Category Archives: Trusses
The Search for Building Steel Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/05/03 @ 8:00In my several years of being involved in the metal plate connected wood truss industry only twice times did we ever fabricate trusses which were over 80 foot in length. As the forces which have to be carried by a truss are increased by the square of the span, say a 120 foot span truss […]
Read moreWhat Fails First in a Fire? Part II
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/04/19 @ 8:00What Fails First in a Fire- the Truss Lumber or the Steel Truss Plates? Part II If you didn’t read my blog yesterday, you will think me out in left field until you do. Take a few extra minutes and go back and read Part I. You will be glad you did! Continuing from yesterday’s […]
Read moreThe Lowdown on Column Uplift
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/04/11 @ 8:00Let’s Not Uplift I learn new things every single day, much in part to loyal readers, the Hansen Pole Buildings’ Building Designers and our clients. Column uplift seems to be a repeating point of contention for me, as it is (in my humble opinion) poorly addressed, if not totally ignored. Reader Dan has some uplift […]
Read moreFriends Don’t let Friends Stick Frame
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/04/07 @ 8:00Oh the misconceptions arm chair engineers have when it comes to what can be done with post frame construction. For the most part – if you can imagine it, we can design it! Here is a case in point shared by our friend Neil: DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have limited floor plan on my […]
Read moreInsulating a Barndominium
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/04/05 @ 8:00Residential post frame buildings are becoming more and more prevalent as consumers are beginning to realize they can save thousands of dollars in foundation costs and actually build their own beautiful and well insulated barndominium homes. Steve from Northglenn posed this question: DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Now that the “Barndominium” style home is more popular than […]
Read moreWill My Trusses Hold Added Ceiling Dead Load?
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/03/28 @ 8:00Understanding the Needs of Load Bearing Finish I sadly hear this story all too often. A brand new post frame building which quite possibly will not meet the load needs of the owner due to lack of due diligence upon the part of whomever sold the building. Here is the story and my response: DEAR […]
Read more80 Foot Span Wood Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/03/24 @ 8:00Setting 80 Foot Span Wood Trusses Here is the question asked by CHAD in EVANSVILLE: “What is the best way to hang an 80′ wooden truss? The company I work for is building 80×120 pole barn for one of our customers. The trusses are kicking our butt.” Before you even think about getting started, you […]
Read moreSteeper Roof Slope or Taller Walls?
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/03/16 @ 8:00This is a subject I have had near the top of my list for a considerable time. Along came a faithful reader – Chris – to give me a little poke to inspire me to write about it. Chris wrote: “I am planning on building a 40×56 pole barn and would like to use part […]
Read moreMaterials Mastery with the PBG!
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/03/13 @ 8:00DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi: I have a design and will build myself. Do you sell components such as poles and trusses? Or is it possible to purchase one of your kits and leave off certain materials? For example, I want to use corrugated metal siding. If you don’t supply that could it be left […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Design, Steel Roofing & Siding, Pole Building Siding, Trusses, Alternate Siding, Columns, RV Storage
- Tags: RV Cover, Kit Materials, Siding, Roof Only
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Panic Mode! We’ve All Been There
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/03/08 @ 8:00When Clients get into Panic Mode Most of us have been there with a major purchase – we were all excited about it and then somewhere before it gets delivered we start to second guess ourselves. Here is an example: Dear Mr. Xxxxxx ~ Thank you for your investment into a new Hansen Pole Building. […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Design, Pole Barn Structure, Trusses, Professional Engineer
- Tags: Engineered Plans, Snow Load, Pole Barn Column Size
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What Type of Barns Do You Sell?
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/02/22 @ 8:00And my response to the question would be, “What type of barn would you like to invest in”? Here is the full question asked by JOEL in THOMASVILLE: “What type of pole barns do you sell? (Truss on post or truss on band) Also what’s the spacing on the trusses? 2 foot, 4 foot” […]
Read moreBook Shelving? Ceiling Insulation
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/02/06 @ 8:00DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do you have to set laminated pole so you see the 1.5 side of the 2×6’s while looking in or out of the building? I was thinking of using 4ply 2×6 post 10′ out of the ground every 8′ while book shelving with 2×6’s in between posts. I thought it would […]
Read moreDoor Facing North, Optimizing Space, and Remodel?
