Reader (and Realtor) JIM in NEW PALISTINE writes: “How can I participate in the post-frame industry as a Realtor?   How do people develop their custom residential interior designs?   How are residential pole barn projects coordinated A-Z? Okay, that was three.  Can you help me, please?” Mike the Pole Barn Guru responds: Post frame […]

Avoid These 4 Mistakes In Your Post Frame Building Today’s guest blogger is Katherine Rundell, a construction writer and editor at Assignment Help and College Paper Writing Service. She is also a contributing writer at Buy Essays. As a professional writer, she coaches college students on how to write in various fields. Yes, buyer’s remorse […]

Tube Skylights for Barndominiums Reader EMANUAL in SPRINGDALE writes: “Read your article about skylights, but what about Tube skylights?” Mike the Pole Barn Guru says: Bringing natural light into a post frame building is a relatively easy prospect, provided the room is adjacent to at least one exterior wall. Windows and glass doors have been […]

How Much is the White Gambrel Barn? Reader ALLISON in SALIDA writes: “I’m wondering what it would cost to build the large white gambrel style barn that’s on your website.  Thanks!” This building has been featured in places like covers of NFBA’s post frame building design manual and Rural Builder magazine. It is truly a […]

Doesn’t Like Idea of a Concrete Slab Foundation Loyal reader ASHLEY in KELSO writes: “I will be building in southwest Washington – Cowlitz County. We are wanting around a 2800 square foot home. I do not like the idea of a concrete slab “foundation”, we are going with crawl space (I read your blog on […]

If you are like me, when you hire a professional to do professional work, you expect them to be experts and to do things correctly. Few things in life upset me more than when a builder gives a client a great price and then cuts corners in order to make a profit. Facebooker CHRIS in […]

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 […]

This Monday the Pole Barn Guru answers questions about building on a slope with use of embedded columns or brackets on piers, the proper installation of joist hangers, and the Guru’s vision of the future of post frame construction. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Because of the 16% slope, I will be using concrete piers & […]

This question was put forth by reader TARILYNN in FREEDOM. It (or a similar variant) also gets posted roughly 10 to 20 times daily in various social media groups. I spent most of a decade as a registered General Contractor in multiple states. At times we would have as many as 35 crews erecting buildings […]

How To Best Use Metal Building Insulation Loyal reader ANDY in SOUTH CAROLINA writes: “ I read with interest the article “What house wrap is good for” on your website and would like to include house wrap on a pole building I’m currently planning to build in the upstate of South Carolina.  Typically builders in […]

If You Thought Red Iron Buildings Are Great Loyal readers, please join me in reaching way back to yesterday’s article espousing great benefits of PEMBs (Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings) aka “red iron” or “bolt up” buildings. If you are planning a new barndominium, shouse (shop/house), shop, etc., and have decided a PEMB is your one and […]

Answers for Brian’s Barndominium Builder Should you have missed yesterday’s episode, please click back to it using link at bottom of this page – it will make more sense as well as being more entertaining! Hello Brian ~ My Father and his five brothers were all framing contractors, so I was raised in a world […]

Our Builder Has a Few Questions Not a surprising statement, as few stick frame (stud wall) builders are willing to learn a new structural system, and few post frame builders have actually erected barndominiums or shouses (shop/houses). I was a first group member (although willing to learn) and frankly lost my posterior financially erecting my […]

Designing a Dream Barndominium Loft Reader BRIAN in PETOSKY writes: “ Hi Mike, Mindi told me to email you my lofted floor question for our project. To avoid messing with truss-support floors, we were planning to build a full 26×60 main barn with scissor trusses the full length. Then on one end, we would make […]

11 Reasons Why Barndominium Crawl Space Encapsulation is Important Today’s Guest Contributor is Joseph Bryson. Joseph was born in Alberta, raised in NYC and is living in New Zealand. He has been working in 4 different industries and helped numerous businesses grow. Now, he is focused on writing as his next career from home and […]

Through Screwed Steel Roofing for Post Frame Barndominiums – What Gauge? If I need to have major surgery, I am probably not going to ask for expert opinions on social media. However apparently, when it comes to construction expertise, Facebook is where to go. Always plenty of armchair engineers, semi-educated builders and competing structural systems […]

This Monday’s PBG discusses a “Man Cave” designed with SIP panels, a quote request from Texas, and what our snow loads are for our buildings. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Considering a monitor style pole building with RV storage in center and living quarters on one side (loft in rear of building only) When RV is […]

