Tag Archives: barn kits

Barn Kits, Barns, Engineered Barn Kit

15 Ways to Use Our Barn Kits

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Something we pride ourselves on here at DC is the incredible versatility of our barn kits — not just in the sense of what you can do with your design, but what purpose they can ultimately serve on your property. From backyard party barns to wineries and even “bat caves,” we’ve converted our building models into all types of structures for our clients and continue to surprise customers with the many unique configurations we can achieve.

Though it may be hard to visualize the possibilities for your barn kit at first, there are plenty of ways our team can help you create a one-of-a-kind structure that fully encompasses your needs and style. If you’re eager to get started but feeling unsure of what you want to do with your building model, here’s a glimpse at the numerous options available for your custom barn design. 

Barn Home

Let’s say you love the look of our Oakridge Apartment Barn Kit but want it to function as a barn-style home for you and your family. With the help of our talented in-house designers, you can easily create a beautiful, long-lasting residence based on our Oakridge or any other barn design you see fit! We offer hundreds of customization options for your structure to ensure your barn home matches your personality and taste. We can also combine multiple building kits to create an all-encompassing residence that meets your every need. 

Barndominium 

Barndominiums are all the rage with millennials, and it’s not hard to see why. With their classic barn-style appearance and multi-use layouts, barndominiums make attractive and efficient structures that can serve several unique purposes on your property. It’s important to note that many barndominiums on the market are metal-built structures, whereas we frame ours with select grade FOHC Douglas fir heavy timbers. Before investing in a barndominium, consider what type of barndominium you’re looking for in terms of material use, style, and function. 

Event Venue 

Whether you’re planning to build an all-inclusive wedding and event venue or a simple gathering space for small parties and celebrations, we offer dozens of pre-engineered barn kits designed to suit your needs. While most of our wedding and event venue projects started as event barn kits, we’ve transformed several of our other barn designs into breathtaking event venues that our clients and their customers love. 

Hobby Workshop 

Any hobbyist knows how important it is to have your own personalized workspace. With a prefabricated barn kit from DC Structures, you can turn your design into a fully built-out workshop tailored to your needs and passions. We offer a complete line of garage and workshop kits designed for the modern tinkerer or creative professional. However, we can take any barn kit in our collection and transform it into your ideal workspace. 

Vehicle & Outdoor Equipment Storage  

While many homeowners store their vehicles and outdoor equipment in their garages, others may find that their existing garage doesn’t provide adequate room for all their storage needs. In these instances, having a detached storage barn or garage makes a practical solution that will increase the value of your home and keep your prized possessions safe and secure. 

Winery/Brewery 

Have a vision for a winery or brewery in your state? We want to hear it! At DC Structures, we’ve designed a handful of wineries for clients in Oregon and Washington and would love the opportunity to expand our portfolio of DC-designed wineries and breweries. Our team has also transformed our barn kits into stunning distilleries for clients nationwide and could help you create a production space and tasting room that aligns with your business plans. No matter the complexities of your build, we’re here to help you get your ideas off the ground in any way we can. 

Church 

Worship centers come in all different shapes, sizes, and styles, from massive gothic cathedrals to quaint gable-roofed chapels. While we’ve designed a few religious centers in our signature post and beam style, we can transform any of our barn kits into an original worship space that more closely matches your vision. 

Man or Lady Cave 

Who doesn’t love having a personal space to retreat to from time to time? With a detached man or lady cave on your property, you can enjoy some much-needed self-care in a relaxing atmosphere that’s all your own. Whether you envision a sports-themed den or something like our client’s infamous “Bat Cave,” our team can help you create the right look and vibe for your private oasis. 

Business/Office Space

Our barn kits aren’t exclusive to residential uses — you can also transform your kit into a commercial building centered around your business needs. We’ve crafted numerous commercial office spaces for clients in various industries and will collaborate with you to find the right floor plan, features, and size for your individualized workspace.  

Horse Barn 

If you’re seeking a beautiful home for your horses, look no further than our line of pre-engineered barn kits! We offer dozens of open-ended barn designs that you can modify and personalize according to your equestrian needs. With hundreds of premium options and upgrades to choose from for your horse barn, you can create a high-end equestrian facility that perfectly suits your lifestyle and those of your horses. Explore our gallery of horse barn projects to see what you can do with your barn kit! 

Indoor Sports Court

Whether you do or don’t consider yourself a sports fanatic, you have to admit that owning a private basketball court sounds pretty cool. With a custom recreational space in your backyard, you can work out, practice your skills, or play 2-on-2 with friends any time or day of the week. 

