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Compacted Gravel, Humidity Issues, and Wall Gaps

This week readers “Ask the Guru” about the typical amount of compacted gravel in a pole barn, humidity in a metal shed with spray foam, and a wall to ceiling gap recommendation.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How much is the typical amount of compacted gravel in a pole barn structure? My objective is to park heavy equipment. Will 3″ of 304 or 57 stone will do the job? HECTOR in CINCINNATI

DEAR HECTOR: In “frost country” a sub-base 6” or thicker should be first placed across site. To maintain frost-free soils sub-base should be such as no more than 5% (by weight) will pass through a No. 200 sieve, and it is further desired no more than 2% be finer than .02 mm.

Prior to pouring, 2” to 6” of clean and drained sand or sandy gravel is spread below where concrete is to be poured. Mechanically compact fill to at least 90% of a Modified Proctor Density, otherwise slab could sink.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a tiny home that’s being built. 18x20x10h. It is built in East Texas on slab with moisture barrier. Has steel frame and metal walls and roof panels. It also has 1.5″ of closed cell spray foam on the interior walls and 2″ on the interior roof. I am planning to condition the entire space and not have an attic space. Several builders told me I have to use the spray foam or I would have terrible condensation problems. So I did. And now I’m building the interior a little at a time. I don’t open the door more than once or twice a week. Every time I do I can feel the humidity when I walk in. There are no windows and only one door and everything is sprayed really good. It has been a about 2.5 yrs since the building was built and a couple of years since the spray foam was installed. There is a vapor barrier under the concrete. Can’t figure out where the moisture is coming from. Only thing I can think of is the area where the shower plumbing will be installed is an open in the concrete. What should be done to stop this from continuing? I’m afraid that if I keep working to finish the house I’m just sealing in what will later be mold/mildew. Since I’m still building I don’t have power to the building, just using extension cords. Meaning I don’t have air conditioning installed yet. Could this be all that’s needed to solve the problem? CINDY in TYLER

DEAR CINDY: As tightly sealed as your building is, humidity levels can rise merely from you being inside and exhaling. Air conditioning will help remove some, if not all, excess humidity, however you may have to also use a dehumidifier.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I saw a video showing about a gap from wall to ceiling and I cannot find it. What should be the gap at top of wall. MICHAEL

DEAR MICHAEL: When installing drywall panels between walls and ceilings, it’s generally recommended to butt them tightly against each other without leaving a gap. This approach minimizes the amount of joint compound (mud) needed and helps create a smoother finish. Leaving gaps can lead to issues such as cracking, as the mud may shrink and not adhere properly. I spent a summer taping drywall as a teenager, and this is exactly how we were trained. Here is some extended reading: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2024/01/avoiding-interior-ceiling-corners-cracking/

Having experienced top-of-wall to ceiling drywall joint cracks personally, my own solution is to not tape this joint. Instead use a crown molding, attaching it to ceiling, so it can ‘float’ up and down with truss expansion and contraction.

This entry was posted in Ventilation, Concrete, Footings, Insulation, Building Interior, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Planning, Barndominium and tagged drywall, humidity, site prep, vapor barrier, compacted gravel, frost depth, wall gap, spray foam on August 20, 2025 by Rick Ochs.

Concern about a Grade Change and Column Length

Concern about a Grade Change and Column Length

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I ordered a pole barn materials kit and received my designed plans and the materials list. My concern is the posts are 14′ and will the length be sufficient for a 10′ eave height that is to be built on a site that is being raised approximately 18” above the current grade? CLEO in EAST BETHANY

DEAR CLEO: Grade change is ideally checked before placing building order, however this is not often feasible as a practical matter. If grade has not been checked before order placement, do so within 24 hours. Longer posts are far more economical when provided with original lumber delivery. In some instances, building posts have been specially ordered (due to dimension, length, treating specifications or a combination) and cannot be returned.

In the case of a Hansen Pole Building kit package, the building column holes are dug to either the frost line or 40 inches, whichever is greater. The columns are placed so as the bottom of the column “floats” eight inches above the base of the hole.

If your frost depth is 48 inches, this means 40 inches of the column would be going into the ground. This would allow for a grade change of up to eight inches in your particular case. If your building site has been raised up over the eight inches, it would behoove you to contact your Building Designer and pay the nominal price difference for the 2′ longer columns.

This entry was posted in Barndominium, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Pole Barn Planning, Footings, Columns and tagged column length, post frame design, site prep, Grade change on August 12, 2025 by Rick Ochs.

A Vaulted Ceiling, Pier Shapes for Brackets, and a Sloped Grade

Today’s “Ask the Guru” answers reader questions about a truss solution for a vaulted ceiling, a question about the use of square piers for brackets compared to round, and building post frame on a sloped grade.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I‘m wanting to build a barndominium on my property in Southern Tennessee. My design is 40′ deep x 84′ wide. Wall Height is 10’ My roof pitch is 12/12 (Gable) My question is what are my options to frame this roof and keep the ceilings vaulted? I’m not opposed to using steel trusses. Would a ridge beam be required? Can I use a 2″x2″ tube steel truss with a 24″ profile without the need of a ridge beam? Please see depictions of the Pole barn attached below. JAMES in KAPAA

DEAR JAMES: Best design solution is going to be prefabricated wood roof trusses. Wood trusses are subjected to far more stringent quality controls, than steel trusses. They also are easily engineered to support ceiling loads and make for easily finished eave overhangs. No ridge beam would be required.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hello Mike. We have received our quote for our new monitor style home. Ryan has been most helpful in bringing this project forward as well as James in the drafting department. I have a question about a notation on the quote that Ryan suggested I ask you about. We will be using wet set brackets on piers for our foundation. The notation mentions “on square footings”. Is this actually required by engineering or just suggested to make insulating easier? The frost depth at our building site is prescribed at twenty four inches. Would piers normally be deeper than that for our area? Working on numbers now and anticipating getting started in the next few months. We are truly fortunate in that our building site is in a very mild temperature zone with very few winter building restrictions. Thanks to all of you for helping us move this project forward! RUSS in TILGHMAN

DEAR RUSS: Default setting in our Instant Pricing program is for square piers, for ease of insulating. Square often yields a lesser dimension, due to overall area. As an example, a 24 inch square footing is four square feet, a 24 inch diameter yields 3.14 square feet. This can easily be toggled, by Ryan, to allow for round piers, if you feel this would be more advantageous for your build. Using round piers, in order to minimize hole diameters, given your loading conditions, some holes (particularly those supporting sidewalls of your raised center portion) could be as deep as four feet. Clients utilizing square piers, typically dig holes with a mini excavator, as opposed to a skid steer mounted auger bit.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How is a post and beam built on sloping land? Wooden subfloor construction? MARK in BLAIRSVILLE

DEAR MARK: It would depend upon your intended building use, dimensions of building and amount of grade change. Most often we see clients filling sites to create a level grade, however we have provided plenty of elevated wood floors – both with and without crawl spaces. If you visit www.HansenPoleBuildings.com, navigate to SEARCH in the upper right corner, type in GRADE CHANGE and ENTER will bring up several articles on this subject.

