Author Archives: Jack Cripe

About Jack Cripe

Sales Manager and partner at Pacemaker Buildings.

Door Sizing Guide for Post Frame Buildings

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Your new post frame building is only useful when you can store and access things inside it. Doors are a critical component during the planning process. To help with planning let’s look at a door sizing guide and considerations. After all, how big the doors should be is an important consideration.

You want to allow enough space for your larger equipment, vehicles, and animals to enter and exit. Doors that are too small cause headaches, and disappointment, and add extra costs after construction is complete.

Accurate measurement and considerable foresight help with choosing door sizing, which must be nailed down before design and construction begin. Last-minute changes will likely delay the project and create added expenses.

Keep in mind that overestimating is a good strategy. After all, your future camper, boat, or tractor will likely be larger than the current ones.

Workshop, RV, or Boat Storage Entry

Storing your tall and wide RV or trailer requires a much larger entry than a standard garage door. An RV or trailer can be much taller than standard vehicles and may legally be 9 feet in width. To be safe, consider adding 2.5 to 3 feet on each side. This will allow for easier maneuverability.

When storing your boat and trailer, the height of them combined is a critical consideration. Remember, your future boat may be larger than the current one, so keep that in mind. A 12-foot width by 16-foot height door should be sufficient for a typical 24’ powerboat with an engine or a similar-sized sailboat with sails furled. Each of these has an average beam or width of about nine feet.

In any case, equipment sizes vary, so accurate height and width dimensions are vital.

Equestrian Center Entrance

The overall size of an equestrian center or horse barn will depend on how many animals you expect to board and how much equipment you will need.

As for the entryways of a horse barn, the dimensions should be tall and wide enough to allow the largest horse and the tallest rider to pass through without having to duck or stoop.

Placing an entry on each end is always a good idea to enhance ventilation and create ease of movement. If you are housing a horse trailer, you will need to allow the trailer and towing vehicle to enter and leave without too much maneuvering.

A 14’ by 14’ door at each end of your post frame horse barn should ensure easy access for horses, vehicles, and humans. You may also consider individual stable doors leading to a grassy area or arena.

Barns and Farm Buildings

Barns and other farm buildings can serve many purposes, and over time, those purposes may change.

If your post frame building should serve as a place to store equipment and perhaps a workshop for repair and service, the entryway must be sufficient to accommodate the largest pieces you want to store. Keep in mind that your future equipment may be larger, so take a liberal view when gauging doorway dimensions.

Also, ensure the approach to the access is straightforward and that unnecessary maneuvering will not be required.

Use these considerations as a door sizing guide when planning your post frame building.

Work with a Professional Post Frame Designer

Experienced professionals like those at Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings in North Webster, Indiana, have addressed these issues in hundreds of past projects.

By understanding the benefits of post frame buildings and their many uses, your professional design consultant will help to ensure that the entryways will be sufficient now and in the future.

For more information about the durability, practicality, benefits, and cost savings of a modern, beautifully designed post frame building, contact Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings. They are a long-time, family-owned designer, supplier, and builder of high-quality structures for many functions.

You can view some of Pacemaker’s many completed projects by visiting their Gallery.

To make your appointment for a consultation, complete the brief Contact Us Form or call 1-888-834-4448.

Considerations When Hiring a Post Frame Building Contractor

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Post Frame Building Contractor

Identifying a proven, reliable contractor at the outset of any construction project is essential. After all, staying within budget, avoiding delays, and having ongoing communication are vital elements of a successful project. This is why having a secure and trusted contractor-client relationship is key. Here are some considerations when hiring a post frame building contractor.

While post frame construction requires fewer materials and labor and generally lower costs, specific considerations are essential when identifying and working with a contractor.

Once you select a post frame building contractor, developing an agreement that covers your needs is essential. Below are some crucial considerations to keep in mind.

Important Elements of Your Post Frame Contractor Relationship

Reliability and Reputation

A proven post frame material supplier and contractor should have years of experience. They should also have a positive reputation for completing projects on time and within budget. Do your research to ensure that the company has excellent planning, artisanship, and professionalism. Look online for reviews and feedback from previous clients.

A company like Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings of North Webster, Indiana, has been producing high-quality, state-of-the-art post frame buildings for nearly a half-century. They have proven their expertise and reliability many times over, and have reviews to prove it.

Costs

As a customer, getting what you want at the amount you budgeted for is vital to the building process. Your contractor should be able to provide a detailed explanation of the quality of materials, the labor, flexibility, time-to-completion,  site prep, permits, and all other relevant components. Ensure that the supplier can provide each element clearly in writing to the client.

Insurance

A responsible post frame contractor will always be licensed, bonded, and insured for any contingency.

Most importantly, insurance coverage must be in place to protect against the unexpected. After all, any situation that may cause the contractor to walk away can leave the customer with a hefty financial loss and no building.

Thus, clients should always secure a copy of the contractor’s liability insurance policy. This will show which contingencies are covered before beginning the project.

Benefits of a Full-Service Contractor

Clients need to understand where the materials will come from and who will perform the job. A full-service post frame company like Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings manufactures all essential post frame components using precise specifications in their own plant. They also employ experienced building personnel to construct each building. Ultimately, the entire building process is handled by the same team.

