# Can we talk Barn Homes, or Barndominiums?



## AndrewOSpencer

Have any of you fine folks built or had one of these built? I'm looking to do so on some acreage and wanted your insight. 

I haven't bought the property yet, but have begun searching. 

What were your experiences? What pitfalls should I be aware of? 

What would you have done differently? 

Thanks in advance,

Andy


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## jwal10

I bought a small farm with an old barn. I used it for a while but it was in bad shape. I ended up tearing it down and rebuilding. It was post and beam and the bottom of the posts were rotted off. They were sitting on rocks and over the years some had fallen off, others were just rotten from neglect, the rain had poured in. I poured a foundation with stem walls 3' high and rebuilt the barn on top of those. Laid down a treated 2'x6', then built on that. I didn't use all of the barn, I rebuilt much smaller, the bents (sections) are the same but only 3 instead of 5. It had additions on 2 sides that protected a lot of the original structure. I added one back as a workshop. I now have a nice straight barn with a apartment above and storage and garage on the first floor....James


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## hiddensprings

We live in an apartment we built inside of a 40X50 metal barn. It's hubby's shop on the bottom and our apartment is upstairs. We have about 1,000 square feet. We did 85% of the work ourselves so we paid as we went. Great not having a mortgage. We did it very nice: central heat and air, tile and hardwood floors, two bedrooms, 1 full bath, nice kitchen, large greatroom, laundry room. the only thing lacking is storage space but I figure that out by getting rid of a lot of stuff that we haven't used for years. Overall, we love it. Hubby still wants to build a "real" house but I am very happy in my little space. :happy:


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## Ostie82

I'm very interested in this too. Jwal10 and hiddensprings, could you guys post some pictures? Thanks!


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## Raymond James

I have not done it. I have seen many metal buildings with a slab on grade concrete floor that are used as a garage/shop/house/ barn. They put the plumbing in the footing , build the metal structure like normal then construct either a single story or two story house in part of the metal building in one end of it. When you are in the house you would never know it was a metal Morten style building with the dry wall and insulation. 

If you have a wood post and beam frame you can do what James did . 


When I was stationed in Germany I thought one little village was very odd looking . Great big , long , two story buildings . The town smelled like cattle but during the winter yet I never saw any . By spring I had figured out that the bottom of the building was the barn and the "house" was located above it. These were of large block or brick construction. Come spring they let the cattle out to graze but seemed to keep them inside during winter I would not recommend using the building s a barn and a house at the same time. 

The barn/garage /shops seem to work. Drywall the wall between the shop /garage with thick drywall and if possible make it two layers thick to provide fire break. lots of Fire extinguishers especially if you weld or use a torch. Store flammables/fuel/ paint out in a smaller shed. Use exhaust hoses if you ever run a vehicle inside the building.


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## MushCreek

We sort of did that, but not completely. I built the 28X48 barn first, and used it as a base of operations for building the house. I never finished the inside of the barn, though. I did put in a full bath, and lived in it for 1-1/2 years, but without insulation, it was a stretch at times.

Building the barn first did pay off in another way- my wife got a job here before the house was done, so we were able to move our entire household and store it in the barn. This allowed us to sell our old house and move forward.

Pitfalls? Zoning regulations, for one thing. Not every place will allow it, and you may have to build the barn to a much higher standard for living in as opposed to a simple outbuilding. I couldn't have afforded our barn if I had to meet all of the current codes for a dwelling- plumbing, electrical, insulation, etc. If you're really going to live in it, especially for an extended period, plan on building it to residential code for your own safety and comfort, if nothing else.

I used plans from barnplans (dotcom). The plans are reasonable, come in a variety of sizes, and are handsome barns, with large usable lofts. We could have easily finished off our loft and lived in it. If nothing else, their website is full of inspiration for those who dream of barns!

Eventually, I'll finish the interior. We're going to separate 1/3 of the barn for a finished great room, with tongue and groove walls and a 22' ceiling. With the bathroom already there, this will be our guesthouse for overnight guests. The other 2/3's will be my workshop, as we don't plan to keep large animals. The loft will be storage and maybe a man cave.


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## mike554

I guess everyone looks at things differently. This is my idea of a barn home.


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## hiddensprings

I'll post some photo's of our building and apartment this evening for you all


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Mike, as beautiful as those pics are, that is post and beam construction. Many many houses have been built that way that have nothing to do with barns.