This entry was posted in Footings, Building Interior, Budget, Pole Barn Questions, Columns, Pole Barn Design, Pole Barn Homes, Building Styles and Designs, Pole Barn Planning, Trusses, Barndominium, Concrete, floorplans and tagged prefabricated wood truss, square footings, sloped grade, footings, site prep, scissor truss, vaulted ceiling, wet set brackets on February 5, 2025 by Rick Ochs.

Cost to Set Up Land for a Barndominium

Cost to Set Up Land for a Barndominium

MIKAELA in MINNESOTA writes: “Hi Mike, my name is Mikaela and I’ve been working with Lucas about possibly purchasing two kits from your company to build on some land in Minnesota. My mom and I are hoping we can make it happen, but I had some questions and he suggested I reach out to you. I have been researching costs to do a from scratch build and we checked with the companies that do the whole project, and their costs are just a bit too high for us so we were hoping we can get a contractor and do it that way to cut out the middle man. But it’s a lot to coordinate! I was wondering if you had some ideas about general costs for the basics. I was going to start calling around to local companies, but we don’t have land yet so it feels early to do that, however we are trying to gather general numbers for right now so we can know if we can even do this.

My questions are really about costs to set up the land, specifically:
Clearing the land
Laying a cement pad
Installing septic
Installing a well
Setting up electric

And do you know if we get a contractor if they handle coordinating all of that or if we have to set up each contractor on our own, which I’m prepared to do. Or if you have any contractors you guys work with that I can talk to, I’d be happy to do that too.

Let me know your thoughts.
Thank you!”

Thank you so much for reaching out to me, please feel free to ask me any questions.

Normally, you can expect to budget for fully engineered post frame homes and barndominiums, modest tastes, DIY, budget roughly $75-85 per sft (square foot) for conditioned spaces, $35 for all others. Does not include land, site prep, utilities, permits. Hiring a General Contractor (GC) to do everything, will typically double these costs. Acting as your own General Contractor, will put you about half-way between. These costs DO include any concrete slabs on grade.

You will notice four of your five areas are specifically excluded, why? They are all going to be specific to your site, its soil conditions, depth of potable ground water, distance from public road to actual building site. There is just no way to accurately (or even wild guess) these costs.

You are going to find a mountain of good information in this article: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2021/02/a-shortlist-for-smooth-barndominium-sailing/

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Planning, Budget, Professional Engineer, Pole Barn Homes, Barndominium and tagged post frame DIY, general contractor for post frame, post frame site prep, site prep, post frame costs on January 23, 2025 by Rick Ochs.

When to Fill, Wall Insulation, and Gable Vents

This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about best time to fill in uneven grade, best method to insulate walls with no housewrap, and addition of gable vents to help with condensation.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Maybe you can give some advice on our pole barn build. Our rat board is 6ft above ground, we were told the leveling would be after structure was erected. Should we build wall with cinder blocks or just fill fill fill? CATHY in ST. LOUIS

DEAR CATHY: It would have been so much easier to fill before construction started as it is now going to be a challenge to properly compact your fill whether you have a block wall between columns or not. If you do use a block wall, it will need to have a poured footing at or below frost line and be engineered to withstand the weight of the fill being placed against it. Ultimately it is probably most economical to fill, fill, fill (make sure to have it properly compacted no less often than every six inches.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I just built a pole barn garage. The builder used double bubble under the steel roof and also blew in R38 above the steel ceiling. I will be insulating the walls myself. Unfortunately I did not add house wrap under the steel siding. Would it be an issue if I used a thin foam board between the girts properly sealed and taped to act as my WRB, installed directly against the steel. Then use R-19 fiberglass batts over the foam board for the main insulation. I already have 14 rolls of the fiberglass insulation, so I would prefer to use it vs going in a different direction. Also, should I or should I not add a 6mil vapor barrier over the fiberglass? Any help would be appreciated! GREG in SLATINGTON

DEAR GREG: if you place properly sealed insulation boards between your wall girts, then you need to use unfaced batts with no internal vapor barrier (ideally Rockwool). Otherwise, you will be trapping moisture between two vapor barriers. If doing as you propose, it may be necessary to mechanically dehumidify your interior.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a 50×100 cold storage building that condensates like crazy on the ceiling. It currently has ridge vents, but no soffit vents as it does not have an overhang. I was wondering if gable vents would help to alleviate the issue and what size would be needed? JACOB in LESTER PRAIRIE

DEAR JACOB: Adding air intakes may help, but are not a guarantee of being a fix. You would need to add 1200 square inches of NFVA (Net Free Ventilating Area) in air intake, in order for your exhaust (ridge) vents to adequately function.

You should look at your source of moisture. Assuming you have a concrete slab on grade, if it does not have a vapor barrier underneath, it needs to be sealed. Make sure gutter downspouts discharge water at least 10 feet away from building. Exterior needs to be graded away from building at least 5% for this same 10 feet.

This entry was posted in Ventilation, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Building Drainage, Pole Barn Design, Building Interior, Roofing Materials, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Heating, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Planning, Barndominium and tagged uneven grade, Ventilation, fill, site prep, backfill, insulation, vapor barrier, rock wool insulation, condensation, air intake on January 1, 2025 by Rick Ochs.

Rain Country, A High Water Table, and Door Options

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about any added features for “rain country” like western Washington, use of UC-4B pressure preservative treated columns in a high water table area, and the options of a sliding door vs a sectional overhead door in an RV storage building.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do many people build Hansen barndos in western Washington rain country and if so what added features. Are to be considered in heavy rain areas. DALE in WEST RICHLAND

DEAR DALE: Thank you for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building. We have provided over 1000 fully engineered post frame buildings to our clients in Washington State, more than any other state!

There are some keys to success when building in any wet/damp climate.

Good site preparation is foremost. You want to have your concrete slab on grade to be poured on top of six to 12 inches of a properly compacted sub base, then add another two to six inches of sand or sandy gravel, before placing vapor barrier and any under slab insulation.

Building footprint should have a finished grade high enough to allow surrounding ground to be finish graded to slope away from building at no less than a 5% grade for 10 feet.

Building should have eave overhangs (12 to 24 inches) with gutters. Gutters should have drain exits at least 10 feet away from building.

Place a well-sealed Weather Resistant Barrier between wall girts and siding.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Going to build 2 pole barns on my property in Wewahitchka Florida about 15 miles from Mexico Beach. Water table on property is high and in a three foot post hole the water will seep and maintain 2 foot of water. Besides having a potential of hurricane winds what do you feel is best to withstand the water and winds over time for the supporting posts? Some I have read say wet set anchors are a pivot point not good for hurricane situations? Some posts in the ground not to weaken the post when blown by hurricane winds. Please inform best way and I am putting in for a quote from your company. ED in WEWAHITCHKA

DEAR ED: Embedded columns will be far more resistant to wind loads than bracket mounts.

If it was my own building(s), I would build up my site with compactable fill about two feet (compacted no less than every six inches) then sloped away from building no less than 5% for 10 feet or more. I’d then use columns embedded in ground.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am exploring options for a garage for my 33ft 5th wheel RV. My RV is 12.5 ft tall, so looking at a 14 ft high door opening. Door Width will be 12 ft total. I’m looking at dual external sliding doors vs. a large and expensive rollup door. Is there a way to seal or insulate a sliding door setup? The only sliding door setups I am familiar with leave gaps at the sides, bottom, top. I have not decided if I will go metal kit, pole barn, or a traditional 2×4 and truss method for the structure. Thanks ROB in HERNDON

DEAR ROB: After roughly 20,000 buildings, I have yet to have any client wish they would have installed sliding doors, rather than sectional steel overhead doors.

Your downsides of sliding doors are many. They will only seal tight enough to allow your neighbor’s cat to get in (not to mention the mice being chased by said cat). They cannot be effectively insulated. While electric openers are available, they are not for those who are faint of pocket book (read more about electric sliding door openers here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2017/04/propel-electric-door-openers/).

Most importantly, sliding doors are not wind load rated. This can become highly problematic. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2014/12/wind-load-rated-garage-doors/

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Design, Columns, Pole Building How To Guides, RV Storage, Pole Barn Planning, Sectional Doors, Concrete, Footings, Pole Barn holes, Building Drainage, Building Interior, Uncategorized, Pole Barn Questions, Budget and tagged site prep, sliding doors, Weather barrier, condensation control, UC-4B pressurem Preservative Treated columns, water table, sectional overhead door, overhead doors, rain country, Pressure Preservative treatment on February 7, 2024 by admin.

Post Footing and Site Leveling

Post Footing and Site Leveling

Reader KEVIN in PAOLA writes:

“I’ve been working with Cory on my building design and had a question regarding leveling my site and setting my posts. The plan is a 40′ x 60′ building with a 17′ eave height. On the south side, there will be a 12′ attached shed that is open. Based on the elevations I’ve shot, I’ll have to add approximately 4′ of fill on the east end of the building and it gradually tapers all the way to the west end. Now, rock on the property is rather shallow. I dug a test hole on the east end which will require the most fill and the rock is about 2′ below native ground level. I’ve encountered solid limestone that is approximately 2′ thick when digging corner posts and I’ve found locations where the rock is fractured and can be dug out with an excavator. The county requires poles be installed at a minimum depth of 4′, but will allow 30″-40″ if due to rock and if the holes are backfilled with concrete.

· How would you design the foundation for the poles?
· Does the 4′ of backfill count when measuring post embedment?
· Would you set the posts first and then add the fill?
· Do you change post foundation design as you move from the deeper fill for elevation on the east end to fill on the west end that is replacing the top soil?
· Does the post foundation design change for the open shed on the south side?

I’m attaching the design doc from the county. Foundation information is listed on pages 8 and 9.

I hope all of this makes sense and thank you for the help.”

Thank you for reaching out to me. With your permission, I would like to treat your building as if it was my own (in other words, What Would the Pole Barn Guru Do?).

Project# 05-0211 Starting with your door end (which I will assume is uphill), I would add enough fill so this end could have holes dug to 40″, filling balance of site accordingly. All fill should be compacted in no less than six-inch lifts to a minimum of 90% of Modified Proctor Density (you may need to invest in a Geotechnical Engineer to verify compaction).

Foundation would be embedded columns to 40″ depth and would be same for all areas (our engineers will seal holes at 40″ depth) Properly compacted fill can be relied upon to be equal to undisturbed soil Fill first – it is so much easier than trying to work around columns.

On door end, you will want to grade away from doors, so water coming down hill does not end up running into your building.

This entry was posted in Footings, Professional Engineer, Columns, Pole Barn holes, Uncategorized, Pole Barn Design, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure and tagged post frame foundation, site prep, geotechnical engineer, Modified Proctor Density, site slope, post footing, site leveling on January 18, 2024 by admin.

Fill to Grade, XPS Between Steel and Framing, and a Post Frame Home

This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru advises readers on adding 6″ fill to the site and the affect it would have on columns, the use of XPS insulation between the steel and framing of the building, and some thoughts on building a 3 bedroom, two bath house.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hello, The site I am looking to build a pole barn had to be filled to bring the area up to a level grade. The depth of the fill is about 6′ at the deepest point. How does this impact the setting of the post? CRAIG in EAST WATERBORO

DEAR CRAIG: Provided fill was mechanically compacted to no less than 90% of a Modified Proctor Density in lifts no greater than six inches, it can be treated as native soil. If proper compaction was not achieved, then columns should be lengthened in order to provide full embedment into undisturbed soil beneath fill.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: So I was going to place 2 layers of 1″ xps foam under my metal on the walls and roof of my pole barn. So it would be, purlins 2 1inch of xps and then my metal, is this a good or bad idea? Thanks BJ in JACKSON

DEAR BJ: Absolutely a bad idea. Pole barns “work” (e.g. stay standing) due to shear strength of steel sheeting (or OSB, plywood, etc., if used). When you place insulation boards between steel and framing, you are severely impacting ability of steel to carry those loads, as steel can shift slightly under wind loads. Eventually this will cause screw shank deformation (would take some very long screws), as well as slotting under screw gaskets, creating leaking (provided building doesn’t just fail first). If you really want to use XPS sheets, cut them to fit snugly between purlins and girts, taping all edges to achieve a tight seal.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I would like to think of something for my 2 boys and I. One story 3 bed 2 bath. Living room dining room kitchen, laundry room with walk in closets. About what size would you recommend? SHANNON in KIPTON

DEAR SHANNON: In order to determine best size for any particular client, I encourage them (and you) to utilize links found at #3 in this article https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2021/02/a-shortlist-for-smooth-barndominium-sailing/ This will assist you to work towards your ideal dream home, within budget.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Pole Barn Planning, Barndominium, Pole Building Siding, floorplans, Footings, Columns, Pole Barn Homes and tagged Post Frame Home, fill, site prep, column depth, insulation, XPS, fill to grade, barndominium on January 10, 2024 by admin.

