Post-frame construction was first popularized during the Great Depression thanks to its low costs and fast building turnaround time. At the time, these structures were used primarily for farm equipment storage and livestock housing, which helps to explain how they first became known as Pole Barns. Today, post-frame construction is a much more developed field that has a much wider array of applications. Read on to find out about a few of the most common of today’s applications.
Residential Housing
When post-frame construction was first popularized, few people considered the idea of living in a pole barn. Now, pole barn homes are incredibly popular. They have a unique, modern, and highly customizable aesthetic, offer excellent opportunities for improving energy efficiency and create flexible floor plans. Plus, pole barn houses are just as fast and affordable to construct as the farm buildings that gave the building style its name.
Commercial Buildings
Post-frame construction is just as effective as a commercial building technique as it is for constructing residential homes. The open floor plans created by using poles instead of traditional stick-frame construction with load-bearing walls open up tons of possibilities for retail shops, restaurants, and just about any other type of business. Today, it’s even commonplace to see entire strip malls built using post-frame construction.
Garages and Workshops
A smaller pole barn makes a perfect residential garage or workshop. Most property owners don’t request the same level of customization for garages as they do for pole barn houses, but the same construction methods still apply and these outbuildings can still be designed to meet specific aesthetic and practical requirements. Property owners who plan to use their garages as workshops, as well, should be sure to add insulation and other energy-saving features typically associated with homes.
Storage Facilities
One of the earliest uses for post-frame construction was building indoor storage space for agricultural equipment. The same techniques can be used to manufacture storage buildings for boats, RVs, and other large recreational vehicles. Existing storage facilities can benefit from adding and renting extra space for indoor vehicle storage.
Veterinary Clinics
Veterinarians, especially those that cater to farmers with livestock, have a unique set of requirements. They need space to treat not just cats and dogs, but also larger animals like horses, boarding kennels for patients that must stay overnight, and plenty of space for reception areas, exam rooms, and other facilities.
Post-frame construction’s inherent versatility makes it perfect for meeting the needs of these industry experts. Since the walls are not load-bearing, rooms can be as large as necessary to accommodate sick or injured animals and all the equipment required to care for them. Plus, it’s easy to add easy-to-clean exam rooms for individual check-ups.
The Bottom Line
The examples listed above are just a few ideas for how to use post-frame construction. Today’s most experienced contractors have seen it all. They work with both commercial and residential customers to develop building designs and install pole barn structures that will be perfectly suited to meet property owners’ needs without breaking their budgets.
