Metal Barn vs. Pole Barn

Why You Should Choose Metal Barns & Garages

Barns prove to be of immense value when it comes to protecting important assets. From farm equipment to furniture and items you simply want to keep in storage, a barn can serve many different purposes. If you’re thinking about building a barn, it’s important to understand your options.

Many people these days choose to build pole barns, but what they don’t realize is that steel buildings bring far more benefits to the table. Let’s compare metal barns to pole barns and discuss the common issues with a pole barn.

The Difference Between Pole Barns & Metal Buildings

Both pole barns and metal buildings are often used as workshops, storage spaces, and even living spaces. Pole barns are built with no foundation and consist of corrugated steel. Some pole barn owners build them with aluminum panels, with poles spaced out every eight feet.

While pole barns provide a cheap and quick solution to storage space problems, they lack durability and longevity. A viable alternative to a pole barn is a barn made out of metal or steel. Metal buildings are typically sturdier and can last much longer than pole barns.

Common Issues With Pole Barns

Rotting Columns

Yes, you read that right. Many pole barns that use wood have issues with rotting columns. These wooden columns tend to imitate straw, soaking in a lot of moisture over the years, which leads to rotting wood. This mostly happens when untreated lumber is used to build the barn, but using metal instead is an effective way to deter this issue.

Termites & Mold

When you build any type of structure with wood, there’s always the chance that mold and termites will become an issue. With a metal barn, these problems are eliminated. If you have to repair mold or termite-damaged wood, this can cost you thousands of dollars and lots of time in labor. With metal, you can rest easy knowing you won’t have to be out any money or time repairing termite or mold damage.

Dislodged Nails & Loose Staples

Pole barns are built using nails and staples, which over time, can become dislodged and loose, compromising the integrity of the structure. A metal or steel barn, on the other hand, is built using high-strength bolts; this helps avoid problems such as water leaks, frameshifting, warping, and sagging.

Pole Barns Require More Maintenance

To keep it simple, once pole barn kits are put together, they require a lot of maintenance. Since the wooden poles are buried deep into the ground, they tend to shift over time and start to decay. Because of this, the foundation poles of a pole barn often have to be realigned and straightened once every five years; this can cost thousands of dollars, making steel buildings very cost-efficient compared to pole barn prices.

Comprised Strength & Durability

It cannot be stressed enough that the strength and durability of a wood pole barn does not come close in comparison to that of a metal or steel building. Wooden beams and poles come from different pieces of wood, meaning they’re inconsistent in their strength. Metal and steel, however, don’t vary structurally. You get consistency throughout the entire structure.

Do you have questions about metal barns? Contact us today.