Just in case I have never mentioned how much I appreciate the questions posed to me by Bob, one of the Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designers, I will do so here. Bob writes, “I got into a discussion with a gentleman in Kansas that liked our design approach (post spacing, double interior trusses, purlins on edge, […]

When planning the administrative offices of Hansen Pole Buildings, we looked at the most efficient method to heat and cool a building which would have 8000 square feet of finished space. After weighing all of the options, it was determined the answer would be hydronic radiant floor heating, poured within the concrete floor. Our particular […]

So many considerations go into the proper design of horse stall barns. Having a family expert (my professional horse trainer daughter Bailey) keeps me on my toes when it comes to giving advice. One crucial component of good horse health is air-flow and circulation. Besides designing stall barns for good ventilation with air intakes (such […]

Once again, we hop in the “Way Back Machine” and visit what to some might be viewed as ancient history. Sometimes in life – to know where we are, it is important to know where we came from. After selling my first post frame building business, M & W Building Supply, to Jim Betonte in […]

I’ve decided I rather like the sound of the word “lobular”. Say it a few times and it rather rolls of one’s tongue! As a prolific pole building contractor in the 1990’s (yeah, way back in the pre-Y2K days), I ran as many as 35 pole building crews in six states. We built a LOT […]

As always, I enjoy finding real life solutions to client’s challenges. One of the Building Designers, Rick, of Hansen Pole Buildings posed this to me today: “Another thing came up yesterday, got a guy that wants everything, and is on a cost crunch, nothing new there, but one item that he wants is parallel chord […]

Glulam Columns Recently one of the clients of Hansen Pole Buildings asked us to compare our building, to one being quoted by another supplier. One of the “features” of the other providers building was building glulam columns which were built out of three 2×6’s which were both glued and nailed. Whilst our client believed these […]

Before any of my readers drop their teeth due to me saying something I don’t exactly extol… is easy….read on! I’ve spent the last few days in Michigan – where I am being told no Building Official would EVER approve of a pole building designed with double trusses spaced 10 or 12 feet on center […]

Client to Hansen Pole Buildings Designer, Jim; “I talked to a local lumber yard and received a quote from them for a similar 40×60 with attic truss at 40#/sq and they were about 20K lower than your quote.  The 54K that you quoted seemed a little high when I received it.  The other quote did […]

Many of you are by now familiar with Jim, one of the senior Building Designers at Hansen Pole Buildings. Jim is great – he has an investigative mind, so poses many marvelous questions to me, many of which are incorporated into this blog. Today Jim asked me what I knew about a particular building system […]

For my step-son Kevin, this one word pretty much covers everything. He and his identical twin brother Josh have always gone by the premise of – if it moves- kill it, and if it doesn’t move, prod it until it moves, then kill it. Kevin loves to hunt, and if he isn’t hunting, he is […]

I know none of us has ever experienced this condition, but we all know of someone who has had the hurling issue, often after a period of personal discussion with some of the friends of George Thorogood. In this instance, I’m not thinking either of the example above, or the tasty oatmeal raisin cookies my […]

One of our clients, Derald writes: “How do you provide adequate intake venting for a ridge vent on a pole building?  I am assuming that you would drill 2” holes along the eave girt and install a wire mesh, like bird blocking.  How far apart would the minimum spacing of the 2” holes need to […]

No construction project goes without any hitches at all, Steve’s garage being absolutely typical. If you have just joined my daily construction blog – I have been sharing my daily chronicle this week of constructing a pole barn garage for my oldest step-son’s father-in-law in Happy Valley, Tennessee.  It was probably the hottest days I […]

I really, really like windows. They give a view to the world. They can be used for ventilation. Those are good things. To bring those of you who are just joining my daily blog up to date, I’ve spent this week building a garage – in Happy Valley, Tennessee.  My thanks for the opportunity to […]

We are on day 4 of working on a garage for my oldest step-son’s father-in-law in Happy Valley Tennessee.  You might want to skip back to Monday of this week, and skim through to catch on my day by day account of building a garage. – Last I left you, we encountered a problem of […]

This week I am relating a recent day by day account of putting up a pole building for my oldest step-son’s father-in-law in Happy Valley, Tennessee.  Check back to Monday for the beginning of this string. On to day two on the jobsite…another sunny day.  (Read that as “oppressively hot and humid”.) Jake picked up […]

If you did not read last Friday’s blog – go back and catch up.  This one will make more sense! Since the posts for Steve’s new garage were already in place, the worst of the work – playing in the dirt, was out of the way. Even when I have set my own poles, the […]

While most Hansen Buildings clients are looking to construct their own buildings, a fair number don’t want to do the dirty work themselves. They are looking for a builder who can at least construct the building shell for them. I haven’t been a building contractor personally in over a decade. Over the past few years […]

Life has now ended….nothing worse could ever happen…..ever….send my money back. No – failure to get through an initial plan check is not a reason for suicide planning, or to be jumping up and down screaming. Whether the building (or just plans) were provided by us, or anyone else – the first step is to […]

When I was just a little tyke, my Mother used to watch Art Linkletter’s “House Party”. A highlight of his show was the segment, “Kids Say the Darndest Things”. I have my own version, “Potential Building Owners Say the Darndest Things”. Our Building Designer Lauri seems to be a magnet for these lately. Here she […]

Bob, one of our Building Designers, comes up with some truly great questions. I appreciate him keeping me thinking! Today Bob writes, “Any reason why a client in Louisiana would not be able to have a post-tension slab installed in one of our buildings? Apparently it’s a slab suggested in his area because of the […]

It is always a pleasure to be able to assist potential clients by answering their construction related questions. Client Randy asks: “I have gotten a bid for my building, but became aware that this will not be a “pre-fab” kit. My question is related to the cutting of the 29 gauge steel panels. What is […]

In 2000, I worked for a company who manufactured glu-laminated columns (or “glu-lams”) for post frame buildings. My job was to call on pole builders and companies which provided post frame building kits, to introduce the features and benefits of the product. I also interacted with lumberyards and wholesale lumber companies, in order to get […]

I was a general contractor for years, registered in multiple states. From time to time we would have clients question whether we had the capacity to perform. In other words, “would we finish the project as promised?” The states I was registered in all had contractor bond requirements, in order to secure a license. In […]