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Allowable Variations in Concrete Slabs on Grade

Allowable Variations in Concrete Slabs on Grade

Growing up, I witnessed my Father forming and pouring four foot squares of concrete for our backyard patio. He would alternate them between smooth finish and exposed aggregate to create a variation in appearance. Oh how he made it look all so easy.

Me – I know very little about concrete finishing, other than I try to avoid it like a plague. Those perfectly finished squares by my Father, I could seriously bungle. If I need concrete finished, I hire a professional.

When hiring a professional, how does one determine if an outcome meets accepted practice? ACI 117-10 American Concrete Institute “Specification for Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Materials” should be included in contract documents with your finisher.

Here are some relevant sections:

2.2.1 In slabs four inches or less in thickness rebar placement from top or bottom of slab shall be within ¼” of specified depth. Over four inches thick, deviation can be 3/8”

2.2.2 Concrete cover of rebar from concrete surface can be no more than 3/8” less than specified.

3.3.2 Drilled piers (poured for wet set brackets) can be as much as 1” too tall or three inches too low.

Here is a big one:

4.4.1 Top surface of slabs (slabs-on-ground) can vary by ¾” up or down. Seems like a lot to me personally.

Paying to have fine grading done?

4.4.5 Fine grade of soil immediately below slabs-on-ground can also vary ¾” up or down.

4.5.4 Thickness of slabs-on-ground, average of four samples for every 500 square feet poured, can vary no more than 3/8”, with maximum variation for any one sample being ¾”.

Table R4.8.6.1 gives methods to determine flatness of a given slab on grade. In simple terms, placing a 10 foot straight edge anywhere on slab should yield a gap no larger than 3/4” to meet a conventional application. For “moderately flat” maximum gap would be 5/8” and for ‘flat’ 3/8”.

This entry was posted in About The Pole Barn Guru, Building Contractor, Concrete, Footings and tagged , , , , , , , , on by .

How to Prevent Existing 6×6 Columns From Future Settling and Rotting

How to Prevent Existing 6×6 to Prevent Future Settling and Rotting

Reader BARRY in FREDERICKTOWN writes:

“I recently acquired some property with an existing pole barn “house” on it. It is an unfinished 20’x30′ room with corrugated steel siding, a trussed, steel covered roof and several doors and windows. It was built with a raised floor attached to the 6×6 treated beams set deep into the rocky soil. Before I make any improvements to the inside of the structure to make it livable I am wondering if there is any process I can do now to set the existing 14 6×6 supports on concrete piers or a footing to prevent future settling and rotting. I cannot see any existing concrete surrounding or supporting the vertical 6×6’s. I would hate to invest anything on the inside of a structure that was not set on a good foundation.”

Mike the Pole Barn Guru writes:
If your existing columns are showing no decay signs then they are probably adequately pressure preservative treated. You could excavate around each column, to below frost line. Hole diameter (to provide sufficient bearing surface) should be determined by an engineer, however for sturdy soils and small spans, usually 24 inch diameters will be sufficient.

Drill each column, in both directions using a 5/8” bit, six to 12 inches above column base. Insert a #4 re-bar dowel (#4 is 1/2″ diameter) through each hole.

Galvanized re-bar is recommended. Otherwise, coat rebar penetrating column with an asphalt emulsion, or similar, to isolate re-bar from pressure treated wood.

Seal rebar, into bored holes, at each column edge with silicone caulking.

Before backfilling holes with premix concrete, make sure floor is level. If not, slowly jack floor up to be level with highest point and temporarily brace.

A recent study has shown concrete in contact with pressure preservative treated pine may encourage premature decay by brown-rot fungi. As such, we strongly recommend isolating such columns from concrete starting at splash plank top (roughly 7-1/4″ above grade), to 14 to 18 inches below grade by use of a moisture impervious barrier. Then backfill holes with pre-mix.

