Pole barn recommendations

[jims427400]

I'm going to be finalizing the plans on my pole barn soon and wanted to get any recommendations from anyone who has had a similar build. It'll be a basic:
*50'x65'
*5" slab
*14' sliding door

Going to be keeping a 40'RV, 4 Vettes and a few other toys.. Maybe a 2 post lift and future work shop at some point.

Anything I should do now and not regret later?

Thanks all,
Jim

 

[dougelam]

Heated floor

 

[Huskerman]

Make it bigger....... I don't think I have ever talked to anyone who didn't wish they had gone that extra 10 or more feet long or wide......just saying....

 

[Mac]

When 67HEAVEN built his Garage-mahal, he put rigid foam insulation under the slab as well as vapour barrier. He added synthetic fibers into the concrete mix. Apparently this acts as a kind of reinforcing and keeps the slab from cracking. It's been five years and no cracks.

Mac

 

[jims427400]

Great ideas all, I've already added 15 feet for that very reason. Its going to be a non insulated building so no heat planned at this time.I like the vapor barrier idea, hadn't thought of that. I'll run that by my contractor. He told be he was using this super strong 6 bag mix crete 4" thick with new type of mesh so hoping no cracks for a very long time, and will super RV.

I haven't heard 67Heavens name in quite a while. Alway enjoyed his projects.
Thanks Guys,

When 67HEAVEN built his Garage-mahal, he put rigid foam insulation under the slab as well as vapour barrier. He added synthetic fibers into the concrete mix. Apparently this acts as a kind of reinforcing and keeps the slab from cracking. It's been five years and no cracks.

Mac

 

[killain]

New garage ?

I'd add hot water and heating, and insulate the walls and a couple of water faucets with two 100' hoses.

 

[Mac]

I haven't heard 67Heavens name in quite a while. Alway enjoyed his projects.

I'm still in contact with 67Heaven. His current project is recreating his own version of the 1967 Chev SS427. Although the SS427 resembled the Impala SS in many ways, it had several distinct differences. They were very low production and now kind of expensive, if you can find one… so he is making a clone but doing things "his way" and I think you know what I mean…

Mac

 

[Scottsredvette]

To add to the other suggestions: floor drains, minimum of 100 amp service, 200 would be better. Make sure you have your 220V outlets in a couple of places. I screwed up by not having paved approaches to the sliding doors. I'd stay away from skylights, never met one yet in a pole barn that didn't end up leaking. We used 18 inch translucent panels where the walls met the roof on two opposing sides of the building and that added excellent natural light. I used the fiber concrete for my floor and it was great.

 

[jims427400]

Mac,
Guess thats why he's not chatting on the vette forums.. Hope he still posts some pics of his project. I was always impressed with his work. The other member that used to help me a lot was IH2LOSE.

Scott,
Great idea w the floor drains. I was just told by one of my potential contractors that I couldn't install a drain unless it was hooked up to my leach field. I wanted to just put a drain into a crock of stone(french drain) guess those aren't permitted any longer.I will go with the 18" panels as you described vs the ski lights that they suggested. Did you have a problem w stones in your sliding door?
I'll have to ask about the fiber concrete, never heard of that before. Was it expensive?

Jim

To add to the other suggestions: floor drains, minimum of 100 amp service, 200 would be better. Make sure you have your 220V outlets in a couple of places. I screwed up by not having paved approaches to the sliding doors. I'd stay away from skylights, never met one yet in a pole barn that didn't end up leaking. We used 18 inch translucent panels where the walls met the roof on two opposing sides of the building and that added excellent natural light. I used the fiber concrete for my floor and it was great.

 

[Scottsredvette]

Mac,
Guess thats why he's not chatting on the vette forums.. Hope he still posts some pics of his project. I was always impressed with his work. The other member that used to help me a lot was IH2LOSE.

Scott,
Great idea w the floor drains. I was just told by one of my potential contractors that I couldn't install a drain unless it was hooked up to my leach field. I wanted to just put a drain into a crock of stone(french drain) guess those aren't permitted any longer.I will go with the 18" panels as you described vs the ski lights that they suggested. Did you have a problem w stones in your sliding door?
I'll have to ask about the fiber concrete, never heard of that before. Was it expensive?

