This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about how to best seal gaps at wall tops and a roll-up coil door, creating a moisture problem, and advice for girts, columns, and wiring.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: What can I do to seal these gaps? We live in the garage and it’s getting cold out. TIFFANY
DEAR TIFFANY: There should be inside closure strips on top of eave strut under your roof steel. On endwalls, emseal expandable closures can be placed between rake trims and endwall steel. There should be a flat (wide face to sky) jamb across top of roll up door opening. These would help to seal around door opening https://www.snirtstopper.com/
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have one more question for you I have a cabin that has 2×6 stud walls 12′ high that I put 2″ foam under slab and 2″ on the side walls so from under slab to top of walls on the exterior is completely covered in foam with 2″s of closed cell spray foam sprayed to the interior of the 2″ pink. Then 5″s of closed cell sprayed on the roof for a hot roof. My problem is I’m heating this building with electric boiler and my bills have been quite high. In the house side I have vaulted ceilings so not much I can do there but my garage ceiling is 12′ with no insulation at that level because of the hot roof in your opinion if I blew in insulation at the 12′ ceiling height what would you do between the blown in and hot roof I’m worried about creating a moisture problem and mold and thinking I should vent that area above the garage too the outside what’s your thoughts thanks. CHRIS in HIXTON
DEAR CHRIS: Very valid concern. You would need to vent at eave and ridge. Make sure to leave at least an inch of unobstructed airflow between top of blown in insulation and underside of roof deck, from eaves to ridge.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: 1. Are properly blocked and attached bookshelf girts between 6×6 posts 4 ft on center without any exterior girts an acceptable approach? Same question for the purlins for the trusses. 2. Instead of adding the one and a half inch on the girts board, is it an acceptable practice to drill through the 6×6 posts for wiring? ERIC
DEAR ERIC: 4 foot on center makes for an awful lot of holes to dig and posts to set, not to mention becoming very limiting on width of openings like windows. We would recommend (of course with engineer’s approval) glulaminated columns every 12′ or even 16′). Outside of this, it is an acceptable approach, provided you can attach your splash plank to adequately transfer shear loads. We always recommend insetting roof purlins between trusses using engineered hangers.
Think of a hole being drilled through as being an “open knot”. Lumber grading rules refer to these as being “Unsound or Loose Knots and Holes” due to any cause.
For #2 graded lumber holes may be no less than every two feet and up to 5/8” diameter in a 2” nominal face; 7/8” in a 3” nominal face; 1-1/4” for 4”; 1-1/2” for 6”; 2” for 8” and 2-12” for 10”.
For higher grades holes may be no less than every three feet and up to ½” diameter in a 2” nominal face; ¾” in a 3” nominal face; 1” for 4”; 1-1/4” for 6” and 1-1/2” for 8” and wider.
Any holes drilled through pressure preservative treated lumber or columns, especially near grade, should be treated with a Copper Naphthenate solution. Copper Naphthenate is available as a brush-on or spray-on.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Are perma columns worth it? JOHN in TRUMANSBURG 
DEAR BRETT: In my humble opinion, you are looking at doing it in a much more difficult fashion than needed. Set glulaminated columns every 10′ (you could easily do wider spacing to reduce number of holes to dig, columns to set, etc). Align prefabricated wood trusses to match columns – single on each end, two-ply on interiors, with trusses notched into columns. This will eliminate need for truss carriers and greatly minimizes amount of truss bracing required (and usually reduces truss costs). Truss carriers are often under designed and rarely adequately connected to properly resist gravitational and wind uplift loads. Use 2×6 2400f MSR (Machine Stress Rated) purlins, joist hung on edge between trusses.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I would like to have a vaulted ceiling in my 34’x30’ hobby room. I would like the ceiling to be tongue and groove pine. These boards will be running parallel to the joist connecting the trusses. I will be limited to a crossmember every 12 feet. Is there a solution or do I need to add cross members to the joists? MICHAEL in OCKLOCKNEE 
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I was recently quoted a build price for a 24X 24 building from your company, But the spacing of the posts was 12 feet apart. I am wondering if you have kits that have 8 feet spacing for the same building? ELIZABETH in PORT ORCHARD 
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’m building a barndominium in Iowa and I wonder if I can do a monolithic slab in a freezing area where the typical frost footing is 42″? Thank you. DAVID in KALONA 
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’m looking at a pole barn design that I’d like to do, but I’m considering 10′ OC or 9′ OC post spacing rather than 8′ I’ve run the numbers for the roof and the posts, but I wanted to know if the wall girts could handle that span? Looking at 2×6 girts, any advice on how to make sure they stayed within reasonable deflection limits? Also this pole barn has interior walls, as it’s a “barndominium” so we’re looking at doing residential grade, pulling permits etc. on this project. ALAN in ST. GEORGE 
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How much does it cost to get a pole barn one car garage with living quarters above fully finished out on my own property. JENNIFER in GRANDVIEW 
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have spoken to my architect and he is saying to do my column spacing 8′ with truss every 4′. I have looked at your videos and several other videos. I noticed 10′ or 12′ Columns with double truss is more than enough. This is going to be my house for now and later turn into my garage when my actual house it built. The size is 30x60x12. Also I will be using shingles for my roof since my HOA doesn’t allow metal. I am wanting to be efficient and save money but also have this built safely. ANGEL in SEALY 
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I read your article about raised floors in post frame homes. I live in a flood prone area an was considering something like this. Do you have any other information or details? 
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hey there! I’m wanting to self build a 50×70 or a 48×72 which is probably more cost savings. 16′ height and I’m leaning towards 10′ spacing. It’s a 3 sides equipment storage building. One of the 70′ sides being open. I need any help you can give on post spacing, 3ply or 4ply , truss spacing and a double header if I’m not locking into the post with the truss because the spacing won’t allow. I’m open to any suggestions. ERIK in SEYMOUR 
Mike the Pole Barn Guru responds:
