Tag Archives: sprinklers

Barndominium Questions

Questions About a Pole Barndominium

Reader PAYTON in CANTON writes:

“I have a few questions regarding building a pole barn/barndominium. 1. Do you offer any model homes we can explore? 2. Can we set up a consultation to discuss our options as far as building/kits? 3. What is the lead time for purchasing a kit? We are about 2 years out from building but are trying to gather information and plan things out time wise and financially. 4. What are size options? 5. What do the kits include? Probably more- feel free to call if that’s easier. Thank you!”

About Hansen BuildingsMike the Pole Barn Guru writes: Thank you for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building post frame (pole barn) barndominium.

All of our buildings are 100% custom designed to best meet each client’s wants, needs and budget, so we do not have any ‘model’ homes. You are always welcome to come visit my lovely bride and me at our 8000 square foot post frame shouse (shop/house) in Roberts County, South Dakota (just reach out to us in advance so we will be assured of being available).

Hansen Pole Buildings has a staff of trained Building Designers available to discuss possible options. You can reach them via email (Sales@HansenPoleBuildings.com) or dial 1.866.200.9657.

Pre-COVID our lead times were generally three to four weeks from order to delivery anywhere in the continental United States. Currently, with COVID influenced shortages of components and transportation challenges, we ask our clients to allow eight to 12 weeks (other than overhead doors are out as great as 16 to 18 weeks).

Barndominium sizes are limited only by your local Planning Department requirements. We can engineer anything up to and including three above grade stories with a 40 foot sidewall (increase by a story and 10 more feet with fire suppression sprinklers). For footprint, you can cover in excess of an acre, should you require this sort of space.

Hansen Buildings Construction ManualYour new building will be designed for an average physically capable person who can and will read instructions to successfully construct your own beautiful buildings (and many of our clients do DIY). Your building will come with full 24” x 36” structural blueprints detailing the location and attachment of every piece (suitable for obtaining Building Permits), a 500 page fully illustrated step-by-step installation manual, as well as unlimited technical support from people who have actually built buildings. Our kits include all materials necessary to erect structural portions of your new home – this would include building shell, any raised wood floors, stairs, windows and doors. We do not include any concrete, rebar or nails normally driven by an air nailer.

This may be helpful to you in your planning process: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2021/02/a-shortlist-for-smooth-barndominium-sailing/

Steel Wrapped Poles & Sprinkler System

Steel wrapped poles

Hansen Pole Buildings Designer Alan came up with a new client concern recently.

Sprinkler System HeadHis client lost his last barn to a fire, so the client’s idea for his new pole barn is to wrap the poles with light gauge steel, in order to keep them from burning. Of course Alan and I both came up with the same solution – at the same time – sprinkler system. The solid wood timber columns, are one of the last things which are going to burn through in a post frame building. Long before they fail, the roof system will have collapsed.

Pole buildings are not only attractive, but are also sustainable, economical and provide fast construction solutions. The assumption can be, because we use wood for fuel, it must therefore burn easily! Burn? Yes.  Easily? Not so much. In reality, wood is selected as fuel because it burns slowly and at a predictable rate. These are the same qualities which make it a safe construction product in the event of fire and should give confidence in pole buildings, as a design solution.

The “charring rate” of a wood structure means the time needed for the wood to be burned through. This can be calculated to determine the safety of a building or how long it will take to burn and weaken its structural integrity. As a result of the thermal properties of wood, this can mean a timber will char on one side yet not even be warm just a fraction of an inch inside. These qualities contrast with the unpredictable nature of other structural products such as steel; which heat up more uniformly and give rise to expansion and loss of strength over the whole section, or masonry which cracks and starts to fall apart. Fire-fighters prefer to enter a burning building made of wood because they are better able to estimate how long they will be able to remain safely inside. Lumber will not fail dramatically like, for instance, reinforced concrete.

Even low density wood species will take 30 minutes to burn through an inch thickness, which will ensure the columns of a post frame building will retain structural integrity for over an hour of exposure to fire.

Still uneasy?  Then consider putting a sprinkler system into your new wood framed building.

For more information click on this link to “read more about it”: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/?s=sprinklers