new here with a ton of questions

[Nolalu_hillbilly]

hello everyone, I have been pouring over this forum for a long time reading and rereading everything.There is a ton of usefull information.I figured it was time i joined and asked a few of my own questions and hopefully get some good answers or get pointed in the right direction.a little bit about me and how i came to the site first (hopefully i wont bore everyone).My name is scott and I work way up in the middle of nowhere as a surveyor at an underground goldmine.Im gone from home for long stretches at a time.(i have plenty of free time in the evenings for research).Last fall I purchased a 12 acre piece of property out in the country.There was a double wide mobile that the girlfriend and myself totally gutted and remodelled in order to get us by until we build the new house.She has definetly had mixed feelings about the move since i had to leave her in a torn apart shack with no running water for 2 weeks while i headed back to work,lol.She likes it now so no worries.anyways now that the house is in order We have many summer projects planned. The first being the resurection of the 32 x16 barn.This leads me to my first question.I would like to make an addition to the barn 20 ft wide for shop space.My plan is to do a simple pole barn style with posts sunk 4ft and cemented.I would like to put a shed style roof coming off the barn.How do i make my roof supports or trusses so they are over 20 ft long? Do I scab 2x8's or 2x10's together? I have built many smaller buildings but have not had much experience with larger spans.Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Scott

[glenn-k]

Welcome to the forum, Scott.

Do you have snow load to worry about?

Is this a simple shed roof off the side of the barn?

Permits and inspections to worry about?

Most things like this require the help of a local professional - engineer or architect, but maybe we can help with some general information and ideas.

[Nolalu_hillbilly]

Thanks for the welcome,

We do get snow here 4 or 5 months out of the year.I am hoping with the metal roof i wont have much of a load tho.

Yes this will be a simple shed roof coming off the side of the barn

No, where i live there is no permits,codes or inspectors to worry about.

My neigbour down the road has a sawmill and will cut whatever dimensional wood i need. I have a ton of standing dead pine that I would like to get sawn up.My other thought was to use logs to span the roof.

scott

[glenn-k]

There are some agricultural trusses etc. available online - no guarantees of course.  Maybe I can find a link to them again.

Are you continuing the slope of the existing roof on the lean-to section?  How tall is it?

Possibly others locally may have something similar you could copy for safe loadings.

[Nolalu_hillbilly]

I wont be continuing the slope of the roof as it is a traditional barn with the hayloft and quite high. I have seen a number of pictures of what i want but there is nothing showing the roof detail. I liken it to looking at a barn with wings if that makes any sense whatsoever.Where you have the main barn structure and 2 additional shed roofed structures coming of either side.all the barns in my area are just that (big ole barns) so unfortunetly nothing to copy.I do have some pics on my home computer of what im looking at doing so maybe next week when i get home i can post them to give a better idea. again thanks for the info

scott

[glenn-k]

I know what you mean and have seen some of them online - if I can just find them.  Here is some timber frame Info I found.

http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1150039567

[glenn-k]

Check this out too.

http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1100186728

[Nolalu_hillbilly]

Thanks for the links.I will be doing a bunch of reading this evening

[glenn-k]

If you get caught up here's more. Thanks to NELSELGNE

http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1139762013

Specifically:

http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?cat=426

http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?cat=102

[MountainDon]

University of Missouri, glued wood trusses

http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/mwps/MW0009.htm

For what it's worth the designs may not meet current code, but the trusses I built in 1990 0r thereabouts are still hiolding the roof up off the ground on a garage I built..

[Nolalu_hillbilly]

Thanks for all the info.I found exactly what i was looking for.Now to start sawing lumber.

[glenn-k]

Glad we could help - now please keep us posted in the owner builder projects section - with pictures if possible.

[Nolalu_hillbilly]

I will definetly be taking and posting photo's during all of my projects and hopefully someone will get some use from them.