My New House & Workshop

[Jim Oaks]

I changed the title to 'My new house'.

The discussion starts on page 11.



I'm looking at a piece of property and thinking about having a home built on it. Metal homes are becoming popular, as well as barndominiums.

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I know a couple having a barndominium built out of metal. Basically it's a metal building built on a concrete slab with wood framed interior walls. They're going to leave their floors concrete and polish them.

Just wondering if anyone has built or had a home built, especially out of metal, and if you had any advice.

 

[Curious Hound]

No personal experience. I have looked at a bunch of barndominiums online. It seems like a pretty good idea. Often, the roof trusses span the whole width of the building. So you don't have any load-bearing interior walls. That opens up more possibilities with the Floorplan. With all metal roof, siding and trim, there is no exterior painting needed. Check local building codes, of course.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I know that the banks want you to use a builder they know and trust. They want it done and livable so it has value if they have to foreclose on it. I also think that the construction loans turn to a traditional mortgage loan when the house is done, but I think the loans have a 5% or 6% interest rate until then.

I also know that trying to figure all of this out is making me have to make a trip to the fridge for a beer.

 

[Snoranger]

I know that Englert metal roofing and siding offers a minimum 25 year warranty on the finish... even longer on some finishes.

 

[G8orFord]

Metal buildings are great in many ways, but they're also harder to insulate than conventional wood framing. The metal conducts heat much better than wood. They've made a lot of advances since metal became a real option though, so I'm not certain that's an issue anymore.

 

[Ramcharger90]

Some people we knew in western pa had a 40x40 pole barn I think built with a 33 foot camper parked inside it was family of 4. Then they decided they needed a place for the kids so they bought a school bus and put it in next to the camper and redid the interior of the bus.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I know they're like crazy loud in a rain storm...

 

[19Walt93]

I know you don't have to worry about getting below frost in Texas but why wouldn't you want a full basement under the house for easy access to plumbing, HVAC,as well as storage? My basement is about half workshop, too.

 

[Jim Oaks]

For whatever reason, you don't find houses with basements in Texas.

 

[19Walt93]

Doesn't mean you can't have one.

 

[Curious Hound]

For whatever reason, you don't find houses with basements in Texas.

They are rare in SC also. It’s a shame. All that wasted space right under your house.

 

[19Walt93]

In NH we have to go down 4' to get below frost but I'd hate to give up all the space if I didn't need a basement. My water softener and radon bubbler, furnace, water heater, and electrical panel all live there and access to them is easy. So you guys take up living space with all that stuff on top of giving up storage space? How big are houses in your area? Mine would be considered on the small side at 1232 sq ft but we can use it all and the basement effectively adds another 1232.

 

[Snoranger]

In NH we have to go down 4' to get below frost but I'd hate to give up all the space if I didn't need a basement. My water softener and radon bubbler, furnace, water heater, and electrical panel all live there and access to them is easy. So you guys take up living space with all that stuff on top of giving up storage space? How big are houses in your area? Mine would be considered on the small side at 1232 sq ft but we can use it all and the basement effectively adds another 1232.

Don’t forget how much cooler it is in the basement... it would make sense just to have an area that you don’t need to pay to cool.

 

[Blmpkn]

Don’t forget how much cooler it is in the basement... it would make sense just to have an area that you don’t need to pay to cool.

Which is a massive deal in Texas. I don't understand why basements aren't more common down there.. shit.. just build your whole house underground. Everyone I know who has lived in Texas talks about 3-400 dollar electric bills pretty much year round. Seems crazy.

 

[MikeG]

Depending on where you live, dynamite may be required if you want a basement. Either that or one of those huge rock trenching machines. That's definitely true in the hills of central Texas.

Other parts of the state, don't have an answer for that.