Jim

My pole barn was built by a company called Morton. They have a rather unique way of hanging their sliding doors so there is never a problem with rocks/stones as the door has no real bottom track. As to the drains, Colorado wasn't real fussy back when it was built and seeing as how it was originally built as a horse barn, it was considered an agricultural building so we didn't have to pull a permit. After we got out of the "horse business" we turned it in to a play toy storage building. By the time we got the Jag, Triumph and the Vette in to it along with the tractor, kayaks and bikes, it was pretty crowded (we never took the three 12 X 12 stalls out after the horses) so go BIG! The fiber stranded concrete was pretty common in horse barns as you don't want any kind of metal reinforcement ever coming out or through the floor. I think it was actually cheaper than a mesh reinforced floor. Now that we're in Michigan on a small lot, I sure miss the barn. I don't have a real good photo of it but you can see the side panels up on the roof line. And while I'm thinking of it, we went with the commercial 5 inch gutters too. That expanse of roof has a lot of run off.

 

[Mac]

I'll have to ask about the fiber concrete, never heard of that before. Was it expensive?

Jim

It wasn't expensive. I wondered how they achieved uniform coverage. 67Heaven said they literally dumped a bag of the fiber material into the big drum of the cement mixer and let it mix in.

Fiber-reinforced concrete

Mac

 

[Scottsredvette]

It wasn't expensive. I wondered how they achieved uniform coverage. 67Heaven said they literally dumped a bag of the fiber material into the big drum of the cement mixer and let it mix in.

Fiber-reinforced concrete

Mac

That's how they mixed mine, too. Looked a little odd after floating and cure. I had a hairy floor for a while til we wore off the fibers that stuck up on the surface.:ugh

 

[Mac]

That's how they mixed mine, too. Looked a little odd after floating and cure. I had a hairy floor for a while tip we wore off the fibers that stuck up on the surface.:ugh

Any cracking or was the fiber effective? As far as I can tell, 67Heaven's place hasn't cracked but I think he had rebar and fiber both.

Mac

 

[Scottsredvette]

Any cracking or was the fiber effective? As far as I can tell, 67Heaven's place hasn't cracked but I think he had rebar and fiber both.

Mac

No sign of cracking up to the day we left Colorado. But then, the people that leveled the site did an excellent job of ground prep, leveling and compaction. I forget what grade of road base they used but I think the ground prep and compaction is the main reason we never had an issue. We had a little bit of wear by the stalls but only to the broomed (poor mans anti slip) finish. You could tell where the shod horses always walked. The rest of the floor with the floated finish still looked good. I never had a 40 foot motor home on it though. The Jag was the heaviest vehicle we ever put in there and it weighed somewhere around 4270 lbs. In the horse years, we kept about 10 to 12 tons of hay on the west side but that was stacked on a 12 x 24 foot area so the floor load per sq ft wasn't that bad.

Going back to the original post, something else I thought of is a good air exchange system of some sort, especially if you plan on running a vehicle in it. I'd put a 36 inch whole house fan up in my cupola and could move a lot of air when needed.

 

[jims427400]

I like the fan to exhaust fumes idea. Shouldn't cost much to add that.
Fibers added for sure..
Has anyone poored a footer abound the perimeter? One builder said that would keep the woodchucks from digging holes. And I sure do have woodchucks.
Keep the ideas coming. I really appreciate them.
Jim

No sign of cracking up to the day we left Colorado. But then, the people that leveled the site did an excellent job of ground prep, leveling and compaction. I forget what grade of road base they used but I think the ground prep and compaction is the main reason we never had an issue. We had a little bit of wear by the stalls but only to the broomed (poor mans anti slip) finish. You could tell where the shod horses always walked. The rest of the floor with the floated finish still looked good. I never had a 40 foot motor home on it though. The Jag was the heaviest vehicle we ever put in there and it weighed somewhere around 4270 lbs. In the horse years, we kept about 10 to 12 tons of hay on the west side but that was stacked on a 12 x 24 foot area so the floor load per sq ft wasn't that bad.

Going back to the original post, something else I thought of is a good air exchange system of some sort, especially if you plan on running a vehicle in it. I'd put a 36 inch whole house fan up in my cupola and could move a lot of air when needed.