What Hansen Pole Buildings Offers for Prospective Barndominium Owners If you are considering building a barndominium or shouse (shop/house), whether DIY or with a contractor’s involvement, there is one very important question to ask: “Do you personally live in a barndominium?” If you do not receive a resounding, “YES” for an answer, you may want […]

Welcome back from Friday’s article. As a fan of long suffering professional sports teams (Vikings, Twins, Mariners) I had the opportunity to watch Randy Johnson’s epic relief appearance in game 5 of 1995’s ALDS. Randy also helped Geico sell some insurance with this snowball (not quite a baseball sized hail chunk): https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=crmas&p=randy+Johnson+throwing+snowball+commercial#id=1&vid=2f0c9212ab8080ee8ad0b4b53361f2a3&action=click Randy was clocked […]

Today’s blog comes from Don Howe, who is a retired sales executive but has a burning passion for barndominiums. Seven Reasons Why Your Next Barndominium Should Be Pole Frame Construction One of the first design details to consider when building a barndominium is the building process. Most barndominiums are built using a stud frame, steel […]

Minimum Steel Substrate Coating for Residential Steel Roof Panels When it comes to residential buildings – whether your barndominium or shouse (shop/house) is stick frame (stud walls), post frame, PEMB (pre-engineered metal building) or some other structural system with a steel roof, there is one import aspect of this roofing material frequently overlooked. Substrates Most […]

Arnold puts moratorium on ‘barndominiums’ This article by Tony Krausz appeared in the Jefferson County, MO “Leader” October 25, 2020 An example of a barndominium. The city of Arnold has temporarily prohibited the construction of “barndominiums,” which typically are metal barn-like structures that include living quarters. City Council members voted 5-0 last month to place […]

Unless someone reincarnates Nikola Tesla (and he is sane) chances are good energy costs are not going to decrease. Air sealing your post frame barndominium or shouse increases your comfort by reducing drafts and cycle time your heating and cooling systems are running. Air sealing your barndominium reduces humidity increasing comfort levels. A drafty barndominium […]

Continued from yesterday’s blog; Aside from code compliance or indoor air quality concerns, another reason to get a blower door test is to properly size your furnace or air conditioner. How leaky or tight your barndominium is can change how much heating/humidification or cooling/dehumidification you need. This then ties into how carefully your mechanical system […]

A trending garage accessory is an addition of a garage vehicle lift. Vehicle lifts provide many benefits for your post frame garage or shop than just being able to work on your vehicle. A vehicle lift for your garage is exactly what it sounds like, it will elevate your vehicle so you can either work on […]

Busting Post Frame Barndominium Myths Yep, I have been web surfing again and I came across a stick frame building contractor’s website who obviously either doesn’t understand fully engineered post frame construction, or just frankly doesn’t care to add it to his arsenal of design solutions. My comments are in italics. MYTH #1. MOST BANKS WON’T […]

Thursday’s edition will tackle three more reader questions. First up is about how level a site must be before erecting a shop, second is about pole barn homes and the many options available, and third is a question about the best method to fix an issue left by a previous builder. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: […]

Part II of a two part series. If you didn’t see Part I, go back one day. Mike’s answers are in italics.  In each house at ends of the “L” layout, I plan to have 1/3 open plan at two stories, for our great room, with nice windows for great views. The other 2/3 areas […]

Post Frame Home Zero Barrier Entry Over a Crawl Space Reader MARC in AUBURN writes: “I am asking what might be an odd question, but I need to ask it to see if it is even an option. Is it possible to build a post frame home with part of it having a concrete floor […]

Post Frame Shouse Column Options – Risk vs. Reward Loyal readers will recall a recent post involving GREG in KENTWOOD (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/09/dont-want-pressure-treated-columns-in-the-ground/). Our discussion continues and I share below: “Mike, Thanks for the quick response.    If I was a sane man, not sure I am, if properly pressure treated lumber will last a few generations, why […]

This Monday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about an ideal pole barn to convert into a house, the height of the exterior wall with an 11′ interior ceiling height, how clear span affects the costs of a horse arena. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Good Morning, We just put in an offer on land in […]

We’ll continue this week with a third day of Bonus PBG’s! Today Mike take care of reader questions about adding “double doors” to the high side of a lean to, insulation to building in Climate Zone 4A with R-49, and the feasibility of building in Alaska. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi Mike, I am looking […]

Today’s blog courtesy of J.A. Hansen, co-owner of Hansen Buildings OK, Mike the Pole Barn Guru asked me to write about kitchens, so here goes. Seven years ago (give or take a couple) Mike and I got the new custom made cupboards for our kitchen and there were LOTS of cupboards. When my four sons […]