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## mike554

No, that is timber framing and I have built quite a few barns.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

My mistake on terminology, but even still, looking at the second pic, I guess I have never seen a barn with a walk out basement. I guess when I think of barn, I think cement or dirt floor.


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## mike554

I wasn't trying to imply that these were barns. They are obviously residences but I have built two barns that have living quarters above.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

Ok, I gotcha.


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## Hornacopia

My dad and I built a 32 x 40 barn about 15 years ago using plans from barnplans.com. Finished it off as a workshop below and 1-bedroom apartment above. It is very comfortable for the dog and me at about 1100 square feet in the apartment. I have plans to add a wing that will give me another 300 square feet and an entrance without stairs.

One thing to consider with the workshop/apartment configuration is that you go up/down stairs for everything. Appliances, furniture, and the wood stove were a challenge. When I built this place at the age of 35, I didn't think much about it. After two back surgeries, at the age of 50 I am thinking forward many years and realizing I need a "no stairs" entrance. I've also thought through an elevator if it ever comes to that.

We did all the work ourselves, with the exception of the site prep and septic system. I didn't have a tractor at the time, or I would have done it all. Working with our local inspectors was easy -- they liked the plan and commented at how strongly it was designed. I did make some upgrades structually, such as upgrading stud walls from 2x4 to 2x6 and support posts from 4x4 to 6x6. At the time, I figured my total cost to build including site prep and tools I had to purchase was about $40,000.

In my area, there are many barn homes and also living quarters built into pole buildings. If I were going to do it again, I might build a barn/workshop and live in a trailer until the inspectors were gone, as I did have to comply with all building codes because I intended to live in the structure.

Sorry, not the best photos -- taken last summer during some work on the house.

Horn


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## susanneb

Hornacopia,
Where in PNW are you located? Oregon? Washington? Idaho?

I've often thought of doing this, but with a twist... Build a garage with an apartment overhead, with the option of bringing in the miniature horses on the rare occasion that the weather is nasty enough to call for it. The rest of the time the garage/barn area would serve as art and music studio and open living space. We've decided against this, though, as like hornacopia, we don't want stairs to force us out when we get arthritic and less stable.


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## Hornacopia

susanneb said:


> Hornacopia,
> Where in PNW are you located? Oregon? Washington? Idaho?
> /QUOTE]
> 
> I'm in Southwest Washington. If I were to build another barn home with upstairs living quarters, I would bank it into the hillside to allow drive-up access if at all possible. I'm planning one more structure like that at my homestead, with shop space downstairs and guest quarters upstairs. It will be built into the hillside with an access road at the back, and no stairs.
> 
> Horn


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## jhambley

Here's our "Barn-Style" home. Built using traditional stick framing (2x6) on a fully insulated slab. We built the home to age in place so we've used many Universal Design concepts including zero threshold exterior entries, raised dishwasher, ADA compliant bathroom sinks and showers, etc.


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## NKyFarmGuy

My wife and I are planning to build a pole barn home starting this summer. Glad you started this post, I'm anxious to see what more of the seasoned vets here have to say. Especially those that might be living in this type of home. Really curious about cost vs traditional stick built styles. We will also be building on acreage and beginning our homestead.


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## jhambley

NKyFarmGuy said:


> Really curious about cost vs traditional stick built styles.


We found very little cost difference between stick-built traditional framing and a pole barn once you add-in the insulation, concrete slab, etc. 

We were trying to balance longevity/low maintenance with material cost. Most people are quite surprised when they visit for the first time as the interior finish is not what they expect from a barn home


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## Dixie Bee Acres

mike554 said:


> No, that is timber framing and I have built quite a few barns.


Sorry to hijack, but I have a question.
Mike, you corrected me on the terminology I used, that got me to thinking about it, what is the difference between timber frame and post and beam construction?
What are the advantages of one over the other?


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## cochran spots

jhambley said:


> Here's our "Barn-Style" home. Built using traditional stick framing (2x6) on a fully insulated slab. We built the home to age in place so we've used many Universal Design concepts including zero threshold exterior entries, raised dishwasher, ADA compliant bathroom sinks and showers, etc.



Wondering how many bedrooms


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## lamoncha lover

Living in one now. Love it. Was way cheaper for us than traditional ..cheaper overall then a mobile home of comparable size. Our first winter here..warm and comfy


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## MushCreek

True timber framing doesn't use mechanical fasteners to connect the beams together, using careful joinery and wooden pegs instead. Post and beam generally relies on bolts, lags, and sometimes metal plates to hold the beams together. There is some gray area, and the terms are often (incorrectly) interchanged.


