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 […]

11 Ways Post Frame Commercial Girted Walls are Best for Drywall Call it what you want, drywall, gypsum wallboard even Sheetrock® (registered brand of www.usg.com) and most English speaking adults know what you are talking about. In post frame (pole) building construction, wall girts (horizontal version of studs) are placed in bookshelf fashion, resisting wind […]

Floor Trusses: Hansen Pole Buildings’ Floor Systems I admit to having become easily enamored, early in my prefabricated wood truss career, by floor trusses. To me, they were not only things of beauty, but also made framing a very quick process. But, I had been exposed to them even before then. My 16th summer, I […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about Hansen providing stamped engineered plans, buildings with “no foundation,” and if a two story or single story structure is more economical to build. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do you supply stamped engineering plans for building inspection purposes? DOUG in BENEZETTE DEAR DOUG: Every building we […]

Deliveries: Hansen Pole Buildings “Getting It There” I have always looked at what we do as being akin to logistical wizardry. When one considers it takes thousands of individual components to create even a modestly sized post frame buildings, it is a miracle anything ever gets built! Until now, we relied upon our third party […]

Full Frost Wall Foundation? Reader AARON in ROSEVILLE writes: “Assuming (not yet verified) that I don’t need a full frost wall foundation for my barndo, wondering about the pros/cons for full frost wall vs pier footings in southern MN. Obviously there is the cost difference, but when it comes to building performance(in the winter), would […]

This Wednesday, the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about building a residential structure in Gainesville, Hall county, Georgia, the best cost saving method for building in stages, and the use of “barn door type” coverings for windows in a remote Colorado cabin. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Can I build a residential pole barn in […]

I Want to Put Some Windows in My Pole Barn Reader DON in NEVADA, TEXAS writes: “I want to put some windows in my pole barn (3.0 x 4.0 probably) but want to know what should the bottom of this window be from floor elevation ? also, I will be framing out these windows inside […]

With steel roofing for barndominiums, shouses and post frame (pole) buildings comes condensation. When atmospheric conditions (in this case temperature and humidity) reach dew point, air’s vapor is able to condense to objects colder than surrounding air temperature. Once vapor condensing occurs, droplets are formed on cool surfaces. This is partly why warming a vehicle’s […]

This week readers “ask the Guru” about the use of hurricane straps on flat purlins, installing sheetrock to metal girts, and a question about specific lumber for a home build. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am assembling my pole barn it is 20×28 with 8×8 purlins 16″ OC mounted on top of rafters sideways. Is […]

Ice and Water Shield with Threw Screwed Steel Roofing Making sense of Building Codes can be a daunting task, even for Building Officials. Post-frame construction is vaguely mentioned, at best, within Building Codes, leading to at best head scratching and at worst total confusion. Ice and water shield is a waterproof membrane used to protect […]

Wide Clearspan Barndominium Floors Multi-story post frame barndominiums are embracing a great feature found in better stick framed homes – engineered prefabricated wood floor trusses. Loyal reader RICK in MONTICELLO writes: “First off, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience in the blog and answering questions regarding post frame construction with us laymen! It is […]

This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about concerns that water might damage girts with use of spray foam, a replacement for A1V, and a request for “sold comps” in the state of Washington. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hello, I am very early in the stages of considering self-building a post frame home. […]

Who is Responsible for Verifying Design Loads by Contract? Disclaimer – this and subsequent articles on this subject are not intended to be legal advice, merely an example for discussions between you and your legal advisor. Please keep in mind, many of these terms are applicable towards post frame building kits and would require edits […]

Stilt Home Barndominium For many challenging building sites (those with grade change, in flood zones or close to oceans or seas) stilt homes are a viable and practical design solution for barndominiums. Reader DAVID in EMINENCE writes: “We are planning to build in southern Missouri a 30′ x 36′ x10′ post frame home on a […]