This 12 X 18-foot shed is designed to provide additional family storage space, as well as providing practical experience in basic pole construction. No attempt has been made to detail the design for a specific need, but it could be adapted or fitted out for housing animals or poultry kept on a smaller scale than … Read more
A choice of layouts and of roof line is possible in the construction of this building simply by moving the tool shed from the rear to either side, and by switching the location of the poles to match. In this case the distance between the poles from front to back would be 11 feet and … Read more
Here in part is what Ed Robinson of the famous “Have-More” Plan wrote in 1945 about building a small barn: “Once you decide you’re going to have some livestock on your place in the country, then it’s obvious that you’ll need a barn to house it. “If you’re primarily interested in the production of your … Read more
Side Wall Construction If you want to have your pole building fully enclosed to the ground, start at the ground with splash boards. This is true whether you are planning an enclosed farm building, or to put skirting around the poles on which a house is built. Starting about 3 inches under the ground line … Read more
The outside plates at the eaves should be attached first. Determine the height for these plates by measuring up from a level line this way: Drive a nail in a pole a few inches above the highest point of ground. With a straight-edge and carpenter’s level establish this level point on all the poles in … Read more
Your plan or the soil condition may require that in each pole hole you have a concrete pad at the bottom. A good rule here is to pour the pad half as thick as the diameter of the hole. Do not set the poles until the concrete has cured. Pick out the straightest poles for … Read more
The first thing to consider even before starting to dig, is the general soil condition of the site; secondly its grade. In general for any pole building, the soil is considered below average if it is soft clay, poorly compacted sand, or clay containing large amounts of silt (with water standing during a wet period). … Read more
While detailed plans for certain kinds of pole buildings appear later in Part IV, this may be a good time to run through the steps of pole construction in general. This will give an overview that will help explain what pole construction entails, and what to look for in plans. This description assumes the building … Read more
Metal Fastenings Illustrated on these two pages is a variety of manufactured metal devices, these developed by Teco (5530 Wisconsin Ave., Washington, D.C. 20015). Such fasteners often simplify construction, save time, and in some cases save on materials. For instance, by using joist hangers rather than nailing the joists to the top of the plates, … Read more
Many people are becoming interested in pole building construction because they have heard or read that it is relatively cheap and simple. It is, but to understand exactly what it’s all about, we should start with a definition: Pole construction is building in which the vertical, load-bearing members are poles embedded in the ground, and … Read more