in and grab something or do a quick job without having to hit the switches. Also, I am amazed by how much warmer the barn is on sunny days than the ambient outside temperature when I have no heat running. They face due south and really provide some nice passive solar heating.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Nice place you there, Savoy is about as obscure in Mass as you can get. Was working at Mass Moca last fall and it's seems to take forever to get there from Springfield area.

Strange seeing early 80's Chevys in our region as most have rust the death.

LOL. Yes, Savoy is "out there." My K5 came out of Oregon last year...it has never seen salt or a New England winter. The K10 is a southern truck. Both have original sheet metal and frames that are in stellar condition.

My daily driver is a 2002 GMC 1500 that I bought new and the framed just cracked in half finally from 18 years of salt.

Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Hey guys....been home on lock down for the last 6 weeks now and used the time to get some serious work done on my barn. Thought I'd post an update to the build.

I borrowed some scaffolding with wheels and had a few friends help me put the ceiling on. I used OSB that I prepainted white. Got it up in about 3 days. Once that was in place I added some basic pine moulding, finished all the electrical, and began to move in. I added some reeled extension cords and work light drops, a ceiling fan, and LED ceiling lights. I made some shelves and work benches. Most importantly I found a small mini fridge for my cold beverages, and a used FM receiver and wall mount speakers to bring in my favorite radio station.

All this was supposed to be my summer project. I'm way ahead of the game. The only thing left is a set of stairs and a deck to the second floor. Should be able to knock that out by mid May.

 

[DLackey]

As a retired high school English teacher, your “sobriquet” caught my eye, but even more so your handsome barn. I’m in the early planning stages of a barn for our place in SE Ohio something along the lines of yours and wonder if you’d field some questions. I like the look and functionality of a carriage-style structure, especially your use of attic trusses and the 12/12 pitch. I’m curious about your door opening dimensions - we have a 23’ Airstream that is nearly 10’ tall, so I’d need ar least one door that could accommodate that height. How tall is your gable end door? With 12’ walls, could you have accommodated taller doors on the front? And finally, have you done any work on the second story? What are your plans for that space? Are there any changes you wish you’d made?

 

[Juiced06GTO]

I think I may be copying your pine boards for my interior finish! Love the look! Did you get the wood from a local source? I am just south of Worcester and having a 30x40 built by Circle B Barns. They are doing the shell and roof as I just don't have the time with three little boys and a job that demands lots of my time. I've done all the excavation and site prep and will be handling all the utilities and finish though and had been wondering how to finish off the inside. Thanks for the ideas and great posts!

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I think I may be copying your pine boards for my interior finish! Love the look! Did you get the wood from a local source? I am just south of Worcester and having a 30x40 built by Circle B Barns. They are doing the shell and roof as I just don't have the time with three little boys and a job that demands lots of my time. I've done all the excavation and site prep and will be handling all the utilities and finish though and had been wondering how to finish off the inside. Thanks for the ideas and great posts!

Thanks. Just saw this today for the first time. Sorry for the late reply. I bought the wood from a place called Ghent Wood Products over in NY. Great family owned sawmill that has everything in stock on just about any given day.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Not sure if anybody really is following this thread but I'll keep posting just in case somebody finds it useful.

Found a decent used Rotary SP09 back in April and thought it would be an easy install on my 3 year old cement pad. Had the proper thickness and 3,000 PSI reinforced concrete, but I had some small cracks in the floor and a 1" void underneath the pad in some places. I had a Rotary installation company consult on the install and they could have made my lift work, but recommended I just cut out two 4x4 holes and repour. So that's what I did. Had a friend in the cement business and borrowed a concrete saw and rented a jackhammer. Took two days to get the holes cut, cleaned and pinned with rebar. My buddy came in on day 3 and poured the new pads with 5,000 psi concrete....9 inches thick.

I was going to do the install myself, but never having owned one or used one before I thought it would be smart to have it installed professionally. Glad I did...guys were great and found some pieces that were missing or needed replaced. Went up in about 2 hours.

