Who wants to show off their pole barn?!?

[KalamazooKid]

If you work on your own cars/truck make sure you have strong enough concrete poured to support a hoist.
Assuming you have a spot where you can raise a car up. Little late to plan the overhead clearance.

.Edit to add: you didn't build it big enough!
You will regret it in the future, ask me how I know!

Haha, I don't even change my own oil! [emoji23]

And I think everyone that's ever built one thinks it should have been bigger. That's why you see properties around any rural areas with 3-5 barns! I have backup space in my warehouse that I can keep the boat (in the winter) or utility trailer so not a huge deal.

 

[tops]

It doesn't matter how big you build you will always fill it up. Bigger buildings just mean more junk. Larry

 

[Faulkner]

Very nice new pole barn Kid, I think you will really enjoy it.

I have a 40 x 50 steel barn and I love mine. It also has 12 foot overhangs on either side to park stuff under. I have dual roll out doors in the front and a roll up drum door in the rear. I seldom use the rear door except for ventilation in the summer when I'm working, although I can drive through if I needed to. I use the left overhang to park my flatbed trailer and my patrol car, the right side overhang I store supplies (top soil, garden supplies, hay bales,, etc.) but I also use it as a sitting area with a porch swing and park benches.

I use mine mainly as a shop but I also have room for a ping-pong table and I've use it many times for family gatherings, birthday parties and cookouts. I've even hung a big sheet over the roll out doors and used it as a big screen to project movies. It's kind of the family event center for large gatherings.

Seems I'm regularly moving things around and rearranging them. I always position my Harley so that it's easy to get out, and my tractors are generally close to the doors so I can get quick access to them.

I agree that you can't build one big enough.

 

[tops]

I think this is the right one. Finally!

When the new one gets as old as the first 2 it will probably look the same. Larry

 

[ko41]

It doesn't matter how big you build you will always fill it up. Bigger buildings just mean more junk. Larry

Exactly!

KO

 

[llowry61]

MMMMMMMMM - Pole Barn!

Kid - I am green with envy- a Pole Barn and a warehouse!

Faulkner - that is a beauty - the idea of the outdoor movie is really cool.

I always dreamed of having some land and a pole barn with a man cave section so I could just sit a stare at my toys!

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

My father grew up on a dairy farm back in the 1930's when they had the classic midwestern dairy barns. Hay loft about the cow section, milk house and silo attached. He said whenever they complained about the the barn being better built and updated than the house he said "Pa always said the house doesn't make money" .

I've always said I could tell if a farmer was successful by
comparing the barn(s) to the house. Large barn(s), smaller
house the farmer was successful.

 

[KalamazooKid]

Very nice new pole barn Kid, I think you will really enjoy it.

I have a 40 x 50 steel barn and I love mine. It also has 12 foot overhangs on either side to park stuff under. I have dual roll out doors in the front and a roll up drum door in the rear. I seldom use the rear door except for ventilation in the summer when I'm working, although I can drive through if I needed to. I use the left overhang to park my flatbed trailer and my patrol car, the right side overhang I store supplies (top soil, garden supplies, hay bales,, etc.) but I also use it as a sitting area with a porch swing and park benches.

I use mine mainly as a shop but I also have room for a ping-pong table and I've use it many times for family gatherings, birthday parties and cookouts. I've even hung a big sheet over the roll out doors and used it as a big screen to project movies. It's kind of the family event center for large gatherings.

Seems I'm regularly moving things around and rearranging them. I always position my Harley so that it's easy to get out, and my tractors are generally close to the doors so I can get quick access to them.

I agree that you can't build one big enough.

Awesome, now that's what I'm talking about! Mine will be used for many social "events" in addition to just storing stuff. [emoji41]

 

[M29since14]

I am in the process of having a pole building built right now, but Indiana weather caught up with the project before it could get started, so it will be resumed shortly. Maybe in late-March or April. I understand the "build it bigger" theory, but at my age, I need less junk - not a place to store more. The old buildings on my property look like Prairieviper's, so I need them to come down and something more serviceable to go up, closer to my home. My old barn is a good walk away down a really steep hill and is not visible from my home. The walk is not such a bad thing, but for security reasons, I would like to be able to see a storage building from my residence, which I will be able to do with the new building.

I'm always impressed by some of the insightful things I come across here and I'll be watching this thread for nuggets of "pole barn wisdom." One thing I have already decided to incorporate is a rifle port, where I can do some informal benchrest shooting from within the inside protection of the building. I think a west-facing overhead garage door might be the ticket for that....? Maybe an 8'x7'? I suppose if there is not room for an OH door a 3' entry door would suffice, or even a big window that will slide out of the way enough not to be damaged by the muzzle blast of a high-powered rifle.

 

[Targets Guy]

Very nice barns folks. I have two and love em to death.

Here is the first one with all of the air taken out




and the second one

 

[llowry61]

I am in the process of having a pole building built right now, but Indiana weather caught up with the project before it could get started, so it will be resumed shortly. Maybe in late-March or April. I understand the "build it bigger" theory, but at my age, I need less junk - not a place to store more. The old buildings on my property look like Prairieviper's, so I need them to come down and something more serviceable to go up, closer to my home. My old barn is a good walk away down a really steep hill and is not visible from my home. The walk is not such a bad thing, but for security reasons, I would like to be able to see a storage building from my residence, which I will be able to do with the new building.

