Grit

Simple DIY POLE BARN

If you need to add shelter to your homestead easily and economically, pole barns are right for you. They’re the fastest, most cost-effective way to build permanent, solid shelter to store equipment, house livestock, or function as a garage or workshop facility. You can even use the pole barn approach to build a year-round home. A big part of the attraction is simplicity. There are only four steps involved in building a pole barn, and the first one’s even optional! None of the work requires fancy tools or finely honed skills.

The steps to successful pole-barn building are simple: Create a level base pad (if you want more than just the earth underfoot), set poles vertically into holes in the ground, connect them across the top with beams and braces, then put roof trusses on top. No need for a complicated foundation, either. Even in regions with cold, frost-prone winters, pole barns endure well with nothing more than the simplest connections to the earth. And if this weren’t advantage enough, pole barns also offer the option of using your own logs and rough-cut lumber for many parts of the job. The only thing wrong with pole barns is the name, because this building approach is useful for so much more than just barns.

If you’ve never constructed anything large before, then a pole barn

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Grit

Grit6 min read
Havens for Honeybees
With the increasing attention being given to specialized floral plantings tailored to target groups, such as native bees, butterflies, and garden pest predators, it’s no surprise honeybees should get their turn with honeybee pastures. Texts on the hi
Grit3 min read
Bugs Bunny And The Fly
Nostalgia, thy name is “drive-in theater.” This iconic pastime is no longer a standard part of America’s landscape. Oh, sure, some remain, but it’s certainly not the way it was when I grew up. My family didn’t go to the drive-in often, but when we di
Grit2 min read
Our View
Few things ring truer to me recently than the Creole quote “One rain does not make a crop.” It reminds me, particularly lately, that many of the changes we wish to see don’t happen instantly, but through time and good work. Often, we get so busy tryi

Related