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/01/30 @ 8:00DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a (about) 40×24 pole building that faces north. I have a regular door that faces west. The wind and any accompanying rain typically blows directly against that west facing door. The building was built in 1996 by the original owner of the house. I’ve only lived in the house […]
Read moreWood Floor Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/01/27 @ 8:00When I was first in the metal connector plated wood truss industry back in 1977, my employers – Dutch Andres and Tom Vincent at Spokane Truss, had just invested in a machine which would fabricate what would be called a 4×2 floor truss. These trusses revolutionized the way floors could be constructed – freeing up […]
Read moreCalling for the Wall Steel Stretcher
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/01/05 @ 8:00Calling For The Wall Steel Stretcher In our last episode, the dilemma of how to get a smooth roof plane was solved, to the apparent joy of all involved. However up cropped a new challenge, contributed to by us however pretty much on the builder and this is why. You may recall the eave height […]
Read moreWhen the Truss People Do the Dog
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/01/04 @ 8:00Yes, it happens. My long time readers will recall I owned two prefabricated light gauge metal plate connected wood truss plants in a not too distant past. And yes – this may come as a surprise – truss people are not perfect. In this particular case, we had set out what we needed explicitly as […]
Read moreSharing the Pole Barn Blame
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/01/03 @ 10:30Sharing the Blame Welcome to 2017! As you may recall, 2016 ended with me sharing an email from a builder who is constructing a new Hansen Pole Building and may possibly be a legend in his own mind. Our company policy, when a challenge arrives, has always been to begin by looking to see what, […]
Read moreClear Span Width, Interior Sliders, and Roof Quote!
Posted by polebarnguru on 17/01/02 @ 8:03DEAR POLE BARN GURU: What is the widest free span I can get in a pole barn? I live in zip 54474 for snow loads. Needs to have a door opening of 14′. LES in ROSHOLTDEAR LES: It would be very practical to have a clearspan of up to and including 80 feet. In some […]
Read moreBuilder Shaming
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/12/30 @ 8:00The Builder Knows More Than We do…. After Hansen 18k Plus Buildings Very few things in life frighten me. Among them are heights (growing up in a family of framing contractors and having vertigo issues were not a good mix) and builders who tell me, “I can build anything”. This last one usually sets off […]
Read moreCost Savings of a Crawlspace vs a Slab!
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/12/12 @ 8:00DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am building a pole barn 50 foot clear span wide, and 70 foot long, 16 foot to the eve. I am using 4×4 metal uprights on 20 foot spans, red iron purlins and stringers, and 4×4 metal welded all around the top. I am using conventional wood trusses engineered for […]
Read more- Categories: Roofing Materials, Trusses, Footings, Budget, Building Styles and Designs
- Tags: Concrete, Windload, Crawlspace, Roof Exposure
- 4 comments
Sheetrocking Trusses Advice
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/11/23 @ 8:00How Advice Columns Get Interesting… Just last week, I shared a question from TOM (a reader who reads my blog) in regards to finishing the inside of a fairly recently constructed post frame (pole) building. The dialogue has continued. Tom: “Obviously drywall for the ceiling would be a wiser choice. The truss manufacturer said the trusses […]
Read moreGymnasiums Perfect for Post Frame Truss Construction
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/11/18 @ 8:00This article’s content was published in Construction Magazine, October 28, 2016 Post-frame construction is ideal for non-code-exempt buildings of many shapes and sizes. One category of such structures that is often overlooked by post-frame builders is gymnasiums and multipurpose recreational buildings. Gymnasiums and multipurpose recreational buildings are a perfect fit for post-frame construction for several […]
Read moreNot a building Under Construction
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/10/14 @ 8:00No This is NOT a Building Under Construction Here is the story from the building owner….. “When we pulled up here, about a quarter to 12 last night, is when I noticed I could see some insulation and then I got out and took a walk around and that’s when I saw that we had […]
Read moreHorizontal Deflection in Scissors Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/10/12 @ 8:00In yesterday’s article, I gave credit to a post frame industry pioneer, Mr. Henry Getz, of Morton Buildings, for being innovative in the introduction of scissor trusses to post frame construction. Now I will tell you, gentle reader, of a scissor truss consideration which you have probably never considered – horizontal deflection. When sealed truss […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Lateral Deflection, Morton Buildings, Henry Getz
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Scissors Trusses in Post Frame Buildings
