The Western Barn Garage is among the most popular of the American barns. They are also called Prairie Barns. Typically, these barns are two-storied, with the upper story being a hay loft. There is a large access door for getting to the second story. The Western Barn is a modern form of the Dutch barns of yester years, the main points of difference being that the modern version is comparatively larger, and the gables are smaller. With the help of good plans, you can build one yourself.

The Western Barn Garage was preferred in the West and Southwest among farmers with large livestock herds, as they required a large storage space for hay and grain. As these barns were usually larger than the others, they were popular among farmers. Besides providing ample storage space, these barns can also be used as a shelter for livestock. A typical feature of a Western Barn Garage is the long peak roof which can reach nearly to the ground, creating ample space. A lot of these barns were built in the 1800s as agriculture spread westward. These barns are still very popular, and you can make them on your own, with the help of plans which can be downloaded from the internet.

Another feature of a Western Barn Garage is a large hay door which opened to the haymow and a rain hood over the door. Inside, a track extended out along the hood from which a hay fork could be dropped to lift hay from a wagon to the loft. Grain is stored in an enclosed granary. Animal enclosures are on either side of a central open space.

If you are thinking of building a Western Barn Garage yourself, good plans can guide you in your efforts. Before setting out to build, you would have to decide what you would be using it for. You may use it for working on automobiles or machinery; use it as a wood or metal shop, store tack, feed or hay, or rent it out. You may also make plans taking into account what future use you may put the garage to, and go in for plans which fit your budget. This way, you would not have to make any major changes to it in the future, when you may decide to use it for some other purpose.

You can make your Western Barn Garage small, medium or large according to your requirements. You may make it a fancy one or plain, and there are plans which guide you to make exactly the ones you desire.

When deciding on where to locate your Western Barn Garage, if you have a piece of prime property, you may not want to make it the focal point. You may locate it at a place where it would be easy to get utilities to it, and where it would not be an eyesore. It is also good to bear in mind the resale of the property. Suggestions regarding these may be got from plans.

Building a Western Barn Garage on your own with the help of plans is a good way to save a lot of money as well as derive the satisfaction of a creative job done well. There are good plans which provide you with specific instructions and a list of the materials and tools required. They also provide a list of illustrations and blueprints which make it easy for even a novice to build one.