Dirt floor garage/shed?

[PingSpike]

I've kicked around the idea of building a separate detached garage near my house for awhile now. I have a two car attached garage but I...actually like to park my cars in it so it doesn't have much extra space even after organizing it. The goal for the separate building would be to house my wood pile (~5 cords) from the snow and a utility trailer. I certainly wouldn't mind having some extra space beyond that for some other larger garage items. If I went to the trouble to build it I'd probably like enough space to park one additional car beyond those items just in case.

Anyway, it seems the largest cost of installing a garage is the foundation, particularly up here in Vermont where you have to dig it deep down to get below the frost line. It sort of occurred to me that I don't really need anything fancy for the floor considering what I want to store. I'm not really sure what my options are. Are "pole barns" just usually posts in dirt (seems like it would rot) or do they have solotubes? Anyone have any idea how much those would cost to install?

I'm just looking for ideas right now.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

There are all kinds of options from DIY, to kits, to companies who will install it for you. There are many variations of metal structures of the type used for sheltering livestock/feed.

 

[edro]

You can bury the poles in the ground and pour concrete around them, or you can sit them on solotube pads, as you said. It's the same as a deck, it just has walls and a roof.

Are you wanting to have someone build and install it for you? Do you want a pre-built?
As you can imagine, costs vary immensely base on size, type, etc.

Many people use gravel (crushed limestone) as a base on top of dirt. It packs nicely and is more clean than dirt.

 

[Modelworks]

My brother had two buildings built from recycled lumber. Basically just poles in the ground with the siding nailed to it and the roof framed by hand with tin siding. Lumber rotting isn't an issue if you get it specd for ground contact. Treated lumber isn't always rated for ground contact. My brother was using recycled lumber and the poles used were creosote and that stuff never rots.

 

[paperfist]

Pole barns are usually cheaper to build especially when you consider the concrete costs of a slab or foundation. Really though how big are you looking to go?

I built a lean to shed off of my house to store the lawn mower, snow blower and garden tools like this:

http://www.hometips.com/diy-how-to/leanto-shed-build.html

mine is a little bigger, was pretty cheap and easy to do. Not sure if it's big enough for your needs.

 

[PingSpike]

Yeah, I started to gather from reading around that some treated posts can be installed without concrete. I didn't really think that was an option, it does sound cheaper. I'm not sure what the disadvantages are...perhaps rot is still a concern?

I'm not sure how much I would do. I kind of expect to end up hiring some one to do at least part of it. Although my FIL is more handy than I and now owns a small backhoe. That said he lives pretty far away. I should look into the kits.

 

[paperfist]

Well you'll get plenty of for/against talk about putting posts in the ground with concrete. Dissimilar materials always cause rot or corrosion so one theory says that concrete will rot the posts...eventually. The other side of the coin is concrete around the posts are pretty much going to seal off the required air to start the rotting process.

I used the posts in concrete method for my front porch. I used 6x6 PT lumber so if it does rot I'll be long dead before those ever weaken.

The other option and it's going to depend on your local codes is to pour the concrete into tubes and top it off with a mounting bracket for 4x4 or 6x6 posts. That way the two materials don't touch each other.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Do you live in the city limits or out in the country? If you are in a city you will most likely need a permit for such a structure and there may be restrictions on the type and size structure you can build.

Some cities look the other way and don't enforce restrictions on sheds or pole barns if they are small. Others can be quite nasty about it and will actually make you tear it down if not properly zoned and permited.

 

[PingSpike]

I live in the country but I'm sure I'll need some kind of permit.

I don't think a little lean to shed on the house would work for me. There actually isn't a good place to put it and I think I want something bigger than that. For a car, the wood and a small trailer I figure at least 20' deep by say 24' wide?

 

[Fayd]

I've kicked around the idea of building a separate detached garage near my house for awhile now. I have a two car attached garage but I...actually like to park my cars in it so it doesn't have much extra space even after organizing it. The goal for the separate building would be to house my wood pile (~5 cords) from the snow and a utility trailer. I certainly wouldn't mind having some extra space beyond that for some other larger garage items. If I went to the trouble to build it I'd probably like enough space to park one additional car beyond those items just in case.

Anyway, it seems the largest cost of installing a garage is the foundation, particularly up here in Vermont where you have to dig it deep down to get below the frost line. It sort of occurred to me that I don't really need anything fancy for the floor considering what I want to store. I'm not really sure what my options are. Are "pole barns" just usually posts in dirt (seems like it would rot) or do they have solotubes? Anyone have any idea how much those would cost to install?

I'm just looking for ideas right now.

my grandparents house in beach area california has a dirt floor garage. around 30 years ago my father and uncle jacked the garage up, (it had just been sitting on dirt), set up some molds, and made a perimeter of concrete so that the wood wouldn't continue to rot. the floor itself remains dirt. (well, and the shag carpet covering the dirt. it's pretty nasty.)