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## Dixie Bee Acres

MushCreek said:


> True timber framing doesn't use mechanical fasteners to connect the beams together, using careful joinery and wooden pegs instead. Post and beam generally relies on bolts, lags, and sometimes metal plates to hold the beams together. There is some gray area, and the terms are often (incorrectly) interchanged.


Ok, I gotcha. Thank you.


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## jhambley

cochran spots said:


> Wondering how many bedrooms


Three bedrooms, two baths, 2,600 square feet. It's -13F outside with 30 MPH winds today and we are heating it entirely with the wood stove shown below.

I also included a photo of our "barn" kitchen


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## Dixie Bee Acres

I love the stone work around the wood stove.


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## jwal10

My old barn frame looked like the first picture but not near as heavy beams and 3 bays (bents) It is 20'x24'. The old floor joists are rough 2"x10", fully insulated and enclosed on the bottom. Up stairs was studded in and insulated. Some sheet rock and a lot of barn board. I reused the old loft floor over plywood sheathing. Very minimal cabinets made from old barn boards. I used a lot of the old roofing as wainscote. Siding is the old barn boards....James


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## cochran spots

Your house is beautiful we are trying to find a floor plan I like not getting much help here in Missouri and what's best insulation and ect.to use we want the most energy efficient we can build


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## jhambley

This is the third house we've built. I have purchased and modified plans in the past but I designed and drew up the plans for this house myself. We went with open cell foam insulation which I am very happy with. 

I woke up to -25F outside this morning and it was 72 in the house with an over night burn in our wood stove. 

As always, there are a few things I would do differently on this house if I had to do-over.

Let me know if I can answer any other specific questions.


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## cochran spots

How did u insulate your floor


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## jhambley

We insulated the footer and slab with 2" of rigid foam insulation (R10). If time had allowed, I would have at least plumbed the slab with Pex in order to try out radiant heating but we were pressing up against winter and needed to get the foundation in.

I do like that the wood stove is a passive heating system with little to go wrong (no electricity or pumps required).


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## cochran spots

Thank you for your help I will probably be asking you more advice


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## NKyFarmGuy

@jhambley, Your home looks great. I will certainly come to you with more questions in the future. We're planning to do most things very simple (repurposing) at first and eventually improve a room at a time with cash as we go. Was wondering, have you lived in your home through the summer yet, and do any of your rooms have other floor coverings?


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## jhambley

NKyFarmGuy,

We have been living in the house since June 2013 working on the interior. The HVAC contractor severely oversized the air condition unit (5 ton) for the amount of insulation in the house causing the unit to short cycle. Only running several times an hour for only 5 minutes it lowered the temperature in the house but did little to dehumidify. Based on my calculations we probably only needed a 1.5-2.0 ton unit. I was able to get him to replace the 5 ton unit with a 3.5 ton but I feel the unit is still oversized so I most likely will have to install a whole house dehumidifier with fresh air intake next Spring.

As far as the floors...my wife plans to place an area rug in the living room after we complete training a new puppy. Since we run a cattle ranch, have several kids, and more than a few dogs, it's very easy to maintain the stained/waxed concrete.

Before









After


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## jhambley

Clean up made simple 

The noise you hear is the squeegee I need to adjust dragging on the floor. It actually makes less noise than our vacuum. 

[ame]http://youtu.be/bkZBVG2BfQM[/ame]


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## Goat Doula

Oh boy, I had to jump in here. Jhambley, love your house! That barn kitchen is hard to take! LOL I am assuming the stone around the wood stove heats up so preserves the heat longer. Smart idea. Are the concrete floors cold though without any radiant heat in them? How about hard on your feet and legs? Do you have a central heating system. I am amazed your house was 72 this morning in that temp. We had the same temp with wind chill -20 all day. I've been scurrying trying to keep our beautiful big old farm house warm today with our 2 pellet stoves plus a wood fire in the wood furnace in the basement. Of course the basement is the old rock wall! Uggh! Something to say about new, well insulated and tight!! We are thinking about selling all but 10 acres of our farm and building a energy efficient house on the 10 acres. We too are talking the foam insulation. Much better choice than the pink stuff? Thanks so much for sharing your experience and knowledge. Would love to see more interior pictures if it isn't too invasive! Beautiful place.