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/10/11 @ 8:00Scissors Trusses in Post Frame Buildings I’ve written previously about Henry Getz, of Morton Buildings (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2016/06/origins-colored-steel/), however there are reasons other than pre-painted steel roofing and siding which the post frame industry should thank Henry for. Beyond color, Henry also introduced the raised-chord (scissors) truss to the post frame industry, which allowed a taller end […]
Read moreSnow Drift Loads
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/09/29 @ 8:00I started snow skiing back in 1963, shortly after my sixth birthday. My dad and uncles were the framing contractors for the first condominium units at Schweitzer Basin, near Sandpoint, Idaho and somehow we ended up with a unit shared with the families of my uncles Lyle and Gil. Uncle Lyle’s wife, my Auntie Joyce […]
Read more- Categories: About The Pole Barn Guru, Pole Barn Planning, Trusses
- Tags: Schweitzer Ski Resort, Roof Truss Drawings, Snow Cornice
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Why Pole Barn Columns Settle
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/08/18 @ 8:00Don't be Like Jimmy's Parents A new post frame (pole) building or barn is an investment, a very permanent investment. Readers have been following a couple of articles involving Jimmy's new building, which is NOT a Hansen Pole Building and Jimmy is not very happy. This is how the building was purchased (in Jimmy's words): […]
Read moreCutting Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/07/28 @ 6:00Don’t Cut Trusses! In regards to cutting trusses, an excerpt from the NDS® (National Design Specification for Lumber®) is quoted in the Hansen Pole Buildings’ Construction Manual: “Cutting and altering of trusses is not permitted. If any truss should become broken, damaged, or altered, written concurrence and approval by a licensed design professional is required.” […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Design, Pole Barn Structure, Trusses, Rebuilding Structures, Professional Engineer
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Truss Bracing- A Framer’s Perspective
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/06/23 @ 9:00Truss Bracing My friend Christopher Gould is a Registered Professional Engineer and President of Gould Design, Inc (https://www.goulddesigninc.com/). He recently authored a blog article on truss bracing, of which I will steal (borrow) profusely from him. Truss bracing is additional, field installed, bracing which is specified by the design software to reinforce specific webs needing […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Engineer Of Record, Framer, Truss Drawings, Structural Plans
- 1 comments
Prefabricated Roof Trusses Part Two
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/05/26 @ 8:00Prefabricated Roof Trusses – They can Make You or Break You In yesterday’s blog, Mike the Pole Barn Guru started to share some secrets which should both increase your bottom line as well as allow you to sleep soundly at night. A short recap here, for the full account, read Part One posted yesterday, May […]
Read morePrefabricated Roof Trusses Part One
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/05/25 @ 8:00Prefabricated Roof Trusses – They can Make You or Break You This article (written by yours truly) was published in the May 2016 Rural Builder magazine (https://media2.fwpublications.com.s3.amazonaws.com/CNM/RB_20160501e.pdf and begins on Page 26). Although the article is written towards post frame (pole) building contractors, it gives a perspective as to the challenges of ordering something as […]
Read moreHang ’em; Those Joist Hangers That Is
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/02/25 @ 8:00This was the tag line for some PSA commercial on the telly when I was a child. Always figured I could spin it into an article at some point in time. Here is the dilemma: From our client: “Got all the trusses & purlins up & it’s really starting to look like a building. That’s […]
Read more- Categories: Constructing a Pole Building, Trusses, Fasteners
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Attaching Interior Walls to Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 16/01/21 @ 8:00My long time readers have heard the stories of my framing contractor father and uncles. My dad was the oldest, and I cannot begin to count the number of times he spoke highly of his younger brother Gil’s abilities to walk up nearly anything. Dad would tell stories of Gil walking up beams set at […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses, Building Interior
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Can I Take Out Knee Braces?
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/11/20 @ 8:00One of my loyal readers asked this question in regards to a previous blog post: “We have a pole barn/shed which is 50 X96 plus an additional 16 leant-to tied to posts which creates a total building size of 66 X96. Question is, Can I take out the knee braces on the side with the […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses, Professional Engineer, Pole Barn Questions
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How Far to Lower the Trusses?
