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Ever hear of a pole barn? Here's an example.

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

I have heard of pole barns all my life but never truly understood what they were.  Were they built of poles entirely?  Did someone cut down that many trees? 

I have a new listing that probably has a pole barn.  It actually is tin on the top and sides with poles on the inside holding it up.  So this must be what a pole barn is.... It's pretty roomy with a dirt floor and a leaky roof.  I'd hate to store really good stuff inside!    And at about the same time this barn was built, they would have worried about

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

storms so they built storm cellars.  How'd you like to visit this storm cellar?  I think I'll just face the storm.  This is REO property.

 

Comments (14)

Jo Olson
HOMEFRONT Realty - Kettle Falls, WA
Retired - HOMEFRONT Realty @ LAKE Roosevelt
Well, that is a pretty scary example!! lol!! In Washington pole barns and pole buildings are used for lots of different applications. They usually have cement floors and are sided with metal and roofed with metal.
Dec 28, 2007 08:17 AM
Tricia Jumonville
Bradfield Properties - Georgetown, TX
Texas REALTOR , Agent With Horse Sense

Boy, that sure doesn't look like my pole barn OR my storm shelter! 

But a pole barn does, indeed, have poles inside that support the roof (ours happen to be telephone poles as the person who owned the place when it was built worked for the phone company and could get a good deal - we have VERY sturdy fences in places, too!).  The roof is usually metal - but it doesn't have to leak.  Some have metal poles as supports.  Many (such as ours) don't have walls all the way around - some simply have a roof, ours has walls on two sides with the open sides opening onto paddocks so the animals have a choice of in or out.  The floor of ours is, indeed, dirt, though - animals, y'know, of the bovine and equine persuasion, it's easier that way.

Our storm shelter, put in after the F5 hit town, is concrete and makes quite a nice storage place when there's no tornadoes.  Though it did flood completely (even though it's well above the 100 year flood plain) when we had the huge rains last summer (19 inches in 4 hours will do that).  

 

Dec 28, 2007 08:38 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Jo, thanks for comments.  Pole barns can be many things!!

Tricia, that's a great explanation of pole barns.  What's an F5?  Thanks for comments.

Dec 28, 2007 12:24 PM
Tricia Jumonville
Bradfield Properties - Georgetown, TX
Texas REALTOR , Agent With Horse Sense
An F5 is a tornado.  A BIG tornado.  The highest rating on the Fujitsu scale of tornadoes.  A "the tornado that ate Jarrell" tornado.  Here's a brief youtube video of it (it got up to 1/4 mile wide and went VERY slowly and essentially ground everything in its path down to the size of a quarter - it also broke every rule in the book on  tornado behavior, evidently).  Just google Jarrell and F5 and tornado.
Dec 29, 2007 01:04 AM
Gary White~Grand Rapids Home Selling Pro Call: 616-821-9375
Flexit Realty "Flexible Home Selling Solutions" - Grand Rapids, MI
Real Estate Services You can Trust!
Hi Barbara, Yup it's a pole barn.  Based on what I am seeing you may find some treasure there...keep your head down and look...  Many of these older areas have old coins where people worked.  Selling it will probably bring you more coins I am quite sure!  Have a great 2008.
Dec 29, 2007 04:55 AM
Karen Kruschka
RE/MAX Executives - Woodbridge, VA
- "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"
I think I'd skip that storm shelter.  I suspect the only reason it is still standing is because no "real" storms came its' way,  Karen Kruschka 
Dec 29, 2007 09:50 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Tricia, that is a HUGE tornado!!  I'm sorry about Jarrell.  We've had very close calls in Searcy AR with lots of damaging at other cities around us.  I watched the youtube and it was BIG!  Thanks for comments.

Gary, I wish the weather were better so I could hunker down in that pole barn and that storm cellar and find hidden treasure!  I once did the treasure hunting bit but people borrowed the machines and never brought them back.  Thanks for comments.

Karen, I agree with you.  The storm might be easier than getting in that thing.  Perhaps when we can do the yard around it it will look better????  Thanks for stopping by.

Dec 29, 2007 11:16 AM
James Downing - Metro DC Houses Team REALTORS®, CRS, GRI, ABR,MRP, MilRes
Real Living | At Home - Washington, DC
When Looking to Buy or Sell - Make the Right Move
I always wanted a Pole Barn.  NOT!  Funny.  Although that storm cellar is NOT funny.  Its downright scary.
Dec 30, 2007 01:23 PM
Rich Quigley
Chicago, IL
I had never heard of a pole barn when before I moved to the outer suburbs of Chicago. I was used to selling lofts and condos in the City. Now that I'm out here I'm seeing that pole barns are quite common. Every day is a learning experience.
Jan 07, 2008 10:09 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Hi Rich,

I believe I'd prefer the condos in the city to the pole barns.  But we do learn each day.  Thanks for comments.

Jan 07, 2008 12:06 PM
Anonymous
Anonymous

Dear Barbara,

       I have a farm on which my Dad, relatives and no doubt neighbors helped build made out of

poles most of which are Lodgepole Pine trees. It measures 30 by 40 feet and about 35 high at the top of

the cupola. The outer frame  is made of poles 4 to 5 inches in diameter with center supports made of

 bigger poles that also supports the hay loft. the lower wall posts are on sixteen inch centers as is the

hipped roof.

     The sheathing as its called is 1x10 or 1x12, with a finish of ship-lap.

Here in North Idaho it's not uncommon to see a piece of ground covered with Lodgepole pine trees so

thick it actually looks like some one sewed the trees like you would plant a lawn.

     For many years it had a cedar shingle roof on it.

     My parents have passed on and of coarse I never talked to my Dad as to how got up in the top of that

building to do the carpentry work.

     Just this past week one of my son's and I climbed up on the top to shovel off a record snowfall of

roughly 32 inches.

     The reason I went to your website is to ask if you heard anything about federal funds to restore real

pole barn buildings? I think the one I own was built before 1938.

     Tony Myers,

    Rathdrum, Idaho 

    

Feb 10, 2008 02:26 PM
#11
Michele Hobaugh
Allen Tate Realtors - Charlotte, NC
Broker,ABR,GRI,CRS
Looks like a rental to me! LOL!
Feb 11, 2008 07:03 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Tony, that sounds interesting.  A picture would be good to see.  I have not heard of any funds of any kind.

Michele, thanks for stopping by.

Feb 11, 2008 07:12 AM
Anonymous
Jim

Hello, there is a good description of what a pole barn is on this site: What Is A Pole Barn It might clear up a few questions.

Aug 10, 2009 08:36 AM
#15