Tag Archives: climate controlling a pole building

Development of My Post Frame Cabin Plans

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 to be able to go out and stay for four or five days to a week on short notice without having to worry about where to stay while having my own personal items and gear there waiting for me along with the ability to just fire up the grill for dinner rather than going out every night.  Space for friends bearing Bourbon to visit was also a consideration.

Existing Cabins were disappointing to say the least, either upper level sleeping (which doesn’t work for over 65 year old guys) or tiny showers, filthy kitchens. There was always something very wrong; and all this with a limited budget.  It became clear that building would have to be an option unless I was going to settle in some area or another. With my five year plus experience as a Senior Building Designer with Hansen along with two years on a post frame building construction crew in my youth, I knew that if I had to build, it would be a post frame building.

Last spring I found and bought a nine acre parcel with 1,600 feet of the headwaters of a crystal clear spring creek full of brook trout flowing through.  I have three of the four permits that I need to allow me to put in a driveway and culvert across the creek and the wetlands to the high ground building site on the far side.  The front porch/deck will have great views of both sunrises and sunsets looking over the valley.

Some of the deciding factors for post frame were, knowing that a post frame building can be built to be extremely well insulated for climate control, knowing the cost advantages, knowing the longevity, knowing the framing system, and the fact that I can do a lot of the building myself for additional saving. I have also been developing relationships with the local Amish community who I know that I can hire for reliable economic labor.

About Hansen BuildingsI plan to construct the building so that it can be used as a full time residence for resale value, although that is not my intended use.  Relative to a well-sealed and insulated building, I intend to use BIBS insulation in the walls using 2×8’s in a 7 ½ inch cavity and closed cell foam insulation on the underside of the roof purlins designed for drywall to create a vaulted ceiling in part of the cabin.  This combination will make an extremely tight building making it more comfortable and less costly to heat.

The cost advantages of post frame start with not needing a full foundation and the costs of a full foundation.  Then post frame is very efficient in terms of lumber usage. Over the years I have had client after client send finished building pictures with the tiniest of scrap piles in the background.  My experience and familiarity with our construction manual gives me the confidence that I can act as the general contractor and jobsite supervisor while hiring local Amish builders for more cost savings.  I have a lot of DIY experience so a post frame building from Hansen will allow me to finish most of the interior myself for additional savings.

I am not concerned with how long the building will last, rotting of posts, as some people are because I know that the testing of current pressure treating is good for 70 plus years.  At the age of 66, I will be able to use this Cabin for as long as I can manage, ten to fifteen years, and still have many years remaining of useful life for resale value.

My next consideration was a heating and insulating plan.  My experience as a Building Designer tells me that it is very important to have a heating and insulating plan before ordering a building to make sure that the correct options are designed into the building and are on the Engineer Sealed Plans, especially on a post frame building to be used as a residence.  I have a friend that has a similar building/cabin in the fishing area. A year or so ago on an early spring fishing trip, he asked me to stop in and check on his cabin that was last used back in the prior fall. I walked in and there was no dust, after no one being there for months. I was convinced at that point that I wanted radiant floor heating, but being close to a flood plain, (last year there was a 100 year flood in the valley).

I knew that I wanted a crawl space, which would give a few extra feet of protection in the event of a 150 year flood.  The other advantage is that the crawl space would provide access to plumbing in the event of a problem or change versus having the radiant floor heating and the plumbing encased in the concrete floor. The drawback is that a radiant floor in a building with a crawl space adds other design issues.

Come back tomorrow as Rick investigates his pole barn cabin’s crawl space issues, and asks for Mike the Pole Barn Guru’s wise advice.

How to Get Pole Building Financing

Welcome 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” email address.

Email all questions to: PoleBarnGuru@HansenPoleBuildings.com

 DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Good afternoon: If I were to purchase a pole barn through your company would I get pole building financing through you? Or would I get a loan through a local bank? Please advise

Thank you for your help MARINA

DEAR MARINA: Thank you very much for your interest. You can actually do either one. For options on pole building financing through our sources: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/financing/

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I would like to know if y’all had some kind of payment plan or if I had to pay the whole cost of a new garage up front? MATT

DEAR MATT: Thank you very much for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building. It is not necessary to pay for the whole cost of your new building up front. We have numerous pole building financing plans available, depending upon your credit worthiness. Please visit https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/financing/ to apply.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Good Morning, I am hoping to get more information on building a small, single story storage shed sized at 10’ x 40’. If you could send me any spec information about the building materials or any other information pertaining to building a storage shed that size, that would be great. Thank you, DIANA

DEAR DIANA: Thank you very much for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building. We have a plethora of information available on our website. A good starting point would be to download our Product Guide: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/product-guide/ and to sign up for our newsletters: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/pole-building-newsletter/

As you beginning seriously planning your new pole building, this will be helpful to you: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/pole-barn-planning-guide.

All Hansen Buildings are custom designed, so whenever you are prepared to begin formulating a budget, feel free to request a quote at: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/freequote/

where one of the Hansen Buildings’ Designers can assist you towards the building of your dreams.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a 24’x40’x16′ pole barn that has the bubble wrap insulation. But it doesn’t provide much during the winters. What can I put on the walls and ceiling to keep it warmer in the barn? Spray foam cost way too much? JASON IN HENRYVILLE

DEAR JASON: Reflective insulation (aka “bubble wrap”) is a great product when utilized for what it is best as – a thermal break to prevent condensation issues on the inside of steel roofing and siding.

If you have a product with reflective aluminum facing on the exterior – it will also aid against heat gain. What it is NOT going to do is afford much resistance to heat loss.

The majority of heat loss is up – and where to make the investment first, if on a tight budget. Most pole barn trusses are not designed to support the weight of a ceiling, so we will work with this as an assumption. To add the least amount of weight – attach light weight material which is NOT a vapor barrier (I see chicken wire used frequently) tightly across the bottom chords of the trusses. Unfaced fiberglass blanket insulation can be placed on top of this, between the truss bottom chords. It is available in eight foot wide rolls, which works nicely if your building has trusses spaced eight foot on center.

For your area, a minimum of R-38 would be a starting point. This does create a dead attic space which must be ventilated.

If you do not already have vented eaves and ridge, the only solution is gable vents. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2014/02/pole-building-ventilation/

If your building has sliding doors – climate control will be a perpetual challenge, no matter what you do, they are going to suck out most of any type of heat you try to add. If possible, replace them with insulated overhead doors. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2012/04/climate-control/

Walls can be insulated with the same un-faced insulation which was used in the ceiling (if posts are eight foot on center). Holes will need to be made in the wall reflective insulation, so as not to create a cavity with insulation trapped between two vapor barriers. Attach the insulation to framing at the top of the walls and drape it down between the columns. A vapor barrier needs to be placed on the inside of the insulation and then cover the vapor barrier with gypsum wallboard, plywood, OSB, etc. (all of which will require additional framing to be added).

While it is too late for you – the easiest way to solve these challenges is to prevent them in the beginning by proper design up front. Read how here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2012/04/climate-controlled/