Pole barns are easily constructed, economical storage buildings.
Pole barns are an indispensable and economical building. Simple poll barns can be constructed in a few days by an experienced crew. Pole barns house large farm and/or recreational vehicles, or can serve as offices for small businesses such as auto repair centers or warehousing fulfillment centers. While the exterior treatments for pole barns allow for many appearance options, there are limited pole barn construction techniques.
Post Frame Construction
The simplest and least expensive method for framing a pole barn is the post-frame construction method. Pressure-treated 6-by-6 timbers are anchored into the ground on individual concrete pier foundations. The posts are tied together horizontally with 2-by-4 girts or purlins, and a double 2-x-12 header is mounted at the top of the posts. These barns can be built with an upper-story loft and roof rafters, or the roof can be framed with traditional trusses. The cost savings for this post-frame construction style arise from the elimination of a full concrete foundation and the speed at which the building can be built.
Timber Frame Construction
A timber frame construction pole barn uses heavy beams for the horizontal members, floor joists, wall headers, and all other braces, rafters, beams and purlins. The timber frame constructed pole barn takes much longer to build since all the horizontal members are custom cut and installed in between the vertical beams. The material costs for a timber frame construction pole barn are also significantly higher than the post-frame construction building. The advantages of a timber frame constructed building is the rustic look, and the heavy frame. A traditional house can be built into all or part of a building using a timber frame construction style.
Exterior Mounted Siding
Vertical metal siding is mounted on the horizontal girts or purlins and tie the building together. The vertical metal siding gives the building a clean, simple finished look and provides many options for exterior treatments. Because the siding is mounted on the exterior of the beams and structural members, the building's wood frame is visible inside the barn. The exposed wooden members make it easy to mount custom shelves, construct walls or attach heavy barn equipment inside the building.
Flooring Options
A post-frame construction pole barn can be built quickly and does not require a cement or traditional wood framed floor. Because the vertical posts are anchored in the ground, a cement floor can be poured after the building is erected. The barn's floor can also be designed as a combination of poured cement flooring and traditional framed wood flooring. This feature is beneficial when the building will combine very different uses, such as storage for heavy equipment next to a finished office space.