Artist Studio 

This option applies to all creatives, from painters and musicians to photographers and ceramicists. Our barn kits offer the ideal setting for those looking for a secluded space where they can be as loud, messy, or downright genius as they need to be.  

Mother-in-Law Suite 

Sharing space with anyone outside your immediate household can be challenging, especially if you’re not used to having a packed house for the holidays. With a mother-in-law suite or backyard ADU, you can offer your friends and family the privacy of a separate guest bedroom while freely enjoying your house after a night (or multiple nights) of entertaining. 

Collector’s Gallery

You have an impressive collection that deserves its own showroom, and we have a line of barn kits that will make your memorabilia shine. With the help of our talented designers, you can create a barn-style structure that brings your collection together in one magnificent space.  

A Harry Potter-Themed Bar 

This last suggestion is partially a joke, but mostly Sirius. We would love to help you design a Harry Potter-themed bar — or any movie-themed bar, for that matter — on your property. While a barn might not be the most authentic portrayal of Harry Potter architecture, we can work with just about any vision you have for the space and help you transform your kit into a magical space that any muggle would adore. 

Ready to get started on your barn project? Call us at (888) 975-2057 or request a catalog today! 

 

Construction, Materials Package, Options, Upgrades

Knife Plates 101: What Are They & Why Do We Use Them?

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We talk a lot about our prefabrication method and, more specifically, the benefits of utilizing our pre-cut heavy timbers for your installation process. However, something we don’t discuss nearly as often as our pre-engineered heavy timbers are what we use to keep our posts looking beautiful over time and protected from moisture build-up and rot — aka knife plates.

Knife plates are steel connection hardware pieces welded to fit seamlessly with our pre-cut heavy timber posts. When used during construction, knife plates create a buffer between our heavy timbers and the structural footing below so any moisture in the foundational concrete can’t easily seep up into the wood. Knife plates also keep our heavy timbers rooted firmly to your foundation, creating a sturdy framework for your structural shell. Additionally, these hardware pieces help keep the connection between your structural concrete and posts hidden so you can enjoy a cleaner look for your exterior framing components. With all these benefits to consider, it’s easy to see why we implement knife plates as part of our process. That said, it’s important to understand some key differences* between our standard knife plates and those we offer as an available upgrade.

*The information listed below applies to exterior installations only. When used for interior applications, our standard knife plates create a clean, seamless appearance for your heavy timber posts. See below for reference:

Our Knife Plate Options & Their Benefits

At DC Structures, we offer two different choices for knife plates — the first being our standard knife plates. Our standard knife plates are powder-coated steel connection pieces that are installed on elevated concrete pedestals poured above your structural footing. These concrete pedestals provide a solid, weatherproof barrier between the ground and posts, making our standard offering a practical option for clients in areas that experience heavy rain and snow.

Our second option, on the other hand, is our horse-friendly knife plates. These are steel connection hardware pieces that are hot-dipped galvanized and powder-coated for maximum protection. The primary difference between this option and our standard is our horse-friendly knife plates are bolted directly into the structural footing and feature an I-shaped design that raises the bottom of our posts to a pre-determined elevation.

One of the reasons why customers like our horse-friendly knife plates is because this option creates a sleek, polished appearance for your posts once your finished surfaces are complete. Instead of resting on concrete pedestals, your posts will appear as though they’re sitting right above your finished surface, providing a seamless look for your exterior. Another advantage to our horse-friendly knife plates is that your crews can install them before adding your surface material. By situating your posts above the area where your finished surface will be, your framing crews can easily map out and complete your drainage, utility hook-ups, and mechanicals before installing your surface material.

Most importantly, our horse-friendly knife plates are a great investment for horse owners and pet owners alike because they offer optimal safety for your animals. Because of the way our horse-friendly knife plates are designed, our clients can use sand, pavers, or other types of horse-safe material for their finished surface. This gives our customers who prefer softer surfaces for their turnout, paddock, or stall areas more leeway in deciding which surface material is best for their horse barn or riding arena project. Additionally, this option means our clients don’t have to worry about their horses tripping or injuring themselves on pesky concrete pedestals surrounding their posts. With your knife plates completely hidden and chew protection added to exposed corners of your posts, you can keep your heavy timbers in great shape and your horses protected from preventable accidents.

The choice between our standard knife plates and horse-friendly knife plates ultimately comes down to your preference. For instance, if you live in an area subject to inclement weather, you may be inclined to choose our standard knife plates as a precaution. Even so, there are plenty of ways that we can make your selection work for you and achieve your desired appearance and function.

