Does anyone have a clear span 50' by 60' garage?

I just put a request in with Morton for info and pricing. As I figured, no chart just wait for a representative to contact you. Kind of annoying I just want a basic price to start with. I was hoping for an online calculator. Oh well. That's why I started looking now so I have time before it's building season.

I spent some quality time on the Morton site too. I didn't see any of their buildings engineered for a second floor. I think a full second story is really a plus because for every car you have you have another car stall worth of parts to store somewhere.

I found this site as well. Somewhat close and should be familiar with NY snow loads. http://fingerlakesconstruction.com/wood_frame_construction.php

Has anyone ever used Hardie board siding? Looks like a possible option to get a less steel look but still somewhat low maintenance. I could even get it in a simulated cedar grain to match what's here.

A few more general comments from building engineering experience:

Auburnseeker, please see my snow-load comments in Posting #7.

If someone is quoting you a snow load for a prospective building

(for example, the 60 lb/sq. ft you say your area requires), be

ABSOLUTELY sure it is for "roof snow load," not "ground snow load."

(Your salesman likely won't know right away, but he probably will after he

checks with someone knowledgeable.) Knowing the difference will

avert a possible roof collapse.

Morton Buildings has good reputations as a company. I believe their

products are all pole barns, meaning that treated lumber is sunk in the

ground, either surrounded by gravel or by concrete. That may suit your

needs, but that is a TEMPORARY, NOT A PERMANENT, STRUCTURE,

because wood in the ground will not last nearly as long as a traditional foundation.

Pressure-treated wood in the ground, as for a pole barn, I have

understood to have a life span of only 40 years; one conscientious

Amish builder said such a building may be good for only 25 years

before its supporting columns rot. Most buildings appreciate in value,

but a pole barn may depreciate, eventually down to near zero.

"Hardie-Plank" is a brand name for fiber-cement siding. That product in general

is excellent and long-lasting. It will give a solid and high-quality appearance to your

building.

For a larger storage building, has anyone considered

a steel rigid-frame building, such as by Star Buildings

or any other similar reputable manufacturer? They are

relatively inexpensive, though more than a pole barn;

they are excellent for long clear spans of 50 feet or more;

they are non-combustible, and they won't rot.

They're not as good as conventional construction, but

they may be a good option. You have to be careful to have

your engineer specify the proper dead loads, snow loads, etc.,

because steel-building companies like to quote a low price

and will give you light gauges and lighter design loads unless

you know better and specify otherwise.

I did see atleast one site (might have been Morton) that used a concrete footing and all the wood was attached above ground. That's the only way I would consider a pole barn type building.

Bison steel contacted me but I haven't gotten back to them yet. I'm not sure what they offer. Maybe steel frame, Hardie Board siding? Still thinking shingled roof.

What is Garage Journal?

What is Garage Journal?

It's a forum like this one geared to garages, although there are subforums that deal with cars and tools.

Here is a link to my thread. You can navigate from their.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4747948&posted=1#post4747948

You might check with your local Codes Enforcement Officer before you go too far. You may be shocked at the expense of complying with Federally Mandated storm water runoff abatement requirements that have only recently become mandatory. You will likely need a professional engineer's signature and stamp on a Storm Water Management Plan. The rules have changed significantly in the last year or two.

Most buildings related to farming are zoning exempt by law. Usually you need five or more acres of land to qualify. In my home town your garage and outbuildings can't be larger than 50 percent if the house footprint. Make yourself a working farm, and then you can have a 8000 square foot chicken coop with a bathroom and lift. The neighbors won't complain about your cars if the have a chance of having 15 thousand chickens as a choice. Storm water usually requires a certain amount of land disturbance before it kicks in 22000 square feet is the norm. Restorer 32 is correct, due dilligance with an engineer is your best choice. Use a local from the same town, they know the people in town hall and can make thing go much easier. If you need a special permit or variance things get very difficult.

Our small town in PA tries to be as lenient as possible but the Feds force us to enforce a lot of this stuff. The axe they hold over your head is the threat of withholding of FEMA moneys in case of a catastrophe if you don't comply, meaning insurance companies could refuse to write insurance in our town. Heaven forbid you are in the watershed of a river or bay. We are 65 miles North of the Chesapeake Bay. This year we have to label all our culverts with specific language regarding their eventual emptying into the bay. Your CEO can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Remember that he has the legal duty to enforce regs he may not agree with. Don't blame the messanger.

