Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Barndominium

Well folks, back in April we decided to get out of the little rock house and build something a bit more livable. The rock house was a good hunting cabin but with all the bugs,mice, coons in the attic, we(the wife) felt like it would be nicer to have something we could be more comfortable in.

Here's where it started,the date on some pics is a year off. this was April 2011


Had to clean up the new entrance


Brought in a little dirt


Roughed the drive for the trucks


Did some concrete


Put up some iron


A little framing for the wifey


Gun room/storm shelter


The back porch


From the pond to the house



from the back porch looking at the pond. I do have some more clearing to do. This pic didn't want to post. I must have too many but if you look at it, this was before the rain this month. The previuos pic was after the rain.
[img]http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af129/bmncool1/New%20Tater%20House/IMG_0312.jpg[/img]

I should have been posting this as it went along but I've been holding back until it got to the point where I could get the full effect. I hoping to be finished by the end of the year!

That is one big job. Nice work ! Is the dock on the far side of the pond?

Holy crap; that thing is huge! Way cool, Cisco. Give us some spec's and stat's (ie; sq footage, ceiling heights, details for the living space, details for the balance of the barn areas)

Thanks guys. Yes Ewest, the dock was there when i bought the place 3 yrs ago. I had the pond dug out 2 years ago. It was only about 4 ft. deep and at the time, I was planning on pumping water from it for the house. Since then, the county has started on a water line that will run down the highway in front of the place. It should be in by spring. I have a 1500 gal. water tank on the old rock house. We're only there on weekends so far so it works fine. Ski, the total sq. ft is 5000, 2500 will be living quarters and the 2500 balance will be barn. I need somwhere to put my toys. I have them an old sheet metal barn now that is falling down. The ceiling in the great room and the master bedroom is about 15' tall and vaulted. The wife is doing the house end of the building, I'll stick to the barn end!

looks great, what size is the building?

I like the idea of the gun room/storm shelter/safe room.

Pretty neat place.

What a sensible plan!

The building itself is 50' x 100' and it has a 12' wide porch around 2 sides.

Cisco:

Can the door be opened from the inside on the shelter room, or do you plan on leaving the door open in case of a tornado?

That place looks awsome!

The door can be open from inside or outside. It's a heavy steel door. Did I miss something?

When I looked at tornado structures (or building one) it was mentioned that if the door opened outward, there was a possibility of it being blocked by wreckage that would stop it from swinging open.

OTOH, if it swings inward, the only thing that keeps it from opening is the latch itself, not the whole door frame.

You pick your choices and take your chances I guess! If I was building one, I don't know what route I'd take.

Are the blocks filled with concrete and reinforced with rebar?

The Sporting Clays range that I frequent built a vault like you did, although they have an actual vault type door on it. They filled the blocks with cement and rebar, and also poured a 6" cement ceiling on it, supported by steel beams on the inside.

Now i see where you were going Essup, it opens to the inside so the hinges are not exposed. The door has three different deadbolts on it. I wasn't worried so much about the storms as I am with the security of it since I'm only there on the weekends right now. I hope to retire in a year or so but until then, i need things locked up tight. It's built just liked you described, it should be pretty solid.

Awesome looking project, Cisco! Congrats on your progress!

On the safe room in our house, we have a door that swings inside and 12" of concrete up above the room itself.

I had the same idea six years ago, my wife and friends questioned my thinking. Care to guess where everyone likes to hang out now ? Wish I would have built it bigger. Yours is the perfect size and design IMO, your going to love it….enjoy.

That is really nice!

Cisco,

Ijust joined this site (just because I stumbled across your photos). Your place looks awesome. I am a State Trooper in SC. I pretty much live in two places like you do right now and I built the same type of structure as you. Mine is a work in progress, so I am definitely interested in as many photos as you will post of the construction. I am constantly looking to improve on mine!

I'll get more pics posted pretty soon guys. Been alot of wiring going on and some trim/gutter work. Welcome adoard JayDuke! There is a bunch of info here. I wish I had joined earlier than I did. As far as the barn goes,Mine will be a work in progress the rest of my life.I'm not really doing much on the barndominium myself, I'm working on the surrounding area though. With bow season going on and rifle season this weekend, there is not enough hours in a day. I envy all of you that built you own places, it has to feel great when your finished. It's killing me just keeping track of the contractor! I'll get more pics posted in the next few days.

Well folks, we're getting there slowly but surely. Here's a few more pics.

A SMALL part of the 400 amp service.

From the great room out the front door. Hardwood is laid but still needs scraping,staining and sealing

Master bedroom fireplace

Great room fireplace. Both will be trimmed in cedar along with all doorways etc. The hickory cabinets should be in this week.

This is still my favorite part of the house/barn. We still have quite a bit to go but it's getting there.

I like it. How's the hunting been?

That is good progress.

Stunning, Cisco...stunning!

Thanks Guys. The hunting has been slow DD1. we've been seeing a lot of deer but nothing I want to take off the place. Mostly bucks, not many doe. I do have a nice 10 point running around but only a 3 yr old I think. We have been getting quite a few hogs, grandson got 3 of them 2 weeks ago.

Well it's finally finished! We started moving some stuff in. Some of these are before it was finished.
Out the kitchen window

Dining area

Great room fireplace

Part of the kitchen

More kitchen

Kitchen in the man cave

Man cave and gun room

Inside of gun room

The best part,the back porch

And finally,the front side

I've still got a lot to do but it's getting close.

Did you epoxy coat the floor in the garage?