OP last updated : 07-30-2018

Current picture of progress (08-12-2019) :









Mrs. Gringo and I are starting on a barn house build in Central Texas. I've seen a few topics on here and the Home Improvement board that seem to generate a fair amount of interest in barn houses (barndominium) so I figured I'd post our plans and progress. It's a good way for me to "scrapbook" the project and also I hope to get some ideas/suggestions/previous experiences from you guys as we go along.

I found a handful of threads on here and the HI board about what necessities, features, etc. people wish they had or are glad they have in a new construction home. I wish I still had the threads open so I could post links, can't seem to find them now. Home building tips?? 03/2017 Building New Home - Gimme Ideas 12/2016 Custom House Cool Stuff Ideas 01/2018

Here is a running list of the plan for each aspect of the house:

Structure: - Done

• 43'x100' Muller bolt-up, pre-engineered building.
• 18' eve height. 3:12 roof pitch.
• MI 1620 Single Hung Vinyl Windows (Argon Gas, Low-E 340, DSB glass strength, U-Factor:0.28, SHGC:0.14, VT:0.3, DP Rating:67.2)
• Spray foam insulation All Open Cell. 3.5" walls 5.5" ceiling - Energy Guard Spray Foam
• 8' Iron Doors Unlimited Front Door - Front door
• Front porch 12' height @ building, 1:12 roof, 43' wide, 10' deep
• Parking Area 12' height @ building, 1:12 roof, 24' wide, 20' deep
• Lean-to 18' height @ building, 1:12 roof, 50' wide, 25' deep
• 3 Muller 12'x12' roll-up doors
• 2 Muller walk doors
• Gutters (with possible rain harvesting)
• Part of living quarters will be full building height ceiling, some will be 8' 9' ceiling, then 2' wooden truss, then variable ceiling (8'7'-13')

Whole House (Updated 8/13/2018) :

• Stained Concrete Floors - Texas Concrete Design (Aggie owned) DONE
• Rustic or Industrial Ceiling fans Need Recommendation
• PEX plumbing - Viega PEX type A with Viega PEX Press fittings DONE
• Co-op water DONE
• Co-op Power DONE
• Traditional Septic DONE
• DIY whole home water filtration - Three of these , one of these , one of these , one of these. With bypass loop and gauges upstream and downstream DONE
• Interesting source for door hardware, bath hardware, lighting I found on a TexAgs thread eBuilderDirect.com

Security/Audio/Tech: (last edited 09-3-2019)

• Abode home security - Abode
• In-wall/Ceiling Speakers, outdoor speakers Need Recommendation
• Audio receiver/hub for speakers (don't care for TV to run through hub) Need Recommendation
• CAT6 cable run EVERYWHERE -Monoprice - DONE
• Maybe a cell signal booster b/c metal building Need Recommendation
• Exterior motion controlled LED flood lights at each corner of building and half way down 100' sides Need Recommendation
• Ecobee3 lite Thermostat - DONE
• Laundry room will serve as a "hub" for any audio/video equipment. Just plan on having a well organized shelf above everything, a foot or so from the ceiling.

Kitchen/Living:

• Full building height ceiling (18'-23')
• Samsung 29.7-cu-ft 4-Door French Door Refrigerator - Fridge
• Samsung Smooth Surface 5-Element Slide-in Range - Range/Oven
• Samsung 2-cu-ft Over the Range Microwave - Microwave
• Samsung StormWash 48-Decibel Dishwasher - Dishwasher
• Stainless Steel Farmhouse Sink - Kitchen Sink
• Under Cabinet Lighting Need recommendation
• Toe Kick Lighting
• Commercial Style Faucet Need recommendation

Master Bedroom:

• Trey Ceiling with barn wood accents
• Barn door to closet
• Recessed LED lighting

Master Closet:

• "Rustic" wood and iron shelving/drawer system
• Recessed square LED light fixtures

Master Bath:

• Concrete countertops
• Built-in vanities with floor to ceiling storage and settee
• His & Hers sinks
• "Toilet room"
• Linen closet
• Built-in "dresser" with countertop for clothes folding
• Walk-in shower with linear floor drain and large format tiles. Dual shower heads
• Glass Shower door
• Drop-in tub within the walk-in shower "room"
• Recessed square LED light fixtures

Shop:

• LED high bay lights - current option - GrandLumen

Here is the concept of the overall structure: (added 02-06-2018)






Muller components are shown in red. Weld-up components are shown in blueish/green

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I'll post pictures as we go and update the list in this OP with what pictures were posted and the posting date to help navigate the thread.

1-11-2018 (page 1) : Clearing, driveway tie-in, foundation slab

1-26-2018 (page 2) : Concrete slab before, after, and during pouring

2-2-2018 (page 2) : Metal Building delivered to site. Pipe for entrance gate purchased

2-13-2018 (page 2) : Red iron has been erected.

3-1-2018 (page 2) : First set of footings for awnings poured

3-15-2018 (page 2) : Front awnings going up (1/4 of the way done)

3-19-2018 (page 2) : 2 walk doors welded in

3-26-2018 (page 3) : Majority of windows hung

4-5-2018 (page 3) : Front awnings 90% done

4-23-2018 (page 3) : Big awning 75% done. Start flashing windows

5-22-2018 (page 3) : All framing is done. All windows are mulled and installed. Front door installed. Septic system started and completed. Ready for sheeting.

6-5-2018 (page 3) : First day of sheeting complete. Electrical service wire is pulled to house

6-11-2018 (page 3) : Sheeting complete.

6-18-2018 (page 3) : Temporary living quarters begin framing.