If premature post decay is apparent, here are some other options: https://permacolumn.com/pdfs/perma-column-rotted-posts-repair-guide.pdf

This entry was posted in Columns, Pole Barn Homes, Pole Barn holes, Pole Barn Questions, Post Frame Home, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure, Concrete, Barndominium, Footings, Budget and tagged , , , , , , , on by .

Questions About Post Frame Interior Concrete Slabs

Questions About Post-Frame Interior Concrete Slabs

Reader KYLE in SALEM writes:

Hello again, Mike! I hope this finds you well.

Setting the stage (some of the following details are merely to paint the broader picture or for interest although perhaps not all will be relevant to my following questions ;-):

 I built a 48’ x 84’ pole barn. 16’ eaves. 4/12 roof pitch. 2’ overhang on eaves and a bit more (28” I think) on gables with birds beak on front gable extending to about 50”. 

Screeding ConcreteIn the back of the barn, we are building a 1 story residence on slab. Ceilings will be about 8.5’ high with a loft above open to the barn. Slab is about 1,300 sq ft. Will be 4” thick in most places other than around the perimeter where I have it thicker as well as in areas for load bearing walls and point loads where beams/posts will be bearing to help carry the ceiling/loft span. 

We’ve had a number of life delays to our plans with this as we had planned to be further along by now, but it’s ok. Grateful for what we have. 

But now, we’re getting VERY close to pouring the pad. I’m putting rebar (#4) all around the perimeter of the pad (2 strands horizontal), as well as rebar in the deeper areas under other load bearing wall areas and point loads. 

I’m really quite unsure as to whether or not I should put a (2’) rebar grid throughout the rest of the pour. Now as I say that, I’m remembering what I think you said in an earlier message about 4” concrete not being thick enough for rebar? Am I remembering that correctly? So if thats the case, perhaps I should go with wire mesh? And if so, what gauge and spacing do you recommend? 

Next, what psi concrete mix do you recommend? And do I need any additives with pouring this time of year or other considerations to protect the concrete from surface cracking or other dangers? We’re in Oregon at about 600-700’ elevation and I’m hoping to pour in a couple weeks. Looking for low temps to be above freezing hopefully. Keep in mind this pour is not subject to the elements since it’s inside a fully constructed barn (in terms of walls and roof), but it’s not insulated and still cold (almost as cold as outside)… 

Any thoughts, advice, ideas on any/all this would be MUCH appreciated!! (Including best methods for pouring a slab this size (24 x48 + 12×12) in one pour without interior forms) 

Oh, and would you recommend saw cutting joints even though this is going to be in a residence area with the concrete stained as the floor finish?

Tune in to our next thrill-packed episode for answers to Kyle’s questions!

This entry was posted in Post Frame Home, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Pole Building How To Guides, Concrete, Building Interior and tagged , , , on by .

Replacing Panels, Rebar in Column, and Wholesale Purchases(?)

This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about replacing old steel panels and adding an overhead garage door, if rebar is needed in the column to collar connection of the footing, and the ability to buy rock wool insulation wholesale.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’m purchasing a small farm in rural Missouri. It has a 24′ x 60′ pole barn. the framing / structure is in good shape. It has corrugated metal panels. these are sound, but the looks are poor. It also has the sliding barn type door. My hope is to re-face the building with better looking panels and put in an overhead-style door ( garage type door). JOHN in NEWINGTON

DEAR JOHN: New steel cladding would certainly “freshen up” looks of this building. It would also allow for steel siding to be held up from grade (by adding a pressure preservative treated splash plank at base), rather than being run into ground.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Does rebar need to be installed in the concrete that surrounds the column in a pole barn? I will have holes of 12″, 18″ and 24″. Thanks. LOUIS in STEPHENS CITY

DEAR LOUIS: Unless it is called out for on your engineer sealed plans, there would usually be no requirement for rebar in concrete column encasement.

