Tag Archives: clear span building

Installers, Clear Span Timber Frame, and Raising Existing Building

This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about installers in Detroit, how wide of a clear span a timber frame building can be built, and if one can raise the height of an existing building.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do you install and/or can you recommend installers in Detroit? Thanks! MARIANNE in DETROIT

DEAR MARIANNE: Your new Hansen Pole Buildings’ kit is designed for the average physically capable person, who can and will read and follow instructions, to successfully construct your own beautiful building shell, without extensive prior construction knowledge (and most of our clients do DIY – saving tens of thousands of dollars). We’ve had clients ranging from septuagenarians to fathers bonding with their teenage daughters erect their own buildings, so chances are – you can as well!

Your new building investment includes full multi-page 24” x 36” structural blueprints detailing the location and attachment of every piece (as well as suitable for obtaining Building Permits), the industry’s best, fully illustrated, step-by-step installation manual, and unlimited technical support from people who have actually built post frame buildings. Even better – it includes our industry leading Limited Lifetime Structural warranty!

Currently (and for the foreseeable future) there is a nationwide shortage of building erectors. Many high quality erectors are booked out well into 2023 (some even 2024). We would strongly encourage you to consider erecting your own building shell.

For those without the time or inclination, we have an extensive independent Builder Network covering the contiguous 48 states – please complete information at bottom of this link https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/find-a-builder/. We can assist you in getting erection labor pricing as well as introducing you to potential builders.

A CAUTION in regards to ANY erector: If an erector tells you they can begin quickly it is generally either a big red flag, or there is a chance you are being price gouged. ALWAYS THOROUGHLY VET ANY CONTRACTOR https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2018/04/vetting-building-contractor/

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi I’d like to know what is the widest possible barn that can be built using a clear span design without trusses? I’m looking for a timber frame pole barn with vaulted ceilings that will be used to run courses. Thanks in advance. SHANE in RAVENDALE

DEAR SHANE: Timber frame and pole barn (post frame) are two different (albeit in some ways similar) structural systems. Most timber frame buildings use a heavy timber truss system, rather than prefabricated metal connector plated wood trusses. It could be possible to run a significantly large ridge beam (most likely a glulam) with rafters attached to it. Depending upon roof loads, you might be able to achieve an 80 foot or greater clearspan width. I would recommend you Google “heavy timber frame engineers near me” and invest in services of a Registered Professional Engineer who can give you better guidance for your particular wants and needs.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a 36×24 metal roofed and sided pole building but because of changes to the building site there is only 6.5 feet between concrete floor and bottom of trusses and the roof leaks. It does have a concrete slab floor. If i really want a 36x24x10 do i start over? i can’t seem to find any examples of repairing/extending a 6×6 post by splicing or sistering. Cut the posts out of the concrete then dig them out to replace with longer poles? BRAD in BREMERTON

DEAR BRAD: It may be possible to cut your posts, raise your roof, add a filler in between cut portions of posts and have a bracket or lumber reinforcement hold it all together. You should be reaching out to a Washington Registered Professional Engineer for better advice.

I have copied your request to our independent third-party Washington engineer, who might be interested in assisting you to find a structural design solution.

Driver Bits, a Big Room, and Overhead Door Space

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers questions about driver bits, the ability to build one big room, and the ability to place a 14′ tall overhead garage door in a building with 14′ sidewalls.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU:   Just read a post you had in 2013 that Hansen supplier uses high quality screws. Getting ready to order building from Hansen in next couple days. I need to get a nutdriver for drill. Do you happen to know nutdriver size used? Rather buy what I need instead of whole set. Thanks for your help. BOB in POWHATAN

DEAR BOB: Thank you so much, we are looking forward to assisting you throughout your building journey! This excerpt from our Hansen Pole Buildings’ Construction Manual should get you heading forward:

Screws have 1/4” hex-heads. Hansen Buildings recommends purchasing several Master Surface Magnetic Drive bits (available through Hansen Buildings). Alternate bit brands may damage screws’ powder coating.