HOA Restrictions, Plans Only Option (sorry, no) and Site Prep

This week the Pole Barn Guru addresses reader questions about the possibility of adding a brick exterior to a pole building to satisfy HOA restrictions, if Hansen provides a sealed plans only option so a reader can reuse parts of current building, and geotechnical concerns about site prep and dirt for post frame construction.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I live in a HOA restricted area that states exteriors must be brick or brick veneer. I purchased the neighboring lot in order to build a 3/4 bay shop on that lot. Is there a way to brick veneer the exterior of one of your buildings? It has to closely match my existing house. Can email you more pictures if that would be helpful. CHAD in JEFFERSONVILLE

DEAR CHAD: HOAs are always a challenge (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2016/12/hoa-requirements/). There are a plethora of ‘thin brick’ options available (please Google “Thin Brick”) any of them can be readily applied to a properly engineered post frame building. I say ‘properly engineered’ as building and wall deflection needs to be limited in order to prevent cracking of veneer.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Can I hire you to design a pole barn and get sealed prints for NJ without buying the kit from you? I have a fairly new pole barn on the property and would like to reuse that material for my new barn. SHANE in BRIDGETON

DEAR SHANE: As some of our components are proprietary, our engineers will only seal plans when we are providing materials.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: The person that will be doing the dirt work for the foundation asked me a question concerning the columns in the ground. He asked if the column will require certain type or quality of dirt, or if there are any samples taken to determine the depth. I have read on your website about all the factors that are taken into consideration when determining the depth of the hole and size of the columns, but I don’t remember seeing anything about soil samples. Thank you in advance for your time. ALLEN in CABOT

DEAR ALLEN: In an ideal dream world, our clients would have a geotechnical engineer do an onsite evaluation of soil strengths and forward to us.

Without this information, our engineers use presumptive load-bearing values found in IRC (International Residential Code) Table R401.4.1 and IBC (International Building Code) Table 1806.2. From decades of experience, these values end up being very conservative in relationship to actual geotechnical testing results.

Most important, if you are bringing in fill, is for it to be adequately compacted in no greater than six inch lifts.

One of our previous clients had some site preparation questions answered for his particular circumstances, his experience may prove helpful to you: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2017/02/building-site-preparation/

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure, Pole Building Siding, Footings, Alternate Siding, Rebuilding Structures, Professional Engineer, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Pole Building How To Guides and tagged site prep, engineer sealed plans, geotechnical study, Dirt work, Brick Siding, HOA, blueprints, Plans, HOA regulations on April 12, 2023 by admin.

Insulation, Truss Spans, and Pit Material

Today’s Ask the Pole Barn Guru discusses reader questions about an option to layer insulation between purlins, the actual building width for 36′ trusses, and the recommendation against the use pit material when performing site prep.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi, I have the traditional roll type insulation with the white backing. My question is if I’m able to add more insulation between the purlins on top of the existing insulation for added r value and what type would you recommend if so? Thanks OWEN in VIVIAN

DEAR OWEN: Metal Building Insulation (MBI) is not my favorite design solution for post frame insulation (read more here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/metal-building-insulation/).

You can add more insulation to interior of what you have, without having to perforate white vinyl of you MBI. I would recommend adding unfaced Rockwool, as it is not affected by moisture and has a relatively high R value per inch of thickness compared to fiberglass or cellulose. Do not add another interior vapor barrier, as this would allow for moisture to become trapped between two vapor barriers.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: You really are a wealth of knowledge. I’ve been watching your Youtube videos as well, very helpful.

I’m intrigued by your pole barn kits, and I had just one more question about raised heel trusses:

It’s my understanding that post spans are actually building widths minus 3 inches. So for a 36 foot building, the span between posts is 35’ 9”, correct? If that’s the case, are raised heel truss lengths in this example also 35’ 9 to the edge of the post? Or the full 36’, with the eave skirt board resting under the additional 1.5 inches of the bottom chord length?

Thanks again for your time!!! MATT in CHENEY

DEAR MATT: Our buildings (as are most Pacific Northwest Buildings) measure 36 feet from outside of column to outside of column. This allows for 12 sheets of steel plus the lap on the 12th piece (covering 36′ 1-1/2″ roughly) to be installed without having to rip the last steel panel lengthwise. Pressure preservative treated splash planks, headers, etc. will be applied to exterior faces of columns, giving a framed finished width of 36’3″.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hi. In your building manual it notes not to use pit material on the building pad. If the site is leveled, I’m not sure what the function of any modified is or why no pit material in specific. We’ll be doing a slab at some point and common practice would be to put down some clean 3/4″ so if it’s beneficial to have stone on the building pad would it be more cost efficient to just put the clean stone down to start with? Thanks. KEVIN in WEST CALN

DEAR KEVIN: #1 reason to not use pit run is it is difficult to auger holes through.

#2 because it is round, it does not compact well

#3 It creates voids allowing for free flow of liquid water beneath slab

You do want to allow for two to six inches of clean sand or sandy gravel compacted immediately below your under slab vapor barrier.

This entry was posted in Trusses, Concrete, Columns, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Building How To Guides and tagged site prep, building width, truss span, rock wool insulation, pit material, insulation on March 15, 2023 by admin.

Materials for Girts, a Raised Floor, Truss Loads

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about girt material choices for a 60’x120′ shed, Mike’s thoughts on a raised floor to compensate for a 7% grade change, and if some 4′ oc trusses can handle the load of a heater.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I plan on putting up a 60′ x 120′ post frame shed. I’m going to run my 6×6 posts at 8′ o.c. can I use all 8′ 2×6 material for the girts or should I have some 16′ material staggered in with the 8′ material? Will that increase the strength or do you think it would be similar? Thanks guru! JASON in NEW HOLSTEIN

DEAR JASON: Depending upon eave height, design snow and wind loads and wind exposure 6×6 may be inadequate to carry imposed loads. Using 16′ external girt material will be slightly stiffer against wind loads perpendicular to girt and will deflect slightly less. They will not impact overall building strength. Depending upon spacing, grade and species of 2×6, and again design wind speed and wind exposure, they may also prove to be inadequate.

Personally, I would look at using glu-laminated columns every 12′, double trusses directly aligned with columns and 2×6 bookshelf style wall girts. This will result in fewer holes to dig and fewer pieces to have to handle and install. It also allows for wider sidewall door openings, without requiring large headers.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’m building a home on land that is at a 7% grade from top to bottom. I was thinking about doing a raised floor/crawlspace with the back aligned closer to grade and the front more elevated. What are your thoughts on this idea, and elevated floor pole buildings generally? I assume you would support the floor with piers instead of spanning entirely? Thanks! MATTHEW in HOUSTON

DEAR MATTHEW: Having built for myself an elevated floor post frame building (I had 14 feet of grade change in 24 feet), I feel as though they are a great solution. Unless you had enough grade change to practically utilize space below, I would use interior columns to reduce spans of beams and joists – little, short columns being far less expensive than large multiple ply beams and large dimension floor joists. My knees also prefer to live on wood, rather than concrete – making this a double win.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hot Dawg™ heater…..just built a 40×30 pole barn. 4/12 roof, trusses are 4′ apart, wanting to hang a 80kbtu heater from trusses, with steel channels being suspended from two trusses. Will trusses handle the weight? Thank you. SHARKBITE

DEAR SHARKBITE: In order to determine if your trusses can handle weight of this unit, you would need to look at your engineer sealed roof truss drawings. If Bottom Chord Dead Load (often shown as BCDL) is less than five (5) psf (pounds per square foot) then probably not. Ideally, reach out to whomever fabricated your trusses. Give them weight of your unit, where you propose to hang it, as well as if you have a ceiling and insulation and they can give you a definitive thumbs up or down.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Planning, Trusses, Professional Engineer, Lofts, Pole Barn Heating, Lumber, Pole Barn Questions and tagged girt spacing, raised floor, girt, girt size, truss loads, site prep, bottom chord dead load, Grade change on October 12, 2022 by admin.