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/09/21 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]
Read moreConstruction Safety Trajedy
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/09/15 @ 8:00Sometimes Things Go Tragically Wrong Construction safety is nothing to overlook. Even the most experienced among us can make errors (read a very personal story here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/07/dont-take-a-fall/) Tuesday, September 8, 2015 an under construction building in Queenstown, Maryland had some challenges. Here is the story: “Two construction workers were flown to the University of Maryland […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Design, Trusses
- Tags: Pole Building Safety, Truss Bracing, Pole Barn Safety, Building Safety, Diagonal Truss Bracing
- No comments
Nailing Trusses Together
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/09/08 @ 8:00A Truss Story… I began my career in the prefabricated metal plate connected wood truss industry back in 1977 at what was then Spokane Truss, now it is a ProBuild truss plant. From there my next stop was their sister plant Coeur d’Alene Truss (now Coeur d’Alene Builders Supply). In my two plus years with […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Double Trusses, Truss Plants, Nailing Trusses Together, Probuild Truss Plans
- 5 comments
Square Cut or Plumb Cut Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/09/02 @ 11:30Square Cut or Plumb Cut Back in the 70’s, when I first entered the prefabricated metal connector plated wood truss industry, I was a sawyer. Sawyers are the folks who operate the component saws which precision (hopefully) cut all of the components prior to assembly. The people I worked for over the first few years […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Overhangs, Plumb Cut Trusses, Square Cut Truss, Plumb Cut Truss Overhangs
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Limited Storage Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/09/01 @ 8:00When my now lovely bride (always lovely) first had me visit her home in South Dakota, I couldn’t help but notice her nicely sized 32 foot square stick framed garage. Like most stud framed buildings, it had light weight metal connector plated wood roof trusses manufactured from 2x4s. Like many garages, this one was unheated. […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Attic Trusses, Limited Storage Trusses, Light Storage Trusses, Truss Storage
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Truss Butt Cuts
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/05/01 @ 8:00Butt Cuts, not Cracks In a past life, when I was far younger, I was a newbie in the prefabricated metal connector plated wood truss industry. My first job was as a sawyer, I was the guy who trimmed all of the components prior to their assembly into trusses. Although my employers had what at […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Truss Design, Overhangs, Truss Production
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Universal Forest Products DHP
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/04/07 @ 8:00Universal Forest Products Double Hinge Plate Having spent a generation in the truss industry, very tall trusses always posed a challenge – both in how to fabricate, as well is in shipping. Granted I once fabricated some 17 foot tall trusses, then couldn’t legally deliver them to the jobsite! Universal Forest Products https://www.ufpi.com may have […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Attic Trusses, Double Hinge Plate, Tall Trusses, Universal Forest Products
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Part III: Ceiling Load Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 15/03/19 @ 8:00We Don’t Always Do Things Perfect, But We Do Listen Part III Last summer Hansen Pole Buildings Supplied a pole building kit package to a client who experienced a few challenges and took the time to address them. Here is the email I was responding to: (Items #1-3 were addressed on the last two days’ […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
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Lowering an End Truss
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/12/19 @ 8:00When NOT to Measure 5-1/2 Inches for a 2×6 My lovely bride is an RN (Registered Nurse) by training and profession. In medicine 100mg is 100mg, not 87.5mg and someone’s heart rate might be 80, not “somewhere between 80 and 120”. Wrapping her head around why a 2×6 is 1-1/2 inches by 5-1/2 inches just […]
Read moreDear Guru: Did I Get the Right Trusses?
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/12/15 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Questions, Trusses
- Tags: Sliding Doors, Geothermal, Pole Barn Sliding Doors, Radiant Heating, Truss Design, Man Cave, Floor Heating
- No comments
Pole Building Truss Framing
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/12/09 @ 8:00My Truss Framing Does Not Match the Plans Every good set of pole building plans should have at least one page upon which is drawn a “cut through” view or cross section of the building. To read about what should be depicted on this page: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2011/10/pole-building-plans-101-interior-section-elevation/ or actually view an example at: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/sample-plans.htm. One of […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Truss Design, Truss Bracing, Engineer Of Record, Pole Barn Truss Framing, Pole Building Truss Framing
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Temporary Truss Bracing