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 […]

With barndominiums, shouses and post frame homes rising in popularity, jurisdictions are struggling to define what a house should look like. To follow is an article by Arielle Breen in August 13, 2020’s Manistee, Michigan News Advocate detailing their city’s challenges. “Does the building plan look like a pole barn or a house? The answer […]

Stick Frame and Some Limitations Perhaps stick built construction’s biggest advantage is builders and tradespeople are very comfortable working in and around stick framing. All registered architects and most building inspectors are very familiar with stick framing. The International Residential Code (IRC) provides a prescriptive ‘cook book’ to follow for adequate structural assembly, within certain limitations. […]

Stick Framing? A continuing debate, in picking a structural system for a new barndominium, is what is going to be best? Due to years of conditioning, many assume a traditional wood framed, stick built barndominium, assembled on site is what will be right.  Granted, stick built houses, with traditional wood framing, are by far America’s […]

How Long Will It Take to Erect My Post Frame Building? This is a popular question posed not only by many potential building owners who are considering doing work themselves, but also by contractors who are considering erecting a building for others. Before any question of construction time can be addressed, let’s eliminate one crucial […]

Working With Your Barndominium Subs If you get along well with everyone at all times, you may not need to read this article. But if you occasionally run into conflicts, read them carefully. Sometimes the fault may be yours. At this point you’ve selected your subcontractors. You’ve checked them out and are satisfied they are […]

Barndominium construction bids are very important. Be diligent! For each contracting or subcontracting job for your barndominium, get bids or estimates from at least three contractors. Make sure bids are for similar work and be sure job specifications are identical.  Never accept a bid “by the hour.” It doesn’t work. Remember Murphy’s Law; “If you […]

How to Find Barndominium Subcontractors As a new barndominium General Contractor, you will need to line up subcontractors (subs) to do work you cannot or will not do. But, how does one go about finding these subs? My first call is to my nearest Home Builders Association (find them here https://www.nahb.org/NAHB-Community/Directories/Local-Associations). If unable to find […]

Welcome – you are maybe here because you have followed my biggest money saving tip in building a new barndominium, you are acting as your own General Contractor. If you are not yet convinced, please take a brief pause to jump back to: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/02/does-my-barndominium-need-a-turn-key-general-contractor/. There are those who have time and patience (or skills) to […]

Where Future Barndominium Owners Come From Mid-1650s, European rivals like England and France were busy dividing up a New World in North America. France settled much of modern day Quebec in Canada, and England initially settled mid-Atlantic colonies. English and French didn’t have much in common, and they were bitter rivals. But one thing they […]

 Steel Roofing Over Living Areas Requires Solid Decking? Barndominiums, shouses and post frame homes have become a recent and trendy rage. Seemingly everyone wants one, at least as gauged by hundreds of weekly requests received by Hansen Pole Buildings would attest to. Reader STEVEN in BOONE writes: “I visited with the building inspector with your […]

Lofts and mezzanines (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/03/a-mezzanine-for-your-barndominium/) are popular inclusions in barndominiums. Even though my lovely bride and I have a mezzanine in our South Dakota shouse, they are not often truly practical from an accessibility or economics stance. Reader Devin in Porun writes: “I’m designing and building a 42’x50′ pole barn home with 10′ exterior walls. Viewing […]

Continuing the discussion of high R-values in overhead doors from yesterday’s Part I: Are reported R-values even accurate? There’s another potential problem with R-values reported by garage-door manufacturers: even if one accepts advertised R-values represent center-of-panel values rather than whole-door values, these numbers are still higher than most insulation experts believe are possible. Several manufacturers report […]

Barndominium High R-value Overhead Doors When my lovely bride and I had our post frame building shouse (shop house aka barndominium) constructed, energy efficiency was important for us. Then Hansen Pole Buildings was ordering our overhead doors through my friend David Vance, owner of Rainer Building Products in Western Washington. I approached David with our […]

Good Morning! This is Mike the Pole Barn Guru’s wife filling in for him as he takes a couple of well deserved days off from writing. Not too long ago Mike wrote a blog discussing how to plan the interior of your new barndominium or shouse (shop/house). He had some good ideas but there are […]

Barndominium Building on Expansive Soils Expansive soils in many United States areas pose a significant hazard to foundations for barndominiums. Swelling clays derived from residual soils can exert uplift pressures of as much as 5,500 PSF (pounds per square foot) and can do considerable damage to barndominiums, shouses and post frame homes. Insurance companies pay […]