Moisture Reduction, Window Sizes on a Building, and Frost Heave

Today the Pole Barn Guru addresses reader questions about moisture reduction in pole barn with dirt floor, what size windows can be added to a structure, and how to eliminate frost heave.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a 60 x 120′ pole barn with dirt floors and an insulated ceiling 18′ high. I believe the walls are also insulated but I haven’t checked. It stays very humid in there with the service door closed, which I like to do in the winter. There are 6 modestly sized windows but they’re 10′ high, hard to close in the rain and don’t ventilate much. I assume all this moisture is from the soil, is there a cost effective way to add a floor moisture barrier? ROSS in NORTHFIELD

DEAR ROSS: You are correct about where moisture is coming from – and it is made even worse in Winter, when ground outside of your building is frozen and inside your building is where all ground moisture is trying to escape (basically think of your building as being a cork pulled out of a genie’s bottle). While pouring a concrete slab on grade of a vapor barrier would be your best (and permanent) solution, concrete is costly. With this said, my best recommendation would be to remove top two inches of dirt inside of your building, making sure there are no sharp rocks projecting up above surface. Place a 15mil black vapor barrier across entire floor, overlapping seams by 12 inches and taping them tightly shut. Run vapor barrier up onto splash planks on walls (if possible) as well as sealing to each column. Cover vapor barrier with two inches of clean sand. You may need to mechanically dehumidify, in order to fully resolve your challenges.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hello I am curious about window sizing in post frame buildings. Can I add any size window I want in any wall without affecting the structural integrity of the building? My largest windows are roughly 42″ wide by 64″ tall. WESLEY in DULUTH

DEAR WESLEY: Post frame buildings “work” due to their skin. Placing openings, without approval from your building’s engineer, could result in catastrophic structural failure.

For extended reading, please visit: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/12/lateral-wind-loads/

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: The frost heave issue: how does a guy insulate his foundation? TONY in MARION

DEAR TONY: Most important for avoiding frost heave is having a properly prepared building site: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/10/preventing_frost_heaves_in_pole_building_construction/
Here is information on insulating: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2022/09/272982/

This entry was posted in Ventilation, Windows, Professional Engineer, Pole Barn Heating, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Planning and tagged site prep, condensation barrier, moisture management, window size, wall shear, condensation, frost heave on October 5, 2022 by admin.

Site Prep, Proper Sheathing for home, and Jamb Latch Details

Today the Pole Barn Guru addresses reader questions about site preparation for a post frame building, reflective radiant barrier or sheathing needed for a post frame home, and a detail for a jamb latch on a sliding door.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I been watching a lot of your videos on YouTube, I wish you guys were closer to me. I’m in the process of building my own. I have a question, I’m about 3′ different from hit to low. I plan on bring in 1″ road down stone and compacting it down to raise the elevation close to the highest point. Would be this be sufficient? The post from is 40×56. The elevation is from back vs the front (mostly on one corner is the major elevation change). TIM

DEAR TIM: Thank you for reaching out to us.

Hansen Pole Buildings is America’s leader in providing fully engineered, 100% custom designed, post frame building and barndominium kits, with multiple buildings in all 50 states. Your deliveries come from one or more of our thousands of shipping locations across the country (minimizing delivery costs) – so chances are excellent we are ‘close’ to you (as well as supporting your local economy)!

I have penned an entire series on site preparation:

https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/site-preparation/
https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/soil-compaction/
https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/soil-moisture-content/
https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/soil-density/
https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/soil-compaction-how-to/

We would appreciate the opportunity to participate in your new pole building. Please email your building specifics, site address and best contact number to our Design Studio Manager Caleb@HansenPoleBuildings.com 1(866)200-9657 Thank you.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am building a post barn residential home and using solar guard insulation on the roof and outside walls under the metal. Is zip system – OSB sheathing still needed or even recommended? Some people say it would be just a waste and is not necessary and others say it absolutely is! I’m so confused and lost! Please help!! MATTIE in LEXINGTON

DEAR MATTIE: Solar Guard is a Reflective Radiant Barrier, it is truly not insulation. Provided you have taped all of the seams, it should work well as a condensation control between your building’s roof purlins and roof steel. It is the absolute wrong product to use in your building’s walls. You should use a Weather Resistant Barrier (think Tyvek or similar) between framing and steel siding (unless you are planning on closed cell spray foam insulation – it should be sprayed directly to inside of wall steel).

Unless your building’s engineer has specified solid sheathing for structural purposes, there would be no reason to incorporate OSB, plywood or zip system – other than adding to cost, a very minimal increase in R value and perhaps some sound deadening (investing in good insulation will be a better solution for sound control).

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do you have a larger detail on how a side mounted jamb latch works on a sliding barn door?? Thanks MIKE in SAUK RAPIDS

DEAR MIKE: This should help:

This entry was posted in Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Building Siding, Ventilation, Professional Engineer, Pole Barn Homes, Insulation, Pole Barn Questions, Sliding Doors, Pole Barn Design, Barndominium, Roofing Materials and tagged wall sheathing, jamb latch, sliding door latch, site prep, reflective radiant barrier, Grade Changes on September 28, 2022 by admin.

Building Codes, Site Prep, and Heating & Cooling Efficiency

This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about whether or not a Hansen Building meets Florida/Dade building codes + a few others, optimal materials for site prep on a grade, and heating & cooling efficiency in a long, narrow structure.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: A few questions:- Do your products meet Miami/Dade building codes? If no you can ignore the remaining questions.- Do you build telephone style structures?- Have you built projects for zoos?- Have you built animal habitats, climbing structures for monkeys? You can call me for more information. Thank you. CHARLES in KISSIMMEE

DEAR CHARLES: Yes, our fully engineered buildings can meet or exceed Miami/Dade building codes.

We are not contractors, so we do not build anything. We provide fully engineered custom kits – designed to be erected D-I-Y or (for those without time or inclination) by a building erector of our client’s choice.

We do not use telephone (utility) poles for any of our buildings, whether new or recycled. We have provided buildings at zoos, amongst them would be Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs, Colorado) Zoo’s Nature Center and Las Vegas, Nevada zoo’s giraffe barn. Our buildings incorporate structural aspects needed to adequate enclose spaces – roof, walls, doors, windows, any elevated wood floors and stairs. Non-structural aspects of our buildings are left to our clients.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’m building a pole barn on an uneven build site and am trying to figure out the best material to level the site with. I need as much as 3ft of material in some areas. I can get sand for cheap nearby but I didn’t know if it was the appropriate material for setting poles.

