Preventing 10 Potential Barndominium Problems
Barndominiums continue to grow in popularity as a choice for residential homes due to their lower cost of construction, longevity and energy efficiency. The list of benefits is much longer than the drawbacks.
Savvy buyers should be aware of the problems that can arise with barndominiums so they can be prepared to prevent these potential issues.
1. Code Compliance
New construction generally means compliance with local building codes. In some rural areas, building permits are not required but these types of locations are rare, which is why it is very important to check with the office that oversees building compliance prior to purchasing the land where you wish to build your barndominium.Â
If you already own the land, take the time to visit the local building compliance office and carefully review building codes in your area.
In most locations, you will be required to obtain a building permit prior to beginning construction. Typical problems with local code compliance occur after construction begins.Â
Common code violations found after construction begins include:
- Improper lot grading and drainage
- Wall and roof framing violations
- Foundation framing and reinforcement non-compliance
- Window flashing missing or incorrectly installed
- Electrical installation violations such as incorrect grounding, missing GFCI receptacles, and improper or missing labelling of circuits
- Missing nail plates or inadequate support for plumbing pipes
When the local building code compliance officer comes by to make inspections and encounters code violations, your barndominium build can incur costly fines or can even be “red-tagged,” which means construction must halt until the project is brought into compliance.
Preventing these issues means being intimately familiar with local building codes if you are doing the work yourself.Â
If you are using a contractor, be sure to hire one who has built other barndominiums in your area to prevent building code violations.
2. Ground Level – The Foundation
Everything about the durability of your barndominium, or barndo, as enthusiasts refer to them, rests on its concrete foundation. Cracks in the foundation result in unstable support for your barndo.
Preventing problems with your foundation begins with properly grading and compacting the soil while adding gravel layers to ensure proper drainage.
When the concrete for the foundation is poured, it’s important to ensure the concrete has the proper ratio of water as excessive water in the mix will create a weak foundation.
The next step in installing the foundation is to build the wooden forms for the concrete footings and the entire foundation. Then, rebar is installed for strength and stability. Next, the concrete footings are poured.
Once these are properly cured, the rest of the foundation is poured.
One of the most common problems encountered in foundations is improper curing of the concrete as it dries. When building in hot climates, it’s important to ensure the concrete does not dry too quickly as this will lead to cracks.
To prevent rapid drying, it’s important to regularly water the foundation as the concrete dries to ensure it cures correctly.
3. Metal Fabrication
Steel framing is known for its strength and durability. However, as with any fabrication process, sometimes there are errors that result in weak or ill-fitting materials.Â
A reputable contractor will carefully inspect all the materials and return any items that do not measure up to specifications. Bad builders want to finish construction quickly and often proceed to finish construction with improper materials, resulting in a structure that fractures over time.
This is why it is so important to carefully vet your builder before hiring to ensure past projects stand the test of time.
In the event your barndominium is constructed with steel that has fabrication errors, your only recourse at that point is to go directly to the supplier for warranty coverage. Be sure you check out the warranty on the materials before choosing a supplier.
4. Metal Protection
Metal rusts over time and most barndos are constructed using metal. In humid climates or areas with a lot of rainfall, you’ll want to take preventative steps to ensure the structural integrity of your barndo is not vulnerable to rust.
There are many options available for adding water-repellant coatings to construction materials, including steel. This option generally produces a rubberized finish that will resist moisture-forming rust.Â
Additionally, ensure that all areas where the metal exterior has been penetrated by fasteners are completely caulked, utilizing a silicone caulk.
Another standard protection to prevent rust on metal is to paint the structure. Look for paint with long guarantees. Many are available with up to 30-year warranties that will cover any metal damage if the paint chips or cracks and results in damaged metal.
5. Water and Moisture Issues
Keeping your barndo free of water and moisture is important for maintaining structural integrity, energy efficiency and preventing long-term damage.
The following areas should be considered to prevent common water and moisture issues.
Drainage and Gutters
Preventing standing water around any building is imperative to prevent foundation issues. In addition to ensuring proper drainage in the soil preparation of your building site, be sure to pay attention to overall property drainage as well.
When considering the placement of your barndo site, avoid nearby proximity to standing water, ditches, or gullies. Check the local topography and flood plain records. Make sure and inspect your property during and after a heavy rainstorm to see where water tends to pool and run.Â
If you use a contractor to oversee your construction, ensure their experience includes construction drainage expertise.
Be sure to install gutters to collect rainwater from your roof and channel it away from your barndo so that it does not create standing water around your foundation.
If necessary, install drainage pipes that take water far from the foundation to a nearby gutter or low-lying field.
Windows and Doors
Any openings in the exterior of your barndominium will create the potential for leaks and allow water to enter the interior. While gutters divert water from your roof and away from your barndominium, water still collects around window and door frames.Â
Be sure to add overhangs to prevent water from standing on window and door frames because that type of water can find its way into walls and onto the interior flooring. Standing water on window and door frames will also cause rusting on the exterior.
Improperly installed windows and/or doors are a common problem in barndominium construction. One sure sign of improper installation is condensation on the interior of the windows or doors or on the inside frames.
