Tag Archives: bracket mounted columns

Foam Boards, Foundations, and Rat Walls

Today the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about adding kraft-backed insulation to rigid foam boards, if posts go in the ground or a foundation system, and if a pole building needs a “rat wall” poured.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have an existing pole barn, the front portion being 30×30 with 11′ walls. The walls have R tech faced rigid foam board between the girts with the reflective side facing the shop interior. The shop is only heated when I work out there by a vented propane unit heater. The walls will be finished off with steel liner panels. My question is can kraft faced fiberglass insulation be placed over top of the rigid foam board that is “foil faced” with the kraft paper backing facing the interior of the shed (back of liner panels)? JACKSON in COLEMAN

DEAR JACKSON: You should use unfaced batt insulation to avoid creating a situation where insulation is being trapped between two vapor barriers. It may prove necessary to dehumidify your shop space due to wall drying to interior, especially if your concrete slab on grade does not have a vapor barrier beneath it.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do all your post go directly into the ground?  Do you have any type of foundation system? Thanks TONY

DEAR TONY: Our most common design solution utilizes properly pressure preservative treated columns (UC-4B rated) embedded in ground, with bottom of column hole below frost line (or 40″ below grade, whichever is greater). If potential decay of columns is a concern (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/09/pressure-treated-post-frame-building-poles-rot/) we can provide plastic sleeves to isolate columns from surrounding earth. We can also design using columns mounted to wet set brackets to either be set in piers or atop of a foundation wall or thickened edge slab. We have also had clients utilize concrete Permacolumns, however this is rarely a cost effective choice https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2018/04/perma-column-price-advantage/.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Building a barndominimum what or how do you get a foundation or rat wall with pole construction do you dig out between the poles and pour it? LLOYD in ONSTED


DEAR LLOYD: There is no structural reason to pour a “rat wall” between columns (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/06/rat-wall/).

My recommendation (and we can show this on your engineer sealed plans provided with your building) would be to use 19 gauge, 1/2″ x 1/2″ galvanized wire mesh around your building’s perimeter to a depth of three feet. This can be done be means of a trench and will be far less expensive than pouring a wall between columns.

 

 

 

 

Sturdi-Wall Brackets

Placement of Sturdi-Wall Plus Brackets

I am enjoying our client Dan who is in the process of getting started with his new Hansen Pole Buildings’ kit package. My educated guess is he is going to construct one truly beautiful building.

Dan has a great question, which I will share:

“So I went ahead and purchased the Sturdi-Wall Plus brackets (in concrete is the rebar) from Perma Column. Really nicely made.

 So my plan now is to dig, setup similar to what is in attached picture and get everything nice and level before hand. 

So what I’d like to do is set my piers all at equal elevation and leveled. Then, wooden boxes so they are square to allow ground girts to sit nicely. 

 Here is my dilemma. What height to set the piers to? If I set them 3.5” lower than my anticipated concrete floor, that means that I wouldn’t be able to tie my poles to my floor with rebar as shown in sealed plans PDF. Would it therefore make sense to lower the piers even more so that the bottom of the Sturdi-wall is level to the bottom of the 2×8? That would mean I am burying the bracket in 3.5” of concrete (I’d imagine if removed Sturdi-wall I’d have a square) but I would be able to tie the rebar to the post. 

 Does that all make sense? “

Well, Dan’s question does make sense and I believe I can make his life fairly easy.

Set the Sturdi-Wall Plus brackets so the bottom of the bracket and top of pier are even with the level of your concrete floor. Take two five foot long pieces of rebar, bent at a 90 degree angle with one leg into the encasement around the brackets, the other leg out into the future slab. This will accomplish effectively tying the columns into the slab and will keep the “business” end of the bracket above the concrete. It does take a little more rebar than running through the columns, however the net extra investment is minimal.

Not interested in placing your new post frame building’s columns into the ground? Your building can be designed for the columns to be bracket mounted!