What kind of roof?

[farmmom]

I recently purchased my home. There is a block building on the land, approximately 1000 sq ft. that has never been finished. I plan to use it as a barn, but first, I need to pull up all the trees growing inside it, then roof it. The building is about 3/4 underground, so I belive it will be pretty cozy when the weather gets cold. My question is, what kind of roof should I put on it? Tin? PVC? Shingles?

I plan on running power and water to it as soon as it is usable.

[Maura]

How many times do you want to climb up there and reroof? I'd go for the tin. Put something under it to muffle the sound of rain, sleet, and hail.

[woodsman]

I don't think the animals are going to complain about the noise form rain, sleet or hail.

[Darren]

"I plan on running power and water to it as soon as it is usable." I'm guessing you're going to run the water line deep enough to prevent freezing and use a large enough line to get good flow and pressure in the barn through a frost proof hydrant. You might consider a drain below the hydrant. You can put that in before you put a floor in if that's in your plans. Since the barn walls read like they may be partially under ground, I'd dig around the barn down to the foundation and install a french drain running to daylight to avoid water problems in the future. There are ways of insulating the outside walls but you'd need to protect them with something.

I'd grout some of the cells to the top and insert threaded anchors to hold a section to fasten the trusses. Tin will make a great roof. As someone else said the livestock won't care about the noise.

[rambler]

Tin. Don't have to worry about it for 40 years.

Shingles if you wanted to live in it, & didn't like the noise.

PVC????? Oh boy. Might as well use cardboard.....

--->Paul

[RosewoodfarmVA]

If it's 3/4 underground, it sounds as though it's a foundation basement for a future structure. If so, why not build a story on top of it, making animals below and hay/tools/workshop on top? Seems to make sense if you have to frame in a roof anyway. You can use rough cut lumber from a local sawmill to save on costs. I second the tin roof.

[farmmom]

It was originally being built to be a church - or so the former owner told me. It does have a door and windows on either side of the door. We rarely have hard freezes here, but will be burying the water lines. I may check into building on top. It would depend on the cost as I can't afford to do a whole lot.

Sounds like tin it is. Thank you for your comments.

[Ramblin Wreck]

I've had good luck with metal, but I'd go with a lighter color on the house if I had a "do over". The green looks good, but the aluminum colored roof on the barn is much cooler.

Good luck on your renovation.

[Yvonne's hubby]

If you dont have slate available, or cant stand the price, the second best roof going is the painted steel roofing. Its cheap, labor offsets the price of shingles coz its so easily installed. and it last better than any thing out there, other than good ol slate. stone will be there for hundreds of years, steel, even with good maintenance, will have to be replaced after a hundred and fifty or so.

[farmmom]

My house has a steel roof, so I could make the barn match. I hadn't even thought about that. (duh)

[Wolf mom]

Off topic BUT

If it's partially underground, and it were miine, I'd see if I could turn part into a cold cellar.

Grew up with one. Sure wish I had one here for canning, & garden produce storage.

[farmmom]

Originally Posted by Wolf mom

Off topic BUT

If it's partially underground, and it were miine, I'd see if I could turn part into a cold cellar.

Grew up with one. Sure wish I had one here for canning, & garden produce storage.

I have a walk in crawl space that is mostly underground that I plan to use for this. I already have alot of potatoes down there.

[motdaugrnds]

The tin or steel is good if the noise does not bother you or the animals. I prefer an alternative roofing called "Tuftex" that lets the sunshine in while keeping the weather out. I have had this roofing up in my barn for many years now and it works beautifully for this purpose. (Chose to use this only on both sides of lower barn where sunshine comes in; not entire barn.) Does not require maintenance and was not expensive either. You can check it out at www.ondura.com/about.htm and can see it on my barn at http://motdaugrnds.250free.com/homestead

[fantasymaker]

If your thinking of adding to it in the future Id build a flat roof that could become the floor to the upperstory. .
It wouldnt cost much to build a sheeted floor then cover with single sheet rubber roofing.

[Maura]

I've seen the roofing that lets the sun shine in (I guess it's tuftex). Farmers don't have the entire roof made of it, but have it in the center of the roof of open barns, or in certain areas. It does make a nice skylight. But, you wouldn't do the entire roof in it because the animals need to be able to go into the shade and away from flies.