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Hello, I am new to this forum and hope to find some interaction and help here. Here is my project:
My wife and I are going to be building a cordwood shop (with an upstairs apartment) this coming spring in Montana. I have a building and carpentry background, but have never built a structure this big before.
The structure size is 35' long by 27' wide. The kicker is that we are striving to do this debt free. So, to me that means saving money wherever possible. However, I see no purpose in building an affordable structure if it means sacrificing safety or structural integrity. Here are my plans below.
Shop / garage
Upstairs apartment
I have most everything else figured out except for the beams I'll need. I will need 3 beams total..
(1) 26' & (1) 22' beams - equally dividing the length of the garage, & spanning the width.
(1) 21' beam - upstairs vaulted ceiling running lengthwise from the right exterior wall to the center wall next to the bedrooms.
My questions:
What type(s) of beams are the most affordable / attainable without sacrificing structural integrity?
What are the optimal dimensions and type(s) of wood that would be best for my application?
Additional note: I am not opposed to using full logs. I also have an Alaskan saw mill, so I am able to mill whatever dimensions I need.
Thanks everyone!
My wife and I are going to be building a cordwood shop (with an upstairs apartment) this coming spring in Montana. I have a building and carpentry background, but have never built a structure this big before.
The structure size is 35' long by 27' wide. The kicker is that we are striving to do this debt free. So, to me that means saving money wherever possible. However, I see no purpose in building an affordable structure if it means sacrificing safety or structural integrity. Here are my plans below.
Shop / garage
Upstairs apartment
I have most everything else figured out except for the beams I'll need. I will need 3 beams total..
(1) 26' & (1) 22' beams - equally dividing the length of the garage, & spanning the width.
(1) 21' beam - upstairs vaulted ceiling running lengthwise from the right exterior wall to the center wall next to the bedrooms.
My questions:
What type(s) of beams are the most affordable / attainable without sacrificing structural integrity?
What are the optimal dimensions and type(s) of wood that would be best for my application?
Additional note: I am not opposed to using full logs. I also have an Alaskan saw mill, so I am able to mill whatever dimensions I need.
Thanks everyone!