# Pole barn into a house...



## ruby_jane (May 15, 2007)

One of the many daydreams we've entertained as of late is buyinga pole barn set-up and refitting it into a house. We saw one done nicely at the Cumberland County Fair a few years ago, and I mentioned it to the hubby in conversation this morning. THis is what I was sort of thinking...

http://www.barnplans.com/barnhouse.html

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mwps_dis/mwps_web/plans/72044.pdf

But even this would be nice 

http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/ExtPubs/Plans/5506.pdf

What do you all think? Any ideas, etc.?


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

If you want to insulate it with fiberglass then your going to have to build a stick frame inner wall to hold the insulation. I've thought about doing that too, but would build a stick frame side walls for that reason. There are some alternatives live foam bonded to OSB and use that for the walls, but I'd look at the cost comparisons on what it would take to build both a pole and stick building first.

Bobg


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## ruby_jane (May 15, 2007)

unioncreek said:


> If you want to insulate it with fiberglass then your going to have to build a stick frame inner wall to hold the insulation. I've thought about doing that too, but would build a stick frame side walls for that reason. There are some alternatives live foam bonded to OSB and use that for the walls, but I'd look at the cost comparisons on what it would take to build both a pole and stick building first.
> 
> Bobg


Ah, that it true...what about cost comparisons between pole barns and stick buildings?


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## MikesMate (Feb 26, 2006)

Ruby Jane, DH and I did this with our horse barn when we sold our house. The barn is 24x48 and took us about $15,000 to turn into a house. It's not nearly as fancy as the plans on your first link, but it's cozy...and best of all paid for!


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## ruby_jane (May 15, 2007)

MikesMate said:


> Ruby Jane, DH and I did this with our horse barn when we sold our house. The barn is 24x48 and took us about $15,000 to turn into a house. It's not nearly as fancy as the plans on your first link, but it's cozy...and best of all paid for!


I am so not worried about fancy  I want something simple we can mostly do ourselves and have it paid for in almost no time as compared to a regular stick home with an outrageous mortgage...

This is the article that started the conversation--someone had a stack of free older issues of Mother Earth News and I took the last five (someone else took the other 20 :Bawling: --

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Gree...quare-Foot-or-Less-Earth-Sheltered-House.aspx


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## MushCreek (Jan 7, 2008)

I like the barnplans plans, and I even bookmarked it. Partially because they are are engineered to current building codes. In this day and age, many areas are stringent about following building codes, and I'm not sure what you would have to do to convince inspectors that the house would meet code. The rules for outbuildings and ag buildings are usually much less strict than for habitable buildings. Some areas have little or no code enforcement- if so, consider yourself lucky! This is one of the things I find so irritating about the government trying to run our lives- If I want to live in a yurt or an igloo or a straw bale house on my own land, why do I have to prove anything to anyone? Sorry for the rant- as I said- sore subject. Do some research on building codes and enforcement in your area, then see what you can do.


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