Planning Your Pole Barn Location<\/h2>\n#1. Consider Your Property\u2019s Natural Features<\/h3>\n
Unless your land is perfect for building, you may need to make a few decisions based on the landscape of your property. For example, water drainage is important for any structure. Expect to make changes to the grading around your planned pole barn site.<\/p>\n
Bottoms of hills and other low areas aren\u2019t ideal for any wood structure. The constant assault of moisture will promote rot or mold. Spend the time now to find a better location to save you years of increased maintenance work.<\/p>\n
#2. Choose a Spot That\u2019s Works with Your Whole Homestead<\/h3>\n
You also don\u2019t want to steal good spots away from your garden or animals. Nor do you want to position it in a way that obstructs the flow of your homestead. Take these into considering when siting your pole barn:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Can I access it easily from my home and driveway?<\/li>\n
- Will I easily be able to move manure to the garden?<\/li>\n
- Will this location steal sun or naturally fertile soil?<\/li>\n
- Is there a better place to position it so the run-off from my barn can water the garden?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Your pole barn is often one of the major \u201canchors\u201d of your homestead! Make sure it fits sensibly in your overall homestead design.<\/p>\n
#2. Pick a Weather-Friendly Spot<\/h3>\n
Many homesteaders think a shady pole barn will help make it nicer to use in the warmer months. Don\u2019t fall for this trap! Heavily shaded areas mean your barn won\u2019t get the sun it needs to help keep it dry. Moisture is one of the biggest enemies you fight in maintaining any building, so pick somewhere with plenty of sun.<\/p>\n
Remember that your pole barn will produce some extra shade itself. When you\u2019re planning your homestead, think of how you want to use the area around your pole barn too. If you\u2019re building a pen for animals that need to stay cool, it might be ideal to position it next to the pole barn\u2019s shady side or simply use roof insulation.<\/p>\n
#3. Ventilation<\/h3>\n
Adequate airflow is just as important as sunlight for your pole barn. If you plan to build a pole barn for livestock<\/a>, it\u2019s necessary to build it somewhere that has a good flow of air. However, even pole barn garages or workshops will benefit from avoiding stagnate air. Keep this in mind before you plan out a barn against a line of trees or other cover from the wind.<\/p>\n
If you live in a colder climate, however, you may want to orient the barn to keep openings away from the prevailing wind. Plan to have a side of the pole barn with no of few windows against the wind to create a wind block.<\/p>\n
Planning Your Pole Barn\u2019s Design<\/h2>\n
#1. Size<\/h3>\n
The size of your pole barn is one of the biggest decisions you\u2019ll make. It limits what you can do with the inside, regardless of task. For car or agricultural vehicle garages, it\u2019s important that your vehicles can easily enter or exit the barn. Pole barn workshops should offer you enough room<\/a> to comfortably build, create or enjoy your hobby.<\/p>\n
One clever option is to use graph paper to draw out your planned design. Start measuring and factoring in everything you want to fit into your barn. You\u2019ll be surprised how quickly you can fill the space. Try to design a pole barn that\u2019s big enough to leave some extra room in case you buy new equipment or need to fit a bigger vehicle. It\u2019s always easier to deal with a larger pole barn than one that\u2019s too small!<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t forget to map out your entire homestead too. You\u2019ll want to take advantage of your entire property. Your pole barn should fit nicely in the final design.<\/p>\n
#2. Features<\/h3>\n
The best part of a DIY pole barn is customizing it to fit your needs. Pay close attention to the features of your barn to make sure it fits your end goal. If you\u2019re constructing a barn for horses, you\u2019ll want to space out your posts farther than the typical eight-foot spacing. If you\u2019ll be using it as a hobby shop, don\u2019t forget to include a few windows to give you a more natural light.<\/p>\n
Final Homestead Tips for Building Your DIY Pole Barn<\/h2>\n
#1. Know the Building Codes for Your Area<\/h3>\n
Stay safe when building your pole barn. Every city or state has their own unique building codes<\/a>, and most of these codes are written to prevent damage to your property or injury to your family. During your planning stages, take some time to learn the area\u2019s codes so you know what can and cannot be done with your pole barn.<\/p>\n
For new homesteads, it\u2019s easier to spend extra time planning than trying to correct mistakes later. Whether it\u2019s your garden plots, animal pens or your barn, educate yourself now to save trouble down the road.<\/p>\n
#2. Find the Right Builder<\/h3>\n
While it\u2019s true that homesteading is about self-sufficiency, you don\u2019t need to do everything alone. If you\u2019re not experienced with construction, err on the side of safety and find a builder that works for you. Not sure where to start looking? DIY Pole Barns has a network of professional builders<\/a>!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/DIY-CTA-2-e1521470310134.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPlan Your DIY Pole Barn Today \u2013 Get an Instant Quote Online!<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re ready to build your pole barn, lock in a quote with DIY Pole Barns using our\u00a0Instant Quote<\/a>\u00a0tool! Have questions? Call our knowledgeable staff at\u00a0(937) 547-9100.<\/p>\n
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Homesteading is a rewarding and exciting way to begin self-sufficient living. But it can be difficult to get started! With gardens and animal pens …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":292,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[43,5],"tags":[46,50,33,38],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=291"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":344,"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291\/revisions\/344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.diypolebarns.com\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}