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## jhambley

Goat Doula,

The stone does absorb/release the heat from the wood stove and moderate it a bit but the primary reason was to better protect the stove from our young granddaughter or anyone else walking by. It also hides the back of the wood stove which isn't all that attractive especially with the outside cold air intake coming out of the slab.

The floor aren't freezing but they certainly aren't warm except in front of the wood stove. For example, it's 15F outside right now and I just measured the floors in the center of the house at 68F. Installing radiant heat of course would have made the floors more comfortable. 

We do have a standard heat pump HVAC system with a emergency electric heat strip for backup or in case we want to leave for an extended period of time.

As far as insulation, in previous houses we have installed traditional pink fiberglass, blown cellulose, and finally open cell foam. There is no doubt in my mind the foam is by far the better product but of course it is more expensive as well. The foam is so much better at sealing all the cracks and preventing air infiltration. We have absolutely no drafts in this house and that's saying something at the top of a hill in Kansas.

I'm still working to finish the house even though we have been living in it since June. I still have more cabinetry to install as well as detail trims and moldings. I purposely sited the house higher on the hill and orientated to take advantage of the prevailing South/Southwest winds. The house is also relatively narrow at 30' with large windows and patio doors directly across from one another to allow plenty of air flow. If you Google "Dogtrot" design you'll see that I patterned the large center patio doors located on the north and south sides of the house to mimic this design mostly used in the south to help with cooling. The interior is also very open with half walls defining the living areas. I have an unobstructed view the entire 80 feet length of the house. The few full height interior walls used to provide privacy to the bedrooms and the second bath have very large openings (four to six feet wide). I'm planning to make all the interior doors rolling barn doors so they act like large wall partitions again allowing for maximum air flow through the building.

Here are a few more photos from the build. 

Hill Top Last Winter









View from my front porch last Spring









Foam Insulation in Exterior Walls, Fiberglass in Interior Walls for Soundproofing









Attic Insulation / Mechanical Equipment









Dining Room with Living Room Behind Stone Wall









Second Bath shower









Second Bath Sink









Master Bath Sinks


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## jhambley

A few kitchen details

Popup Mixer shelf in Island (before counter top install)









Spice Racks next to range top









Utensil drawer next to range top









Cutting board with built-in compost bin underneath


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## Goat Doula

You certainly are on a hill as we would be if/when we sell the big farm house and downsize. Your house is just beautiful! I love your kitchen. It's a cooks dream. I love to cook and bake so I can appreciate all your beautiful work. I've seen the spice drawers beside the stove before but not the pop up mixer stand, utensil drawer or the hole in the cutting board for compost underneath. Those features are amazing and handy. I haven't seen kitchen cabinets I've liked as ours are the old fashion oak that were built with wood taken from this land over a 100 years ago. I have silverware drawers and a pass through to the dinning room. We love this beautiful old house and the craftsmanship but retirement age is here and it's time to downsize. The foam insulation is fabulous and I'm sure there will be a savings even with the extra expense of it. Did you spray it yourself or have a professional do it? We would have a full concrete basement with radiant heat. Back up with a Pioneer wood cook stove. We are also planning to build to take advantage of passive solar with the garage being built on the north side of the house. We Would also build with the open floor plan but small. Under 1,400 feet. Like you, one floor, 36" doors etc. We also raise beef cows, we only keep 4 though and sell the babies they have in the spring come fall. We have dairy goats, a jersey cow for our butter, chickens and horses. Busy but worth it. Thank you so much for sharing your build, house and knowledge. It helps so much for future planning.


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## cindilu

jhambley said:


> Three bedrooms, two baths, 2,600 square feet. It's -13F outside with 30 MPH winds today and we are heating it entirely with the wood stove shown below.
> 
> I also included a photo of our "barn" kitchen





I love love love this, now you are giving me some really good ideas.


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## jhambley

We had the foam insulation sprayed by an insulation contractor. I believe the cost was just shy of $10,000


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## jhambley

Thanks Cindilu. The cabinets were built by a friend of mine using quarter sawn red oak which is actually quite plentiful and close by in Missouri. We wanted a very simple Shaker meets Arts and Crafts type of look.


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## Goat Doula

I think hiring the spray foam done is worth the money for sure. One other think I thought of I think I would like is a "pot filler". It's a large faucet that swings from left to right over your stove. That would be very handy!


