What to Know When Building a Barndominium

If country life appeals to you, a barndominium may be just what you're looking for in a new home. These buildings provide livable and adequate spaces in a rural setting, often with a lower price tag than traditional construction.

While barndominiums may not be for everyone, they're incredibly versatile, and most are quite spacious. This segment provides a detailed outline of barndominiums and why they should be your next investment.

What to Know When Building a Barndominium

Most barndominium designs offer a rustic aesthetic to homeowners. However, they also allow a lot of design flexibility and are an excellent way to get that dream home without breaking the bank. A little bit of knowledge, planning, and the right barndominium construction experts on-site help make the process easy.

Our expert team at Hixwood helps homeowners looking to build a barndominium by guiding them throughout the planning and designing process. With the proper preparation, the right tools, and experts for the job, you'll bring your custom barndominium to life. Barndos, as they're sometimes known, are more affordable and faster to construct than conventional homes, and they're more durable and require little maintenance compared to traditional wood-framed buildings.

What Are Barndominiums?

Barndominiums are open-concept buildings made from either wood or metal. These buildings combine the homeowner's living quarters with a working area. Two types of construction materials are used for building the barndominium's frame: wood and steel. These materials carry the entire weight of the roof system along the building's perimeter. This construction design makes the barndo's interior look similar to a warehouse, giving the homeowner an open space with numerous design possibilities.

Even during construction, barndominiums allow the design flexibility of moving walls around to change the building's layout and room sizes. This gives each barndo its unique charm and personalized look.

Pros of Building a Barndominium

Outside their appearance and saving labor costs, especially compared to constructing a traditional home, barndominiums are mainly for homeowners looking for a particular lifestyle. These buildings are often built in rural areas with additional space to live and have a workshop.

Some top benefits of constructing a barndominium include:

• Affordability: Barndos offer amazing value on a per sq-ft. basis, benefiting large families and businesses looking for large warehouse space.
• Durability: Barndominiums are exceptionally durable. The materials used in their construction process, mainly metal, allow them to hold up against harsh weather elements better than wood.
• Fast construction times: These buildings are fairly simple to put up, making them move-in-ready much faster than homes built using other construction methods.
• Energy efficient: Barndos can also be more energy efficient than traditional houses, depending on the insulation material type and windows used. Insulated barndo homes keep air from escaping, putting less stress on your heating and cooling systems.

How to Build a Barndo

Building a barndominium requires unique and traditional techniques to create a beautiful, low-maintenance structure. This segment highlights the necessary steps needed to construct a barndominium and tips to make the construction process a pleasant one.

Site Preparation and Foundation

The building stage can take about one week to achieve on relatively flat land with little vegetation, although plots with rocky ground or mature trees may require more time to clear. However, once the site has been prepared, laying the foundation should be straightforward and take up to four weeks.

Framing

Most concrete foundations reach 70% of their full strength within a week. However, certain conditions may require the construction to wait up to a month before you begin framing. As such, this process may take anywhere between two to six weeks. The process depends on the complexity of the construction layout and the number of contractors working on the building.

Electrical and Plumbing Systems

After completing the frame, exterior walls, and roof, the barndo's electrical and plumbing are added. Plumbing and electrical systems often require licensed professionals, with plumbing handled first. A professional contractor can connect the water supply lines for each fixture and sewer or septic system. A licensed electrician then runs wire for lights and outlets throughout the barndo. The electrical and plumbing system installation may take about a month if everything goes as planned the first time.

Interior and Exterior Building Materials This stage of construction may also take one to two months, depending on the types of building materials used. These may include drywall, paint, molding, roofing, siding, fascia, and built-in furniture. The level of detail and extravagance will determine how long this construction phase requires. All factors considered, building a barndominium may take about six months to complete.

Hixwood Offers Everything You Need

Our team at Hixwood cares about customer satisfaction and strives to meet each customer's construction needs. We go the extra mile to ensure our customers have the exact materials they need for the building process within the stipulated timeframe.

Our massive barndominium inventory and extensive materials selection put us in the best position to meet each client's building expectations. Hixwood also offers barndominium kits for DIY enthusiasts looking for cost-effective solutions for their barndominium projects. We have designed our barndominium kits to simplify construction by making them accessible to property owners with different skill levels. Contact us for more information or assistance on your barndominium project.

What to Keep In Mind

Barndos typically have metal roofs. Homeowners should expect things to get loud, especially when it rains - although many folks love the sound of rain on a metal roof. The metal structure can also interfere with cell signals. However, there are cell signal boosters for such instances.

Financing for barndos may also be difficult to find, but their popularity in recent years has made more lenders open to the idea. Still, the financing options may be more difficult than getting a mortgage approval for a traditional home. Due to building regulations, barndos are often not allowed in towns or cities, which is why they are more common in rural settings.

Start Your New Home Project Today With Hixwood

Our knowledgeable team goes the extra mile to help you or your contractors bring your construction vision to life. We help you create inspiring spaces that enhance productivity and operational efficiency and approach your project with commitment, attention to detail, and exceptional care. Contact us for floor plans, power tools, and supplies for your barndo project.