HELPFUL HINT: Buy extra Master Surface Magnetic Drive bits as they do wear out. Usually a bit will do 750-1000 screws. If you have extras and have unopened packages, they can be returned for full credit. This is much cheaper than having to make an extra trip (or trips!) to a hardware store.

Under no circumstance use drive bits from Ryobi, Black and Decker or Ridgid, as they WILL damage screw heads.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Can I build one big room with insulated roof? TONYA in MONTGOMERY

DEAR TONYA: Absolutely you can. Fully engineered post frame (pole) buildings are nearly always designed to entirely clearspan – giving you flexibility to place interior walls wherever best fits your needs, or to have no walls at all! In my own personal shouse (shop/house) our 40’ x 60’ living area is entirely open other than a 20’ x 32’ master bedroom suite.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Building a 40×60 pole barn and wanting 14 foot side walls. Putting overhead door at one end. Need door 14 x 14 to accommodate ag machinery entrance.
My question, can this be done using scissor trusses?
Thanks. BILL in ROCKFORD

Hansen Buildings TaglineDEAR BILL: While it can be done, it is going to take adding quite a bit to your roof slope (for practical purposes, whatever slope you gain inside, has to be added to exterior). In order to fit in your door, you will need to have roughly 15’6″ from grade at edge of door. This is going to entail a bottom chord slope of roughly 2.5/12 with an exterior slope of 6/12.

There are some less expensive options and they will give you full use of your building from wall to wall with anything fitting vertically through your door.

Increase eave height to 16’6″ – use standard truss. This leaves plenty of roof for standard hardware tracks and an opener.

Increase eave height to 15′, high lift door up inside of endwall 4′ and ‘park’ door between endwall and first pair of trusses at 12′ back from endwall. This option will not work if you are planning on installing a ceiling.

One of our Building Designers will be reaching out to you to further discuss your building needs and objectives.

Attaching Horse Stall Posts to Trusses

Attaching Horse Stall Posts to Trusses – Just Say No!

Horse housing can be a significant piece of pie for post frame (pole barn) builders and building kit suppliers when economies are good. From 2007 to 2012, as U.S. economy tanked, horse populations decreased by 10%! Well, economies are cyclical and with a strong recovery a need  for stall barns has increased.

What surprises me – only a very small number of what I would term “best designed” stall barns – designed with sufficient airflow for healthiest horses, are being built. These buildings do not have prefabricated roof trusses, instead they are built using poles (columns) and dimensional lumber rafters. For more reading about pole and raftered stall barns: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/08/stall-barn/.

I scratch my head when I see clients investing in clearspan buildings to be used for equine housing. I am most familiar with pole and rafter buildings with poles every twelve feet, to accommodate building horse stalls. Reader SCOTT in DAYTON writes in as one of these who now facing some challenges of trying to correctly construct stalls in his clearspan building. He writes:

“I am installing dividers and horse stalls in a clear span structure. Interior posts need to be added two of which will attach to one of the rafters and serve as supports for the dividers and a stall front. Each post will consist of three 2×6 cribbed boards with treated lumber for the below grade pieces. The tops of the posts will be saddles so that I can through-bolt into the rafter. My question is: how do I set these so that they are neither supporting or hanging from the rafter? Do I dig the holes just shallow enough so that the top of the posts will be snug to the rafter or just hang them and fill the holes with concrete? Thanks!”

Mike the Pole Barn Guru responds:

Even after nearly 20 years as a Midwest import I am still not used to prefabricated wood roof trusses being referred to as “rafters”. Unless you have prior truss manufacturer engineer sealed approval you should not be connecting columns to truss bottom chords. While it may seem added support of a tightly fitting column might be an assist, under a snow load it may actually place loads upon truss in spots not designed for support and can lead to a catastrophic failure.

You may want to consider using either a solid sawn pressure preservative treated column, or a glu-laminated column with bottoms treated for structural in ground use, as opposed to nailing up a three ply 2×6 column where members can separate over time.

I’d be prone to place columns deep into the ground and completely backfill the holes with premix concrete, stopping columns well below trusses.