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Thread: New Pole Barn Workshop

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Haubstadt (Evansville), Indiana
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    New Pole Barn Workshop

    I am in the process of defining a new pole barn for a workshop. This will be a 30 X 40 building on a concrete slab, one overhead door, one service door, water and sewage run with a 100 amp service. I currently have a Blitz building that I have been satisfied with. What other brand buildings do people have and have been satisfied with the quality of the building. I want to start getting quotes to compare to Blitz.

    I would also to know opinions on heating. Considering in floor hot water, but don't know much about it. Second choice is wood burning stove as I have enough firewood on the property to last several lifetimes. I have propane now in a 30 x 56 and don't want that again. I will have gas run to the property this is a non wanted solution. I also intend to put sky lights in unless there is some negative reason not to.

    Thanks

    Bill

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
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    4,516
    I have a Morton building. When I had it built I built pole buildings but couldn't get close to the price that Morton offered.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Commerce Township, MI
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    702
    Morton's are good. You don't say where you live but if you are going to condition the space skip the skylights. They are good in a storage shed but not for a place that you want to be comfortable.

  4. #4
    I suggest you talk to a contractor and get a firm estimate on the in floor radiant... materials and installation and under the slab insulation, and source of heat (boiler or high BTU water heater) b4 you commit to that path...

    I wanted to put it into my new construction house years ago, and made accomodations for it in my design.... only to have to abandon the plan later on when I learned what it was going to cost me. I know the prices have come down a lot since then, and you can even get the PEX tubing at home centers and DIY now.... but it aint cheep.

    Personally, if I had a wood source, I'd put up an 8x8 tile lined, interior block chimney and a large second hand VT castings wood stove (people put the big ones in their LRs and then sell them a year later when they realize how much heat they kick out, to replace them with parlor size stoves).

    You'll never wonder what to do with your scrap wood again.... and may even devise a way to make your own bio-bricks with sawdust and parafin.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
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    4,516
    On the Morton you can let them know what you want to do with it. You can get it set up with a ceiling and insulation.

  6. #6
    As far as the heat, Infloor is very nice. But, if you don't want to run it up to temp all the time it can take a long time to rise the temp from when you have it turned down. What I would do is to use the infloor to keep it just warm in the winter....say like 45 to 50. Then use a wood burner to get up up to working temps or keep it there. Your CI tops won't rust using the infloor to keep the space somewhat conditioned while running real economically.
    Building Inspector, CBO

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    New Hill, NC
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    2,568
    Bill, I have a 5,300 sq ft woodshop in central North Carolina that is inside a pole barn structure. I built my own from raw materials (used utility poles), and went overboard on insulation (16" in the walls, 36" in the attic). The entire building is cooled by a 2.5 ton air conditioner, and I installed radiant heat in the slab. IMO radiant heat is the best way to go and any of my future homes / shops, etc will have radiant.

    With radiant, you will need to insulate underneath the slab, and also on the outside of the slab.

    Depending upon where you are located, the Amish and Menonite's often build pole barns from scratch for very reasonable prices.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Haubstadt (Evansville), Indiana
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    1,294
    Thanks for the feedback. The location will be Southern Indiana near Evansville. Timing to start build in about 9 months. I am getting planning quotes from Blitz, Morton, and National Barn. I also asked for a planning quote from a Radiantec for a hot water system. Wood burning stove is still an option, but I am concerned about insurance. I haven't checked with my agent yet and have heard good and bad about getting insurance when using a wood burning stove. Since I am planning a bathroom inside, as a minimum use electric radiant floor heat for that room.
    I am going with geothermal for the house and was wondering if anyone has tried to run a secondary circuit For slab building and home heating? Not sure if the circuit would be too long or not. I will check with the heating contractor on this to see if possible. 9 months seems a while a away, but I am designing the house, building all of the cabinets, designing the pole barn, and still working. Appreciate and suggestions on anything.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Chappell Hill, Texas
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    Bill, why wouldn't you do propane next time?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    New York, NY
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    2,203
    Thought about using an outdoor wood boiler? The new secondary combustion ones are pretty efficient. Could certainly connect it to a radiant floor system.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
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    Haubstadt (Evansville), Indiana
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    Todd

    The propane heater has been a pain since day one. Not the fault of the propane, but may end up with the same situation again. It is a top of the line furnace. The second reason is I will have natural gas run to the property and the cost of natural gas is much less.

    I haven't done much research on the outside boilers, but will keep that in mind as an option.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Chappell Hill, Texas
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    Oh, ok. It's your heater's issue, not an issue with propane as a heating source. Gotchya.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    New Hill, NC
    Posts
    2,568
    Bill, I used to live in Newburgh, and a friend of mine lives south of Boonville. He has a large barn that was built by the Amish/Menonite's back in the early 90's, and the price beat the heck out of the commercial companies (about 30% less as I recall).

    If you want to send me an e-mail, I'll put you in touch with him. He may still have the contact info for his builders.

    Radiantec is the best source for a professional designed system. They have a propane boiler system (Polaris as I recall) that is optimized for radiant heat.

    Another choice would be an outdoor wood boiler to provide the heat for the flooring.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
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    4,516
    I worked for a place that had a large pole barn built by the Amish and the roof leaked like a sieve. They didn't use any transit so it was out of level. This was for a ceiling company that had laser levels. They may be cheap but sometimes their work reflects it.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Evanston, In
    Posts
    290
    Bill, I am just up the road a ways. If I can help you with any info, just let me know. Good luck with the build.

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