Non-Standard Construction

[BillJ]

Here in Texas I am seeing homes built using non-standard structures such as pole-barn construction. A new pole barn is built, metal roof installed, then a concrete floor poured & finished before the windows, doors & exterior metal are installed. The interior is then finished. I see also metal buildings (barndominiums) here. Very popular here. There are 2 new "pole barn" houses going up within a couple of miles of my house now and several metal barndo's.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

[Jim Baird]

...would love to see some photos.  How are they re codes compliance?  Are what you see mainly custom homes, or are any being built spec?

[Trent Tarter]

I have been looking at the possibly of building post frame homes for many years. Residential post frame homes are starting to be built in parts of the country, I have even seen some nice developments online. However there are some differences between a permitted residential post fame home vs a shop or barn that's been converted.   

I have a crawlspace design that I would like to try out with a post frame "craftsman style" home.  It would be a raised crawlspace above grade vs being dug out and below grade. My design would give it the look of having a perimeter foundation.

[John Kogel]

I know of one such house here. I called for some upgrading, namely bracing between the posts. I was told they would be consulting a 'basement contractor, yep, got it all figured out'.

Last I saw it, they've done nothing in 4 years to improve the posts on piers that hold the house up. Hopefully, some cross bracing has been added.

[inspector57]

I have had some experience in large metal buildings using below grade piers with metal truss bolted to the piers with slab on grade floor.

If it is in an area with expansive clay soil, it sucks. The floor moves with the surface soil and the building frame moves very little. Seasonal differential movement was easily over 3" seasonally.

If you put anything on a deep pier of any kind then the entire structure should be on piers. A slab on grade can work but only if it is designed stiff enough and is allowed to float with the soil. It is pretty much a guarantee the surface soil in north and central Texas will be moving.

[Tom Raymond]

23 hours ago, Trent Tarter said:

I have been looking at the possibly of building post frame homes for many years. Residential post frame homes are starting to be built in parts of the country, I have even seen some nice developments online. However there are some differences between a permitted residential post fame home vs a shop or barn that's been converted.   

I have a crawlspace design that I would like to try out with a post frame "craftsman style" home.  It would be a raised crawlspace above grade vs being dug out and below grade. My design would give it the look of having a perimeter foundation.

I inspected one like that. The listing said it was 10 years old. When I entered the crawl I found the axles of an early 70s single wide in the middle of it. My client decided to walk before I got out of the crawl.

[Tom Raymond]

One of the bigger pole barn companies here builds them. I was in one built over a basement. No idea how they attached the poles to the platform, but there were all kinds of bypass issues.

[mjr6550]

Structurally, it should not be an issue. Air sealing, insulation, and condensation would be a concern in my area, but maybe not as much in Texas. I would be curious how they install insulation.