As an added complication, I’ve already acquired my poles, which won’t reach the soil beneath the fill material. However, I will be compacting the material in lifts. REID

DEAR REID: While sand compacts well, it also is prone to washouts. Please read: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/site-preparation/
and subsequent four articles to follow (use right arrow at bottom of article to move to next).

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’ve enjoyed perusing your website 😉 We will be building at some point in the next few years, land is already purchased. I designed our current home, but plan to have help on our future home.
The prettier view will be to the North, but I always want Southern exposure in every room possible. Do you think it is a bad idea to design a home that is only one room (24’) deep? It would be long and narrow. I guess my primary concern is heating & cooling efficiency.
Any thoughts you can share would be greatly appreciated! I will likely get back to you for a quote on designing our home, when I get my ideas pulled together. JOYCE in QUINCY

DEAR JOYCE: Provided you are able to locate your HVAC so it is centralized heating and cooling should not be an issue with a long and narrow floor plan. You see this regularly done with manufactured housing.

Your biggest challenge will be laying out rooms so they can have both a North view and a Southern exposure. Unless your plan is to have basically only three major room zones, say a great room in center with a bedroom suite to each side of it, you are going to either be forced to have a hallway, or rooms with only either a view or exposure.

Our staff floor plan experts can help to create your ideal dream floor plan with this look. Every barndominium Hansen Pole Buildings provides is 100% custom designed to best meet the wants and needs of our clients and their loved ones, please see #3 here to assist in determining needed spaces and approximate sizes, and to have professional floor plans and elevation drawings produced affordably. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2021/02/a-shortlist-for-smooth-barndominium-sailing/

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Heating, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Pole Barn Planning, floorplans, Building Interior, Professional Engineer, Columns, Pole Barn Homes and tagged site prep, Grade change, Building Code, zoo, telephone poles, animal habitat, soil compaction, floor plans heating and cooling efficiency on July 13, 2022 by admin.

Site Prep, Brackets on Slab, and Treated Lumber

This Wednesday the Pole Barn Guru answers reader questions about site preparation and underground obstructions, a recommendation for building with wet set brackets on slab, and whether or not Hansen Buildings uses lumber treated for in-ground use– UC-4B.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: We recently started the ground work for our future 48×72 pole building. Half way through excavation the crew hit a solid slab of rock at the corner of our building site. It appears to be Pennsylvania blue stone and the space that it takes up includes a majority of the back and left side where the building walls would sit. We were able to achieve a level pad but we are extremely concerned that now we won’t be able to build on this site. This is the only place on our property that has room for this build and we are very worried that we won’t be able to set poles in the ground do to the size of this solid slab. What are our options, if any? KIMBERLY in PENNSYLVANIA

DEAR KIMBERLY: This brought back childhood memories of my Dad taking me out on a Saturday to a site above Hayden Lake, Idaho where he and my uncles were going to be framing a custom home. Site had been cleared, and there were all sorts of roughly inch and one-half diameter holes drilled into solid rock – they had to blast in order to get a foundation in!

You do have many options, however blasting can be (I have found) quite affordable. Many years ago we built a horse stall barn near Benton City, Washington. This building had a total of 84 columns and was on a rock shelf. Powder monkey came out and blasted all of them for a couple of hundred dollar bills!

There are other choices – you can rent a “ram hoe” attachment for a skid steer or backhoe (this would probably be my pick). Read more here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2016/12/attacking-pole-barn-rocks-holes/

Or, a jackhammer – I would not suggest this option for more than just a hole or two.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am in the planning stages for a pole barn build. The building will be 50 ft wide by 40 ft deep by 16 ft high at the eaves, posts spaced at 10 ft centers. This will go on a concrete pad and I am looking into using Sturdi-Wall Plus wet set brackets. My question is in regard to the height of the posts (roughly 16 ft) and the bending moment loads (wind loads) on the side of the building. Have you designed/installed posts with this height or higher before? If so, is there a place where I can point the planning officials to that shows the calcs and what not so they can make a decision as to whether or not this type of application with my situation will work or not?

I appreciate your help! MICHAEL in UPTON

DEAR MICHAEL: Thank you for reaching out to us. We have provided fully engineered post frame buildings using these very same brackets and eave heights of 24′. Your real solution is to have your building plans done by a Registered Professional Engineer who can provide verifying calculations for all components and connections.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a question about the structure of your pole barns. Do you use treated lumber or non treatmented lumber? I am asking about the post that go in the ground AND the boards that touch the metal roof. I worry about the wood rotting or bugs getting in it. KRISTEN in BAY MINETTE

DEAR KRISTEN: Any roof supporting structural columns are pressure preservative treated to UC-4B per International Building Code requirements. This is a greater level of pressure treatment than you can usually find at big box stores or local lumberyards. Any other lumber used in ground contact will be treated to UC-4A and tags will reflect ‘ground contact’. Lumber in contact with steel roofing (roof purlins) are not exposed to the weather, would not typically be pressure preservative treated. We do always recommend a condensation control be used between roof steel and roof framing. The easiest, from an application standpoint, would be a factory applied to roof steel Integral Condensation Control (DripStop or CondenStop). Other alternatives would be a Radiant Reflective Barrier (we can provide this in six foot width rolls with an adhesive pull strip attached for ease of joining rolls together) or to use two inches of closed cell spray foam.

This entry was posted in Professional Engineer, tools, Pole Barn Questions, Columns, Pole Barn Design, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Structure, Concrete, Budget and tagged engineered plans, bedrock, site prep, slab, wet set brackets, ACQ treated lumber, treated posts, ram hoe, rock, in-ground use lumber on January 19, 2022 by admin.

Pitch a Roof, Up or Out, and a Site Prep Problem

Today’s Pole Barn Guru tackles reader questions about a “way to put a pitch on a flat carport roof,” when building is is cheaper to go “up or out,” and “extra” costs associated with poor site prep.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: What is the fastest, least expensive way to put a pitch on a flat carport roof? My inclination is to use 2x material cut at 1.6 degree (3/8″/foot) across the 24′ width 16″ apart covered with 7/16″ OSB. DANIEL in YELLOW SPRINGS

DEAR DANIEL: Unless you are going to use a hot mopped or rolled EPDM roofing, you should probably be looking to do a slope of at least 3/12 for either shingles or steel roofing (steel will be least expensive and quickest). Below this roof slope shingles require added underlayment and most steel roofing paint warrantees are void. You should have a Registered Professional Engineer investigate specifics of your carport and determine a structurally sound design solution – rather than you guessing and either creating a bigger problem, or over killing and being more expensive than necessary.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: My wife and I are researching pole barns with the intent of building within the next year. You’re site says it’s cheaper to build a larger footprint than it is to build up. When we built our home, our builder told us it was cheaper to build up than to build with a larger footprint. What’s the deal? JONATHAN in KENNEWICK

DEAR JONATHAN: Without comparing an exact set of variables – exact usable square footage, ceiling heights, insulation requirements, include concrete, HVAC, literally everything, I would find it difficult to predict other than they should be very, very close when all is said and done. This article goes further in depth on this vary subject: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/02/barndominium-one-story-or-two/

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Our contractor set the poles without grading the site. Now he wants to charge us $5000 more because there’s a 2′ drop. He says he needs 7 truckloads of fill dirt to make the floor level. We are building the pole barn to put our travel trailer in and now the clearance of the 12 foot door opening is in jeopardy because he has to build up the outside ramp to get to the door. What can we do? RUTHIE in SPRING HILL

DEAR RUTHIE: To begin with your site should have been graded prior to construction starting, obviously you did not know what you did not know. Fill should not be dirt, in any case. Up to within two to six inches of bottom of your building’s splash planks should be sub base – compacted no more than every six inches. On top of this should be two to six inches of sand or sandy gravel – also compacted. Seven truckloads of fill should amount to roughly 115 yards, so if this is for proper materials, compacted, price is probably not out of line.

