This week readers “Ask the Guru” about a remedy to eliminate a frost heave issue with post heave, advice for a “house/barn combo,” and shipping a building package to Prince of Wales Alaska.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a question. I have a pole and half the posts are heaving up. The old owners poured a slab inside the pole barn. Could I build a cinder block wall 2ft tall. Jack up the building. Remove old posts out of the ground and set the pole building on top of the wall?

Thank you. MYCOLE in SOUTH RANGE

DEAR MYCOLE: Without making some changes, a cinder block wall is going to also heave.

Most important change is to get any water out from under your building. Slope grade around building downward no less than 6% across 10 feet. Gutter downspouts need to discharge at least 10 feet away from building. It may be necessary to add french drains.

Once this is done you can either excavate to bring existing posts back to grade, or go to a more expensive and properly engineered block wall, on top of an adequately sized poured concrete footing at our below frost line. Adding R-10 rigid insulation vertically at inside of splash plank down to frost line will also help to keep ground under building from freezing and subsequently heaving.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do u have any plans for a house/barn combo? JOAN in LAKE PANASOFFKEE

DEAR JOAN: Typically clients shy away from combining living spaces with barns, for several reasons:

Insanely high insurance rates

Fire separation issues – usually requires a two hour fire wall between house and barn, this precludes being able to walk directly between these two uses
Noise
Odors
Insects
Dust
With this said, our team would like to discuss with you your ideal wants and needs.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do you have any experience with shipping a building package to Prince of Wales Alaska. We are looking at doing a 40’x50′ building. Thank you PARNELI in COFFMAN COVE

DEAR PARNELI: When the “Storm of the Century” hits, will your building be standing? When it comes to YOUR building, will anything less than America’s STRONGEST design solution suffice?

Hansen Pole Buildings has provided hundreds of affordable, fully engineered, custom designed post frame buildings and barndominiums to our clients in Alaska. We deliver to Port of Tacoma for your shipper of choice to reload onto a barge or into a container for delivery to your actual build site. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2024/04/things-hansen-pole-buildings-does-better-than-any-other-post-frame-building-provider/