Just a comment on building a pole barn type structure. Pressure treated poles in the ground WILL rot but around here, for durability, the holes are dug larger and backfilled around the poles with concrete. On a shop we built over 30 years ago we used steel roofing held on with screws and washers - no leaks yet. When the finish on a steel roof starts to fail there are commercial painters who specialize in recoating with a reasonably priced asphalt-based paint that can extend the life of such a roof almost indefinitely.The rafters were strapped with 1"x4"; overlaid with TenTest/Homosote or whatever the current product is. That is essentially a 1/2" soft fiber board with a tar coating. As with the rubber liner referred to by GLong earlier it allowed condensation to run down and out the eaves. keeping the interior dry.

Wish I had that shop back now.

All this talk about Snow load I do believe it would be better to just move south when the snow isn't so deep, and the taxes are a lot less. Dandy Dave!

"The inexpensive kind of metal roofing has screws that penetrate down

from the top, with rubber or similar grommets around the screws

supposedly to keep the penetration water-proof. Such a roof may be

acceptable on a storage building, but over the years, as the grommets

deteriorate, and the metal roof moves due to thermal expansion and

contraction, you will have hundreds of small openings in your roof to

let water drip through! I know of one fire station that had such a roof;

it became a regular nuisance, and sealing it was futile.

Such a screw-down roof is not suitable if you plan ever to finish any

part of the interior."

I have been a Metal Roofing contractor for over 40 years (now retired). I have at times, bought thousands of dollars per month worth of screws and have NEVER had a call back to repair roof screws leaking through the deterioration of the neoprene sealing washers.

The work we carried out was some domestic but mainly Large industrial sheds, Sports stadiums, Airport buildings, Shopping Malls etc. A lot of these buildings have 20 - 25 year warranties on them and I sleep at night.

In Australia timber is expensive so 95% of all sheds large and small are metal clad on steel frames for the roof and walls. The main advantage of the steel is the speed of erection which saves a lot of money on labour cost. The smaller sheds use lightweight rolled steel frame members.

One thing you guys should have a look at is Insulated sheeting which may be advantages when you have to insulate the roof and walls. A search on the web shows they are readily avalible in the US.

The advantage is they provide up to 6 inch thick insulation, will cover long spans with minimal support, have white colobond metal finish on the inside which provides the ceiling and reflects the light and are quick to erect.

I have an awning running down the side of my shed made of 18 foot long x 4 inch thick panels and they are only supported at each end, Super solid to walk about on but then we dont have a snow loading problem.

Below is one US supplier I found

http://www.kingspanpanels.us/products/commercial-industrial/insulated-metal-roof-panels

I did see atleast one site (might have been Morton) that used a concrete footing and all the wood was attached above ground. That's the only way I would consider a pole barn type building.

Bison steel contacted me but I haven't gotten back to them yet. I'm not sure what they offer. Maybe steel frame, Hardie Board siding? Still thinking shingled roof.

If you are considering a pole barn style building Morton is a first class building (although at a premium to most pole style builders). We have several Morton buildings and chose Morton for the following reasons:

1. All components of the building (including the metal sheeting) are manufactured by Morton themselves. Thus if/when you have a warranty issue you are dealing directly with Morton and not a third party which supplied a particular component.

2. Morton offers an excellent below ground high strength concrete pier system (which again they manufacture themselves) which allows for no wood below grade. And if your propery is on a grade they are able to custom tailor the length of the concrete piers to match the depth of the grade.

3. The amount of their building exterior options is tremendous, from stone wainscoting, to dormers, to cupolas, to gable end turkey tails.

4. If you would like some additional attic space look at their gambrel options (but note the max free span they can do with a gambrel is about 40ft).

5. They have their own crews/contractors that install the building (often in our area you have to wait 6 months to get on the build schedule).

6. Their interior insulation and liner package is top rate. You can even opt for acoustical interior liner top sheets which really cut the interior noise.

7. They can review any building design for local codes and snow load requirements.

We found Morton to be a first rate company.