Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Deadhead...Please shoot me an email mark.middleton@nbstx.com I might be able to help you with options. Steel Buildings are what I do. I work for Nucor Building Systems

Mark

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

i think you'll be a lot happier with stick built for running electrical and insulating it, especially in cold country
hardie plank vs steel building next to your house is a plus and less likely to piss off the neighbors :D
those attic trusses and pitch are nice for the added storage space, but also added a lot to the cost

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

A friend of mine just put up his first shop that measures 30' x 40' x 10'. A local building company was going to put up a pole building for him and the concrete guy messed up on the anchors...so they couldn't put up the pole building.

The same company also stick builds and they went that route with 2 x 6 construction. The price difference increase was only $100. The builder explained that while the material cost is higher for the stick built, the reduction in the labor cost practically offsets that.

My friend finished the inside and he was really glad he had stick built as he said the finishing was much easier.

Gotta say he has a really nice looking shop. And radiant heat in the floor...really a nice feature.

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Mark email sent, thanks.

I'm envious of all that space! Looks like he used metal panels to finish the interior rather than sheetrock - I can see how that would save time as regards finishing and painting. The conduit runs atop the panels also.

Heating? I looked into the passive solar design posted earlier but am afraid the building sees too little sun to make that worthwhile. Should I look into running natural gas or will that be really pricey? Radiant floor heating would be great but I'd have to get water to the site. Thinking wood stove for now though that takes up space and takes time to heat.

Also, what about the need for floor drains? The contractor states his floor will have a gradual slope to send any water out the front. Are drains even necessary?

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

My shop is 60' x 100' with the front half finished and heated. Some years ago I installed an overhead radiant tube heater like this one. https://www.reverberray.com/?product=des3-series

Heating costs went down substantially compared to hot forced air system I had previously. We are on propane so I couldn't speak to natural gas costs.

Friends water for radiant heat is powered by an outdoor wood furnace. He, his Dad and Uncle are farmers with substantial woodland and time to cut it with equipment to handle it.

Me, I haven't cut wood for heat in 30 years and the propane heat works for me.

My shop doesn't have floor drains and they would be handy....though we've survived well without them in the building since 1968.

Another friends shop is 60' x 50' and he doesn't have floor drains. Instead his floor slopes toward the doors much like a home garage. Handy for run off and not so handy for levelling and installing a chassis clip on a hot rod build.

So, for heat and drains, what will work best for your use of the building?

And water in the building would be real useful. I don't have it and that is one item on our gotta do list.

Sorry so long of a post.

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Thanks I like the tube heater idea. I could potentially run that off a large yet portable tank that I could refill and even use a wood heater in addition to that.

As for the drains, I probably don't need them as I don't expect to do much in/out during the winter. My existing garage floor gets wet from melting ice/snow (and the drain is clogged at the moment).

Water would be great but wouldn't be possible to tie into the existing septic tank, so thinking I'd have to add another septic tank. I will likely have some plumbing placed that would allow water to be added down the road.

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

One thing about concrete once it is poured there is no turning back. Never know what the future might bring. I stubbed in PVC pipe in concrete and out to the outside under ground and later fed a water line up through it and stubbed up drain next to that that tied into floor drain system. I put two drains in my shop. One drains west half and one drains SE corner. The NE quarter of the floor is flat for my lift. My concrete guy said he had a customer that demanded his floor sloped to the doors he told the customer it wasn't a good idea. Customer didn't care they poured it his way and the doors froze shut. It gets pretty cold here. Hope that helps.

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

if your thinking about heating your shop, also consider throwing a wall up down the middle to minimize what your heating
my barn is 50x50 with a 30x50 loft, i heat a 20x30 shop year round, i can also heat a 15x30 bay
the rest is unheated and also unheatable

as for plumbing? a sink is nice, but i don't consider a full bathroom necessary nor do i have one in my barn
i live country-ish, the world is my urinal and i can go into the house for anything else :D
floor drains usually end up plugged like your garage drain and they catch creeper wheels, nuts and that irreplaceable c-clip that popped off

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Don't forget part storage if you're a hoarder type like me. Mine is a 30x56, 2 16' doors on the long side. I lined the walls with pallet racks. 2 long bed trucks fit in each double bay with 4' to side wall shelving but only 5' between them and the doors. Right now I have 3 trucks and my tractor (size of a long bed truck). There is enough room for a work space or a 5th truck as long as you don't plan on opening many doors.

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Great suggestion - still leaning toward the attic trusses to make the most of store space.

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Pete, Cool project! I'd highly recommend laying the tubing for the radiant floors so you have a heated slab. It wont add all that much to the cost if you do the work yourself. My brother and I just did his new house and laid all the foam and tubing in a weekend by ourselves. Its pretty easy, just takes time. The contractor wanted 4000 or something just in labor for it but like i said, a weekend was all it took for us. This is in North Dakota, so similar heat output as your area I would guess.

Also I second the opinion to build it bigger! Space to work on a project is never enough!

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

I'll look into that then Jud - thanks!

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Pete, I can get material costs from my bro to give you a ballpark $/sq. ft. estimate. I also did my own pole barn heated slab but that was 6 or so years ago.

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Thanks Jud - I'd appreciate that.

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Sub'd. I'm in the beginnings of building a 36'x46' shop beside my house for my toys so it's helpful to see all the suggestions...

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

safety concerns and heat ideas: a good friend died recently that put up pole building as a side line (he had his own construction co.) His remark was " don't forget that a pole building can have more uplift force than downward gravitational force" he also said " the foundation should be anchored very well below grade to hold the pole barn in place to prevent it from becoming a parachute during high winds with a door open". As far as heat is concerned look up on youtube for "jean pain heating" This guy uses wood chips placed on top off a coil of pex tubing and water is run through the tubing inside a building for heat. Wet the chips as you build up a mound of the chips. A friend started this, didn't complete it because of divorce but his research was 160 degree water for 18 months. Mix in manure and 180 degree plus. He said " just look at it for 18 months, don't touch it, it can rain or snow on it, whatever, makes no difference. I think he stated it was a 12 foot diameter by 8 foot high mound. A friend has a manure pile and he states if you disturb it in winter that there is so much steam that comes out of the pile you can't see what you are doing. Imagine a building heated remotely, don't have to mess with it, no open flame inside the building, no high propane bills, you are in control of the outcome, and plumb that tubing into a unit heater blowing warm air DOWN LOW across the floor. Low cost, user friendly, etc. It would require a wood chipper to make the chips and of course the wood to begin with. Now, any of you that live up north and want to expand this into an additional sauna building i have a story to share if you want it about a friend who designed it. End result was the kids now are off the nintendo, shovel the driveway, and the sauna is their warming shack. Just ask, i'll share, and tell the benefits of the sauna!

Re: Looking for planning help for polebarn style workshop to be built in the spring
 

Thanks for the tips!