You could solve much of this by cutting down high spots on your site – probably at least a foot inside your building’s footprint and sloping away from your building for 10 feet outside.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Planning, Building Contractor, Trusses, Concrete, Rebuilding Structures, Professional Engineer, Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Post Frame Home, Building Styles and Designs, Roofing Materials and tagged building footprint, roof modification, up or out, site prep, roof pitch, Grade Changes on December 14, 2020 by admin.

Site Prep,

Thursday’s edition will tackle three more reader questions. First up is about how level a site must be before erecting a shop, second is about pole barn homes and the many options available, and third is a question about the best method to fix an issue left by a previous builder.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am planning on building a 30’x 40’ post frame shop. The ground is dirt and has about an 8” drop from east to west. How level must the site be before erecting the shop? I will out in a concrete floor after it is built. JASON in JACKSON

DEAR JASON: Personally I would get my ground as close to level before building as possible, as it is far easier to place and properly compact fill without your building being erected. Of all things being neglected in building construction, proper site preparation and compaction probably ranks close to list tops. You will want to read my series of articles beginning here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/site-preparation/.

Photos: https://hansenpolebuildings.com/uploads/polebarnquestions/0aaae906a4e86643f513e2c2c5b99bf1.jpeg

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I saw a few pole barn homes on your website and was wondering if that is all the plans you have? We are interested in wood siding, not metal. TRACY

Get A Free Quote!

DEAR TRACY: Every post frame building Hansen Pole Buildings provides is 100% custom designed to best meet your wants and needs. We encourage our clients to design homes to best fit their lifestyle. By working from inside to out and not trying to fit what you need within a preordained box just because someone said using a “standard” site might be cheaper you can arrive at an ideal design solution. Differences in dimensions from “standard” are pennies per square foot, not dollars.

You can use the links in this article to assist with determining needed spaces, sizes and how to get expertly crafted plans and elevation drawings: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2019/10/show-me-your-barndominium-plans-please/

If you find an existing plan somewhere you feel will meet your needs, we can adapt it to post frame construction and save you money. Hansen Pole Buildings can provide fully engineered post frame buildings with any type of siding or roofing materials.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am working on finishing an apartment above a garage with framed walls/OSB and steel on the roof. The contractor who walked off the job did not put any type of vapor barrier between steel and purlins. I priced closed cell spray foam which is more than homeowner wants to pay. I was then thinking about using Visqueen on the ceiling (bottom cord of standard truss) with unfaced insulation for an airtight vapor barrier. But after more research it looks like that may not be a good option. There is ridge and soffit venting. What do you think? If not Visqueen or faced insulation do you think one inch of closed cell on the metal and batted down on the ceiling would work in Pennsylvania or would just an inch still allow sweating?

DEAR JOSHUA: Exasperating when contractors cheap out and leave clients (or client’s next builder) with a mess to have to fix.

You have only a couple of realistic options – first one is ugly, remove roof steel and place a thermal break between conditioned space and roof steel. This could be as simple as adding a Reflective Radiant Barrier. It never comes back together as well as it did originally, and when all is said and done, option number two will be less expensive.

Option two is closed cell spray foam. It really takes two inches to be an effective vapor barrier, and should run roughly two dollars per square foot of roof surface. While homeowner might not want to make this investment, he or she did not do their homework to initially be an informed buyer and if they do not solve this challenge it will be a problem forever.

This entry was posted in Barndominium, Insulation, Shouse, Pole Barn Questions, Shouse, Pole Barn Design, Roofing Materials, Ventilation, Alternate Siding, Pole Barn Homes and tagged closed cell spray foam, level site, shouse plans, pole barn options, moisture barrier, site prep on October 15, 2020 by admin.

More Information, Pricing for a Kit, and Site Work and Grade Changes

Today’s Pole Barn Guru answers questions about “more information” on Hansen Pole Building’s product, pricing for a kit, as well as site work and grade changes.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hey, I was wanting to see if I could get some more information on a steel house. My wife and I have 5 acres in Kings Mountain, NC and are wanting to start the home buying/ building process at the end of next year. Do you guys take care of the structure, concrete slab, flooring, electrical, grading, plumbing, well, etc? I am trying to find more information on the steel house process and how I can go about getting started. Looking forward to hearing back from you. SAWYER in KINGS MOUNTAIN

DEAR SAWYER: Thank you for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building. Here is a great resource to get you started: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2019/10/show-me-your-barndominium-plans-please/

Our goal is to provide you with the best possible building value and to help you avoid making crucial mistakes you will regret forever. We take care of custom design and structural aspects of your home along with delivery to your site. We include detailed step-by-step assembly instructions for you or your builder as well as unlimited free Technical Support from people who have actually built buildings.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have seen your kits available other places so I decided to go to you directly. Where do I find pricing for 48 ft. x 60 ft. x 20 ft. Wood Garage Kit without Floor. LEAMARIE in NEW RICHMOND

DEAR LEAMARIE: Your quickest way to obtain pricing on this (or any dimension post frame building) is to call 1(866)200-9657 and ask to speak with a Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I live on the side of the mountain and planning on building a 36×40 shop, I have to do a little of grade work and may need to bring in some pit fill. Wondering if these pole barn kits will work for me? My plan is to have a concrete slab… was thinking of a Thickened edge slab because of my concern of frost heaving of a floating slab, does a pole barn make sense in my situation? Or should I just do a stick frame… DAVE in BOZEMAN

DEAR DAVE: Beautiful area – I spent a year in Bozeman when I was studying Architecture.

There have been many questions recently on dealing with grade change and fill…..all clear, level sites must be used up!

Regardless of what building type you are going to do, here is some information on site preparation, fill and compaction: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/soil-compaction-how-to/.

Thickening your slab’s edge is probably not going to be a solution for frost heave. Here is some further reading on frost heave: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/10/pole-building-structure-what-causes-frost-heaves/.

Post frame (pole) building construction is going to be easiest and most cost effective design solution.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Questions, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Homes, Barndominium and tagged Hansen Buildings Info, Grade Changes, site prep, free quotes, Instant Pricing on January 13, 2020 by admin.