What Features Should Your Modern Barndominium Have? Seemingly there are a million and one things to consider when planning for your new barndominium. Hopefully, somewhere buried in your lists, are features your new home should have in order to make it appealing to future buyers (although this may be your ‘forever’ home – sadly to […]

Barndominium Features Worth Having? New barndominium owners often assume any upgraded features will make their place more valuable. While it is true upgraded kitchen features, a carriage style garage door, or real wood floors may add value and make your home more desirable for resale, there are other projects providing very little return. Here are […]

Kynar Paint for Barndominiums Many potential barndominium owners are looking to get the greatest value for their investment and many see this as their ‘forever’ home. If you fall into this category, I would highly recommend exploring Kynar® painted steel. I could extol aesthetic reasons to use Kynar painted steel for longer than anyone would […]

How to Avoid Your Barndominium Being Kicked to the Curb Welcome back from last Thursday! When it comes to resale value, you want your barndominium’s curb appeal to add to value, not kick you to the curb. There are things you can do during design and build phases to improve appeal and good news is, […]

I have had people try to convince me curb appeal for their new barndominium is not important. Their reason has ranged from, “I am never going to sell this house” to “It is far into a forest no one will ever see it”. A shocking reality – some day, someone will be selling your barndominium. […]

Fishing Cabin Insulation Blog-Compliments to Rick Carr in sharing this post on how he insulated his fishing cabin.  My insulation challenges are a little unique due to having an above ground crawl space, radiant floor heating above the sub floor, 2×8 and 2×10 walls and having a partial attic area (over the bedrooms) with the […]

You have just moved into your beautiful new barndominium, shouse or post frame home. Your drywall was painted and looked perfect for months and then you start to see seams cracking and screw heads popping through. Our first inclination is to blame whoever installed it. It is possible drywall was installed incorrectly leading to screw […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru tackles the subjects of building a shouse with RV storage, how to add tin to block siding, and truss carriers vs notched posts. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Good morning! My wife and are currently going to market with our home in Lakeville and are considering our next steps.  We […]

How to Have a Fair Relationship With Your Barndominium Contractor I have been a contractor and I have hired contractors. As much as you might wish to believe it will not be so, contractors can be a source of stress and anxiety. They can be masters at squeezing out profits, while putting in minimal efforts. […]

Folks who are contemplating building a barndominium come in a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as financial positions. Some are at or near an end to their working careers and are downsizing, selling or have sold a long term family home and have equity to be used for their last home. Others are […]

Let us face it – I am among those greying in America. According to United States demographic statistics 14.7% of us (over 41 million) have reached a 62 year-old milestone! What are we looking forward to in our probably final home of our own? We want to be able to spend our time enjoying life, […]

Not Your Average Kitchen in a Barndominium When my lovely bride Judy first came up with an idea to construct our now shouse (shop/house) gambrel building 15 years ago, it was not with a thought as to it becoming a barndominium. Indeed, it was to be a place to have offices along one side and […]

Isolating Heated and Unheated Barndominium Concrete Floors Loyal reader MIKE in COUPEVILLE writes: “I see you recently posted a detailed drawing on insulating the perimeter of a pole barn, very helpful.  https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/03/meeting-barndominium-slab-requirements/ I’m currently looking at purchasing a large pole barn, it will be 84’x42′ with posts 12′ apart.  I plan to make 2 of […]

Labor Costs for a Post Frame Barndominium In my humble opinion, an average physically capable person who can and will read instructions can successfully erect his or her post frame barndominium. This is a great place to save money (provided time is available) and most people frankly will end up with a better finished home! […]

Do You Own the Land Your Barndominium Will Be Built On? Barndominiums, shouses and post frame homes are not only a current rage, they may be America’s future home of choice. Pinterest has literally hundreds of photos of barndominiums. DIY network’s “Texas Flip-n-Move” feature a rusty old barn made into a beautiful home in Episode […]

Is This Floor Plan Doable as a Post Frame Barndominium Kit? This question was posed by Reader TIFFANY in HOPKINSVILLE. My answer is yes. Whether an existing floor plan or a custom design – virtually anything you can imagine, can be converted to a post frame barndominium kit, provided it is possible to do structurally […]

Whole House Barndominium Fans Apparently when it comes to barndominiums, there is a limitless number of subjects to cover! Reader CAROLYN in CLEVELAND writes: “We would like to build a post frame home but I would like to have a whole house fan to cut down on cooling costs. Most barndos we see under construction […]

