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: What are the options and opinions on having a basement with a pole barn home? JAKE IN PEWAUKEE
DEAR JAKE: I happen to live on a lake, which is nestled into a mountain valley. For the most part, the parcels of land around the lake tend to be very narrow and very steep (only so much lake frontage exists, therefore the narrow lots). In my case, the lot gains well over 100 feet of elevation from lake to back, over the 250 feet of depth.
With the lake as my “front” yard, on the back of my lot is a pole building upon which the site had 12 feet of grade change in 40 feet. The solution was to excavate to the lowest point, then construct a foundation on the “high” sides. In my case, we used eight inch insulated Styrofoam blocks, poured with concrete – one wall being 12 feet tall, and the other sides appropriately steeped to match the land contours. Steel brackets engineered to withstand moment (bending) forces were poured into the top of the walls to attach the pole building columns.
The direct answer to your question is – yes. Whether a full basement, partial basement, or daylight basement (the last being closest to my particular case), pole buildings can be attached to any adequately designed foundation wall. We prefer to use wet set brackets (those embedded in the concrete wall at time of pour) as opposed to dry set brackets (those attached to the concrete wall with bolts) for a sturdier connection, but either one can be used.
One thing I have yet to try, but should certainly work, would be to use an all-weather wood foundation. I am seeing no reason why the columns to support upper floors could not be embedded right into the pressure preservative treated foundation walls – providing an even better and more versatile finished product.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am currently in the planning stages of building a new home. I am seriously considering a post frame home but I am not sure what type of foundation would be best. If I set the posts below frost line, which I believe is 30 inches, and poured a 4″-6″ floor inside, would this hold up to freezing temps or would my floor still heave. From what I\’ve read in the blog and other places it seems that this would work as long as it had proper drainage below. I have seen mixed reviews on this topic so I am just not sure whether to go this route or go with foundation walls on footers. Thank you for any advice. CHRIS IN MILLERSBURG
DEAR CHRIS: I am going to promote yet a third option – build over a crawl space. Columns (posts) would be embedded in holes probably 40 inches deep and an elevated wood floor would be placed at two foot above grade. The depth should preclude any possible heave issues, be the most overall cost effective (thousands of dollars less than a concrete foundation). This article discusses some of the costs of a concrete foundation: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2011/10/buildings-why-not-stick-frame-construction/. To read more on crawl spaces: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2013/03/crawl-space/.
DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Can you insulate a pole bldg.? GORDON IN CARSON
DEAR GORDON: Whether in the planning stages, or already constructed, yes one can insulate a pole building.
Here are some articles which may prove helpful reading in this area: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/04/climate-controlled/
https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/07/raised-heel-trusses/
