Do-It-Yourself Post & Beam Building Kits

Do-It-Yourself Post & Beam Building Kits BUILDINGS Houses 33-2-35 Shelter-Kit is a Tilton, N.H., company that precuts and drills lumber and hardware for post and beam building kits up to 36 ft. wide for do-it-yourselfers. "Everything is designed so that two people can handle all the material," says David Kimball of Shelter-Kit. Shelter-Kit's goal is to produce kit buildings for assembly by owners with no prior building experience. In 3 to 15 days most people can put up a weather-tight building for a home, barn or garage. Post and beam frames are much easier for amateurs, and allow for more flexible interior floor plans and door and window placement. No large equipment is needed to assemble the building. Shelter-Kits come with an easy-to-follow, detailed instruction manual and quality materials. "The siding on barns is Eastern white pine 1 by 12 shiplap. The other buildings have white pine clapboard siding," Kimball says. All wood is handpicked for the best quality lumber. The kit includes all of the materials required to construct a weather-tight shell on your foundation: hardware, fasteners, framing, sheathing, floors, roofing, flashing, drip edge and trim. Shelter-Kit has shipped all across the U.S., Canada and overseas including Japan and Spain. Many customers are women. "People are looking to save money and this is the way to do it without involving a contractor," Kimball says. Their kits cost about $20/sq. ft. for barns and garages, and average $30/sq. ft. for homes. "All of our products can be customized," Kimball says. "Customers can choose to delete components, including windows, doors, roofing, etc., and buy those locally." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Shelter-Kit, 22 Mill Street, Tilton, N.H. 03276 (ph 603 286-7611; buildings@shelter-kit.com; www.shelter-kit.com).

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