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## jhambley

Goat Doula said:


> One other think I thought of I think I would like is a "pot filler". It's a large faucet that swings from left to right over your stove. That would be very handy!


We plumbed one into the slab but decided against it because we didn't want any plumbing in the outside walls. Since we would have to carry the pot full of water to the sink to empty after cooking, we thought it just wasn't worth the expense.


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## Goat Doula

Very good point there!! They are an added expense to put in and it would depend on the wall you put it on it could end up a very big mess. Thanks for mentioning that! I don't think I expressed how much I love all the work you've done. The kitchen counter tops, bathroom counter tops and I love the sinks! The show is beautiful. I have dreamed of tiled walls in a shower with the floor being river rock. I saw it on a show and it was beautiful. I guess we've pretty much decided to put our farm up for sale in the spring, )-: keep out 10 acres to build a new small open floor plan home and new barn on.


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## jhambley

Goat Doula said:


> I guess we've pretty much decided to put our farm up for sale in the spring, )-: keep out 10 acres to build a new small open floor plan home and new barn on.


Good for you! Spring will be here before you know it!! If you build it yourself ,you really can get a lot of extra features for just the cost of materials (which usually aren't that expensive).


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## jhambley

Island granite installed this morning.









Kitchen Sink and Faucet Installed


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## Goat Doula

Love love love IT!!! Love the sink and faucet!!! I was thinking this morning about a 2 bay commercial sink with the side drain boards which I already have. We have been trying to set up a licensed micro goat dairy so have some SS work tables, 3 bay SS sink and the 2 bay. If we get the farm sold I will take all of that. Thanks for your encouraging words on selling and downsizing. I will be sad to leave this farm house I love it but looking forward to a more simple way of living. I will be 61 in a few days and the reality is I won't want to keep this place up in a few years. This aging think stinks. Did you do your own tile work in the bathrooms? I feel like I could do that but wouldn't want to mess it up.


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## jhambley

Yes, I did all the tile work. I've had quite a bit of DYI experience throughout the years. I've built three houses now and the only thing I haven't tried to tackle is the concrete work. 

Tile work isn't difficult. You just have to take your time and have the right tools (wet saw, nippers, etc). I think Home Depot even runs a class every so often to demo the techniques.


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## jhambley

Goat Doula said:


> I will be 61 in a few days and the reality is I won't want to keep this place up in a few years.


I'm in my mid fifties so I'm not too far behind you....but I also still have kids in middle school if that makes you feel any better. 

My mother is in her 80s and says that "Old Age Ain't for Wimps" 

I think this is my last home build but never say never!!


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## jhambley

I tried to post this before but I don't think it worked. Someone asked me how we clean the concrete floors. "Say Hello to my little friend" 

[ame="http://youtu.be/bkZBVG2BfQM"]http://youtu.be/bkZBVG2BfQM[/ame]


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## Goat Doula

I guess we have a lot in common. We've built 2 houses and still have a middle school child and two that will graduate next year!!! Grown kids and grandkids! Love them all and love having a large family. I think your Mother is right for sure!!! 

Thanks for the tip on doing the tile work. I will look for a class in my area because I really think I could do that and would enjoy doing it. So now I am looking at pictures of LARGE roll in tile showers with river rock floors!! (-: Hehehee!!


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## jhambley

Starting on the big zero entrance shower. It's 8' x 4' with two shower heads. The one to the left will have a sliding head to allow someone in a wheel chair to control the height and controls. All the framing has already been installed to secure multiple grab bars on both sides.


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## Goat Doula

This is perfect. Love the sliding shower head and grab bars. Do you think you will put a seat in there? Good ideas to keep in mind for us. I notice the starter board near the bottom. Will the bottom of the shower tiles come up the wall? Maybe some one piece corner pieces with no seam? I love this. Can't thank you enough for sharing your construction and knowledge! (-:


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## jhambley

Goat Doila, my wife didn't want a permanent seat in the shower so we decided on a removable one made of teak. 

As far as the bottom of the floor tiles where they meet the floor, I will complete the floor first then set the last row of wall tiles trimming them to match the slope of the floor. If you Google "tiling shower walls or floor first" you get as many opinions as asking for a Chili recipe  The important thing is, always have a drain path for the water if it gets through your grout lines or seams. In this case, a continuous rubber membrane runs under the floor and 18" up the walls so any water that penetrates, drains to the center drain's weep holes.