Unchecked condensation will lead to the growth of mildew and mold inside your home.
To prevent these issues, be sure to use foam insulation around window and door frames and apply silicone caulk around the edges of the glass in windows. If you are using a professional builder, be sure to discuss specific steps that will be taken when windows and doors are installed.
Noisy Roofs
For some people, there is nothing more soothing than the sound of rain on a metal roof. Others find it to be a disturbing nuisance.Â
No conversation about potential problems with barndo life would be complete without talking about the noise inherent in living in a home with a metal roof.
There are several ways to reduce extreme noise from rain and wind on a metal roof:
- Create a drop ceiling to serve as a sound barrier between the roof and your living space.
- Textured metal roofing panels will soften rain noise.
- Add double insulation layers under your roof.
- You can also add foam board insulation under spray foam insulation to create a sound barrier.
6. Insulation
The metal framing and exterior make barndominiums an economical home choice and allow faster construction times, but they also mean a loss of heat and air conditioning if proper insulation is not added to your barndo.
That’s because metal is a poor insulator. Metal stores heat when the outside temperatures are hot and repels heat when it is cold outside.
The good news is that the steel framing posts are deeper than the wooden framing posts used in traditional homes, meaning you can add more insulation depth than is possible in traditional homes.
Ignore conventional guidelines for home insulation when it comes to insulating your barndo. More is better, particularly under the roof as most of the heat in structures is lost through the roof. This is one area where you absolutely should not skimp on costs.
Ensuring that your barndominium is well insulated will translate into cost savings over time as this will save you money in the long run with decreased heating and cooling costs.
There are several choices when it comes to insulation, including blanket batts and rolls, spray foam, foam board, rockwool, and several eco-friendly options.
Spray foam is an excellent choice for metal-framed barndominiums as it fills every crevice and cranny, and resists moisture, mildew, and mold.
7. Designing Your Space
For many barndo enthusiasts, one of the most exciting features of this home choice is that the interior floor plan design options are limitless, because there is no need for load-bearing walls inside the home as the exterior steel framing provides roof support.
Failure to include enough space and poorly designed floor plans are two of the most common errors when designing a barndominium home.
Some opt for smaller spaces to save costs and end up frustrated that they did not include enough space for their lifestyle. It’s important to remember that customized barndos with high-end interior finishes are still much cheaper per square foot than traditionally framed homes.
Before the ground is broken on construction, make sure you have thought about all the space needs for your family and lifestyle.
Include space for a home office, hobby or craft area, gym, movies, plenty of storage space, and a large kitchen – whatever features that will create comfort and ease of lifestyle should be included in your design.
Without prior experience, creating an efficient floor plan can be challenging. Interior walls impact heating and cooling, and natural light. Costs can also be impacted by the amount and placement of plumbing and electrical features.
The good news is that there are plenty of resources for floor plans with many samples online as well as thousands of existing barndo floorplan designs that can be purchased.Â
You can also hire an architect or work with an experienced barndo builder to create the perfect floor plan for your needs.
8. Living in the Country
Moving to a rural living environment can be a huge shock if you have always lived in bustling urban spaces. A slower pace of life and getting away from it all means you are literally further away from everything – jobs, entertainment, and shopping.Â
Be prepared for longer commutes and the fact that there may not be any food deliveries such as pizza and Chinese food. DoorDash and Uber Eats, for example, don’t generally deliver to rural areas.
Living in the country is definitely peaceful, but you should be informed and aware of the loss of easy access to amenities that are standard when living in a city.
9. Financing/Refinancing
Because barndominiums are still a relatively new concept, mortgage and finance companies are often not sure about how to go about providing financing.Â
One of the problems is that they rely on comparable (comps) home values to determine appraisal values. Since there are not many barndominiums to use as comps, appraisers often struggle to determine the dollar value of your barndo for financing and refinancing purposes.
This means you will usually have to search for barndominium-friendly finance companies. Fortunately, as this home type choice continues to rise in popularity, there are more and more mortgage companies who are offering specialized options for this niche.Â
Additionally, smaller banks that offer more personalized service are much more amenable to a well-thought-out proposal than larger banks that typically want cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all finance solutions.Â
10. Selling
The same issues with financing are present when selling your barndominium. Because barndominiums are still not readily available, most people are not yet aware of the many advantages that make them superior to traditional homes.
This means that you should be prepared for it to take longer to sell your barndominium than it would a traditional home. This is also true for rural properties, in general, as properties in the country usually take longer to sell than their urban counterparts.
Also, potential buyers may take longer to find financing to purchase your barndo home because financing is more challenging in barndo purchases.
Be prepared for offers that do not meet your asking price when you decide to sell your barndo.
The savvy barndo seller will take this into account when setting the price, knowing that the sale will still be profitable due to the savings achieved from constructing a barndo rather than a traditional home.
One last note regarding selling – the more you customize your barndo floor plan, the more challenging it can be to find a buyer with a similar lifestyle, so consider creating multi-purpose spaces within your floor plan so the spaces can be adapted for other uses.
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