Property owners in Kansas have two primary options when it comes to erecting new buildings. They can opt for traditional, stick-framed structures, or they can enlist the help of a skilled pole barn builder.
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of misconceptions about pole barns. Thanks to the name, many people assume that they’re only appropriate for agricultural use when in reality, pole barns make fantastic garages, commercial buildings, workshops, and even homes. Read on to find out the truth about pole barn construction.
What Is a Pole Barn?
The term “pole barn” can be traced back to the Great Depression, when farmers needed to come up with affordable ways to construct new outbuildings for livestock, grain storage, and other purposes. They did so by using old telephone poles to construct post-and-beam frames, then clad the non-load-bearing walls with whatever was available.
Although the name is still in use, today’s pole barns are much more advanced and versatile. They still feature the same post-frame construction, but the materials professional contractors use for the beams, trusses, and walls are of a higher quality. Once the buildings are completed, most people can’t even tell the difference between modern pole barns and stick-framed structures.
Common Applications for Pole Barns
Because the technology behind and materials used in pole barn construction have come such a long way, today’s post-frame structures are incredibly versatile. Of course, they can still be used as agricultural barns and outbuildings, but now, it’s just as common to see post-and-beam structures used as garages, storage buildings, workshops, and more. Plenty of people even use this building technique to construct permanent homes.
The Benefits of Pole Barns
Wondering why people are starting to make the switch from stick-framed to post-framed building techniques? There are many reasons, but the most commonly cited of them include:
- Significantly lower foundation costs since pole barns don’t require full slabs or basements.
- More lenient requirements when it comes to soil compaction, slope, and other vital aspects of site selection.
- Ease of constructing additions later once the primary structure is already complete.
- Faster build times thanks to the simplicity of pole barn design.
- Possibility of adding doors and windows up to eight feet wide without incurring additional construction costs.
- Greater structural integrity since 100% of the building’s load is transferred through the poles directly into the ground.
- Better energy efficiency thanks to the larger gaps between structural components.
- Open floor plans that allow property owners to use their buildings however they see fit.
Every situation is a little different, but the good thing about pole barns is that they’re versatile enough to meet almost any demand. Property owners just need to find skilled contractors that know how to make the most out of the many benefits of post-frame construction.
The Importance of Choosing a Skilled Pole Barn Builder
One of the only problems with Kansas Pole Barns is that despite the growing popularity of these structures, there still aren’t a lot of local contractors that specialize in pole barn building. Don’t settle for working with a contractor who focuses primarily on stick-frame construction and offers pole barn building as an afterthought. The only way to wind up with the perfect pole barn is to work with a contractor that specializes in post-and-beam construction.
