A question for those who've built pole barn style shops. I'm trying to figure out how to finish the interior walls.

My builder suggested just putting up 2X4 girts on the inside like they did on the outside. My thought was, well...that sounds simple enough. But, then I got to thinking that it wouldn't exactly be that strong for hanging cabinets and shelving. Plus, it'd be kind of a pain framing around the windows and doors that are flush with the exterior, and also kind of a pain putting up electrical and plumbing fixtures.

So...my next thought was to just frame normal vertical stud walls out of 2X4s (or 2X6) and nail them flush with the posts on the inside. My only issue there is that I have a 14' ceiling. So, I thought that I'd do an 8' "normal" wall and then do the horizontal girts above that for the remaining 6'. Now I'm not so sure that would work well.

Those of you who have been here, what did you do? Would you do anything different in retrospect?

I have a metal pole barn, with 6x6 posts and a sidewall height of 10'. I cheated and used rough cut lumber from Katrina, cut into 2" thick boards, and ran it all horizontally for the first 8'. It eliminated the need for vertical framing. Above that it's the framing and interior insulation that was installed on the barn.

We were debating what we'd have done had I not had the option to go with rough cut 2x10's, and I think I'd have just framed it out with 2x4's (flush with the posts) and been conventional in my approach to electrical and plumbing.

quote:

Originally posted by slabsides45:
and I think I'd have just framed it out with 2x4's (flush with the posts) and been conventional in my approach to electrical and plumbing.

This is one of the big selling points for me. It would sure be a piece of cake to run the wiring
and pipes behind the 2X4s.

Well you didn't mention the intended purpose or what goes on the wall so that matters a lot...

If it's just a shop, sheet metal can be attached vertically to the inside of the existing horizontal exterior girts with little additional framing.

I have seen upright 2x4s just fastened to the exterior horizontal girts, flatways. 2' or 16" centers depending on what goes over them. But you end up with all the post extending out of the wall ~halfway.
Insulation can be a factor to consider as well though.
I wouldn't waste the space of girting on the inside of the post, you'd end up with a 8 or 9 inch thick wall.
For a nicer finish, probably the best is a regular 2x4 stud wall flush with and between the post.