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/12/05 @ 8:00The Importance of Temporary Truss Bracing Back in my early days in the prefabricated metal connector plated truss industry, one of my clients was the congregations of a church along Highway 95 in Hayden, Idaho. The project was for an entirely new building, with the work being done by primarily volunteer help, under the supervision […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Temporary Brace, X Bracing, Bottom Chord Bracing, Diagonal Bracing, Temporary Wood Truss Bracing, Wood X Bracing
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How to Install Steel Screws on a Roof
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/10/20 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]
Read more- Categories: Steel Roofing & Siding, Trusses, Powder Coated Screws
- Tags: Roof Leaks, Steel Trusses, Steel Roof Leaks, Cupola
- 3 comments
Pole Building Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/09/03 @ 8:00Pole Building Roof System – Dressed Up!! For years I sat in church on Sunday mornings with my children and admired the magnificent trusses which supported the roof. Built from glulams with the joints connected with bolted steel brackets – they were nothing short of fabulous. To me (coming from a background of construction and […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Structure, Trusses
- Tags: Glulams, Scissor Trusses, Trusses, Man Cave, Glu-laminated Columns
- No comments
Open Web Wood Floor Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/09/02 @ 8:00Most of us don’t think too much about the floors we walk upon – unless they are not level, squeak when we walk on them, or are too bouncy. Traditionally wood floors have been framed with dimensional lumber (2×6, 2×8, etc.), usually spaced 16 inches on center. Often floor joist span limitations are not based […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Truss Design, Floor Truss Types, Open Web Floor Trusses
- 8 comments
Dear Guru: Altering Roof Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/09/01 @ 7:12DEAR POLE BARN GURU:Currently constructing building and the roof trusses are not built according to engineered plans. Plans call for 2*10 and these trusses are 2*6. Builder has purchased additional materials to reinforce the trusses. Now the steel is going up today and found that the 2 11’10” clay endwall pieces are missing. Builder also […]
Read moreDear Guru: Trusses at 12′ Work?
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/08/25 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Questions, Trusses
- Tags: Truss Spacing, Trusses At 2', Trusses At 4'
- No comments
Dear Guru: How Do I Cut into a Truss?
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/08/11 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday or Saturday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Questions, Trusses
- Tags: Roof Only Pole Building, Truss Repair, Fixing Trusses, Roof Only Pole Barn, Cutting Trusses, Pavilion
- No comments
Roof Truss Quality Control
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/07/25 @ 8:00Roof Trusses are structural frameworks, generally two-dimensional, whose members are almost always assembled to form a series of inter-connected triangles, Perimeter members of the assembly are called truss chords and interior members are called truss webs. Metal plate connected wood trusses (MPCWT) are composed of wood members joined with metal connector plates (also known as […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Prefabricated Roof Trusses, Roof Truss Quality Control, Truss Plate Insitute, Roof Trusses
- 1 comments
Changing Bottom Chord Height
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/07/23 @ 8:00At least in my generation we were raised to believe the experts – whether it be doctors, attorneys, or building contractors really knew what they were doing. I know I have the expectation and I believe our clients expect the same from us – as they should. I recently wrote about an article my Uncle […]
Read moreBox Beam Barns
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/05/30 @ 8:00A prospect client in Michigan wrote to tell me pole buildings were, “too expensive, going with a box beam barn instead.” Two thoughts leaped into my head, first – pole buildings are so efficient it is hard to believe there could be a more economical choice, and secondly – what the heck is a “box […]
Read moreWide Span Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/03/28 @ 8:00Long ago, in a Galaxy far away…..no not Star Wars, but one of my “past lives” in the 1980’s at M & W Building Supply. It was an early Fall Monday morning – the first day at work for my then brother-in-law Jimmie Ballinger (Jimmie and I were married to sisters). Jimmie had decided he […]
Read moreDear Guru: How Can I Upgrade My Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 14/01/20 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]
Read moreWide Span Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/12/27 @ 8:00The year before I started my prefabricated metal-plate connected roof truss career with Coeur d’Alene Truss in 1977, they had provided hundreds of 60 foot span trusses for a cabinet manufacturing plant. The building was being erected by an experienced contractor who had an excellent reputation for quality. For my future employer, this was their […]
Read moreDear Guru: Can My Pole Barn Trusses Handle a Ceiling Load?
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/10/07 @ 8:00DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a question regarding truss loads, specifically ceiling loads, for a pole barn. I know you have touched on this before, but I was hoping for a little more detail. I recently purchased a property that came with an existing pole barn, and other than a few material ratings I […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Structure
- Tags: Truss Design, Truss Spacing, Pole Barn Ceiling, Trusses
- 2 comments
Can I Remove Bottom Chord Bracing?
