Foundations
Our packages come with your choice of four foundations:
1. Post frame foundation
2. Monolithic foundation
3. Footing and Stemwall foundation
4. Any combination of the three
The Post Frame foundation is simple, strong, and inexpensive: 6”x6” or larger posts are buried four feet or more in the ground. These posts vary in length from 12’ to 26’. Pressure treated for rot resistance, they are placed on concrete pads and backfilled with dirt, gravel, or concrete. These posts provide support for timbers that support the roof and wall framing; hence, post frame.
Post frame buildings are used for horses and other animals, crop storage, machinery, and commercial buildings. Eventually, many of these buildings will be converted to homes. Post frame buildings are often used in horse barns so that the posts provide the structural frame for the horse stalls. An additional advantage to post frame is that the posts may be placed on a slight (up to 2') slope and fill brought in to level the grade. This often saves on initial site work and final grading costs.
When the building is not to be used for animals, the monolithic foundation (for stick frame) is often the best choice. It is the most adaptable and possibly the strongest. It is easily poured in one continuous concrete pour, combining footing, Stemwall, and the floor slab. It requires a minimum of excavation and formwork. It is the most adaptable foundation for future uses. (The county building departments tell us that 80% of these buildings will someday be homes.) To meet county insulation requirements for use as homes, offices or heated garages, we specify 2 x 10 rafters and 2 x 6 stud walls for buildings utilizing monolithic foundations. The additonal cost of the heavier duty roof system is offset by the savings in the pressure treated posts of the post frame system, enabling the same package pricing for all four foundations. Monolithic and stemwall foundations will add higher appraisal value to your property than post frame foundations.
The Stemwall foundation allows room for a crawlspace or basement. It is used primarily for houses. When the cost of the
additional wood floor is added in, it becomes the most costly of all the foundations and correspondingly receives the highest appraisals. Stemwall foundations are used with 2 x 6 exterior studwalls and 2 x 10 roof rafter systems.
Our fourth foundation is a combination of post frame, monolithic, or stemwall foundations. Combinations give us flexibility to create more functional and higher quality multiple-use buildings. The combination foundation offers the best solution when combining living space and animal space.
Wall Systems
Uncle Howard's offers both post frame walls and stick frame walls for the barn exterior. The interior framing is post and beam with larger finished glulam beams or mill sawn beams and glulam posts, log posts, and mill sawn posts. The post frame wall system utilizes 6" x 6" and 6" x 8" pressure treated posts set on concrete footings 4 1/2 feet deep in the ground. Simple and strong, the post frame foundations are great for agricultural buildings, shops, and garages and are often converted to homes.
The stick frame wall system utilizes 2 x 6 and 2 x 8 kiln dried lumber spaced 16" and 24" on center. Stick frame walls are easily finished inside and out and are easy to insulate. They are the wall of choice for most homes and workshops. You may use any siding you like. Although board and batten style is our most commonly used siding, the buildings come with a horizontal cedar beltline 4' up the wall which allows easy addition of other siding treatments. It will be relatively easy to add log siding, bevel siding, hardiboard, stone, or brick skirting now or at a later date. If you do choose an alternate siding, we will provide high quality real plywood sub-siding for the skirting area and rebate $1.00 per siding square foot.
Roof Systems
Cathedral ceilings are standard in Uncle Howard's buildings. Roof ventilation is provided by continuous ridge vents in homes and by functional cupolas in barns. Windows may be substituted for cupola vents in barn homes for additional light. Our post and beam roof framing system supports 2 x 8 or 2 x 10 rafters spaced 16" or 24" on center. Most jurisdictions require one hurricane tie every other rafter. For ease and accuracy of construction, our buildings have two hurricane ties per rafter. Because our roofs are stronger, we can design for higher wind and snow loads at little additional cost.
In post frame buildings, the 2 x 8 rafters are often left exposed to view. In stick frame buildings, the 2 x 10 rafters are more energy efficient and will often eventually be insulated and enclosed. 2 x 10 rafters may be upgraded to 2 x 12 rafters for additional insulation. Roofs are sheeted with 1/2" CDX plywood. Our standard roofing is 30-year architectural shingles over 15 lb. roofing felt. Metal may be substituted on barns with shed dormers. There will be an extra cost for metal roofs on barns with gable dormers and valleys. Tile can also be used (at additional cost). The additional weight of tile must be noted in the structural engineering. Changing to tile after plans are submitted to engineering will result in additional engineering costs.
Beams
All beams, girders, and post caps are designed larger than needed. Exposed beams are Douglas fir glulams, already planed for a beautiful exposed beam look. Whenever possible, they are supported by glulam posts. The planed and pre-sanded surface of the glulam beams and posts will require minimal labor to obtain a rich finished wood look. Black iron bolts and brackets add strength and character.
Because of our stronger timbers, we are able to span 32' or more without posts and still support the loft. Whenever possible, post frame barn rafters are continuous 2x8 kiln dried lumber. Monolithic and Stemwall foundation buildings have energy efficient kiln dried 2x10 rafters. You may upgrade to 2 x 12 rafters for greater energy efficiency.
Building Trim
Our building trim is all Western Red Cedar fascia, barge, corner trim, door trim and window trim. Not only is our barge and fascia Red Cedar, it is extra thick (by the way, it hasn't cost us that much more to put the extra quality into these barn packages).
Accessories
Our company designs and builds an extensive line of barn doors, windows, cupolas, and dormers. These accessories will perfectly fit our barn packages. We can readily redesign these accessories to meet your special needs.
ASAP Building Packages
We have cut our design, engineering, and delivery time. We can now offer 10-day "fast-track" delivery times on some of our "off-the-shelf" barn packages.
(We weren't always that fast!)
Quality and Beauty
The quality and beauty of our barn packages guarantee increasingly high appraisals, not only of the building but of the property on which it is built.
Whenever possible, to make the barn packages better, we have taken the time and effort to do it. Even though you may not need completed living or office space right now, if that time should come, completing the conversions of our buildings will save you both time and money.
We hope you will choose Uncle Howard's!