How Lumber is Pressure Preservative Treated Most people never have an opportunity to tour a pressure preservative treatment plant in operation. I have had this privilege several times and have always found it to be fascinating. Rather than reinventing things, our friend Bob Vila (https://www.bobvila.com/) and Georgia-Pacific (https://www.buildgp.com/wood/lumber/) have produced this wonderful video for your […]

I Went to Peru and All I Brought Back For You Is Pole Barn Videos I’ve been working at reducing my “bucket list” of places to go and things to see and do. My list priorities include places where being physically able proves essential. A visit in Machu Picchu was way towards top of my […]

Participating in Rick’s Post Frame Cabin Planning Happy readers have been following Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rick’s journey towards constructing a new cabin. Rick has graciously asked me to jump in with sage advice (yep, Rick and I are both old guys), as well as answering some questions he has posed. Rick mentions using a […]

Today the Pole Barn Guru discusses a post frame addition to a house, whether or not one should use a plastic barrier under the stone floor in a steel building, and the ability of a truss carrier to handle imposed loads. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi! We are considering a sizeable addition to our 600 […]

Today’s blog is a continuation from yesterday….Rick Carr, Senior Building Designer for Hansen Buildings shares his thoughts on planning his new pole barn cabin. From JA Hansen, co-owner of Hansen Buildings….Thanks Rick! Next I dealt with the crawl space: After deciding that I want to do a crawl space, several design issues arise and decisions […]

Thank you to Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rick Carr for today’s guest blog. Development of my Cabin Plans I have been looking at both open land and existing “cabins” in the Southwestern part of the State of Wisconsin where I do a lot of fly fishing for trout in anticipation of eventually retiring.  I want […]

Another true confession, while I carried plenty of roof shingle bundles up ladders and onto roofs when I was young and dumb – I have never installed any other than cedar. One of our clients was requesting a “how to”, so downing my best sleuthing clothes, it was learning time for me. This article took […]

Like a good novelist, I am going to torture you by forcing you to read this story prior to revealing a super- secret answer. One of our clients will be constructing a Hansen Pole Building in Colorado soon. This particular building is very typical post frame construction as it has steel roofing over open purlins. […]

Today the Pole Barn Guru answers questions about adding a garage door wall to a hoop shed, ventilation with no sidewall overhangs, and how post frame buildings are “anchored” to the ground. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I would like to close the open 1/2 of the basketball court hoop shed with a pole building face. […]

This story is sad, to me. As post frame building “experts” we (an industry collective we) owe it to our clients to educate them at design phase to avoid a situation such as reader ERIC in SPOKANE VALLEY has become happily (or maybe less happy) involved in. Eric writes: “I want to start insulating my […]

Roof Collapses Due To Heavy Snow Are Largely Avoidable. Portions of this article are thanks to a February 25, 2019 article by Bill Steffan at www.woodtv.com               “Above pic. is the Negaunee Schools bus garage in Marquette Co., Michigan.  The roof collapsed under the weight of heavy snow over the […]

Long time readers should be thoroughly drenched with solutions to condensation issues by now. As post frame construction has moved off farms and into suburbia, climate control has brought with it a plethora of condensation challenges. Reader KRYSTA in SPOKANE writes: “Hello!  I have a pre-existing pole building that I am having a ton of […]

Back in my owning a roof truss manufacturing plant days, we sold trusses to a building contractor, who was uninsured, and new building owner neglected to insure building. When it collapsed due to builder error (building also was not engineered), our insurance company ended up paying for a replacement building as it was ruled we […]

The Pole Barn Guru discusses the always popular ceiling insulation, vapor barriers with insulation, and closed cell spray foam insulation. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I read your article on unvented roofs. My building has a vapor barrier installed. I am at the point of insulation and plan on doing closed cell spray foam. What would […]

Long time readers (as well as most people with a lick of common sense) know knee braces are not a good thing. Besides taking up valuable interior space, they do more harm than good. Reader TY from QUINTON has run into a dilemma regarding knee braces. He writes: “I pulled a permit to self build […]

I have been a proponent of machine rated lumber since I bought my first truckload to be made into trusses at Coeur d’Alene Truss (http://www.cdabuilders.com/) back in 1978. Years later I spent five terms on the Board of Directors of the Machine Stress Rated Lumber Producers Council (http://www.msrlumber.org/). I have opined previously on the merits […]

Boots On The Ground With Rick Carr Long time Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rick Carr has a lengthy history in post frame construction – back to his early years where he worked assembling them for a living. Rick is one of those inquisitive sorts, he wants to know not only what a best design solution […]

We humans want to do things ourselves. We love GPS because it keeps us from having to ask strangers for help or admitting we are lost. I admit to, at one time in my life, being an extremist at “doing it myself”. Then I learned….. by listening to experts I could learn so much faster. […]

Today’s Pole barn Guru answers questions about price and value, increasing ceiling height of a building, and if Hansen “builds” these structures. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: What is the best price I can get for a riding arena 60 by 130 ft? MICHELLE in FREDERICK DEAR MICHELLE: Free. Just place four immovable items at each […]

3M™ All Weather Flashing Tape 8067 Like a bad novelist, in my last article I introduced a character in a final book chapter, who had not been previously mentioned. 3M™ All Weather Flashing Tape 8067 is a self-adhered, waterproof flashing membrane designed for sealing around openings and penetrations in exterior walls. This product has a […]

The Case of The Leaking Post Frame Building Window Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s hero – renowned sleuth Sherlock Holmes, was forever solving mysteries entitled “The Case of Something or Other”. To solve this particular mystery neither Holmes, nor Dr. John Watson’s skills will be required. Nor shall we need a call to Scotland Yard. Reader […]

Vapor Barriers Trap Moisture? Do vapor barriers trap moisture in walls of post frame buildings? They can, but only if they are installed on both sides of a wall insulation cavity. Regular readers of this column will recognize a prevailing trend towards climate controlling both new and existing post frame buildings. An ability to control […]

Dress for Winter Post Frame Building Success My most recent winter-time post frame building experience was a few years ago when my lovely bride and I assisted her brother Mark with construction of his 36’ x 48’ shop. Temperatures hovered around zero as we shivered our way towards getting a roof installed. Given frigid temperatures […]

Today the Pole Barn Guru fields questions on electrical planning, moisture issues, and ceiling barriers. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Good Morning/Evening:     I currently have a 36′ wide x 48′ long with 12′ tall ceiling pole barn that I would like wire for lights and outlets.   I intend to run main power from the street pole […]

Free Post-Frame Building Foundation Engineering Calculator No, such a thing as a free post-frame building foundation engineering calculator does not exist. However there always seems to be someone out there who is in search of “engineering for free”. Reader KELLY writes: “Guru, Do you have a link to a pole foundation engineering calculator? Looking for […]