Interested in learning more about our standard and horse-friendly knife plates? Be sure to visit our Options & Upgrades page or give us a call at (888) 975-2057 to speak with one of our representatives.

Barn Kits, Barns, Engineered Barn Kit, Equestrian, Materials Package

When Horse Barn Kits Come to Life

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horse barn kits

DC Structures has designed and assembled countless horse barn kits. From small wood barns with one to two horse stalls all the way up to large-scale equestrian facilities for boarding businesses, there’s no horse barn project outside the DC wheelhouse.

Earlier this year, we shared some construction progress photos of this luxury horse barn in Tryon, North Carolina. Starting with a Columbia 72’ barn kit, these clients transformed this floor plan into an eight-stall horse barn with a double-sized tackroom. Upstairs, a raised center-aisle loft makes way for hay storage and a viewing platform.

With construction finishing in the middle of this year, these clients and their equine friends have had a chance to settle in and make themselves at home. Check out the end result in the collage below!

Thinking about horse barn plans for your own property? Request a free quote today!

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Barn Kits, Engineered Barn Kit, Materials Package, Options, Post & Beam, Upgrades

Flexibility for Your Vision: DC Flex Design

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flex design

DC Structures made its name by designing an innovative line of prefabricated post and beam building kits. With a variety of kits ranging in size, price and scope, DC Structures prides itself in the versatility of its offerings. That said, we understand some people won’t always find exactly what they’re looking for in our selection of standard kit models. That’s why we’ve decided to introduce a little bit of flexibility to the process.

If you’ve ever looked through our selection of kits and thought it would be much better suited for your needs with a few adjustments here and there, then DC Structures’ Flex Design process is for you. Flex Design enables you to make structural changes to one of our existing pre-engineered materials packages, including changes to building height and width, as well as custom add-ons and removal of interior posts. This is in addition to the standard options and upgrades, which means even more personalization for your kit.

One of the most common alteration requests we receive from our customers are changes that add more space. Our post and beam construction method is known for creating open spaces and high ceilings, but sometimes customers want to take it a step further. Whether you’re looking to up the ante vertically or horizontally, Flex Design gives you the option to increase the height and/or width of one of our standard kit models. The owners of this barn in Fall City, Washington did just that, and now have plenty of space for their home business.

Another change people inquire about often relates to the positioning of posts within sweeping interior spaces. Post and beam construction already lends itself to spacious, open rooms. That said, sometimes an exposed post can interfere with a customer’s vision for the space. Now, with Flex Design, we are happy to eliminate posts you’d like to give the boot, thereby creating even more drastically open spaces.

Outside of changes that modify the size or interior layout, we oftentimes receive requests for minor custom touches to be added to one of our existing kits. Whether you’re looking for a custom deck like the one on this modified Columbia kit, one-of-a-kind timber framing or anything in between, the design team at DC Structure is happy to accommodate your ideas. Our goal is to design a structure that effectively meets your lifestyle needs, whatever they may be.

If you have a vision for a barn, barn home or equestrian facility you want to add to your property, DC Structures is up to the task. We’ve designed stunning prefabricated structures for clients all over the country, and with the addition of our Flex Design option, we are now equipped to better serve our customers. Request a free quote and start customizing your kit today!

Animals, Barn Kits, Barns, Engineered Barn Kit

From Design to Blueprints: Easy Building Design Process

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easy building design process

When we ask our customers about their experience with DC Structures after the completion of their project, we often hear a similar sentiment—”the process was just so easy!” At DC Structures we take pride in our easy building design process, making every step of our client partnerships as simple as possible. It’s what we refer to as The Process, and what it means is that we will be with you at every step of the way.

The Process begins with you, and figuring out exactly what you’re looking for. If you don’t already have a kit in mind, our project coordinators will collaborate with you one-on-one to narrow down the specific features you want included in your structure. This will allow our design team to identify which of our several pre-fabricated kits will best meet your needs. After that, they’ll walk you through our countless upgrades and options that let you make your kit uniquely your own.

Once you’ve selected your kit and upgrades, our design team will get to work producing your final design and creating the blueprints for your structure. They’ll work closely with your project coordinator to make sure everything you asked for is present in the final design. Once ready, we schedule a final review with you and your contractor to make sure everyone is on the same page before moving forward with your pre-engineered building materials package.

Next, we pre-construct your structure using the finest sourced materials available, and ship the kit to your building site by your desired deadline. But, the process doesn’t end there. As an experienced and innovative construction firm, DC Structures provides building support throughout the construction process.

