Barndo on a Bluff

Customer Journey with the Arndt Family in Northern Nevada

 

 
A digital rendering of a single-story building with a brown exterior, large overhanging roof, and multiple windows. The structure includes a covered entrance with a triangular support and has several dormers on the roof. The sky is clear and blue.

40,000 LB pounds of American Steel from Worldwide Steel Buildings

A flatbed truck carries a large load of stacked, rust-colored metal beams secured with straps. It is parked in a rocky, desert-like area with sparse vegetation and hills in the background.

Kickoff: Ground Prep

Step 1 Removal of all brush, big rocks and debris around the job site while working towards a solid, level area while filling in any low spots with extra dirt.

Construction site with a prepared foundation. The ground is covered with insulation panels, metal grids, and visible plumbing pipes. A hilly landscape with sparse vegetation and a clear blue sky is in the background.

Step 2 Excavation and ‘grading’ the area to ensure the building pad will be precisely the same grade from corner to corner, assuming the ground has been settling long enough. A Transit leveling laser will be needed for this aspect of your build.

Foundation Creation

Two construction workers in orange hoodies install wooden formwork along a trench in a barren, foggy landscape. Tools are scattered around on the ground.
An excavator digs a large, rectangular plot of earth at a construction site. The area is framed with wooden planks. Houses and hills are visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

Step 3 Placing your plumbing and electrical lines at the same time as your footings are being formed is a smart route for a residential foundation design. Determining a proper access point to clean out your main sewer drain at the roughed-in ground level is also something to address during this phase of your foundation setup. The most popular placement for this setup would be your utility area, as most custom barndo designs include a full size utility room.

A landscape featuring a construction site with a forklift lifting a tall metal frame. The background shows a hilly terrain with sparse buildings and a cloudy sky. Construction materials are scattered on the ground.
Construction site in a barren landscape with snow-capped mountains in the background. Foundations and pipes are visible in the foreground, with a few structures and materials scattered around. Clear blue sky overhead.

Step 4 Vapor barrier – 6 rolls of rFOIL Ultra CBF was used as an additional layer of protection on top of the gravel. Now they can tie the rebar into a connected grid before the concrete is spread and strengthen the foundation for more resistance against surface cracks.

Concrete Time

A partially constructed building with wooden and metal frames, featuring large glass windows. The structure is set on a concrete floor, with an open roof exposing blue skies. In the background, there are rolling hills and greenery.

Step 5 After the Pex installation for the radiant heat, concrete can now be poured at least 4 inches deep, depending on the level of support needed inside each section of your structure. Equipment storage areas may require 6 inches or more.

Construction site in a desert landscape with workers pouring concrete into a foundation. Two concrete pump trucks with extended hoses form a large
Construction site in a desert landscape with workers pouring concrete into a foundation. Two concrete pump trucks with extended hoses form a large

Step 6 Once the concrete foundation is poured and has cured for several days based on sun and heat, you are ready for the building installation components to be brought in and laid out for assembly.

Trusses + Columns

A partially constructed building with wooden and metal frames, featuring large glass windows. The structure is set on a concrete floor, with an open roof exposing blue skies. In the background, there are rolling hills and greenery.
A large, open steel frame structure under construction in a rural area. Wooden beams are being added to the frame, and various construction equipment and vehicles are visible around the site. Hills and a clear blue sky are in the background.

Step 7 Bolt down the columns to your concrete as shown in your structural drawings. Once your columns are set, you can begin setting the trusses on top of the each column.

Construction site of a large building with a skeletal wooden frame under a clear blue sky. Two red construction lifts and two orange traffic cones are visible on the concrete foundation. A hill with sparse vegetation is in the background.

Step 8 Once your primary framework is constructed, you can begin hanging your secondary framework with your wall girts and roof purlins. A scissor lift is very handy for this aspect of your build.

Roof Purlins + Wall Girts

A partially constructed building with wooden and metal frames, featuring large glass windows. The structure is set on a concrete floor, with an open roof exposing blue skies. In the background, there are rolling hills and greenery.
A partially constructed building with wooden and metal frames, featuring large glass windows. The structure is set on a concrete floor, with an open roof exposing blue skies. In the background, there are rolling hills and greenery.

Metal buildings with a primary steel frame can utilize metal purlins and girts or wood as the secondary framing. While installing these elements, you are also creating the spaces for your doors and windows around the wall columns and end columns.

A partially constructed building with exposed wooden frames and several window installations. There are construction materials on the ground and a blue sky with clouds in the background.

Side Walls + Roof Panels

A 3D rendering of a large metal building, Ref#010941, with a red gable roof. This 40x48x12 structure features two garage doors and side windows, along with a white pedestrian door. The building is set on a grassy field beneath a partly cloudy sky.

Once your primary framework and secondary framework is assembled, you can start hanging your outer shell roofing panels and wall panels. You can also install insulation during this process or at a later time, depending on what type of insulation you choose for your climate and usage.

A large, partially constructed industrial building with a brown exterior and numerous windows is situated on a gravel lot under a blue sky. A tractor is parked nearby.

Insulation Choices

A 3D rendering of a large metal building, Ref#010941, with a red gable roof. This 40x48x12 structure features two garage doors and side windows, along with a white pedestrian door. The building is set on a grassy field beneath a partly cloudy sky.

The Arndt family chose to install a layer of insulation before their interior framework to create an additional exterior weather resistance for climate control in their living space and garage shop space.

A partially constructed building with wooden and metal frames, featuring large glass windows. The structure is set on a concrete floor, with an open roof exposing blue skies. In the background, there are rolling hills and greenery.
Two construction workers in orange vests are working inside a large, partially constructed building with high ceilings. They're handling tools on a concrete floor, surrounded by blue buckets and metal support beams.

Mezzanine Kits

A 3D rendering of a large metal building, Ref#010941, with a red gable roof. This 40x48x12 structure features two garage doors and side windows, along with a white pedestrian door. The building is set on a grassy field beneath a partly cloudy sky.

When you add a second level mezzanine plan to your building kit, you are increasing the usefulness of your interior space by adding more square footage within the same footprint. You can also maintain high ceilings when designing with Worldwide’s steel columns, because your mezzanine joists can be set at any height for wood flooring and also for metal flooring that provide high load-bearing weight capacity.

A partially constructed building with wooden and metal frames, featuring large glass windows. The structure is set on a concrete floor, with an open roof exposing blue skies. In the background, there are rolling hills and greenery.
Interior view of a house under construction. Exposed wooden framing and beams are visible, with partial walls and a high ceiling. Construction materials and tools are scattered on the unfinished concrete floor. Natural light enters from large windows.

Custom Finish Options

Most customers envision multiple exterior customizations as well as interior customization options. In this custom build, the choice was a double front door and extended front porch to create an inviting home entry, along with dormer style second level windows, and cupolas on the roof. Porch soffits will be the final exterior installation.

A 3D rendering of a large metal building, Ref#010941, with a red gable roof. This 40x48x12 structure features two garage doors and side windows, along with a white pedestrian door. The building is set on a grassy field beneath a partly cloudy sky.

Finished Front Porch

“Thank you to @worldwidesteelbuildings for making this work!” ~ Leslie

A 3D rendering of a large metal building, Ref#010941, with a red gable roof. This 40x48x12 structure features two garage doors and side windows, along with a white pedestrian door. The building is set on a grassy field beneath a partly cloudy sky.

Our building design experts are available to answer any questions you may have about your barndominium project.
Call us at # 800-825-0316
or visit us online at
WorldwideSteelBuildings.com
for more information.

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