This Wednesday readers “Ask the Guru” about the placement of screws through the high ribs of steel roofing, exploring options for a future build, and required engineering for post frame in Skagit County, WA.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi all, not sure if this is the right place to have this discussion, but I just had a metal roof put on. My contractor put the screws through the ribs. I realize that this used to be a way to do it, but it does not seem to be the best way to do it nowadays. So, my question is, should I ask him to screw in flat sections too? Or, do I just roll with it until it develops problems? I do not want to add more screws to the flat section if that will just make the problem worse. Our distributor sent very long screws with the roofing metal, so my guy just assumed it was meant for the rib…Any help or advice would be appreciated. Obviously a very frustrating situation! And, for what it is worth, I live in a very flat, windy area. Not much wind break. JUSTIN in MT. VERNON
DEAR JUSTIN: I would add proper screws, in flats, as should have been done originally. It will not hurt (other than it will look like your roof has a lot of screws) and may relieve some of the potential for slots to form around screws in high ribs. Of course your best solution – replace roofing and do it right.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi there, I’m currently exploring options for a future build and wanted to learn more about your pole barn kits to determine if this is the right route for my project. I’m particularly interested in understanding the approximate cost of a 2,000 square foot pole barn kit, along with what’s included in that package. Additionally, I’d appreciate any insight you can share on the full build-out process. Specifically, I’d like to get a sense of the total cost when factoring in the foundation, interior build (such as framing, insulation, plumbing, electrical, etc.), and any other essentials needed to complete the space. I understand you may focus primarily on providing the kits, but any guidance or recommendations you can provide would be very helpful. The location of the potential build is Anderson, South Carolina. Looking forward to hearing from you and learning more. Best regards ARIANA in ANDERSON
DEAR ARIANA: Thank you for reaching out to us. Our building kits typically include all structural components needed to “dry in” your building – this would be framework, roofing, siding, doors, windows, any raised wood floors. Each of our buildings comes with site specific (your building and its openings, on your site) engineer sealed plans (with verifying engineer sealed plans). This is your assurance your barndominium will withstand appropriate climactic loads and perform admirably for generations. For fully engineered post-frame homes and barndominiums, modest tastes, total DIY, budget roughly $75-85 per square foot for conditioned spaces, $35 per square foot for other spaces. This does not include cost of land, site prep (including driveways and roads), utilities or permits. If you hire a General Contractor to “turn key” – expect to pay double to triple this amount. Act as your own General Contractor and hire out subcontractors, savings usually run 20-30% less than hiring a GC. Your building shell investment is roughly a third of your finished DIY investment.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Skagit County Planning and Development Services says: “Is engineering required for a post frame building? Yes, engineering is required. There is no provision in the International Residential Code (IRC) for prescriptive post frame construction. “Do the plans and kit come with an engineer’s stamp that I can submit to the Planning department for a building permit? Thanks, ED in BOW
DEAR ED: Every building we provide comes with site specific (your doors and openings, at your site) engineer sealed plans, with engineer sealed calculations. We have provided well over 1000 buildings in Washington State with dozens of them being to clients in Skagit county.
