This week readers “ask the Guru” about loft storage above a garage, condensation control, and home insurance. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I like the idea of a 2-stall garage with second level for storage. Is a second level storage area more economical than increasing the square footage of the building? Lot less concrete. JOEL in […]

Loyal reader GREG in KENTWOOD writes: “We plan to build a house next summer with basically (2) – 40’x60’ units connected at 90°, wife is still in the planning stage, 2 story.  I feel that me and my sons should be able to erect a kit with directions from the supplier and tips.   I like […]

Please Let Me Engineer Your Post Frame Building For Free Because I am not a Registered Design Professional, I can’t engineer your new post frame building for you. And, if I was, I most certainly would not be doing it for free. Typically an engineer should be compensated somewhere in the area of 8 to […]

This Wednesday readers “ask the Guru” about the loads a 60ft three-ply truss could hold sitting on the ground, a quote on a new building kit, and to “float” posts when installing columns for a post frame building. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: By laminating 3 trusses together how much weight would it hold 60 ft […]

My Facebook friend RICK in MALDEN messaged me: “I have never built a building like this. I have seen many bad experiences with concrete, poor quality metal work and many more issues. I would just like to know if there is a list of things to make sure I get a quality home. I saw […]

Overhead Door Opening Dimensions I have probably been involved directly with somewhere around 50,000 sectional steel overhead doors in my career. One thing in common about all of these doors, they all require an opening. In my (and most door installers) ideal dream world, every overhead door opening is perfectly plumb on each side as […]

This week readers “Ask the Guru” about the typical amount of compacted gravel in a pole barn, humidity in a metal shed with spray foam, and a wall to ceiling gap recommendation. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How much is the typical amount of compacted gravel in a pole barn structure? My objective is to park […]

Help, I am Going Crazy! Reader DIRK in SPANISH FORK writes: “I am planning to build a pole barn house. I get so confused with the different methods of doing things and the pros and cons of each. I plan to pour concrete piers with a post bracket. Not sure if a 6×6 post or […]

The Dual Splash Plank Dilemma I’ve never been a fan of stacking splash planks. Even when they are center matched (think tongue and grooved) the two boards never seem to want to bend, twist, warp and/or cup the same direction leading to gaps. Gaps which lead to water getting through and spoiling an otherwise fun place […]

This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about filling some gaps in between concrete and columns, best insulation for a wall cavity and ceiling, and the best use of housewarp with 24″ spaced girts with insulation between. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hey boss! I have very recently purchased a home and it came […]

Concern about a Grade Change and Column Length DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I ordered a pole barn materials kit and received my designed plans  and the materials list. My concern is the posts are 14′ and will the length be sufficient for a 10′ eave height that is to be built on a site that […]

How to Frame a Reverse Gable Porch Reverse gable porches are an excellent way to protect any door from effects of weather – specifically rain and snow. I personally feel they are an underutilized great feature. For more reading about reverse gable porches: http://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2015/07/reverse-gable-porch/. Today’s article has been sparked by reader DARRELL in ATLANTA who […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about insulating around outside of post piers, the hold-up distance of any non-treated lumber or wall sheathing, and if laying gravel prior to drilling and setting columns would be best order of building. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Kind of a 2 parter. I am trenching 4′ […]

Will My Minnesota Shouse Require Frost Footings? Reader CHAD in JANESVILLE writes: “I am planning on building a shouse or barndominium some may call. I am doing 5″ cement with a heated floor throughout. My hope was not to bury any poles but to anchor them on top of the slap. Do you recommend front […]

How To Insulate My Barn Reader MIKE writes: “I had a couple of questions about a 36×48 barn I am insulating. 1) I have vented soffits with overhang on all four sides and the ridge cap has a porous foam between the ridge cap and metal. Is this breathable and is this sufficient. 2) I […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about differences in a barn to a residential structure, how to pour to a slab thickness change, and if a home can be built from an existing pole barn roof. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: What is the difference in building structure from a barn to a […]

Pressure Preservative Treated Columns in Alkali Soils ERIC in PAHRUMP writes: “I have questions about the posts. In my quote it says the posts are direct buried. This concerns me due to the type of soil we have here in Pahrump, Nevada. The ground has a lot of alkali in it and will eat just […]

Proper Screw Location for Post Frame Steel Cladding It was a pleasant October evening back in 1985 in Blacksburg, Virginia. My friend Dr. Frank Woeste was then a College of Agricultural and Life Sciences professor at Virginia Tech (officially Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) and he had invited me to teach one of his […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about a reliable financing source for a post frame home, what size footing would be required for a pole barn spanning 50′ and 6 x 6 laminated posts every 8′ and if the kit will be “move in ready.” DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’m in need […]

Both of my post frame buildings outside of Spokane, WA have no windows on the garage/shop level. This means when inside, with doors closed, it is dark – one is forced to rely upon electricity or radar to navigate. Reader KRISTI is preparing to build her new pole barn and had some questions about how […]

It’s a GREAT DAY at Hansen Pole Buildings!! As Technical Director at Hansen Pole Buildings since our founding in 2002, it has always been my personal view we have no competitors, only others who try in vain to match up to what we deliver. We have clients, not customers. Customers buy a product with little […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about the best method of adding tongue and groove pine to a vaulted ceiling, use of eight foot post spacing in quote, and truss drawings for metal trusses in Minnesota. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I would like to have a vaulted ceiling in my 34’x30’ hobby […]

Why Your New Barndominium Should Be Post Frame For those who follow me – you know I am all about people loving their end results. As long as one has a fully engineered building they love, I couldn’t be more pleased, regardless of the structural system. In My Humble Opinion – fully engineered post frame […]

Owner-Barndominium Builder Construction Loans Qualifying for owner-barndominium builder construction loans can be a daunting task. Given 2007-2008’s housing market downturn, owner-builder construction loans are increasingly hard to get but not impossible. An owner-builder is a property owner who serves as general contractor on their own project. A General contractor coordinates everything from budget to hiring subcontractors. […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about insulating a building that already has reflective foil radian barrier, if one needs vents or exhaust fan in the gable ends of the roof with the high heat/humidity of Alabama, and requirements for frost wall or slab for frost heave. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I […]