T1-11

Posted by polebarnguru on 11/01/2012
T1-11

One of the Hansen Buildings team members happens to have more than some expertise in the lumber industry. Recently, he had a client ask him about T1-11 as siding, and he shared his response with me. What he wrote was so well done, I felt compelled to share it. Here it is: “I will share […]

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Pressure Treated Posts: 1807.3.1

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/31/2012
Pressure Treated Posts: 1807.3.1

Not near as exciting as 867-5309, but this one Section of the International Building Code (IBC) is one of the most important and least understood sections. The American Wood Preservers Association (AWPA) addresses in, Section UC4 wood, which is pressure preservative treated for “Ground Contact”. The “UC” is short for “Use Class”. UC4A is for […]

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Post Hole Auger: The Two Man Killer

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/30/2012
Post Hole Auger: The Two Man Killer

When I built my first few pole buildings, over three decades ago, I was smart – I was the layout man and the other two men on my crew were the ones who got to use the dreaded “two man killer”. I have to admit, the “killer” was a huge improvement over using a two-handled […]

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Pole Barn Security: Plan to Zombie Proof

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/29/2012
Pole Barn Security: Plan to Zombie Proof

Or how to keep the undead minions at bay…..and yes, Halloween is upon us… Prepared for a zombie apocalypse? Sure it sounds silly, but even the US Center For Disease Control (CDC) now has a page devoted to preparing for a zombie apocalypse https://www.bt.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_Blog.asp  The CDC’s page mainly covers items one should have on hand […]

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Chuck in the Truck: Pole Building Prices

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/26/2012
Chuck in the Truck: Pole Building Prices

Our company prides itself on only offering the highest quality products and services to our potential clients. Because of this, our pole building prices are usually inherently higher than the “chuck in the truck” competition. The only way to get around this is to emphasize the quality of the product, and that we work to […]

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What Amazon Means to Me

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/25/2012
What Amazon Means to Me

Information provided by KTVU in Sacramento, CA has been incorporated in this post. Online retailer Amazon.com has tried to become all things to all consumers, but in California, it has taken on a role it has fought against for years as tax collector. The change, which took effect in mid-September 2012, comes after years of […]

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Alaska Concrete Slab

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/24/2012
Alaska Concrete Slab

Ever feel like things tend to happen in threes? This past week, my three times event has been Hansen Pole Buildings Designers and their clients asking about “Alaska Slabs”. Concrete foundations, for buildings other than pole buildings, traditionally consist of three parts.  Footings are wide areas of concrete at the base of foundation walls. Usually […]

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Pole Building Planning: Details, Details!

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/23/2012
Pole Building Planning:  Details, Details!

When it comes to constructing a new pole building, the building owner has many details to consider. For instance, how large should their pole building be to meet the needs not only today, but in the future? What doors will best solve access and egress considerations? There is a plethora of choices for siding and […]

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Can a Pole Barn Garage be Built onto an Existing House?

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/22/2012
Can a Pole Barn Garage be Built onto an Existing House?

A reader writes: “I’m thinking of building an attached garage. I know the pole barn type garages seem to be a bit cheaper and quicker to install. My question is can you attach these to the house or can you only build these separately? I live in northeast Tennessee. I am just asking if this […]

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Pole Barns: The Luck of the Irish!

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/19/2012
Pole Barns: The Luck of the Irish!

Sometimes it amazes me as to the inquiries we get. Here is just an example: “Thought I’d ask here as you guys seem to have a fair bit of experience with pole barns. I’m looking to roof an area 20 yards by 10 yards with a roof high enough to take the CR250 (his boat) […]

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Your New Pole Building…You Want it When?

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/18/2012
Your New Pole Building…You Want it When?

Hansen Buildings Designer Rick shared this with me today: “Had a client call this morning almost in tears. She has decided she wants to order a building from us, however has had a hard time getting the construction quoted. All of the builders in her area, who normally construct our buildings, are too busy. She […]

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Lumber for Lunch; Why Horses Chew Wood

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/17/2012
Lumber for Lunch; Why Horses Chew Wood

Hansen Buildings Designer Randy had a client concerned about his horses chewing on the wood posts of his new pole building. My daughter, Bailey, is a professional horse trainer, so over the years we have seen more than our share of horse stalls and barns which look as though they have been mauled by an […]

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Last Chance for Farm Building Accelerated Write Off

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/16/2012
Last Chance for Farm Building Accelerated Write Off