Sometimes “skeleton” companies make proposals, purchase components from various lumberyards and vendors, then subcontract the entire building process. These scenarios tend to blur the lines of communication and accountability. This can often leave the prospective owner unsure of the outcome.

Establishing Reliable Time Frames

A proven, experienced post frame contractor knows how long each phase of the process should take. Avoid a company that works around subcontractor schedules. Instead, choose one that will ensure the right workers and materials will be on hand to complete the project on schedule.

The contract should provide a clear, detailed review of the timing of each part of the project. Any time target modifications can be made before work begins rather than after the project is well underway.

Policies Regarding Change Orders

While changes requested by the customer during the construction process can be expensive and somewhat disruptive to the original plan, they do occur. Clients should make sure that a Change Order Policy is written into the contract. This will allow for some flexibility at each stage if necessary.

Getting all plan elements set at the outset is the most efficient way to proceed. Your post frame contractor should offer suggestions during the planning process that will best meet your needs and make subsequent changes less likely.

Work with Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings

For decades, satisfied customers in Northern Indiana, Southwest Michigan, and Northwestern Ohio have benefitted substantially by working with Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings for their agricultural, commercial, civic, equestrian, and suburban structures.

To view photographs of many of their finished projects, visit the Pacemaker Post Frame Gallery on their website.

To make an appointment to discuss your project, call the Pacemaker office at 1-888-834-4448.

Or you may schedule an in-person consultation with a Pacemaker professional by visiting their website and completing the easy Contact Us Form.

Key Steps to Building a Post Frame Structure

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Post frame building

A modern, long-lasting post frame building is the best solution for almost any purpose. From concept to completion, a post frame building offers functionality, flexibility, aesthetics, and economical benefits. Let’s look at key steps to building a post frame structure

Additionally, a post frame professional can help shorten the overall building process. They do this by:

  • Creating a precise building design that fits your needs
  • Ensuring easy site preparation
  • Requiring fewer materials and less labor
  • Having appropriate materials on hand when needed
  •  An accelerated construction process

Below are the key steps to building a post frame structure.

Step 1: Identifying Your Location

Identifying the location of your future structure can be simple or complicated, depending on several factors.

  • Do you have free space to position a new structure without disrupting the current flow?
  • Will the location accommodate the estimated square footage of the building?
  • If large equipment or animals will be housed in the building, is there room for maneuvering and entry?
  • Can the building be oriented to minimize severe wind and weather forces and provide optimal airflow?
  • Have you considered future growth plans?

Step 2: Creating a Plan

Your experienced post frame professional can help ensure your building’s design will match your needs well into the future. Consider which features you would like to include in the building.

  • Total Square Footage: Determining the structure’s size depends on how you intend to use the building. If the design is for equipment storage, you should make sure there is a large enough footprint to allow for maneuvering and access. You should also have sufficient space to be able to service the equipment. Similarly, if the building is for equestrian use, make sure you have sufficient room for stalls, current and in the future. Also consider the tack room, supply storage, wash bay, and open space for saddling and unsaddling.
  • Entry and Access:  Whether the building will house animals or equipment or both, make sure the doorways and angles of access allow for ease of movement.
  • Utilities: Will you need to heat or cool all or part of the structure for comfort? Keep in mind that providing a water supply is also essential for animals and humans.
  • Loft and Storage: Creating a second-level loft or balcony for storage or even an office is easy with a post frame structure. This option is easiest to include as part of the initial design.
  • Workshop and Office: Designs can allow for a separate workshop or office with climate control and other comforts.
  • Aesthetic or Code Issues: The design must meet all local code issues for appearance and other design features.

3. Securing the Building Permit

Once you have the location, blueprint and site plan for your project, you will need to submit these to the local building authority for approval before starting the project. Your experienced post frame partner will understand all the standard requirements for your area, so this approval should be routine.

4. Site Preparation

In most instances, preparing the site for a post frame building is simply a matter of removing any vegetation from within the perimeter of the footprint and leveling the plot. Some angling will also ensure water flows away from the structure’s base. All the newly graded earth then needs to settle. This will help to create a better surface for concrete pouring, if needed.

5. Building Construction

Before the construction begins, the post frame supplier will deliver all the components to the site for assembly. The key elements, the vertical posts, will be sunk four or more feet into the ground. This ensures they are well anchored, and will also be spaced appropriately according to the design.

From that point, assembly is relatively easy. The roof trusses and horizontal support elements connect with the vertical posts to create the basic skeleton. At the same time, installation of the siding, roofing materials, windows, doors, insulation, utilities, and specified architectural features create the final structure.

Contact Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings

Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings is an industry leader in designing, manufacturing, and constructing high-quality post frame buildings in Northeast Indiana, Southwest Michigan, and Northwest Ohio. These post frame professionals are available to help with any process phase.

For more information about Pacemaker Post Frame Buildings, visit the Pacemaker website. While there, you can view some recently completed projects that might help to inspire your thoughts about a future post frame building.

If you have questions or wish to set up a meeting with a Pacemaker Post Frame expert, call +1-888-834-4448.