A 12″ diameter hole would be very unusual as Codes require a 4″ minimum space between corners of columns and edge of holes (a 4×4 perfectly placed in the center of a 13″ hole would meet Code requirements).

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi, I was watching a video on Youtube recently and saw a guy hanging 6″ rock wool batt insulation. I was wondering if you might know where I can buy this product wholesale? I built a 30×64 and am at that stage where I’ll be looking to insulate myself soon. MARK in ARAPAHOE

DEAR MARK: Unless you are willing to buy an entire 53′ van box of rock wool, you are not going to be able to purchase it wholesale and even then you would need to provide proof you would be distributing on a regular basis from an established business in construction supply trades.

 

This entry was posted in Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Roofing Materials, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Building Siding, Concrete, Footings and tagged , , , , , , on by .

Polycarbonate Frame, Concrete Thickness, and Insulation

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about the use of a hard-sided (polycarbonate) frame, how thick a concrete pads has to be to house an RV, and insulation options for a vacation home.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Can a pole structure be built as a hard-sided (polycarbonate) frame 20 feet wide, without using trusses or central support poles, and instead using steel rod ties wall to wall/post to post, to keep the structure from spreading? Maximum snow load approximately 2 feet of wet snow. I need a greenhouse (summer) that has no central poles but also no trusses, to avoid shading. ANDREW in THREE HILLS

DEAR ANDREW: Rather than trying to reinvent a wheel, it would probably behoove you to look into an actual polycarbonate greenhouse such as these https://www.growspan.com/ad-growspan-greenhouse-structures-1/?gclid=CjwKCAjwrNmWBhA4EiwAHbjEQADPM4ifhujox0twKMYlU_xupk-R3NwGmFk0eBVXQMIn75wolNx08RoCCpkQAvD_BwE. This would have to be far more efficient and effective than even engineering costs of attempting to design using post frame. Best of success to you with your project.

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How thick of a concrete pad do I need to park a 16,000 pound RV on under my pole barn that is 16 feet wide by 26 feet long? JOSEPH in BLUE RIDGE

DEAR JOSEPH: More important than concrete thickness will be what you have done to prepare your site. Properly prepared and well compacted, it is possible a four inch thick slab could do everything you need it to be. It might behoove you to thicken slab to five or more inches in zones of wheel travel and add 1/2″ rebar in these areas (less than five inches thick does not provide adequate concrete coverage for rebar to be effective).

 

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Using structure as a vacation home. Concrete floors. Which kind of options for insulation? Walls and ceiling – open to spray on ceiling and keeping open – but would do a ceiling if batt was the option r value thought? MARK in MENTONE

DEAR MARK: DeKalb county is in Climate Zone 3A. Here are my recommendations (all based upon 2021 IECC):

Slab – perimeter 2′ down with R-10 rigid insulation

Walls – Weather Resistant Barrier between framing and siding; bookshelf wall girts; R-20 or greater rock wool batts (unfaced); no interior vapor barrier

Roof – 18″ raised heel trusses; roof steel with an Integral Condensation Control factory applied; vent eaves and ridge; blow in R-49 fiberglass on top of a ceiling.

This entry was posted in Ventilation, Concrete, Building Interior, Columns, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Pole Barn Homes, Constructing a Pole Building, RV Storage, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Building Grow House, Shouse and tagged , , , , , on by .

Contract Scheduling and Terms

Disclaimer – this and subsequent articles on this subject are not intended to be legal advice, merely an example for discussions between you and your legal advisor.

Please keep in mind, many of these terms are applicable towards post frame building kits and would require edits for cases where a builder is providing erection services or materials and labor.

SCHEDULING: Upon completion of all required documents by Purchaser (including, but not limited to, Instant Invoice, Door locations and Jobsite Delivery Information), Purchaser’s online approval of Seller’s plans, and appropriate payment, shipment(s) will be expedited to be as soon as is practical, however no guaranteed time frame is promised. Purchaser will receive multiple deliveries over a span of a week or more. Seller has little or no control over the exact date of arrival, nor can Purchaser specify any exact date and/or time for deliveries.

