Pole barns, garages and workshops

We gutted the inside, installed an 8� slider on one side, built a workbench across one end, built shelves floor to ceiling along both sidewalls, added a 12� awning roof on the slider side (all salvage material, zero cash cost), and cut a hole and installed a 48� �chicken fan� on the back end (and almost had to bolt down the table saw to keep it from blowing away).

We live in rural eastern Texas, a state that requires NO building permits, inspections, or bureaucratic interference for those who with acreage outside city limits. (And, which has excellent �homestead� protection laws that exempt one�s home and up to 200 acres from legal attachment). The �ranch� is 50 acres and the only way anyone could see the shop (which isn�t going to win any beauty contests) is by risking trespass (Texas also has tough laws against trespass and we are well versed in use of 12 gauge dissuader) or by flying over.

It would be nice to have higher ceilings and a less linear layout, but what we have works well for light maintenance, modest woodworking and lots of storage.

I have a 60x60 metal building, with a 16 ft eave and a 12/2 roof, drains good and not as flat as an ordinary metal building, but not too steep either.

All the lots here are around 2 to 3 acres, nice cumfortable size, wouldn't want any more to keep up.

I've got a large door on one end, to get aircraft in and out and they are skinned with translucent fiberglass, and two more doors, one 10x10 in the side and a 12wx14h garage door on the house end. It has five panels of tempered glass, like a jiffy lube or a fire station. lots of ambient light.

200 amp elect service in the largest panel I could buy and all in conduit.

I'm still adding to the electrical and planning on plumbing for air. This is an ONGOING project.

Just 80 ft from my back door.

Many people are afraid to tell what they have or where they are. My subdivision is private, no public roads, and we never have any trouble.

Oh by the way, I AM the tax assessor (in my county at least).

Charles

• My hangar web page, links to everything else.

Only thing with your shed, you will regret that 8 foot sidewall many many times over the next 20 years. For s shed that size, 12 foot would be best, but no point in building it under 10 foot. If you keep the place, too low for many tractors; if you sell it, too low for folks with campers & such. The building is doomed before it's done.

Not trying to pick on you, just info for others building - skimp somewhere else if you have to just make it tall enough! Of my 9 buildings, 2 currently have 8 foot doors, and it's just aweful. Need to pull mufflers to get in, if at all. The 9 & 10 foot doors cause enough problems for hay, etc....

--->Paul

JU

I'm about a half mile off of I-75. Of course that's true of most of Springfield Twp.

100 amp electrical service. Two frostproof yard hydrants, one inside and one out. The inside hydrant is hooked into the water softener back at the house.

Put insulation in the floor and ran PEX tubing for radiant heat. Don't have the heat hooked up since I haven't completed the wall and roof insulation.

I think the only thing that I'd do different if I did it again would be to make the sidewalls 12' instead of 10'. That way I could install a hoist. Of course, they're never big enough.

The only drawback is that it looks as if it has been added onto three times, which it has been more or less. If I had the $$$$ to do it again I would have planned better to get a cleaner look. I built it myself and while I made a few mistakes along the way I also learned a few things. The most important thing, build it as big as your budget allows, considering future growth.