If you are one of many looking to install steel roofing and/or siding on your new barndominium, shouse (shop/house) or post frame home, understanding differences between galvanized and galvalume is essential to getting top performance you expect from your new steel roofing or siding.. In most residential steel roofing applications including near-coastal areas — beach […]

Reader RENE in MICHIGAN is one of a growing tide of Americans looking to build a barndominium. She writes: “I would like to build a barn with living quarters but I do have unanswered questions! My property is in Riverside WA 98849 and therefore the first question is whether you service this area? I have […]

Being a life-long baseball fan, my first introduction to “Low e”, was former Mariner, Ranger, Angel, Indian, Blue Jay and Tiger relief pitcher Mark Lowe, who could chuck a rock as high as 101 miles per hour! OK, not so funny, but it does illustrate how little I (and most people) knew or understand about […]

Creating Extra Work In Barndominium Framing A supposed downside of post frame (pole barn) buildings for barndominiums is having to frame a wall inside of an exterior wall in order to create an insulation cavity and a way to support interior finishes. This myth is created and propagated by post frame kit suppliers and post […]

Full View Aluminum Sectional Barndominium Overhead Doors Sleek, modern building designs are becoming increasingly popular with architects, builders, and homeowners alike.  For barndominiums, shouses and post frame homes, sometimes a steel overhead door doesn’t have a just right “look.”  Hansen Pole Buildings offers a line of Aluminum Full View Amarr doors with multiple options, including […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers questions about converting an upstairs space in a pole barn to a living space, Plans only packages, and a basic building kit. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a 30×30 pole barn with upstairs 2 story shingle roof. Want to convert it to a living space for my […]

Spray Foam Insulation and Steel Roofing and Siding  Energy efficiency is a hot (pun intended) for steel roofed and/or sided post frame buildings, especially with a rise in popularity of barndominiums and shouses. Spray foam insulation systems have been a product of choice to achieve highly efficient building envelopes. Of course with this, have come […]

Today’s Pole Barn Guru answers questions about building a two story pole barn house, condensation in a car storage building, and how to build a post frame house with a concrete basement. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: We are wanting to build a 2 story pole barn house, it will have an upstairs loft. Would the […]

Load Duration Factor in Wood Design Considering a barndominium, shouse or other post frame (pole) building with wood framing? While this article is somewhat technical, you (as a future building owner) can use it to determine if who (builder or supplier) really knows what they are talking about when it comes to structural design. And […]

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 […]

Meeting Barndominium Perimeter Slab Insulation Requirements Our world (at least my world) of post frame buildings has evolved quickly into residential construction of barndominiums, shouses (shop/houses) and post frame homes. Having built two shouses for myself, I have learned a lot about what to do and not to do, as well as receiving helpful contributions […]

Fire Separation Requirements for Barndominiums and Shouses Loyal reader CHUCK in MERINO timed asking this question perfectly, as fire separation requirements for barndominiums, shouses and post frame houses had just made it to my list of subjects to research and comment upon. Chuck writes: “I was wondering if you could pen your interpretation of the […]

Should My Barndominium Ceiling Have a Vapor Barrier? With barndominiums, shouses (shop/house) and post frame homes becoming immensely popular, I have been learning more than I ever thought I wanted to learn about them. Rather than me just spewing on, today’s expert advice comes courtesy of building scientist Joe Lstiburek. Plastic vapor barriers should only […]

For all of my friends in locales where it does not snow, you are welcome to take a nap through this article. For those of us who are seriously tired of winter, but choose to endure shovels and plows, please read on. Now snow retention is a subject well ignored by probably everyone you are […]

For many readers, you might be considering your new barndominium to be constructed in a jurisdiction without state energy requirements such as those in Washington State. Granted, Washington is a state either on the forefront, or totally out of control, when it comes to mandated energy efficiency, however fuels are not going to get any […]

A shouse (shop/house), barndominium or post frame house project may seem daunting, however by doing lots of reading, research and asking questions, an average individual can craft for themselves a home they love, tailored to meet their family’s wants and needs. Loyal reader ROBERT in OLYMPIA writes: “Hello to the Pole Barn Guru or whoever […]

A mezzanine is a common design feature found in all types of buildings- very possibly even your new barndominium, shouse or post frame home. Think of a mezzanine as being a lofted area above a room. International Building Codes outline some basic rules for mezzanines to help determine if it is an intermediate level within […]