Proper Foundation and Slab, Two-Story Buildings, and Door Parts

Proper Foundation and Slab, Two-Story Buildings, and Door Parts

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Dear Sir, I read the details of pouring a concrete slab after building the barn. I live in Montana with some pretty cold winters. If I were laying a slab for a conventional stick built structure i would be required to dig footings 48” deep all around the perimeter. What should I do if I am building a pole barn? While I may supply low level background heat I would like a construction that does not require it to resist Montana winters.
Regards, DEREK in KALISPELL

DEAR DEREK: Regardless of the type of construction used, the success or lack thereof for your slab is going to come from what you do underneath it, as well as grading the site properly to keep water from pooling below it.

Follow along first by reading my series of articles devoted to site preparation which begins with: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/11/site-preparation/.

You will want to have your building site graded so as there is a 5% slope away from the building, when completed.

Now the fun part – protecting your building itself. I’ve become an advocate for Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations. Here are a couple of articles which should get you heading in the right direction: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2016/11/frost-protected-shallow-foundations/

and https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2017/09/post-frame-frost-walls/.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do you offer 30 x 40 2 story apartment/garages?? ROB in ALPINE

DEAR ROB: We offer any dimension of footprint you desire, not just 30 foot width by 40 feet long and would encourage you to look at what works best for you in an internal layout, then create the exterior dimensions which best fit your interior needs. Two and even three full or partial stories can easily be done with post frame construction and if your zoning allows the overall height and you are willing to add sprinklers, you could go four stories.

Your mixed use will probably result in having to at least one-hour fire separate the apartment from the garage. This could include having to protect the stairs, if they are interior, as well as to provide clear protection all the way to the outside world. A discussion with your local planning and zoning friends could provide you with added insights.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do you have available, either metal or wood, a barn door and hardware for an opening 8′ high and 5′ wide, to be placed within a screen porch (the entrance to the garage)? TRISH in WIMBERLEY

DEAR TRISH: Thank you for your interest. Due to shipping challenges, we now only provide barn doors along with the investment into a complete post frame building kit. You might try contacting the ProDesk at your local The Home Depot®.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Questions, Footings, Pole Barn Homes, Workshop Buildings, Sliding Doors and tagged two-story building, building sizes, foundation, custom designs, site prep, slab, sliding door parts on March 19, 2018 by admin.

Condensation Control, Home Plans, and Grade Changes!

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: If I put double bubble under metal on roof for condensation control, then insulate bottom chord of trusses with white vinyl faced insulation , will this create a problem if I ventilate attic space ? Thanks. SCOTT in DUNLAP

DEAR SCOTT: You actually have several things going on here. First, single bubble reflective radiant barrier will do everything double bubble will, at a far lesser investment. The difference in the minimal R value is a fraction of one! Your building ceiling should not have an additional vapor barrier, you want the moisture from inside the building to be able to migrate through into the ventilated attic space. Blowing in an appropriate thickness of fiberglass or cellulose insulation will be far more effective, probably less expensive and will allow the moisture through. Make sure to have adequate intake at the eaves and exhaust at the ridge to be able to properly vent the dead attic space.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hello!

Do you all also finish the interior of pole barns if we want it to be a home or would I contract that separately?

Untitled design – 1

Thanks! TIFFANY

DEAR TIFFANY: Thank you for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building. We provide the custom designed plans, materials delivered to your site and assembly instructions for the shell and load supporting portions of your new building only. Any interior walls and/or interior wall finishes would be up to you to contract for.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Can I build a pole building home in the side of a hill, where the back will be below grade and the front above. RICK in CLEAR LAKE

DEAR RICK: Most certainly you can. I have a post frame building on the back of our property outside of Spokane, Washington. The site has 12 feet of grade change across the 40 foot width. After excavating the area where the building would be placed to level, ICF blocks were placed 12 feet high along the southern wall, stepping down with the slope on the east wall, with the other two walls being “daylight” and utilizing traditional columns embedded in the ground. You can read more about my building here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2013/06/garage/

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Grade change, condensation control, site prep, double bubble, Interior house plans on August 21, 2017 by admin.

Commercial Girts Best for Drywall, Site Prep, and Condensation

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’m considering a pole barn for my residence but had a question about the girt placement between posts. I read in the FAQ section that they are placed like shelves between posts. Would it be possible to mount drywall directly to these for interior walls without additional bracing or building of interior wall frames? I’m trying to avoid framing an entire building within a building, it seems pointless and not cost effective. If I need to frame every interior wall to hold drywall and insulation, I can simply build a standard stick frame house. VAN in INDEPENDENCE

DEAR VAN: Bookshelf girts for insulation (e.g. Commercial Girts) is a quick and easy way to create a deep insulation cavity as well as providing the framing for your interior GWB (Gypsum Wall Board). You will want to confirm your new post frame building frame is stiff enough to prevent undue deflection from cracking the GWB joints.

Learn more about commercial girts here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/09/commercial-girts-what-are-they/.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have property in an area that floods from time to time. For example, can a monitor barn (approx. 25×50). with side sheds be built. The idea I have is the side sheds serving as porches and under the barn would be a drive through area. there is already a modular home built in the area that is elevated about 4 ft. off the ground and they have had no problem . Thanks, MIKE in MOLINA

DEAR MIKE: You can build any sort of post frame building on your site which will be allowable under the limitations of your Planning Department. As to dealing with the flood issues, you should have your property elevations determined by a surveyor, and the site where the building will be constructed can then be built up so the floor will be above the flood plain level.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I recently purchased several 4’x50′ reflectix double bubble foil rolls. I’ve put up a brand new 30×56 post frame metal building and was going to use this product to keep the metal roof and walls from condensating not to mention I was hoping it would help keep some heat in during the winter and heat out during the summer until I truly insulate the inside. My question is, for ease of installation on my metal roof panels, is it acceptable to put the foil on the underside of the 2×6 roof joists instead of sandwiching it between the roof joists and metal? There will be no roof venting due to leaving the trusses and attic space exposed. My only real concern is that it could condensate worse installing it this way. Also I will not be continually heating the building. Only on occasion with a propane heater while I’m working. I’m not real savvy when it comes to insulation and condensation control so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! Brandon

DEAR BRANDON: While it would be easy to install the steel roofing without having to place the reflective radiant barrier between the roof purlins and the roof steel, it is going to be the easiest method to limit condensation issues, given the product you have invested in. Hopefully you have gotten the double bubble with a tab along one side and an adhesive pull strip, otherwise you will have to tape all of the seams as you work your way along the roof.

Could you place it on the underside of the purlins? Yes, however in order to work as an effective condensation control, it has to be absolutely tightly sealed against any protruding framing members. Remember the time you saved on installing the roof steel? You just ate it all up.

If you have not yet ordered your steel roofing you could resell the reflective radiant barrier online and order steel with I.C.C. (Integral Condensation Control) attached (see the article and video here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2017/03/integral-condensation-control/).