I'm always impressed by some of the insightful things I come across here and I'll be watching this thread for nuggets of "pole barn wisdom." One thing I have already decided to incorporate is a rifle port, where I can do some informal benchrest shooting from within the inside protection of the building. I think a west-facing overhead garage door might be the ticket for that....? Maybe an 8'x7'? I suppose if there is not room for an OH door a 3' entry door would suffice, or ever a big window that will slide out of the way enough not to be damaged by the muzzle blast of a high-powered rifle.

I love the idea of the shooting port.

When I think about my "dream pole barn" it would have a section for reloading with exactly what you describe, but it would be a half section roll up similar to what you see when a concession stand is closed at a sporting venue. The shelf would be a bit low so you could use a bipod or shooting sled.

The range would be right outside of the roll up for both pistol and rifle. You could make up a few rounds turn right around and test them out.

 

[KalamazooKid]

Very nice barns folks. I have two and love em to death.

Here is the first one with all of the air taken out




and the second one

Beautiful!!

 

[tt66]

We built a 40'x60' with 20' side sheds a couple years ago. I store hay and the tractor and mowers and such. I graveled the floor and for my use it is perfect. One of the side sheds is used for implement and material storage, the other shed we set up as our hangout. We can watch the cows and the sunset, and we also have a portable shooting bench set up. I ran power and water so we have plenty of lighting and outlets, plus the beer fridge. We spend a lot of time out there.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

Even if I knew how to post pictures, I might be ashamed to post a
picture of my blacksmith shop. I cut cedars on the place then trimmed off the bark and charred the bottom 30 inches. This left 10 ft. above ground and a minimum 7 in. top diameter. Top plates and rafters are rafters from old growth pine 2x6 and 2x8 boards. These were gleaned from a pre 1860 house I tore down. The metal was reclaimed chicken house metal with some rust showing. I thought about painting the metal, but it is yet to be done, plus it will probably out last me the way it is.
I have enough treated power poles to build a loafing shed for the mules
and am waiting on the roofing metal.
That's the poor man's definition of a pole barn, or maybe just an
Arkansas thing.

 

[SMSgt]

Very nice new pole barn Kid, I think you will really enjoy it.

I have a 40 x 50 steel barn and I love mine. It also has 12 foot overhangs on either side to park stuff under. I have dual roll out doors in the front and a roll up drum door in the rear. I seldom use the rear door except for ventilation in the summer when I'm working, although I can drive through if I needed to. I use the left overhang to park my flatbed trailer and my patrol car, the right side overhang I store supplies (top soil, garden supplies, hay bales,, etc.) but I also use it as a sitting area with a porch swing and park benches.

I use mine mainly as a shop but I also have room for a ping-pong table and I've use it many times for family gatherings, birthday parties and cookouts. I've even hung a big sheet over the roll out doors and used it as a big screen to project movies. It's kind of the family event center for large gatherings.

Seems I'm regularly moving things around and rearranging them. I always position my Harley so that it's easy to get out, and my tractors are generally close to the doors so I can get quick access to them.

I agree that you can't build one big enough.

I don't know what you're doing in there, but you'd better stop. The cops are right outside!

 

[prairieviper]

Very nice new pole barn Kid, I think you will really enjoy it.

I have a 40 x 50 steel barn and I love mine. It also has 12 foot overhangs on either side to park stuff under. I have dual roll out doors in the front and a roll up drum door in the rear. I seldom use the rear door except for ventilation in the summer when I'm working, although I can drive through if I needed to. I use the left overhang to park my flatbed trailer and my patrol car, the right side overhang I store supplies (top soil, garden supplies, hay bales,, etc.) but I also use it as a sitting area with a porch swing and park benches.

I use mine mainly as a shop but I also have room for a ping-pong table and I've use it many times for family gatherings, birthday parties and cookouts. I've even hung a big sheet over the roll out doors and used it as a big screen to project movies. It's kind of the family event center for large gatherings.

Seems I'm regularly moving things around and rearranging them. I always position my Harley so that it's easy to get out, and my tractors are generally close to the doors so I can get quick access to them.

I agree that you can't build one big enough.

That is a nice barn. Too bad those tractors are the wrong color.

 

[dockmurgw]

Now this one is post and beam. 200 years old and still going strong. It's like a time capsule inside, as if they removed the horses yesterday.

 

[KalamazooKid]

We built a 40'x60' with 20' side sheds a couple years ago. I store hay and the tractor and mowers and such. I graveled the floor and for my use it is perfect. One of the side sheds is used for implement and material storage, the other shed we set up as our hangout. We can watch the cows and the sunset, and we also have a portable shooting bench set up. I ran power and water so we have plenty of lighting and outlets, plus the beer fridge. We spend a lot of time out there.

Wow, that's sweet. Can't imagine sitting there watching the sun set.

 

[Farmer17]

I've built some for other people. One building we built an office and insulated it so he could have a plug in Air conditioning unit with a condensate hose to the outside. We also ran floor joist across the building at 10 feet high for second story storage but left the middle part open to the roof. This allowed him to buy a car lift that would raise a car up with the roof of the car going through the hole in the second floor so he could work on the car from a rolling stool. This hole also allowed the heat to go up to the storage area and keep the downstairs cooler in the summer. Another building we had the electrician put a couple of electrical boxes with 110 and 220V plugs hanging on bungee cords from the ceiling. You could reach up and pull the box down and plug something in so you didn't have to run an extension cord all the way to a side wall outlet.

 

[Faulkner]

That is a nice barn. Too bad those tractors are the wrong color.

I started out with green. There's a reason I changed to orange and have stuck with that brand since 1991. The equipment is only part of what keeps a satisfied customer and green let me down in both categories, orange never has.