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/10/03 @ 8:00Truss Bracing In The Way? Thirty three years ago, when I first dipped a toe into the post frame industry, roof truss bracing was pretty much an afterthought. Even though I came to pole buildings from the prefabricated metal plated truss business, bracing (especially of bottom chords) was pretty much a subject left up to […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: T-Bracing, Bottom Chord Bracing Design, Lateral Bracing, X Bracing
- 2 comments
Permanent Truss Bracing
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/09/18 @ 8:00I have to give a lot of credit to Building Department plan checkers and field inspectors. They have to know a lot of stuff, about a myriad of different areas of construction. Even one who is an expert at what is written in the Building Code itself, would be only fluent in a small portion […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Trusses, Permanent Truss Bracing, Truss Bracing Requirements, Wood Truss Bracing
- No comments
Dear Pole Barn Guru: Where Can I get Hand Lift Jacks?
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/09/16 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]
Read moreDear Pole Barn Guru: Wood or Steel Trusses?
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/08/12 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses, Pole Barn Questions
- Tags: Wood Trusses, Building Contractor, Contractors, Light Gauge Steel Trusses, Steel Trusses
- 7 comments
Barn Collapse!
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/08/02 @ 8:00This story appeared in the Windsor, Ontario, Canada Star June 27, 2013: “Firefighters had to use a metal cutter and giant airbags Wednesday to rescue a man trapped under a barn collapse. “Upon our arrival, there was one person that was trapped underneath the trusses,” said Essex Fire Chief Ed Pillon.”He was conscious, alert, […]
Read more- Categories: Constructing a Pole Building, Trusses
- Tags: Truss Bracing, Truss Installation, Jobsite Safety, Truss Erection
- No comments
Dropped Chord Truss
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/07/11 @ 8:00The Following is an Actual Instant Message Conversation between Rachel, one of our in-house building designers and myself. Rachel: Builder on the phone. Rachel: He is wondering why we wouldn’t make the trusses smaller so all the pole lengths would the same? Polebarnguru: I have no idea yet what he is asking. Rachel: He says […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Dropped Top Chord, Endwall Truss Lowering, Truss Height, Trusses With Overhangs
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Ask the Pole Barn Guru: Identifying Tempered Glass
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/06/10 @ 8:00Identifying Tempered Glass Email all questions to: PoleBarnGuru@HansenPoleBuildings.com DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Can you tell me if there is any method to identify glass as being tempered or not without breaking it? Many thanks in advance. SIMPLY SOPHIE DEAR SIMPLY SOPHIE: All glass including mirrors used in hazardous locations as defined in the IBC and […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Questions, Trusses, Windows
- Tags: Pole Barn Remodel, Tempered Glass, Tempered Windows
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Ask the Pole Barn Guru: What Size Trusses Do I Need?
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/06/03 @ 8:00Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays. With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment. Email all questions to: PoleBarnGuru@HansenPoleBuildings.com DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am having trouble determining […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses, Pole Barn Questions
- Tags: Pole Barn Trusses, Adding Overhangs, Trusses Cost, Pole Building Overhangs
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High Performance Pole Buildings & Insulation
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/05/14 @ 8:00Pole Buildings and Insulation When designing a high-performance pole building – whether it be residential or commercial, the heating and cooling loads need to be shaved everywhere they can be. Thermal bridging creates hot spots or cold spots in the building envelope, and this makes a difference for heating and cooling costs—as well as for […]
Read moreFire Resistance: Floor Trusses vs. Floor Joists
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/05/01 @ 8:00While I have used metal plate connected pre-fabricated wood floor trusses in pole buildings (including one of my own buildings at home), they are not the norm. In the construction industry, much debate has been ongoing in regards to Section R501.3 of the International Building Code/International Residential Code: “R501.3 Fire protection of floors. Floor assemblies, not […]
Read moreBuilding Your Own Roof Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/04/05 @ 8:00I’ve been in the prefabricated roof truss industry in one fashion or another (sawyer, salesman, truss builder, forklift operator, crane truck driver, truss designer, general manager and owner) for 36 years. Yes, it is a very long time. Over this time span, the roof truss industry has evolved from trusses which were pretty much designed […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: DIY Trusses, Pole Barn Trusses; Post Frame Trusses
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Ceiling Loads
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/03/29 @ 8:00Ceiling Loads Considering a new pole building? An important question to ask is, “What will the cost be to upgrade the roof trusses to support the weight of a ceiling”? Most post frame (pole) building trusses are not designed to support the dead weight (things which are permanently attached to the building) of anything other […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Truss Loads, Ceiling Loads Dead, Ceiling Materials, Ceiling Weight, Truss Repairs
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Roof Truss Repair
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/03/26 @ 8:00Roof Truss Repair A builder writes: “The previous owner of a pole building I’m working on cut out several internal webs from three consecutive roof trusses to create storage space in the attic. There’s no sign that this has caused any structural problems so far, but I’d like to replace the missing members and fasten […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Engineered Truss Repair, Truss Plates, Contractor Liability
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Dear Pole Barn Guru: What Type of Insulation Should I Use?