The end of 2011 was nothing short of a “mad dash” as farmers scrambled to take advantage of the 100% “bonus depreciation” write off allowed under the 2010 Tax Relief Act. For farmers, the last chance to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime tax incentive is now! For 2012, new agricultural buildings such as pole barns, […]

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Building Valuation Data

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/15/2012
Building Valuation Data

Every six months the International Code Council (ICC) provides updated Building Valuation Data (BVD) to its members. The BVD table provides the “average” construction costs per square foot, which can be used in determining permit fees for a jurisdiction. The following building valuation data represents average valuations for most buildings.  Again it should be noted, […]

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Vinyl Windows

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/12/2012
Vinyl Windows

In 1979 I took a position managing a prefabricated roof truss plant for a lumber yard in Oregon. I knew a lot about trusses, quite a bit about lumber, and not very much about windows. Luckily, I had cohorts on the lumber side of things who did have some window knowledge, and were willing to […]

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Galvanized Nails

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/11/2012
Galvanized Nails

I read lots of different forums. A poster on one of the board recently wrote: “I have a quick question concerning nails. I just had a builder build me a pole barn and was wondering about the nails. They used galvanized nails for the skirt board on the bottom but then on the 2×4 strapping […]

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How Does Vapor Barrier Prevent Condensation with Steel Roofing?

Condensation will occur on any surface when the surface air temperature is at or below the “dew point temperature” for an air-water (vapor) mixture. The dew point temperature is the temperature at which the air can no longer “hold” all of the water vapor which is mixed with it, and some of the water vapor […]

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Pole Barn Conflict – Pointing Fingers at the Wrong People

I’ve been following stories by Emerald Morrow, reporter for WLNS-TV in Lansing, Michigan. Here is the latest: “Residents fed up with a lack of dialogue with Lansing-based Niowave over a 14,000 square foot pole barn in their neighborhood have taken matters into their own hands, staking signs in their yards to let the company know […]

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The Triple Whammy: Hay Storage in a Pole Barn

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/05/2012
The Triple Whammy: Hay Storage in a Pole Barn

This story from FOX 47 News in Lansing, Michigan on September 20: “Strong winds spread a fire from a burning trash pit to a pole barn in Stockbridge Township Wednesday evening. The Stockbridge Deputy Fire Chief tells us the pit was about 40 feet from the barn. The owner called 911 around 5:45pm when he […]

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And Now…Insulation Crime!

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/04/2012
And Now…Insulation Crime!

If you didn’t read yesterday’s blog – is good to catch up as a lead-in for today – well worth the time.  In it I discussed a problem a reader had asked for tech support about an insulation issue. So today – yet another reader has written…. “I am in the process of finishing a […]

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Insulation Dilemma

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/03/2012
Insulation Dilemma

A reader writes (spelling, grammar errors included): “When I built my barn I had 2″ insulation bats put between the outside framing and the tin. The side toward the tin is just open insulation. The inside is that heavy with plastic or whatever it is. I built with books shelve perlins on 2′ centers. Thinking […]

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Roof Trusses Built with Glue…Really?

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/02/2012
Roof Trusses Built with Glue…Really?

My life with roof trusses began in Spokane in the spring of 1977. I spent the first two plus years of my career in Spokane and later Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, before being hired to manage a roof truss plant in Salem, Oregon. Having never been exposed to anything different, my assumption was all prefabricated roof […]

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Tuff Posts for Pole Buildings

Posted by polebarnguru on 10/01/2012
Tuff Posts for Pole Buildings

This is a product review for Tuff Posts,  a product I have never used. Now how can I feel qualified to do such a review? Thanks to the miracle of the internet, a plethora of information can be gleaned on nearly any product. Tuff Posts are prefabricated columns for use in pole buildings. As a […]

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Building on a Sand Dune

Posted by polebarnguru on 09/28/2012
Building on a Sand Dune

The nice thing about being in the post frame building industry, is whenever one begins to believe they have heard it all….someone comes along with a scenario which had not previously be considered. Recently we were contacted by a client who wanted to construct a new post frame building – on a sand dune. My […]

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Bad Customer Service: I’m Melting!

Posted by polebarnguru on 09/27/2012
Bad Customer Service: I’m Melting!

As a toddler, I remember watching the 1939 hit “The Wizard of Oz” on television for the first time. It was terrifying; I saw most of it hiding behind our green “leatherette” couch. In the movie, Margaret Hamilton (as the Wicked Witch of the West) has the following lines, as Dorothy watches her melt: “You […]

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