Every six months the International Code Council (ICC) provides updated Building Valuation Data (BVD) to its members. The BVD table provides the “average” construction costs per square foot, which can be used in determining permit fees for a jurisdiction. The following building valuation data represents average valuations for most buildings.  Again it should be noted, […]

In 1979 I took a position managing a prefabricated roof truss plant for a lumber yard in Oregon. I knew a lot about trusses, quite a bit about lumber, and not very much about windows. Luckily, I had cohorts on the lumber side of things who did have some window knowledge, and were willing to […]

I read lots of different forums. A poster on one of the board recently wrote: “I have a quick question concerning nails. I just had a builder build me a pole barn and was wondering about the nails. They used galvanized nails for the skirt board on the bottom but then on the 2×4 strapping […]

Condensation will occur on any surface when the surface air temperature is at or below the “dew point temperature” for an air-water (vapor) mixture. The dew point temperature is the temperature at which the air can no longer “hold” all of the water vapor which is mixed with it, and some of the water vapor […]

I’ve been following stories by Emerald Morrow, reporter for WLNS-TV in Lansing, Michigan. Here is the latest: “Residents fed up with a lack of dialogue with Lansing-based Niowave over a 14,000 square foot pole barn in their neighborhood have taken matters into their own hands, staking signs in their yards to let the company know […]

This story from FOX 47 News in Lansing, Michigan on September 20: “Strong winds spread a fire from a burning trash pit to a pole barn in Stockbridge Township Wednesday evening. The Stockbridge Deputy Fire Chief tells us the pit was about 40 feet from the barn. The owner called 911 around 5:45pm when he […]

If you didn’t read yesterday’s blog – is good to catch up as a lead-in for today – well worth the time.  In it I discussed a problem a reader had asked for tech support about an insulation issue. So today – yet another reader has written…. “I am in the process of finishing a […]

A reader writes (spelling, grammar errors included): “When I built my barn I had 2″ insulation bats put between the outside framing and the tin. The side toward the tin is just open insulation. The inside is that heavy with plastic or whatever it is. I built with books shelve perlins on 2′ centers. Thinking […]

My life with roof trusses began in Spokane in the spring of 1977. I spent the first two plus years of my career in Spokane and later Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, before being hired to manage a roof truss plant in Salem, Oregon. Having never been exposed to anything different, my assumption was all prefabricated roof […]

This is a product review for Tuff Posts,  a product I have never used. Now how can I feel qualified to do such a review? Thanks to the miracle of the internet, a plethora of information can be gleaned on nearly any product. Tuff Posts are prefabricated columns for use in pole buildings. As a […]

The nice thing about being in the post frame building industry, is whenever one begins to believe they have heard it all….someone comes along with a scenario which had not previously be considered. Recently we were contacted by a client who wanted to construct a new post frame building – on a sand dune. My […]

As a toddler, I remember watching the 1939 hit “The Wizard of Oz” on television for the first time. It was terrifying; I saw most of it hiding behind our green “leatherette” couch. In the movie, Margaret Hamilton (as the Wicked Witch of the West) has the following lines, as Dorothy watches her melt: “You […]

Perma-columns are manufactured by the same company who produces the Sturdi-Wall brackets. Paraphrased from the company’s information: Perma-Columns are five foot precast concrete columns which are designed to keep wood out of the ground, ensuring a post frame building’s foundation will never rot. They are the first product to combine the economy of post frame construction with […]

Am sure yesterday’s blog posting on moments left a few folks scratching their heads. There actually was a method to my madness, as it leads into today’s topic. Many may have seen various column bases at their local lumberyard or big box store. Manufactured by either Simpson or USP (similar to Simpson CB66), these products […]

As an 18 year old sophomore architecture student at Montana State University, I had my very first exposure to moments. I was working full time daily until 9 p.m., which meant homework got done after I got off work….therefore, the 8 a.m. engineering class and my lack of sleep fog, did not go well together.  […]

I was talking with one of our clients yesterday. His builder was concerned because constructing the new pole building first, then pouring the concrete slab seemed backwards to him. Here is the information I shared with the client: While the preference is to have the building shell completed prior to pouring concrete slabs, at the […]

A frequent question, especially in the case of residential and commercial applications, is how to put pipes and chimneys through steel roofs. Dektite® Pipe Flashing is the original flexible pipe flashing system designed to seal hot or cold flues and pipes on metal roofs. With a tough weather tight seal and a strong flexible base, […]

Justine (a Hansen Buildings Project Coordinator) recently needed to order some glu-laminated columns for a pole building kit package. One of our vendors recommended she instead order Parallam® Plus PSL columns instead, insisting they would be as strong as or stronger than glu-lams. Parallam® is the brand name for an engineered wood product developed by […]

I just could not resist this title. This article is not a plug for the business which actually uses this name in Seattle, it just caused a chuckle. Rather like the hair stylists, Curl Up and Dye. The main purpose of rain gutters is to protect a building’s foundation by channeling water away from its base. […]

My confession – I am a baseball fan. In baseball, the tale of the tape is usually in regards to how far a home run has been hit. Ever been to the Mall of America? The mall is built atop of the location of the old Metropolitan Stadium (one time home of the Minnesota Twins). […]

Hansen Buildings is always looking for new products or techniques which could be incorporated into our pole buildings to offer clients a better product. One resource we utilize is to monitor websites of others who provide post frame buildings, whether constructed or DIY (Do-It-Yourself) building kits. In checking out one of these sites, I found […]

Let Me Out The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, who […]

Well, gentle reader, if my occasional rants make good reading, or are otherwise entertaining, today should be a treat indeed. A client (from Missouri) sent us the quote he received from a lumberyard in his area for a new 30’ x 40’ x 12’ pole building. Great price – if I was going to purchase […]

Steel roofing has many benefits, some obvious, some not so obvious – until faced with a potential disaster! Besides the ease of installation, it is durable, attractive, energy efficient, lightweight, recyclable and versatile. It will withstand deep snows, high winds and…it is fire resistant. The relevance and importance of fire resistance was recently spotlighted on […]

Hansen Pole Buildings is currently designing a building for a golf course in Washington. While basically a two story storage building, it also includes a meeting room area which can be utilized for gatherings (I believe throwing darts was mentioned). Anyhow – I digress….the real reason behind this article is a discussion of the solution […]