We're at the
design stage for building a DIY 4 bay timber barn on our smallholding.
I've noticed that the vast majority of technical information & products are in the USA or Canada, but there appears to be little info or products in the UK.
So, if you have any useful (sensible & non troll) build suggestions and/ or UK DIY pole barn hardware supplier links, please share! thanksMost farming folk seem to either;
a) go straight for an off the shelf steel barn package, or;
b) use telephone poles sunk into the ground
that's fine for some, but for various reasons we've decided to;
c)
use our own trees to build the barn, luckily we have 16 acres of various trees to choose from (no plans to use any wood preservative/ creosote/ tar, etc).We haven't decided if we'll be building in the round (in the footsteps of Mr Ben Law) or with squared off beams, which we can mill ourselves with an
Alaskan ChainSaw Mill http://www.madsens1.com/sa_mill_works.htmOne thing for sure is that we won't be sinking our untreated timbers in the ground/ underground.... they'd just rot within a few years. We'll be using a rubble or cement foundation pier for each and every structural timber upright to stand on. Not decided how we'll be attaching the uprights to the concrete pier or padstone yet. I've been considering this through the centre of the beam method (which uses an adhesive)....
Simpson Strong-Tie http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/cps-pbv_apg.aspThere are quite a few other styles for a standoff:
http://www.vermonttimberworks.com/joinery-5-timber-frame-post-bases.htmlSomething I've just found today seems like a pretty nifty idea for speeding up the build.... and seems to use less timbers, which means more available space for hay, etc.... have a look here:
Socket Systems LLC http://socketsystems.com/products.php?sku=K2000 .....Any thoughts on this?.... anything similar in the UK?
For roofing we're considering Standing Seam Zinc roofing sheets, possibly with insulation underneath, or we may insulate separately. Zinc sheets look like this:
http://www.kingsleygroup.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/100_1021-2.jpg.....but we may go for wood shingles. hmmmm..... time to get the Gransfors froe out?!.....
Thoughts & advice appreciated....