Posted by polebarnguru on 13/03/11 @ 8:00Hansen Buildings new feature for each Monday is “Ask the Guru” where you can submit questions for Mike the Pole Barn Guru to answer on future Monday blogs. Email the Guru at: PoleBarnGuru@HansenPoleBuildings.com DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I purchased one of your pole building kit packages late last summer, and have just finished constructing it. […]
Read moreTruss Repair? Don’t Skip this Step
Posted by polebarnguru on 12/12/18 @ 8:00A client writes: “I recently purchased one of your pole barn kits to use as my home garage. We have begun construction and have all the framing and the roof on. I recently contacted my building designer about potentially getting the metal lining material for the ceiling and walls. My designer told me that I […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Planning, Trusses
- Tags: Ceiling Loaded Trusses, Fixing Trusses, Truss Loads
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Roof Trusses Built with Glue…Really?
Posted by polebarnguru on 12/10/02 @ 8:00My 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 […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Glued Trusses, Prefabricated Roof Trusses, Resorcinal Glue
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Parallel Chord Scissor Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 12/08/15 @ 8:00As always, I enjoy finding real life solutions to client’s challenges. One of the Building Designers, Rick, of Hansen Pole Buildings posed this to me today: “Another thing came up yesterday, got a guy that wants everything, and is on a cost crunch, nothing new there, but one item that he wants is parallel chord […]
Read moreTruss Weight
Posted by polebarnguru on 12/07/13 @ 8:00I have been asked this question more than a few times, by potential do-it-yourselfers, who are considering constructing their own buildings. Jeff, one of the Building Designers at Hansen Pole Buildings, got asked this very same question again yesterday. I am certain most people ask this question, as they are considering how to go about […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Structure, Trusses
- Tags:
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What is a Truss?
Posted by polebarnguru on 12/03/20 @ 8:00Having grown up the son of a framing contractor, then working framing for my father and uncles as a teen, I take for granted everyone knows what trusses are. When my first daughter, Annie, was just a wee tyke, she used to fold napkins into triangles – she told me she was, “building trusses”, like […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Structure, Trusses
- Tags: Truss Design, Mitek, Pre-fabricated Roof Trusses
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Collateral Loads and Why They Matter
Posted by polebarnguru on 12/02/06 @ 8:00Collateral loads are additional dead loads hung from the building, such as sprinkler systems; drop ceilings, HVAC equipment, lighting etc. These are the loads which are most often overlooked or neglected in the design of a new pole building. Many times, it is just no one having made the client aware. Most building sales people […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure, Trusses
- Tags: Roof Dead Load, Roof Loads, Roof System
- 2 comments
Truss Manufacturers Educate for Safety
Posted by polebarnguru on 12/01/17 @ 8:00Most every truss company makes sure every jobsite delivery includes a packet of BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) standards. Usually all truss drawings are included in this packet, with a large orange warning sheet in the cover asking installers to ‘Read the Safety Documents’. Frequently the information is in a big zip-lock bag so it […]
Read more- Categories: Pole Barn Structure, Trusses, Constructing a Pole Building
- Tags: Builder Safety, Truss Installation, Truss Safety
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Post Frame Construction: Knee Braces
Posted by polebarnguru on 12/01/05 @ 9:05Coming from a background in the prefabricated roof truss industry, knee braces have always bothered me. What is a knee brace? I’m not talking about the type you wear for a dislocated or arthritic knee joint. A knee brace is an inclined diagonal lumber member connecting to and extending from the sidewall columns, usually several […]
Read moreTruss Connectors: What to Use on Damaged Trusses
Posted by polebarnguru on 11/12/08 @ 8:00As noted yesterday, damaged trusses warrant a repair design by a professional…a licensed engineer. This is not something for “guesswork” or scabbing on a bunch of lumber. First the forces of where damage occurred need to be analyzed, and then only an engineer with solid experience in repairing damages should be engaged to elicit the […]
Read more- Categories: Trusses
- Tags: Truss Plates, Engineered Connectors, Truss Repair
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