Some vendors will require Purchaser or Purchaser’s adult agent to be present at time of delivery. Materials may be delivered via any combination of USPS, UPS, FedEx or freight carrier, the choice of which is strictly determined only by Seller and/or Seller’s vendors. In the event tracking information is furnished to Purchaser, the responsibility to monitor tracking is upon Purchaser.

EXCLUSIONS: Seller is not a contractor, architect or engineer in any state, and both parties agree no such representation has been made. Seller does not and cannot endorse, nor take responsibility for the performance of any contractor or laborer hired by Purchaser, even if the name was provided by Seller. Purchaser waives any and all right of claim against Seller for non-performance of any materials improperly installed by any contractor. 

Seller cannot predict nor guarantee any permit, construction or labor costs. Any and all construction labor and equipment, as well as nails 16d or smaller, staples or tacks which can be commonly driven by pneumatic powered equipment are to be provided by Purchaser or Purchaser’s agents. The need for butyl tape sealants, water seals, closures for wall steel or polycarbonate panels, caulking or any other sealants is to be determined and furnished by Purchaser. 

While great effort is made to include web bracing material Seller does not see final engineered truss drawings prior to shipment so cannot verify, in advance, all web bracing requirements. As such, any materials for web bracing required beyond what is originally shipped with building kit, shall be furnished by Purchaser. Seller also does not furnish, nor pay for, any cement, concrete, pre-mix, rebar, wire mesh or any other materials which would be used to backfill Purchaser’s building columns or to construct any concrete floor, foundation or curb.

Concrete floors and/or continuous footings and/or foundations, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, insulation, drywall, site or grading plans, non-structural interior walls or partitions, provision for flooding, firewalls, sprinklers or other fire separations, gutters and downspouts, energy/heat loss calculations, meeting requirements of any energy code, meeting requirements of The International Wildlife-Urban Interface Code, or materials not provided by Seller, as well as the design of or specifications for any concrete work (including but not limited to driveways, porches, approaches, slabs, retaining walls, footings for walls, continuous foundations or stem walls) are specifically excluded from this Agreement and provided plans and/or calculations to be provided by Seller or third party engineer(s). 

Seller’s plans include a foundation designed as an isolated, shallow foundation with embedded columns. In the event any other foundation type be desired, or required, Purchaser will need to hire an appropriate engineer, at Purchaser’s expense. Any “plot” plans, floor plans or site tests/reports/engineering, or other “special” reports requested by any agency for Purchaser’s building are to be provided by Purchaser. Stairs, lofts, decks, mezzanines, second or higher floors, if included, will have handrails provided by Purchaser, unless otherwise specified. 

Purchaser further agrees to not enter into any other agreement, either verbal or written, with any of Seller’s suppliers, manufacturers, agents, employees or subcontractors, without the express written consent of Seller.

This entry was posted in Lumber, Pole Barn Design, Lofts, Pole Barn Planning, Skylights, Building Contractor, Trusses, Pole Barn Homes, Post Frame Home, Barndominium, Shouse and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on by .

Worldwide Steel Buildings or Post Frame?

Loyal reader STEPHEN in AUSTIN writes:

“Mike –  I am so thankful for all the info you and your company have provided over the years. Your experience and knowledge have helped so many.  I especially love your promotion of bookshelf girts.  Every time I see a building framed within a building, I ask why?  Bookshelf girts make so much sense.  In my research, I also came across Worldwide Buildings, a competitor of yours.  They have a similar system:  https://youtu.be/yilRYwxukRQ

What would you see as some of the cons to their setup?  I am assuming cost is probably the biggest drawback.  Anything else?  I would plan on foam board (Possibly as a WRB as well that is taped) for any structure for a thermal break, whether it is steel or wood.  Any input you could give would be appreciated.”

