There are few things which define American home ownership better than having a good backyard accessory pole building. Whether at your primary residence, or at the mountain or lake cabin, having the ideal space for your needs is what takes your home from “pretty good”…to ideal. While the weather is warm, having a barbeque under […]

Spending two weeks in TN in August gave me plenty of time on my daily morning run to see all kinds of damage from hail (in April) described by my son and daughter-in-law who live there, as “the biggest we’ve ever seen”.  I couldn’t help noticing the beat up siding, holes the size of baseballs […]

A couple weeks ago I posted about vinyl siding damage due to hail storms in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. Vinyl siding was not the only thing damaged – on my four mile running loop are numerous yard signs from roofers. The roofers are replacing shingles which were damaged by the same storm. When I first […]

On LinkedIn, I am a member of a builder discussion group. Recently this question was posed: “Do you use inferior products to get your bid down low or use the right product knowing you will lose the job on price?” Anthony LoCoco, owner of Traditions Home Improvement Service, LLC in Illinois responded with this answer, […]

‘I want to see people build past minimum (code) standards’: Mike Holmes In a June 29, 2011 copyrighted article in Postmedia News, Mike Holmes says, “Anyone who knows me knows I talk an awful lot about building code. The code is a minimum acceptable standard for the construction of a building. It’s also a living, […]

After what has seemed like eons of planning, changes and more changes, interviewing prospective suppliers, dealing with planning and building departments…..it is done. You’ve ordered your new pole building. Time to kick back and relax until it is time to build. Think again…. Your RV, fifth-wheel, a logging truck or a manufactured home could easily […]

Let’s start in the forest… When David Friss of Anchorage worked for NOM ‘s Environmental Research Labs in Boulder, he was once asked why lightning sometimes spirals down the trunk of a tree. While the answer was not proven, we observed the path of least resistance might follow the spiral grain of the wood. He […]

Need a piece of lumber? In most of the United States, you get one from your local lumber yard or “big box” store and do not have a choice as to whether the lumber is “green” (moisture content of over 19%) or dry. For the most part, what is available at the retail level is […]

Construction specifications are generally produced by architects or engineers, for governmental or NGO construction projects which are to be let out for competitive bids. Our experience shows us many of these project specifiers write in requirements for products which are either commercially not readily available, or are not practical for the intended use of the […]

Grab any piece of lumber, with a narrow edge pointed up. Look down the narrow edge and you will normally see an upward or downward arch, or bow to the wood. An upward arch is “crowned up”.  This is a common lumber defect.  When building your new pole building, it is important for the crowns […]

There is a strong case to be made that wood is the greenest building material. But for it to really earn that title, we have to rethink how we build with it. In North America, wood construction has dominated single-family and low-rise housing; steel and concrete have dominated commercial and mid-rise residential construction. This usage […]

I Really Love What I Do How many of you can say you have been blessed to be in a career you truly love? One where you wake up every morning, excited to get to do it again? Call it luck, call it being blessed, call it anything you want….I love what I do. And […]

Part 3 of:  Mike the Pole Barn Guru… Unemployment Line? Back in the day…over a decade ago, I had a good friend who had created a website and was making a good living selling one single aftermarket engine part for Dodge pickups. Now this was back when most people did not have internet service, and […]

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch… In yesterday’s blog, we found our hero (aka me), “The Pole Barn Guru” worked out of a job. But wait….turns out there was work to be done. Deep in the recesses of Hansen Buildings, works a mysterious character known only as ….. “Shoes”. Shoes isn’t actually her Secret Agent name. […]

Mike the Pole Barn Guru: Unemployment Line? I don’t think so…. Back in 2002, this was just a fledgling business. Sure, I had over 20 years of experience, but this new business meant starting over from nowhere.  I had never before sold buildings primarily through the internet. Our building plans – two pages (granted they […]

What the Hail? I’ve been visiting my son and his wife in Maryville, TN. I used to be a competitive long-distance runner, and while I absolutely hate running, I enjoy eating whatever I want even more, so I run to eat. My lovely daughter-in-law set me up on a four mile loop to run. Those […]

You want me to Tell You What? Several years ago, we wanted to make a direct payment to one of our vendors by ACH (Automated Clearing House) direct deposit to their checking account. We explained the process to them, as well as letting them know we needed to have their bank routing information and account […]

A New Pole Building: Why We Won’t Sell You Anything…. Have you ever purchased something, and then after the purchase wondered how it is you ended up owning it? We are not talking here about the package of Chiclets from an adorable child on a sunny beach – those types of small dollar purchases are […]

Let’s Buy Pole Barn Plans… As I browse about the ‘net, checking out what is available in our industry, I find lots of folks who are selling plans for barns and pole buildings. Some of these are remarkably inexpensive. Now, why might buying a set of pole barn plans off the internet not be a […]

Roof Leaks: Where does condensation come from? When the weather turns cool in the fall, we get calls from customers with “roof leaks”, even when it has not been raining. These “leaks” are actually from condensation and are often reported as, “My steel roof is sweating”. Steel roofing does not sweat. Having no sweat glands, […]

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 […]