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## jhambley

Master Bath Shower


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## Goat Doula

Absolutely beautiful!!! Boy, you sure work fast!! I love all your earthy colors!


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## jhambley

Goat Doula said:


> Absolutely beautiful!!! Boy, you sure work fast!! I love all your earthy colors!


It didn't seem to go fast  I took some time off this week in order to get this project crossed of the list since we are hosting a Birthday party for our grand daughter this weekend.


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## Goat Doula

Sounds like a fun time! Happy Birthday to your Grand Daughter!!! She has a beautiful home to celebrate in!


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## jhambley

I installed the new doorbell tonight.


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## Goat Doula

Now that is just perfect!!! :cute:


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## cindilu

Okay, pretty sure I missed this but where did you find your bathroom sinks? Loving all the details on your barn home. Very good job.


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## jhambley

Thank you for your kind comments everyone.

Master Bath Sinks: http://amzn.com/B006ZTEZI8

Second Bath Copper Sink: http://amzn.com/B004CFEB2W

Kitchen Sink: http://amzn.com/B0032BWTR6


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## lamoncha lover

we are living in a barn home. It is not finished but is livable if you don't care about interior walls!. So far I am very happy with our home. It was very reasonable to build and is very comfie. I would absolutely go with acid stained floors and foam insulation. I feel like those 2 things were our major wins. I only wish we had done this maybe 30 years ago and bypassed big home mortgages.


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## warbird

Jhambley.... how big a building is that? and if you dont mind me asking what was your initial cost to get dried in? just shell and slab


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## crazyfarm

How much did ya'lls concrete floors cost? With our big dogs I've been dying to do it.


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## kycrawler

Here is mine still in progress


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## Elevenpoint

I think the most important part is that the trusses are two foot on center and the roof is sheeted. In the Ozarks where there is no building codes they are built with trusses 5-8 foot on center and when the annual ice storm rolls through...down comes the building. Mine had been built by the previous owner with two foot on center trusses but not a sheathed roof. When I decided to sell the house and some acreage I was set with a free building that already had separate electric service and water. I poured exposed aggregate concrete floors and framed up 2x6 walls. Most of the materials were left over from building projects off the farm...free hot water heater..stove..garden tub...sinks...facets...kohler toilet. I have twelve foot walls but only framed up eight feet...and it is u-shaped with a one car garage also. Ended up with this building...two other buildings...twelve plus acres...fenced and cross fenced...nice pond...very private....all debt free. Can hunt deer from the loft.


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## bryant

We are going to start our Timber Frame Barn house (1 story only) next year. The foot print will be 28 x 40, footing was pre-existing from the house that burned down back in 2007, right after it was finished. We bought the property last year and have been cleaning up what mother nature was reclaiming. I will be using on site oak trees for the beams and leaving them round wood as opposed to making them rectangular beams. Our house plan is very similar to jhambley's exterior. The interior will be open floor plan with exposed beam works and a double roof system with metal exterior for water collection. The enclosure will be envelope type (outside of the beam structure), with 6" thick walls filled with spray in place foam insulation. There will be a wood burning cook stove in the kitchen, an outside summer kitchen with washer/dryer located there. The only interior walls will enclose the bathroom and bed room, the bedroom walls will also be the closets with the rest of the space open.


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## Jo in PA

I have been following this tread. I would love to build a one story home with outbuildings attached to the side of the house for chickens, goats, etc.... There would be like a hallway going across the back of the different "rooms" that the animals would stay in. This way you could feed the animals with out going outside. Does this make sense? I read a book years ago about a woman who had a home like this. Does anyone have a home like this? Or, do you remember the book? Or, maybe a website?


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## smccuen

I am renovating the barn my parents built 42 years ago. It has a concrete block base topped with a board and batten loft and is about 40 ft by 60 ft. Includes five stalls, 12 x 12 ft each and two bedrooms with full baths. The central hall is 15 ft by 60 ft. The loft is a full 40 x 60 with plywood floors and open rafters. I hope to convert one of the bedrooms into a kitchen for processing milk, cheese, garden produce and pickings from an orchard. I will sleep in the other bedroom until I have a house built in a few years. For now it's a weekend property as I have a home in the neighboring state and a few years to go before retirement. It may be that in time I will convert some of the loft into rooms. For now it's a very handy storage area. The shingle roof will be replaced some day with a metal roof.


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