In the world of barndominiums, there are all kinds of options that you can choose from. When it comes to design, style, color, and furnishings, you can create almost anything. This wide variety of choices is one of the main reasons people want to build their own unique homes. One of the most interesting styles is a monitor barndominium.
Monitor barndominiums are a unique and very visually striking style of building. They have their own style and will stand out from the crowd if you want your home to be different. Understanding what a monitor barndominium is can help you decide if they are right for you when it comes to building your barndominium. In this article, we have laid out everything you need to know about monitor barndominiums and what they can offer.
What is a Monitor Barndominium?
A monitor barndominium is a home built in the monitor barn style, which is sometimes called an RCA barn. These types of barns have a raised center portion that is higher than a traditional barn roofline. Sometimes, they will have shorter sections on either side of the raised section. However, this is not a requirement. Many barndos simply have the raised center portion.
One of the main reasons monitor barns were developed was to help kill bacteria in the barn. Because of the high roofline, air gets swept up into the top portion from the sides. When this happens, bacteria and warm air goes with it, leaving the cooler, fresher air in the bottom. This is a perfect solution when you have animals living in the barn and want to keep them comfortable.
Monitor barndominiums are one of the most unique types you can choose to build. They are very eye-catching and the raised center roof portion makes for a fantastic profile. You can be certain that your barndominium will stand out from the rest of the homes in your area. This style also has a wide variety of benefits.
Benefits of a Monitor Barndominium
Good Ventilation
Perhaps the most important benefit of a monitor barndominium is the ventilation. Because of the materials they are made of, barndominiums tend to absorb heat. This makes insulating them difficult and requires costly closed-cell foam insulation. With a monitor-style barndo, you can ventilate your home easily.
Because of their window and door configuration, monitor barndominiums bring air into the home. Fresh air is pulled in through the windows and doors and sucked up into the roofline. It can then be expelled through windows in the upper portion. This leaves only fresh air in the actual living portion of the home and makes it very comfortable.
Natural Light
Due to their high ceilings, monitor barndominiums give you many options for natural light. You can install windows in the upper portion of the home and they will bring in as much light as you want. Many people choose to have large arrays of windows in their monitor barndominium roofline. This allows them to control the amount of light in the home with shades or automatic blinds.
If you are going to have a living area in the top portion of the home, you have light options, too. You can choose to make the upper portion a loft-style second floor. This will allow the light to stream into the rest of the home as well as the loft. Plus, you get the added living area up top.
Vertical Space
The vertical space that you get with a monitor barndominium is a major advantage. The issue with some barndominiums is that they are flat. Many people don’t like the squared-off, boxy look of the post frame buildings. With a monitor-style home, you get all that extra space in the upper portion of the home.
The vertical space in a monitor barndominium can be used for almost anything. Whether you want to put a second floor up there or simply want the high ceilings, it is an advantage. One of the most important things to do when building a home is to utilize your space. A monitor barndominium allows you to do that and improve the home’s look.
Interesting Profile
There is no doubt that monitor barndominiums look much more interesting than others. There are a lot of different options for what you can make your monitor barndo look like. Having that high-ceiling center portion is a great way to create something totally unique. You can use it as an accent piece or keep it toned down.
No matter how you choose to use your monitor barndominium, it is going to stand out. Even traditional homes don’t normally have the same profile. It is a nice way to create a home that you would not be able to buy on the regular market.
Monitor Barndominium Examples
This monitor barndominium is an excellent example of what can be done with the form. The complete wraparound porch takes the place of the exterior portions. It has the same profile and roofline as a monitor barndo but makes use of that center portion as the whole home. Plus, we love the color scheme they went with.
This is a classic example of a monitor barndominium. As you can see, this home even looks like a barn from the exterior and keeps some of that charm. The designers of this home even chose to keep the cupola on top. This is a wonderful touch and shows that there are no limits when it comes to your design elements.
This barndo uses the monitor barndominium design style and turns it into a whole new thing. The side portions are a combination of a porch and an extra garage space. This is a clever way to make use of that unique roofline. Plus, the extra window at the top front brings in more natural light.
This barndo also uses the monitor style but without the side portions. However, it does have those unique bay windows coming out from the side of the top section. This is a wonderful idea and shows how you can utilize that space. They also help with ventilation when those windows are open.
Conclusion
Building a monitor barndominium is a great way to get something entirely new out of your home. By understanding everything these styles have to offer, you can truly build your dream home. Plus, you can save on insulation and air conditioning with the extra ventilation.
If you would like more helpful tips and tricks, check out the rest of Barndominiums.co. There, you will find all kinds of guides like this one as well as the cost analysis, barndominium insurance, and financing. You will also find some featured barndominiums and floor plan examples to help you get inspired for your own home.
