Buzz
The pole barn stands out as the epitome of simplicity among shed designs. Essentially, it involves firmly anchoring posts or poles into the ground, connecting them at the apex to support a roof. While commonly found on farms, they can be adapted to various sizes and purposes, making them ideal for backyard use as well. If you're considering a straightforward structure for farm tasks or storage, consider constructing your own pole barn.
Steps
Gathering the Necessary Materials
Secure the requisite building permit. Before embarking on any construction, ensure compliance with local regulations. Contact your municipal or county authorities to obtain the necessary building permit. Familiarize yourself with the application process and fulfill all requirements before commencing construction.
Acquire the necessary timber. To embark on building a pole barn, you'll require appropriate wood. Despite the name 'pole barn,' you have the flexibility to utilize square posts alongside poles. Furthermore, the structure need not be limited to a barn; it can serve as sheds, workshops, or garages.
- Various wood options are available, including square posts, round poles, or even repurposed utility poles. Alternatively, consider using harvested or salvaged logs. Whatever wood you opt for, ensure it's pressure-treated and resistant to rot to maintain structural integrity.
- Procure 2x4s and 2x6s for framing and roof trusses, along with lumber for roof framing.
- For walls, utilize plywood, optionally complemented with wood siding for aesthetic enhancement.
Select your roofing material. Metal roofing predominates in pole barn construction due to its affordability, ease of installation, and durability. Metal roofing surpasses shingles or rolled roofing, particularly in snow-prone areas. However, if metal roofing doesn't align with your aesthetics, shingles are a viable alternative.
- Ensure your roofing material is rust-resistant, and include a ridge cap for roof center coverage.
Gather the remaining essentials. Essential supplies include concrete for pole anchoring, gravel for leveled ground and drainage, and galvanized screws, roofing nails, and storm clips to secure components. Bolted plates offer an alternative to notched pole connections.
Equip yourself with appropriate tools. Building a pole barn requires minimal tools, with the option to acquire larger machinery for assistance.
- Obtain tools for digging pole holes, choosing between a post-hole digger or tractor-powered auger. The latter offers efficiency at a higher cost. Alternatively, explore truck-mounted hole drilling services.
- Essential tools include a laser-level, carpenter's level, electric drill for roofing screws, hammer, miter or circular saw, and hand saw.
- Consider renting a backhoe for the project, although it's not mandatory. A large tamper aids in leveling pole holes.
Preparing Your Site
Assess the dimensions. Prior to commencing construction, accurately measure your designated area. This ensures efficient supply procurement and minimizes construction stress.
- Survey the space to determine desired width and length for the barn. Once you've outlined the general area, take precise measurements and record them.
- Determine the desired height for your structure. For garages or storage sheds, a minimum height of 8 feet (2.4 m) is advisable. However, you have flexibility in height; just consider accessibility for roof work once poles are set.
- Ensure adequate drainage in your chosen area to prevent flooding during rainy periods.
Assess utility requirements. If you plan to supply water and electricity to the building, professional assistance is necessary. Contact 811, the national Digline, to inspect underground pipes and wires.
Clear the site. Remove shrubs or trees from the designated area, plus a 5-foot (1.5 m) perimeter. For grassy areas, use a sod cutter to transplant or compost removed grass.
Ensure ground leveling. Confirm the site's levelness. Tractor assistance is optimal for this task, although manual leveling is feasible for relatively even terrain.
- Evaluate the need for base rock to support the barn floor. If necessary, add 4 to 6 inches of decomposed granite or similar compacted gravel for drainage.
Establish a guide line. Use this to outline your building's footprint, facilitating post-hole alignment and maintaining structural perspective during initial stages. Install small stakes at each corner of the building, connecting them with a long string or twine.
Constructing Your Framework
Excavate the holes. Utilize either a tractor-powered auger or a post-hole digger for this task. Depending on desired structure height, dig holes to a depth of 3–5 feet (0.9–1.5 m). For stability, aim for the pole to bury 1/3 of its length, especially for open-sided pole barns.
- While a foundation isn't mandatory, ensure stable posts to withstand adverse weather and accidents. Consider prevailing wind direction during construction.
- Measure poles or square posts to determine hole width, adding extra width for a secure fit.
- Keep poles within an eight-foot spacing to distribute loads evenly and ensure structural strength. Larger pole barn plans may necessitate wider pole spacing.
Prepare concrete mixture. Mix sufficient concrete to fill each hole bottom by 12–24 inches (30.5–61.0 cm) based on pole size. Compact the inside of each hole for stability. Insert poles into concrete, ensuring vertical alignment before setting.
- Secure poles with stakes and braces on two sides to prevent movement.
- Allow 2-3 days for concrete to set completely, ensuring pole stability.
- Ensure square corners and precise pole spacing for seamless structure completion.
Uniformize pole heights. Despite initial uniform heights, variations occur due to differing hole sizes. Employ a laser-level to mark uniform pole heights.
- Use scaffolding or sturdy ladders to access pole tops and trim excess height before installing roof support beams.
- Alternatively, measure pole height before concrete placement, cutting to size for uniformity, albeit labor-intensive.
Install roof-support beams. These initial horizontal boards are crucial. Choose between notched or metal-plate placement atop poles. Ensure parallelism to ground with a level and secure with screws or lag bolts for stability.
- These boards span between poles, forming a large rectangular shape.
Construct the trusses. Trusses form the triangular roof beams spanning width-wise across roof-support beams. These consist of a base board parallel to the ground and two angled boards meeting at the center. Measure base-board to fit across roof-support beams and determine desired roof slope angle.
- Miter edges of angled boards for flush joints.
- With assistance, lift assembled trusses onto roof beams and secure with metal plates over poles.
- Add center beam for additional support.
- For larger barns, consult local truss companies for cost estimation, delivery, and crane service.
Include supplementary support boards. Nail boards across roof and between poles for attaching siding. Ensure perpendicular alignment with adjacent boards.
- Number of boards varies with structure size, but at least one additional board per section is recommended.
- For walls, nail 2x4s along perimeter at base for siding attachment.
- Consider using pressure-treated boards at least 6 inches above ground to prevent rot.
- Add boards between beams for door or window frames.
- For ground-contact framing, use pressure-treated boards for stalls, feed or tack rooms, and feeding mangers.
Attach siding. While leaving barn sides open is an option, adding walls is straightforward. Cut plywood to size and nail to support boards along building perimeter. Optionally, enhance appearance with wood siding.
Install the roof. For metal roofs, cut pieces to fit and secure with screws over struts using a drill. For shingles, nail plywood over roof, layer shingles, and secure with nails. Typically, a felt or tar-paper underlayment is applied before shingles.
- Ensure proper sealing for weather resistance.
Integrate doors or windows. Install doors or windows if additional support and framing were added. Alternatively, maintain open-air design, common for pole barns.
Useful Advice
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If housing animals, insulate the interior to retain warmth during cold nights.
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Consider using a blueprint instead of devising your own plan to save time and money.
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Enlist as much help as possible to expedite and ensure safety during the process.
Precautions
- Adhere to all health and safety regulations and respect the constraints of your permit.
