In the end the decision to go with a pole building wasn’t something I arrived at quickly. I was actually something I’ve considered for years but when the thought of actually building came I had to review many of the options.
In general there are three different construction styles of garages that are detached from a house. Pole, steel and stick are definitely the most popular styles. Pre-fab is a less popular option since they are mostly used for small buildings that serve as sheds or storage buildings. We won’t fully explore pre-fab here but in most cases they are very similar to stick built.
Garage Types – Steel Garage
One type of garage is constructed with a steel or metal framework and covered by steel panels. These type of garages are built on site, typically on a concrete surface. Steel buildings usually are quick to complete since most of the steel frame is constructed by the manufacturer and just need assembly. This type of construction can be inexpensive but can lack some of the amenities that different construction styles can offer.
These kits are often designed for the DIY type and do offer inexpensive indoor storage. They come in a near endless array of sizes and heights.
There are steel buildings called arch style that consist of prefabricated steel arches of many sizes. These buildings can be built quickly and offer inexpensive interior space.
Finishing the interior of a steel building is more difficult since there is no interior framing to attach items to and if there is framing it’s probably steel beams. It’s most common to find people use free standing cabinets and benches on the inside instead of attaching items to the walls. There can also be issues with condensation on metal surfaces in cold weather. In the end this style wasn’t for me.
Garage Types – Stick Built
Stick built garage types are essentially built the same as a traditional house using wood framing and sheathing. This style is usually built with 2×4 or 2×6 walls 16″ on center which offer immediate structure to attach interior walls and insulation. Running electric within the walls is pretty easy and can be completely hidden when the walls are finished.
A stick built garage usually is the most expensive of the garage styles and often take the most time to get built since they are mostly built completely on site.
Garage Types – Pole Building
A final of the three garage types is a pole building which can sometimes referred to as a pole barn or post frame building, in reality they are all the same. These style buildings originated as storage structures for farming but they have morphed into increasingly complex structures that are even used as homes. A pole building can be built quickly and less expensive than a traditional stick built garage. This was my choice for my garage.
How They are Made
In simple terms a pole building is built from poles that are placed into the ground and the rest of the garage structure is attached to the poles. Depending on the size of the building the poles can be places in concrete forms, sometimes the poles go right into the ground. The depth of the holes for the poles is dependent on local codes and the builder should be aware of those codes. An interesting thing about pole buildings is that often the building is built before a floor is installed meaning that the floor is not part of the structure.
The rest of the structure consists of some typical parts such as girts, purlins and roof trusses. As expected this will vary in style and design according to the building that is being built. More on this later.
Girts are horizontal pieces of lumber that span from pole to pole. Typical pole spacing can stretch up to 12 feet, in many case they are limited to 8 feet for garages. Often girts are 2×4 or 2×6 pieces of lumber.
Purlins are horizontal pieces of lumber that are used to span from truss to truss. Purlins are similar to girts except they are typically in the roof and not the walls.
Trusses come in many varieties and configurations. A simple truss is a pre-manufactured, pre-engineered pieces that create the roof structure of the building. The three typical components of a truss are top cords, bottom cords and webbing. Trusses are usually delivered to the construction site ready to be installed. Depending on requirements, especially snow load many trusses are installed 4′ on center or 2′ on center.
Pole Building Designs
A pole building can be simple to elaborate. In my case I wanted a garage, a porch and a separate area I’m calling a shed. In the next article I’ll dig in to how I arrived with my garage’s design.