Green Buildings: The Economics of Building with Wood Anyone can equip a building with a few energy efficient features and call their product “green”, but a true move to sustainability in low rise buildings means improving the building process itself. In an industry as fragmented as construction, doing so demands a major investment in time, […]

Blazing Building Prices…Honestly You’ve been talking with someone about a new pole barn. You like the salesperson, and feel like you have built a good relationship with them. You feel they offer a good design solution, can deliver within your time frame….just one question remains. Is their price right? Here is the secret to honestly […]

Roof Trusses: Planes, Trains & Automobiles Usually none of these get hung from the bottom chords of roof trusses, however lots of other things can be. Standard pole building truss designs will support only the extra weight of minimal lighting and electrical. Don’t panic, virtually anything can be supported from your pole barn trusses and […]

Mega Clearspan Buildings…Just Put a Post in It In my first managerial position in the roof truss industry, we worked out of an 80 foot wide by 120 foot long concrete tilt up building. This building had a row of interior columns down the middle, 30 feet on center. These three columns posed no challenge […]

Stick ‘em Up Kim Fahey was recently convicted of a dozen misdemeanor building code infractions last month, in Los Angeles County. He faces several years in prison unless he tears down his “Phonehenge West”. Fahey said his constitutional right to do what he wants on his property is being trampled, calling that the real issue […]

No SCUBA gear; Sit Tight and Raise a New Pole Barn Garage The headline was, “Why We’re Pumped About Our Underwater Home”. It had nothing to do with physically watching the waves roll over their home – but the headline did catch my attention. Writer Laura Cone purchased her new home in 2005 for $180,000 […]

As they say in journalism, “If it bleeds, it leads”.  It is important to remember the media’s goal is to capture eyeballs and all too often we are unable to turn our heads away from a train wreck. Patti Domm, CNBC Executive News Editor, recently wrote: “June’s miserable jobs report has put the fear of […]

We as a public don’t like “being told what to do” and often balk at agencies which regulate important parts of our lives, such as how we want to design a building.  However, there is a good reason they get involved.  The building code is to protect public health, safety and general welfare as relating […]

When Less is More – Economical Buildings The beauty of pole building construction includes being very affordable and being relatively easy to build. In the affordability area – a common misconception is to construct the building as “just a roof”, with the idea of walls being installed at a later date. And this will result […]

A Perfect Throw is Useless without a Successful Catch How important is having a Team mentality? Maybe you are on a winning team now – whether it be sports, business or a personal relationship. When you are on a Winning Team, you can pretty well attribute the success to Effective Teamwork. Individual achievement is critical […]

Pole Barn Plans – Goin’ For A Plans Check You did your homework….you have been through the hoops of your local planning department, and they have told you the dream pole building you want can indeed be constructed on your property, where you want it. After their blessing, you have stopped in at the building […]

Why you can’t afford to not make a quality building investment. I am a member of a builder forum on LinkedIn. This morning, a new topic post was, “Do you use inferior products to get your bid down low or use the right product knowing you will lose the work on price?” As a professional […]

Did I happen to mention verify? So, you have a problem, or are trying to reach a goal – with the solution being a new building. Now, with the solution in mind, what to do first? Call around or shop online to get a price? Wrong answer. The correct answer is to visit your planning […]

There are lots of folks just like you who are out there chasing the steel covered building dream. You have a problem or are trying to reach a goal, which involves a new pole or steel building. Am I right? Now there are also a lot of people out there telling you it’s easy. In […]

You may have heard them advertised on television, radio, online and in the back of Popular Mechanics. I came across a query from a gentleman from Wake Forest, NC which included, “I have found some really good deals on the local craigslist from private individuals who have bought them and never put them up for […]

Those of you who know me well are very aware I am willing to change my mind, when sufficient evidence is provided to prove a case. Recently a fair amount of brouhaha has been generated around legislation to require fire suppression sprinkler systems in new residential construction. The International Code Council (an organization of building […]

Back in the middle of March, Darlene T. made an inquiry to us about investing in a new pole barn. Now Darlene and her husband are newlyweds, having been married for just a year. Initially, she had considered a gambrel roof style, with a loft so the kids would have a place to stay when […]

One of the things I make myself available for is weekly individual coaching sessions with our Building Designers. In these sessions, the Building Designers can ask for advice on pole building design or features, discuss particular ongoing projects or share ideas on how to best serve our pole barn clients. Every once in a while, […]

As a voracious reader, and someone who always wants to make sure they have their finger on the “pulse” of the pole building industry, I am always scouring for information and misinformation on the ‘net. I recently read the post below. I’d like to have you read through it, and then I will give you […]

I am not much different than probably most of my readers, when we get to the end of the work week, it is time to kick back and relax. It was on one of these “after the work week” evenings, that I met with a few friends to indulge in our favorite beverages, grab a […]

Shhhh….somebody might hear you. We want to know what your budget is for your new pole building. You know, how much do you have set aside for the building (or are planning to borrow to pay for it)? This dollar amount should be cash on hand (which you are willing to invest into your new […]

I get asked nearly every day about the lifespan of pressure treated wood. Prior to expounding upon the virtues of pressure treatments, it would be helpful to know more about why untreated wood decays. With this information in hand we can see how current chemical treatment methods prevent wood decay. The following is excerpted from […]

I’m a voracious reader. A large portion of my daily reading is devoted to learning as much as I can about my industry and expanding my knowledge base. On LinkedIn, I am a member of the “Truss, Panel & Building Components” discussion group. One of the members, Gene Marcoux, from Florida, had postulated, “If we […]

“I’ve got a GREAT deal on a pole building for you. All you have to do is take it down, move it and reassemble”. Even if the price is FREE, is it a bargain or not? Let’s take a look at why this might not be such a great deal. Better check out the building […]

You can save some money or save some effort…… Assuming you order a building with steel roofing and/or steel siding, these materials will most usually be delivered to your building site by the steel company. The truck which will be making the delivery is what is known as a “route” truck. A route truck is […]