No more working on the floor on a creeper for me.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

After 3 years and 4 full summers I am 99% done with my pole barn, and glad to finally have it off my plate. It has consumed almost all of my spare time for the past 3 years. Did everything myself except pour the cement pad.

Spent the last half of summer getting the deck to the 2nd story in place. Lumber prices were a little nuts, but I had to get it done. Built in a little drop down window in the railing so we can practice shooting from elevation. The upstairs attic space is storage for now. But we do have plans down the road to divide it in half and make a fun little recreation/fitness room...dart board, weight set, ping pong, etc. A place for the kids to hang out.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

After much consideration, I also removed the barn doors on the gable end and sealed up that wall. The barn doors looked great. But as far as functionality, they were drafty and hard to seal. I lost a ton of heat out of those doors last winter. Thought about installing an overhead door behind them, but when I put my lift in the far vehicle bay the whole point of the barn doors was moot. So, I took them down and sold them on FB, and sealed up that wall. I also gained a ton of work bench and storage space inside by doing so.

Before....

After....

 

[M-technik-3]

You made an oops there, the before and after are the same. Sure is looking good!

 

[ct71rr]

Very nice! And a fellow Masshole to boot! Honestly, I've never heard of Savoy. MA. I had to look it up.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

You made an oops there, the before and after are the same. Sure is looking good!

Thanks....just fixed that.

Appreciate it.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Very nice! And a fellow Masshole to boot! Honestly, I've never heard of Savoy. MA. I had to look it up.

Thanks. Yes...way out in the Northwest corner of the Berkshires. Small little hill town...we have a general store, and a town hall, and that's about it.

 

[ct71rr]

I live in Sherborn. It's not much different.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I live in Sherborn. It's not much different.

Nice. Had to look that one up too!

 

[jollygreengiant]

Your barn looks amazing! And I'm very jealous of your upper floor, that's one thing that I wish my building had.

Regarding your insulation, you just did 2" foam in the walls and ceiling? And that keeps it warm enough?

 

[ovscrider]

nice

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Your barn looks amazing! And I'm very jealous of your upper floor, that's one thing that I wish my building had.

Regarding your insulation, you just did 2" foam in the walls and ceiling? And that keeps it warm enough?

Thanks for the kinds words. Yes, our home has no basement so the extra storage will be a huge benefit.

The 2" polyiso keeps the barn warm enough, yes. The Big Maxx has no problem heating the shop up to 65 if I want to go that high. I never really keep it above 60. If I were to do it over though I think I would have done 3" or 4" on the ceiling. This will be my first winter heating it 24/7 so I'll have to see what the bill is at the end of the year.

 

[M-technik-3]

I live in Sherborn. It's not much different.

You, will have a great library when it's done. Company I worked was doing the metal framing and drywall there.

 

[FTWingRiders]

Very nice barn! Good call removing the doors, tho you could have just mounted them on the outside to maintain the look, but selling for cash works too! What a great space!

 

[Juiced06GTO]

You, will have a great library when it's done. Company I worked was doing the metal framing and drywall there.

Not to hijack the thread, but I had to laugh at this comment. That library has been being built for what seems like 5 years now! I'm in the const equip rental industry and we have been supplying equipment there for quite sometime now!

Back on track, the barn looks awesome. I can't wait to hear how the foam board insulation works out for you as I am considering similar to get some r value, but sandwich the foam between the ship lap exterior siding and the wide pine boards on the inside keeping the beam faces exposed. Hard to explain what I am thinking, I'll have to post some pictures once my building gets a little further along. Keep the updates coming always nice to hear from locals!

 

[Alexvito163]

That came out great! Nice build!

 

[hake]

Looks great! I'm using the same insulation in my 32x48x12, 2 layers of 1.5". How much propane are you using with the heater? Are two 100lb tanks big enough?




Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Very nice barn! Good call removing the doors, tho you could have just mounted them on the outside to maintain the look, but selling for cash works too! What a great space!

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I was considering installing an overhead door behind them to maintain the look. In the end the additional wall space for shelves inside was the deciding factor.