Mike the Pole Barn Guru comments:

Thank you very much for your kind words. My goal is to see to it people avoid making crucial mistakes so they end up with buildings best meeting their wants and needs, and be as ideal as possible – even if they are not Hansen Pole Buildings.

Until recently my son Adam, his wife and our grandson lived in Austin, TX we are in a small world!

Bookshelf wall girts solve so many potential challenges and seem like a fairly obvious design solution to me. I also scratch my head when I see people framing up a house inside of a PEMB (pre-engineered metal building.).

I do know some of Worldwide’s staff, have met them in person, and they certainly seem like good people. I have no idea what sort of an investment comparison there is. Our buildings do come complete with engineer sealed drawings and sealed verifying calculations including a foundation plan, where these would be extras elsewhere. It does appear you would need some degree of precision in placing steel frame bolts. They also may have some additional expense involved with their slabs (usually PEMB slabs require a significant amount of rebar). 

Steel frameworks are great transfers of thermal energy – you would want to significantly isolate them with insulation having as great an R value as you would be using in your roof and walls. I see a lot of vinyl backed fiberglass insulation being applied on their website. This is not a very effective insulator as it gets crushed down to nothing at any purlin. For walls, you want a WRB (Weather Resistant Barrier) allowing any moisture inside walls to escape outward, so this vinyl backing would not be ideal. 

Foam board insulation should not be placed between framing and siding as it will allow your building’s siding to shift with wind and over time will cause deformation of screw shanks and/or elongate screw holes and eventually cause leaks. Ideally you would glue any foam insulation boards on the interior side of framing (to prevent thermal transfer from screws), taping all joints and sealing to concrete slab.

On their website they show girt clips on their frames for supporting 2×4 bookshelf wall girts – making for a fairly shallow insulation cavity. As near as I can tell, their packages do not include any lumber for girts, purlins, etc., merely steel frames, roofing and siding.

Thank you again for being an avid reader, please continue asking any questions.

This entry was posted in Pole Building Comparisons, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure, Footings, Professional Engineer, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions and tagged , , , , on by .

Rebar for Post Frame Concrete Slabs on Grade

Building with concrete involves many steps to achieve best results, including grading, forming, placing and finishing. One crucial step is placing reinforcing bars (rebar) correctly.

An engineer should do technical design work and provide specific information regarding sizes, configuration and placement of rebar. Slabs-on-grade for post frame buildings do not usually carry building loads, these are usually carried from roof and walls, through building columns to ground. This makes for far less complicated applications, unlike PEMBs (Pre-engineered Metal Buildings) or “weld ups” either being far more convoluted and beyond the skill level of all but experienced professionals.

rebarFor slab reinforcement, necessary rebar can usually be obtained from a big box store (like The Home Depot®) or your local building supply. Should your specific application be more involved, it may behoove having a fabricator supply rebar. A fabrication supplier can review your building’s engineered drawings and produce a shop drawing with details and identifying tags for each type of rebar to be used in your building. For simpler projects, your building plans should provide spacing requirements and bar sizes. Use these documents to determine where and what rebar is needed in individual locations.

Most often rebar is tied with annealed steel wire, either purchased in four pound bulk rolls, or if using a bag tie spinner, in bundles of pre-cut wire pieces with loops formed on both ends. Bulk rolls are easier for novices to use, however are slightly more expensive.

Prior to placing any rebar, grade and properly compact the ground after all grading and any utility rough-ins are completed. Make sure all compaction testing has been completed and you have your geotechnical engineer’s sealed report in hand before moving forward. Any termite pre-treated should be completed, as well as a moisture barrier installed.

As post frame construction places columns and splash planks prior to pouring your slab, this gives you ready made forms for your slab perimeter.

Determine the size of bars to be used in each direction and mark several of them with layout measurements in each direction (front-to-back and side-to-side). Bars can be marked with a soapstone marker, a paint pen, lumber crayon or even spray paint.