Some Barndominium Kitchen Appliance Ideas Barndominiums afford new home owners an ability to utilize their creativeness. We see it here at Hansen Pole Buildings every day – especially with uniqueness of exterior designs and features. A few folks have been asking for interior photos of our shouse (shop/house). Originally our living area was not designed […]

No Leak Barndominium Windows Steel covered barndominiums, regardless of whether they are PEMBs, weld ups or post frame, if they leak it is in one of two places. First of these is when an errant roof screw misses a purlin or is improperly seated. Second of these is around windows. As a builder I found […]

Where Your Barndominium Dollars Go Recently published by NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) was their 2019 Cost of Construction Survey. I will work from their ‘average numbers’ to breakdown costs so you can get a feel for where your barndominium, shouse or post frame home dollars go. Please use this as a reference only, […]

It has only been five years since I first opined about using SIPs for post frame building construction: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2015/02/sips/. Since then, post frame homes (frequently referred to as barndominiums) have become quite the rage. Easily half of Hansen Pole Buildings’ inquiries are now for some combination of living space! I had recently done some further […]

I answer literally hundreds of building related questions every day. These questions come from many different sources – our staff, drafts people, engineers, architects, building officials, clients, builders and social media (just to name a few). This question, posted in a Facebook group, is an exceptional one and I felt it necessary to share: “What […]

Things Roof Truss Manufacturers SHOULD Ask, But Don’t Always I didn’t just fall off of a turnip truck yesterday, even though there are a few who may doubt my claim! Prefabricated metal plate connected wood trusses and I became close friends back in April of 1977. Yes, we had electricity then and no, I did […]

This Monday the Pole Barn Guru answers questions about the possibility of an open floor plan Monitor style building, what the costs of building s specific floor plan might be, as well advice on adding overhead door operators to a building. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Can you design a truss system for a monitor style […]

Barndominium: One Floor or Two? Welcome to an ongoing debate about whether it is more cost effective to build a one story or two story barndominium. Commonly I read people advising two stories is less expensive than a single story. Reader TODD in HENNING put me to work when he wrote: “I’m curious why “Going […]

As post frame construction moves into a world filled with barndominiums, shouses and homes, there are of course those who would prefer (or need due to lot slope) to build upon either a full or partial (daylight) basement. Post frame buildings are ideal for this situation. Reader LOUIE writes: “Hi, I just started the process […]

Barndominiums, shouses (shop/houses) and post frame homes have become a popular alternative to ‘conventional’ stick frame construction. This creates a radical mind shift for those of us who have been focused on non-residential structures for years or even decades. An important consideration is including adequate windows for egress. Dedicated readers will remember my oldest step-son, […]

A price quote is merely a number without a complete understanding of exactly what is or is not included in said quote. You have requested quotes for your new post frame building from a dozen or more providers and actually gotten four back, even after having to hound all of them for pricing! Frustrating when […]

Designed right, your new barndominium can help prevent global warming. By utilization of a wooden post frame structure, rather than steel or concrete, carbon can be stored (like a warehouse), rather than being released into our planet’s atmosphere. The carbon cycle demonstrates various phases of carbon through living things, soil, water and atmosphere. If carbon […]

Please note, I use “client” rather than “customer”.  A customer is someone who buys a commodity from a shop.  A client is a person or company receiving a service from a professional person or organization in return for payment. Unfortunately, too many future barndominium, shouse and post frame building owners are either unable or unwilling to […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers questions about the price per square foot for a hangar, the proper post treatment for in ground use, and use of XPS insulation between steel and wall posts. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: What is the approximate price per square foot for a 62 x 130 t hangar? KENNETH […]

Whether your post frame building will be a garage, shop, commercial building or barndominium wainscot an extremely popular option is wainscot. Roughly 25 years ago I had an 80’ x 150’ x 20’ post frame building erected for my prefabricated wood truss manufacturing business. Whilst a great deal of thought went into this building’s design, […]

With the proliferation of barndominiums, shouses and post frame homes there is always someone looking for a cheaper answer. I have found cheaper generally gets me exactly what I paid for – cheap. Well for some, cheap may be living in a Quonset hut. Considering a Quonset building for your new home? Consider resale value […]

Building Codes Apply to Shouses Recently I shared with you, my faithful readers, a Park Rapids Enterprise article penned by Lorie R. Skarpness as Nevis, Minnesota attempts to deal with a shouse. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2019/12/a-shouse-in-the-news/ Below is Lorie’s update from January 18, 2020: “The discussion of a proposed shouse (a word that means a shop with living […]