# Increase hay barn height?



## JMT

Have two small hay barns. Worked okay for stacking small squares by hand, but now we have a holescher accumulator and the barns are way two short.

Barns are roughly 20x30' and 30x40', both about 8.5' tall.

Is there any good way to raise the roof?

Has anyone done this before?

Your thoughts, ideas, and experiences would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## deadmoose

You didn't say what the walls are. Pics?


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## carcajou

How high would you like to go?


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## RockmartGA

My initial thoughts were that this would not be feasible or that you would have to hire someone with experience in moving houses to do it. I just couldn't figure out a way to raise a roof that didn't involve a lot of cribbing and several beams.

Then I came across this:






Interesting way to build a pole barn, to say the least.


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## JD3430

I've done it several times with good success on wooden and concrete block barns. 
In all cases, I removed roof structure first. Lets say I want to add 4'. I build 4' "pony walls" on top of the existing wall plates. I use the long hurricane straps and nail them from top to bottom of each barn post where a pony wall stud is vertically aligned with a barn post to hold the new pony walls down tight in high winds. If walls are block, I use "j" bolts in the upper block cavities. 
After the new upper walls are in place and properly secured, I install new roof rafters with collar ties, sheathing and shingles on roof. Outside, I try to lap new upper siding over the horizontal joint between old barn top plate and new bottom plate from pony wall to add strength. 
I've done this 3 or 4 times and liked the results. You also get a new roof out of it.

If its a metal building, I'm not so sure. Lol


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## rajela

JD3430 said:


> I've done it several times with good success on wooden and concrete block barns.
> In all cases, I removed roof structure first. Lets say I want to add 4'. I build 4' "pony walls" on top of the existing wall plates. I use the long hurricane straps and nail them from top to bottom of each barn post where a pony wall stud is vertically aligned with a barn post to hold the new pony walls down tight in high winds. If walls are block, I use "j" bolts in the upper block cavities.
> After the new upper walls are in place and properly secured, I install new roof rafters with collar ties, sheathing and shingles on roof. Outside, I try to lap new upper siding over the horizontal joint between old barn top plate and new bottom plate from pony wall to add strength.
> I've done this 3 or 4 times and liked the results. You also get a new roof out of it.
> 
> If its a metal building, I'm not so sure. Lol


I think he is wanting to do this with the roof still in tact.


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## Dr Dean

Bin jacks, put one at each post and jack it up. I haven't tried it yet but I have one shed I'd really like to try it on. My plan is to cut the posts off at ground level and install new posts below ground level.


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## mlappin

Never seen anybody put a pole barn up like that, must of had a small fortune in all the cable, pulleys and rigging.

I did see a guy down did something similar, put he built the roof off to the side and had it lifted onto the poles.

Maybe do the same to yours, rig it up, lift the roof off, add to your height, set the roof back on?


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## mlappin

Dr Dean said:


> Bin jacks, put one at each post and jack it up. I haven't tried it yet but I have one shed I'd really like to try it on. My plan is to cut the posts off at ground level and install new posts below ground level.


That's actually a great ideal as well. Tie your posts together side to side, and you might even want to run a stringer the whole length along the bottom, you can make a round bin egg shaped just by cranking one jack up faster than the rest.

Absolutely do not rely on the third leg to hold the jacks in place. When we were putting up bins last fall we used 8 jacks on the 12 ring bin and every other one we had a cable running from the top of the jack back to something else solid to tie em off. Like to another grain bin, a corner post on the fence, and a couple of pick ups. When lifting a pole barn I think I'd cable every one off.


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## JD3430

rajela said:


> I think he is wanting to do this with the roof still in tact.


Ok. I have only been hired to do them when the roof was shot.


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## JMT

Thanks for the posts. The sheds are wood framed metal with round posts. Sidewalls are about 8.5' tall. One side and both ends are closed with open bays on the other side. Would like to add 4 to 6', enough to stack small square bales 7 or 8 rows high. May need to add a little more for clearance or enough to back in a gooseneck loaded 5 rows high. (Have not made any exact measurements, just trying to wrap my head around the idea.)

Bin jacks are an intriguing idea. Was thinking of just raising the roof, but cutting off at ground level may be better. It would be nice to get new posts in the ground. The trouble I see is getting the old post stubs out of the ground and setting new ones. Sound like a lot of work to do with a building suspended above my head. Also, will bin jacks be able to raise it high enough in one lift?

Any ideas on connecting new posts? I feel like they should be butted together, but could they be set next to the old ones and braced? Or maybe better to put in new posts all the way up?

Sheds are old but solid. I am afraid it might be easy to overspend trying to raise them.

I will try to take some pics but don't hold your breath. Thanks again for all the ideas and comments.


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## JD3430

I did one where we had to raise a sunken barn. We parked loader in barn after we jacked up old barn to new desired height. We excavated around old posts and poured new piers out of concrete up to new height. Sistererd new posts next to old, then drilled in new 3/4" galvanized thru bolts. 
Did that 3 years ago and it worked, but this one was square 6x6
Wonder if you could make a vertical cut midway thru round post about 2' long, then mirror same cut on new post. Set old post in mirror cut of new post, then bolt them together in 3 places with thru bolts? Then wrap both pieces with steel strap? 
I've seen telephone repair straps, so somebody sells the hardware....


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## mlappin

We just bury new posts next to the old when repairing our pole barns then bolt together with 1/2" stainless all thread rod. I'd even get your new posts in next to the old, then raise it and get it bolted asap. Wind plays hell on something hanging off bin jacks. A square building will be much worse than a round bin.

If the lifting lugs were hooked properly we could get the last three rings in when doing the door on one lift. Foundation is 2 foot above grade, so figure 32 inches a ring time 3 then add 24 for total lifting height if you started at ground level. Non common core math comes up with a total of 10 feet of lift. But those are our jacks, not sure all jacks were built the same as we had one that a few inches shorter than the rest and one thats a foot taller than the rest.


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## swmnhay

I just seen a post on another forum where they put a bin jack on each post and lifted the whole building.Setting a new post along side of the old and bolting together.I presume they cut old post off at ground level.

Another idea would be to jack it up and then pour a concrete wall and set it back on that.I've seen this done to old cattle sheds that the posts were rotting off.


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## aawhite

We used bin jacks on small shed, then poured a 2 foot wall under it. For butting the posts, consider this: Have a metal fab shop cut a heavy walled round pipe, with inside diameter the size of the pole, in half. This makes a clamp But the poles together and bolt up. The pole set in the ground takes the weight, the metal clamps keep it from shifting.


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## Guest

heard of a guy using bin jaks by me on a pole barn. put in a spacer and spiked boards all the way around. havent heard any issues yet. except the fact birds are the only one using the windows

lol


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## stack em up

We have a 40x80 machine shed that I wanna convert to a hay shed. Plan on using bin jacks to raise it, build a 4' pony wall and set it back down. If the damn thing collapses, then I'll have a real actual construction crew do it...


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