This will be an ordinary slab mat concrete, the force interacting with rebar during placement is minimal. As mat movement is unlikely, a simple single twist of wire around each rebar intersection, twisted together tightly will be adequate. This tie can be done easily with a pair of nine inch lineman’s pliers.

To use your pliers to tie these efficiently, pull feeding end from wire reel with your non-dominant hand (for sake of this article, we will call this your left hand, with pardons to lefties). Grip wire end with pliers in your right hand. Push wire behind (under) rebar at an intersection. Angle end towards where you will be grabbing it, reach from this side, grip it again with pliers, pull towards next location pulling enough slack to complete tie. Hold resistance on wire with left hand, so wire bends snugly against bar being wrapped, at each stage. Release wire so pliers can be used to grip it. Pull end around bar and twist two ends together, pulling wire with pliers so tie is tight.

Once mat is assembled it must be held in place so concrete will cover it completely. Rebar chairs or concrete brick are often used for this. Place these positioners close enough together so rebar will not sag enough to reduce desired coverage of concrete – usually about 1/3rd distance from bottom of slab.

Watch rebar configuration as concrete is placed. If shifting occurs, support rebar with a shovel or alter direction of concrete flow so force is applied in the opposite direction.

Use caution when working around exposed rebar. Construction workers have suffered serious injuries or been killed when falling on projecting rebar.

This entry was posted in Pole Building How To Guides, Concrete, Professional Engineer, Pole Barn Design and tagged , , , , , on by .

Uplift Plate

Uplift Plate™
I realize I got you readers happily involved in reading a series of articles however I need to break it up slightly.

In delivering “The Ultimate Post Frame Building Experience”™ Hansen Pole Buildings perpetually searches for new materials and methods to maintain our post frame kit packages as best possible value for your investment.

An upgrade in recent years has been, for all roof supporting exterior building columns, inclusion of an Uplift Plate™.

According to vendor’s information, Uplift Plate™ is a revolutionary new product saving Do-It-Yourselfers and post-frame builders time and money, while exceeding uplift requirements; it’s a new way to anchor post fame buildings. This state-of-the-art design securely anchors posts to concrete without requiring time-consuming drilling. These inexpensive plates are field applied with just a framing hammer, eliminating extra tools and time associated with rebar or other uplift techniques. Simply hammer plates onto columns and it’s ready to set in ground for concrete pour.

UNDERSTANDING HOW IT WORKS In order to anchor a post properly you need to make sure column and concrete are fused for life. Older techniques involve drilling holes though column and pounding in a piece of rebar. Or nailing a block or blocks of wood onto column. Either one becomes only as strong as materials used to join it.

 

Why Choose Uplift Plate™ Over Rebar?
Hot Dipped Galvanized Coated
or Regular Version
Easy to Install
Low Cost, Great Value
3 Times Stronger Than Rebar
Lightweight, Easy to Handle
Decay Resistant
Easily Worksite Application
Protects Center Post From Climactic Elements
Creates a Strong Bond
3 TIMES STRONGER? STUDY PROVES IT!

Using Truss Plate Technology Uplift Plate™ creates a stronger better alternative. Uplift Plate™ provides an adaption of this technology, simplifying processes while strengthening concrete to column bonds. Holding power increases by three times when using Uplift Plate™ compared to two ½ inch pieces of rebar.

A certified professional engineer performed a study utilizing mechanical tests comparing strength and durability of both Rebar and Up-Lift Plates encased in concrete. This study concluded Up-Lift™ Plate was three times stronger than rebar with its anchoring capabilities.

A new Hot Dipped Galvanized coated version meets International Building Code approval for Underground Application.

This entry was posted in Concrete and tagged , , on by .

Foundations

Foundations – Post Frame Keeps It Simple

Post frame (pole building) construction affords a plethora of savings for a new building owner, chief amongst these are foundation simplicity. I’ve previously expounded upon foundation savings in post frame construction as compared to stick frame buildings: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/10/buildings-why-not-stick-frame-construction/.