At DC Structures we understand that building a new barn, home, riding arena or work space is a major investment, and we do everything in our power to make sure you are satisfied with the finished product. Our process, based on principles of communication and customer service, ensures that we are as helpful to our clients as possible, and that your structure is completed with care and craftsmanship. Request a digital catalog today to begin your very own building process with DC Structures.

Apartment Barn, Barn Kits, California, Construction, Equestrian, Post & Beam

Project Preview: Lake Elsinor Apartment Barn

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apartment barn

Nationwide barn kit company DC Structures has apartment barn projects under construction all over the country. We guarantee our clients builder support throughout the duration of their build, but we also keep in touch simply because we enjoy watching their plans take shape.

Building relationships with the people who buy our apartment barn kits is a cornerstone of our business model. If you’re looking for a company to sell you a pre-engineered materials package and never contact you again, DC Structures probably isn’t the kit company for you.

Learn more about our process here!

Lake Elsinor Apartment Barn

Southeast of Los Angeles, California is a large freshwater lake known as Elsinor. While L.A. calls to mind scenes of bumper-to-bumper traffic and smog-saddled skies, Lake Elsinor and the town that shares its name offers a departure from city life that is pleasantly serene.

Coming soon to Lake Elsinor’s scenic landscape is one of DC Structures’ most popular designs: an Oakridge 60’ apartment barn.

This hybrid barn home features all the necessary equestrian amenities on the ground floor—including one horse stall, feed and tack rooms, as well as a laundry room, office and half bath. Upstairs sits a large three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, replete with an additional office.

Take a look at this project in the photos below!

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Thinking about an apartment barn for your own property? Request a digital catalog and start laying the groundwork today!

Barn Kits, Garages & Workshops

Where the Party at? Backyard Party Barn Ideas

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party barn ideas

Remember the good ol’ days when you could avoid the humdrum of homework and chores by escaping to your backyard tree house? Or, if your own childhood was devoid of tree house adventures, then perhaps you secretly long for the return to innocence that was those easier times. Either way, a backyard party barn could be just the thing that’s missing from your property.

Party barns are what you make of them, and can serve a range of purposes from work space and man cave to backyard bar and gaming room. Just think of it as a place you’d like to unwind after a long day of grinding away at your regular 9-5, or the place you’d like to practice your craft after hours.

DC Structures’ flexible line of post and beam barn kits are easily reimagined for a number of party barn ideas. Our designs can be modified to include anything you think would add to the personalization of your backyard getaway.

This backyard party barn in Damascus, Oregon is the perfect mix of your favorite pastimes and some much needed relaxation. Starting with a Columbia 24’ barn kit, these floor plans were modified to include a workshop, man cave and upstairs loft. A custom bar and handcrafted timber frame stairs add to the rustic aesthetic, while upgrades to the sweeping deck make this structure the perfect all-seasons hangout.

Tour the inside of this party barn in the interactive photo below!

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Are the wheels of inspiration turning for your own party barn ideas? Request our digital catalog for more!

Animals, Barn Kits, Barns, Equestrian, Stall Fronts

No Horsing Around: Pro Tips for Horse Barn Safety

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horse barn safety

Horse barn safety is DC Structures’ top priority when it comes to designing our top-of-the-line barn kits. Injuries pose a real threat to horses, as the road to recovery can be especially arduous for them. There are a number of preventative measures you can take to ensure the safety of your four-legged equine friends. Read on for our recommendations for best practices.

DC Structures’ top-8 horse barn safety tips

  • All barn materials should be free of chemical treatments as they present health risks to horses that chew on them. DC Structures uses top-grade untreated lumbers for its post-and-beam kit designs.
  • The areas within and around a barn should always be free of clutter. Loose items scattered about the aisles are a safety hazard.
  • Walkways should be no less than 12’ wide to allow horses to pass freely and turn around with ease. DC Structures’ barn kits all include plans that meet this requirement.
  • The aisle ways should have an even and well-tractioned surface. Textured concrete or dirt without rocks are both great options.
  • Stall fronts should have smoothed edges to avoid injury to the horse. All DC Structures horse barn packages include Classic Equine’s powder-coated, pre-galvanized steel stall fronts, designed specifically to protect your horse from scratches.
  • The only direction a stall door should swing is outward, as inward-swinging doors can create potentially dangerous situations for caretakers if the horse is anxious to get out.
  • Barn lighting should be mounted high away from a horse’s reach, or otherwise secured within strong wire casing.
  • Floor-to-ceiling height should be adequate for rearing horses. DC Structures designs its barn kits with a minimum of 9’ from the floor to the ceiling.

To learn more about DC Structures’ top-of-the-line horse barn kits, request our digital catalog.