A pole barn is a structure that features a roof suspended by a series of poles sunk into the ground and secured with concrete. While building a pole barn is not necessarily difficult, it will take some proper planning before the project gets underway to ensure the finished product is strong, durable, and able to suit the needs of the owner. The first and most important step in building a pole barn is deciding what kind of structure is best for the intended application. This means making decisions about the floor, whether walls will be installed, and how large of a structure will be needed.
The design of the pole barn will vary according to the intended purpose of the structure. If, for example, the builder is building a pole barn to be used as a garage for an automobile, the structure can be fairly simple and small. If, however, the barn will be used to house livestock, the structure will need to be larger and will need to feature more storage, walls to protect the animals from the weather, and possibly even a concrete floor for sanitation and stability. The builder should think very carefully about how the structure will be used in order to determine the best design.
If a concrete slab is necessary, it should be poured and completely cured before building a pole barn around it. The concrete can take several days or even weeks to set properly, so the builder will need to account for the time necessary to complete the pole barn project from start to finish. Sometimes building a pole barn only involves pouring concrete footings for each pole, in which case the concrete will need to set with the poles sunk into it. This means the poles will need to be steadied with braces as the concrete sets to prevent them from leaning or otherwise falling over during the setting process.
Consider whether walls will need to be built when building a pole barn. Walls will not be load bearing, so they can be installed after the rest of the structure has been built. Think carefully about materials for the walls in terms of what will be stored within the barn; metal walls, for example, can be made from steel or aluminum, and they are great choices for workshops in which sparks may be created from machinery. They may not be the best choice for insulation, however, in which case wooden walls with fiberglass insulation and drywall may be necessary.
