I recently spoke with a prospective client in California. This particular gentleman is an electrical contractor, and fancies himself as being fairly handy. He is considering doing the construction of his new pole building kit himself, however was terrified by the prospect of having to set the building columns. Being honest, we all have our […]

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the […]

Before I constructed my first commercial pole building, for myself, I would have had no idea what a Knox Box  was. Prior to then, if I would have had to venture a guess, I would have assumed it was the container for Knox® Brand gelatin. A Knox-Box®, known officially as the Knox-Box® Rapid Entry System, […]

Considering construction a post frame building for commercial use? If so, many jurisdictions offer a pre application conference which will greatly ease the overall permit process, as well as providing a total view as to all of the requirements necessary to be met. Why should I go through a PAC? In my humble opinion, if […]

Considering repainting steel panels? Steel roofing and siding is designed to provide decades of maintenance free use. There are cases where clients feel the need to change colors, which can be done, following the process outlined below for repainting steel panels. Any building panel surface to be repainted must be prepared and treated properly to […]

This is a true story, about the construction of an all-steel building; however the events could spell the doom of any building project – regardless of the structural framework. Shifting Piers Geo-technical engineers were called out to a jobsite to investigate why it was the concrete piers supporting an under construction all-steel building were unstable. […]

Construction is a Complicated Business The conditions always change – different clients, different materials, dealing with workers, subcontractors and vendors and a myriad of different governmental agencies each doing the push-me, pull-me with incomprehensible mountains of paperwork and requirements. Contractor High failure rate Those who are not prepared or capable of meeting these demands may […]

The nation is getting hammered by extreme weather beyond what builders imagined, leaving states and cities searching for ways to brace for more catastrophes like Superstorm Sandy. Even as they prepare for a new normal of intense rain, historic floods and record heat waves, some planners find it too politically sensitive to say aloud the […]

Lumber prices are expected to soar in 2013 before hitting all-time highs the following year, according to a report by the Vancouver consulting group International Wood Markets. Wood Markets president Russ Taylor said the dynamics have been in place since 2008 for a so-called “supercycle” which will push lumber prices into the stratosphere. The only […]

In December I had the opportunity to call on one of our “partners” in the southeastern United States. One thing I began to notice with regularity, as I went from location to location across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana was “pink” 2×4 studs. Using my limited mental facilities, I could only associate these with some sort […]

I live in a 103 year old home most frequently referred to as, “Our Home of Perpetual Remodel”. Between this and my inherent Norwegian frugality, I’m usually the last one to recommend knocking something to the ground and starting from scratch again. When I started working on “the house” back in 1990, the first order […]

What is an LVL? Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is an industry standard in framing of new wood frame buildings. LVLs are used to replace solid wood beams and joists. They are made in a process similar to plywood, where rotary peeled wood veneers (usually pine or fir) are dried then laminated together with glue and […]

The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 requires flood insurance to be purchased for properties in SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Areas) prior to the owners receiving any type of direct or indirect federal financing assistance. According to the insurance industry, the term “improved real estate” would be defined as a building with walls and a […]

Yesterday I covered 7 of what I feel are 14 of the most important questions to ask your local building department.  This not only will smooth the way through the permitting process, but also  ensures a solid and safe building structure. Let’s talk about the last seven…. #8 What is the Allowable Soil Bearing Capacity? […]

I Can Build, I Can Build! Whoa there Nellie…..before getting all carried away, there are 14 essential questions to have on your Building Department Checklist, in order to ensure the structural part of the new building process goes off without a hitch.  I will cover the first seven today, finishing up tomorrow, so you have […]

The Strong-Drive® SD Structural-Connector screw is specifically designed for use with Simpson Strong-Tie® connectors (frequently and generically known as joist hangers. Strong Drive Screws preferable to nails! Designed to replace nails in certain hangers, the load-rated SD screw has been tested and approved for use in many popular Simpson Strong-Tie® products. It is the only […]

TECO nails They actually no longer exist. TECO was the name of a company (Timber Engineering Company) which manufactured 10 penny, also known as 10d common nails (0.148 inch diameter) which were 1-1/2 inches in length. The company is now defunct, but the name has stuck. Joist Hanger Nails These nails are also referred to […]

In most parts of the United States, it will be a necessity to acquire a building permit in order to construct a new pole barn. The easy way to find out is to contact the local authorities to find out if indeed this is the case. Whether a structural building permit will be required or […]

According to Procrastinators Anonymous (www.procrastinaors-anonymous.org), procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried. Round Tuit! On the third day of 2013, among the New Year’s Resolutions of many, are to get a round tuit! Now the round tuit, is actually a fairly recent invention, arriving on the scene at the 1964 World’s Fair in […]

This reminds me of, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways….”? With apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, there are so many reasons pole buildings are the solution to urban garage needs. Most urban lots in the United States are very narrow and of small footprint. More often than not, the typical lot […]

On the first of each year, I tend to get a bit nostalgic, especially for my family, my home, and how my pole building career really took off. Bear with me as I take a step or two back in time. At the ripe old age of 33, I sold my first business in Oregon […]

In the 1980’s one man stood alone when it came to whether City of Portland (basically the same thing as Multnomah County), Oregon homeowners could acquire a Building Permit for a residential accessory building or not. Charles “Chuck” Frazier Now Chuck was a registered Structural Engineer, who took his position very seriously. His expectation was, […]

As I write this, the end of the world as we know it (yes, I know it is a 1987 R.E.M. tune) did not happen yesterday, December 21, 2012. What did happen is… it is now officially winter. In Browns Valley, MN this means typical T shirt and shorts weather, highs in the teens and […]

While doing research for a recent post on pressure treated lumber for pole buildings in Hawaii, I stumbled across a YouTube video entitled, “Think Twice before Using Pressure Treated Lumber for a stairway”. The maker of the video purports to have decades of construction experience and is based in Southern California. The video is specifically […]

Over the past few decades, I’ve been involved in several pole building projects on the Hawaiian Islands, and they all had one thing in common – the use of pressure preservative treated lumber throughout, included the prefabricated wood roof trusses. The use of pressure treated wood has been standard building practice in Hawaii and the […]