Today I will add some graphics to reinforce (pun intended) complexities of non-post frame foundations.

Excavation, rebar and welded wire mesh in place for a thickened edge slab foundation for stud wall construction. In this case slab edges require a double row of rebar where thickness will be 16 inches. This foundation and floor system assumes a light weight building and must be poured upon undisturbed or properly compacted soil with adequate load bearing capability. Shallow foundation and concrete slab on grade are poured concurrently.

For an engineered steel building, foundations are more complex than for post frame construction. There is a continuous footing and foundation wall around the building perimeter, with reinforced piers to support steel column bearing points. Piers have embedded anchor bolts (requiring exact and accurate placement) to attach steel frame bases.

Top of foundation wall allows for attaching steel wall panels as well as support for any masonry veneer, if required for aesthetic purposes. Each steel column base has a rebar hairpin (usually two 20 foot long rebar sticks). These hairpins tie columns into concrete floor to reduce the tendency of column bottoms to move outward when loads are applied to the building.

Post frame (pole barn) construction utilizes a low-tech foundation system able to be successfully completed by even semi-skilled workers or an average DIY building owner. Face it, augering a hole in the ground makes for a fairly simple and affordable foundation system – eliminating any need for extensive excavations, often with a need for expensive equipment.

Looking for a design solution for your new building with flexibility and cost effectiveness? In most cases, look no further than post frame construction!

 

This entry was posted in Concrete, Pole Barn holes, Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure and tagged , , , , on by .

Is Hansen a Pole Building Contractor?

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: How are the pre-engineered pole barns set up.. does Hansen provide the delivery and installation? Is the slab included in the installation? Or would the slab be by “others”? Question from Ashley in Austin, TX

DEAR ASHLEY: Hansen Pole Buildings delivers custom designed pole (post frame) buildings to building sites everywhere in the continental United States, or to the docks if shipping to Alaska or Hawaii. The buildings are designed for the average person who can and will read instructions to successfully construct their own beautiful buildings.

We are not a pole building contractor, so we do not build or install anything for anyone anywhere. If you are not interested in building yourself, we can assist you in finding a contractor who can assemble some, or all, of your building kit package for you. Many of these same contractors may be qualified to provide the labor to finish a concrete slab as well.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a 40’x80′ metal sided pole barn that is insulated in the ceiling and walls with double bubble reflective insulation and no venting system. Don’t have any condensation issues but it gets really hot in our Okie summers. Would some sort of vents or vent fans in the ends of the building be an effective way to mitigate the heat? Thanks in advance, just found your site and really like the access to good info. Mike in Blackwell, OK

DEAR MIKE: Thank you very much for your kind words and for becoming a reader! While you might start with trying just gable vents located as high up in the endwalls as possible, it is very probable you will need to use powered fans in order to move enough air out to make a difference. Whichever choice you pick, make some provision to close them off in the winter if you are intending any sort of heating in the cooler months.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How would a rebar cage for a base plate be constructed in the right way for a horse barn? I am interested in the step by step method once you have the hole, of implementing a rebar cage in the right position, pouring the concrete and then placing the base plate. ALMOST IN AUSTIN

DEAR ALMOST: My best guess is you are actually considering constructing a steel framed barn of some sort. Historically steel framed barns are not the ideal design solution when it comes to stabling horses. The steel framework makes it difficult to attach wood stall components to, and the concrete required at ground level poses a hazard to horses.

I’d strongly urge you to consider a pole building instead. One of the wonderful thing about pole buildings is they do not require complicated, expensive and time consuming rebar cages to be poured into significantly large concrete piers. By utilizing properly pressure preservative treated wood columns, embedded into augered holes in the ground, it eliminates the need for perfectly placed base plates (or base plates at all).

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

This entry was posted in Building Contractor, About The Pole Barn Guru and tagged , , , on by .
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