6-25-2018 (page 4) : Temporary living quarters drywalled. Car lift installed.

7-5-2018 (page 4) : First Permanent Walls are up (shop bathroom)

7-10-2018 (page 4) : Shop/Living wall mostly done. Exterior sheeting/trim all done.

7-16-2018 (page 4) : Ground floor perimeter walls 95% framed.

7-23-2018 (page 4) : Ground floor perimeter wall complete. Kitchen/Living full height walls 1/3 complete.

7-30-2018 (page 4) : Kitchen/Living full height walls complete. Breaker box installed. Stained floors begin.

7-31-2018 (page 4) : Floors Stain done and covered. To be polished later.

8-2-2018 (page 4) : Stone Wainscot installed.

8-6-2018 (page 4) : Front porch and parking areas concrete started.

8-8-2018 (page 5) : Front porch and parking area concrete poured. First interior wall stood up. Cleaned up floor plan CAD

8-13-2018 (page 5) : Shop bath and Master closet framing complete. Master bed framing near complete. Master bath and laundry both 1/2 framing complete.

9-5-2018 (page 5) : Ground floor is 90% framed.

9-26-2018 (page 5) : Aerial shots and a flyover video

10-9-2018 (page 5) : 2nd floor (loft) trusses 75% in place and 20% decked

10-29-2018 (page 6) : Hall bath installed. Toilet flange installed

11-16-2018 (page 6) : 2nd floor 80% decked. All trusses in place

11-27-2018 (page 6) : Walk door landing and air compressor pad poured. 2nd floor 100% decked. 2nd floor walls started.

12-03-2018 (page 6) : 2nd floor walls 70% done. Driveway dirt work done, yard dirt started.

1-3-2019 (page 6) : Drain vents started

2-19-2019 (page 6) : All drain vents done. Storage loft access brainstorm. Great room ceiling tin recovery. 1st spread of driveway gravel. 90% electrical boxes and lights hung.

3-21-2019 (page 7) : electrical rough-in 95% done. A/C rough-in 100% done. water supply rough in 100% done. Water filters installed (twice). Doghouse Move-in.

3-27-2019 (page 7) : last loft wall framed.

4-1-2019 (page 7) : Cash added to the family. back wall 75% sheeted.

4-25-2019 (page 7) : Back wall 100%. Ready for spray foam

5-16-2019 (page 7) : Spray foam done!

5-23-2019 (page 7) : Horrible attempt at humor. washer/dryer in. 75% low voltage installed

5-28-2019 (page 7) : Framing odds and ends done. gray water drain installed.

7-1-2019 (page 7) : Drywall delivered. spray foam odds and ends

7-11-2019 (page 8) : Drywall hanging started. Custom Loft door done.

7-17-2019 (page 8) : Drywall hanging done.

8-5-2019 (page 8) : tape, float, texture done. interior paint done. old tin ceiling started. shredder purchased

8-12-2019 (page 8) : old tin ceiling done. Exterior doors installed. A/C turned on

9-3-2019 (page 9) : Doors painted and trim starting to go up

Before driveway tie-in


Tie-in cleared


Culvert purchased


County installing culvert


Culvert done


Bought a 20' container for storage during the build


How I had to move it

Pad site before clearing-1


Pad site before clearing-2


Burning the brush/trees


Pad site after clearing


Floorplan painted on the ground


Pad going in


Batter boards up


There is a handful of really cool and old oaks that we want to clear the cedars out of and make a "party area"


after about half the clearing done around the oaks

Honestly, stain the concrete yourself. It's not that hard or expensive if you follow the instructions. Also make sure you use a high quality sealer (30% solids).

Don't get the stain from lowes, Home Depot or sherwin Williams. Go to a concrete supply house (White Cap, Ram Tool, or CMC).

A couple of things to consider (if not too late). Assuming this is a weekend home / party house put in a second dishwasher.

Also, 8' ceilings feel low normally, but walking into a 8' ceiling space from a high ceilings building 18'+ will feel like a cave.

Do you have any higher resolution drawings? I can't make out the images on my phone.

Awesome project. I can't wait to watch the process!

I'm always in for a good barndo thread.

I'd ditch the electric range (unless it's induction, maybe even then) and the microwave over the range. Put the microwave elsewhere and install a proper vent hood over a gas range.

Awesome project. We left our place in the country to be close to our young daughter's grandparents in DFW. No regrets for what we've done but I'm going back to the sticks at some point.

Those oaks are awesome....we just purchased a small plot covered with mostly cedars and a few smaller oaks....really wish I could have found one I liked with a massive live oak on it.

Conduit:
If you're going to run CAT5 (I'd recommend CAT6e as that will be the new standard soon) and any of your other A/V items, please put them in conduit. It will make yours and who ever is installing/upgrading the home now and in the future lives extremely easier.

Additionally, a lot of your A/V (commercial, not sure on residential) equipment can be run on CAT7 cable (could help keep the conduit sizes down as an HDMI connector needs at least a 1" and even that's not easy to pull).

Blocking:
Blocking for hanging heavy items, now & in the future (TV's, art work, gun racks, etc.)

Plumbing:
You want PEX-B, as I believe is it most durable.

Very cool, OP.

For real cool effect have concrete supplier use local river rock for aggregate. Polish concrete enough to expose/slice aggregate. It'll give you a terrazzo look with bigger stones. I have also seen people throw glass and metal objects in like big nails, wrenches. The polisher will cut right through. Looks like artifacts or something in the floor. The glass is cool.

+1 for closed cell foam. Open cell foam is just bad news