Barndominiums: The Future of Housing
Many people dream of designing and building their own homes from the ground up. However, designing and constructing a traditional house is expensive, time-consuming, and limited by typical home architecture. If you are looking to build your own home, there’s another option. Pole barn houses offer affordability, faster construction times, and greater design freedom.
What is a Pole Barn House?
Pole barn houses, often nicknamed barndominiums or shouses, are constructed using a post-frame construction. Poles are driven into the ground or foundation, then supported horizontally by trusses to form the roof. Barndominiums typically have wooden or metal siding, but can also have cement or stone siding. Originally constructed in the 1930s for horse stables and agricultural buildings, pole barn houses soon caught on as affordable, stylish, functional forms of housing.
Designing Your Barndominium
A major benefit of the unique architectural style of pole barn houses is that there are no load-bearing walls. As a result, you have complete freedom to design your barndominium however you’d like. Many pole barn house owners use this freedom to create non-traditional, unique homes. Some homeowners build homes that are both living quarters and workshops, garages, or storage spaces all in one. Barndominiums are also not confined to a single story. Pole barn homes can be constructed with multiple stories to fit all your dream home ideas.
You can also be incredibly creative with the materials that form your barndominium. If you’ve seen a barndominium before, it likely had metal sliding. That seems to be the style that most people are familiar with, and it evokes an agricultural feeling. Metal siding is a great option and comes in a huge variety of colours, but barndominium owners who aren’t living in a rural area may be more attracted to some other potential building materials. Wooden siding or wooden accents transform pole barn homes into typical suburban homes. Some barndominium owners have gotten even more creative and used glass siding for a modern look. For design ideas, you can brainstorm with your contractor or look for inspiration on the Internet.
Benefits of a Pole Barn House
The benefits of pole barn homes are endless. Not only are they more affordable, faster to construct, and have limitless design opportunities, they are the gift that keeps on giving. Barndominiums are durable in snow and wind. They are more energy-efficient than traditional houses. Pole barn houses can be insulated more thoroughly than traditional houses, which leads to energy bill savings. The cost to maintain them is much lower than traditional houses. Barndominiums also do not require a foundation, which means that there is a wider selection of terrains and locations on which they can be built.
Barndominium owners are different than traditional home owners. barndominium owners are passionate. They’re passionate about their hobbies and work, which is why they choose a home that can be customized to be both a place to live and a place to work. Barndominium owners are smart. They’re saving money, while still getting all of the benefits of a traditional house. But most importantly, barndominium owners are the type of people who like to do things their way, be creative, and get involved in the process of building their own homes. If this sounds like you, it might be time to look into building your barndominium.
