Seeing Flyrod's impressive new building has me itching all the more to get to work on mine this summer! I spent this week figuring out the financing and talking with the building inspector, environmental health folks, and zoning guy. And I've finally settled on a source for barn plans.
But I'm still waffling about a couple of issues, and I'm hoping the more experienced of y'all will have some advice.
Foundation: Slab vs. perimeter foundation? I'm still not sure what to do about a foundation: perimeter (with crawlspace and framed floor) or a full slab. Part of my concern is cost (of course), though frankly I don't even know which will cost more (I assume the slab). But I also wonder about comfort and dimension. Does anyone with a concrete floor wish they had something softer to stand on? Aesthetically, I'd rather have a wood floor (plywood over joists, probably), and maybe that's the cheaper option too. But I guess that also requires the whole building to be a couple feet taller (to accommodate the crawlspace, the perimeter foundation would come a couple feet above grade, which means that a 9' wall would be about 11' above grade, right?) In contrast, a slab is just a few inches above grade. Any problems that I should be worried about there? (Flyrod's building looks like it sits up nice and high on a level perch; my site slopes about 2 or 3 feet across the 20' width of the building, which means that one side of a slab would have to be built up quite a bit, I guess.)
Headroom: Any thoughts about 8', 9', or 10' headroom on the first floor? I don't want the building to tower over the landscape, and I'm also anxious about working too high up (and about the expense of extra scaffolding). But I also want to be sure I have enough headroom for a good woodshop. How high is sufficient? (And am I failing to consider any construction-related problems with going higher than 8'?)
Siding: Though I'd love to use something like Hardi-plank (so I never have to paint the building), I don't think my budget is going to allow it. I'm thinking of board-and-batten siding instead, particularly if I can find someone to sell me rough cut lumber. (From what I've read on WoodWeb, even freshly cut green planks are fine for board-and-batten siding, since the bats cover the gaps that result from shrinkage.) The other advantage of B&B is that you don't need sheathing--it just gets nailed onto nailers that are mounted to the studs.
Anyone have this sort of siding on their building? I wonder if there are any problems insulating a building sided this way, since there might be gaps where water can come through (since there's no sheathing). I'm considering clapboards or shiplap instead, but concerned about cost. Also installation: seems like installing B&B would be a lot easier--it could be done with just a ladder, whereas horizontal siding might require scaffolding.
Looking forward to any advice anyone is willing to offer!
But I'm still waffling about a couple of issues, and I'm hoping the more experienced of y'all will have some advice.
Foundation: Slab vs. perimeter foundation? I'm still not sure what to do about a foundation: perimeter (with crawlspace and framed floor) or a full slab. Part of my concern is cost (of course), though frankly I don't even know which will cost more (I assume the slab). But I also wonder about comfort and dimension. Does anyone with a concrete floor wish they had something softer to stand on? Aesthetically, I'd rather have a wood floor (plywood over joists, probably), and maybe that's the cheaper option too. But I guess that also requires the whole building to be a couple feet taller (to accommodate the crawlspace, the perimeter foundation would come a couple feet above grade, which means that a 9' wall would be about 11' above grade, right?) In contrast, a slab is just a few inches above grade. Any problems that I should be worried about there? (Flyrod's building looks like it sits up nice and high on a level perch; my site slopes about 2 or 3 feet across the 20' width of the building, which means that one side of a slab would have to be built up quite a bit, I guess.)
Headroom: Any thoughts about 8', 9', or 10' headroom on the first floor? I don't want the building to tower over the landscape, and I'm also anxious about working too high up (and about the expense of extra scaffolding). But I also want to be sure I have enough headroom for a good woodshop. How high is sufficient? (And am I failing to consider any construction-related problems with going higher than 8'?)
Siding: Though I'd love to use something like Hardi-plank (so I never have to paint the building), I don't think my budget is going to allow it. I'm thinking of board-and-batten siding instead, particularly if I can find someone to sell me rough cut lumber. (From what I've read on WoodWeb, even freshly cut green planks are fine for board-and-batten siding, since the bats cover the gaps that result from shrinkage.) The other advantage of B&B is that you don't need sheathing--it just gets nailed onto nailers that are mounted to the studs.
Anyone have this sort of siding on their building? I wonder if there are any problems insulating a building sided this way, since there might be gaps where water can come through (since there's no sheathing). I'm considering clapboards or shiplap instead, but concerned about cost. Also installation: seems like installing B&B would be a lot easier--it could be done with just a ladder, whereas horizontal siding might require scaffolding.
Looking forward to any advice anyone is willing to offer!