Building Codes Apply to Shouses Recently I shared with you, my faithful readers, a Park Rapids Enterprise article penned by Lorie R. Skarpness as Nevis, Minnesota attempts to deal with a shouse. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2019/12/a-shouse-in-the-news/ Below is Lorie’s update from January 18, 2020: “The discussion of a proposed shouse (a word that means a shop with living […]

Actual Brick Considerations for Barndominium Wainscot With post frame buildings becoming a ‘rage’ for use as homes, barndominiums and shouse (shop/houses) alternatives to dress them up are quickly arising. Amongst these options are clients looking to have actual brick wainscot, as opposed to using a different color of steel siding, thin brick, or other cultured […]

Today’s Pole Barn Guru answers questions about “proper wall girt spacing,” enclosing and insulating a roof only building, and if a post frame meets code in Dade County Florida. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I just contacted a contractor to build my pole barn and he said 2 x4 wall girts at 36″ I don’t think […]

Where Should the Top of Barndominium Slab Be? Loyal reader DANIEL in OWENSVILLE writes: “Mike, First I want to say thanks for all that I have learned from your Blog. I am confused on a couple of points you made concerning floor height… “Occasionally we have clients who ask why they can’t run the concrete […]

Loyal readers may recall recent articles guest written by recently retired Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rick Carr as he designed and erected his post frame hunting cabin over a crawl space (his journey began here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2019/03/development-of-my-cabin-plans/). Today ROB in DENVER writes: “Hi Mike.  I was given your contact info by one of your designers; she […]

In most parts of our country (and probably most other developed countries), it will be a necessity to acquire a building permit in order to construct a new barndominium, shouse (shop/house) or post frame home. Easiest way to find out is to contact your local authorities to find out if indeed this is your case. […]

In my last article I discussed limiting deflection for barndominium floors. Today I will take this one step further with a floor truss design solution. Most of us don’t think too much about floors we walk upon – unless they are not level, squeak when we walk on them, or are too bouncy. Traditionally wood […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers questions about “plans only” purchases, proper use of moisture barriers when adding insulation to an existing building, as well as the possibility or building a two story post frame house. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do you offer just the plans? I own a sawmill and would like to […]

Barndominiums, shouses (shop/houses) and post frame homes have become a true ‘thing’. As they have developed from bootlegged boxes to serious planning being given to them, there has been a rise in people wanting them over full or partial basements, crawl spaces and multiple floors. In nearly every case, these floors are made of wood […]

Avoiding Oil Canning With Standing Seam Steel for Barndominiums and Post Frame Buildings As post frame construction grows by leaps and bounds into post frame homes (barndominiums and shouses), more clients look to them for upgraded features. Standing seam roofing may appeal to some who appreciate the aesthetics of no visible screw fasteners. Standing seam […]

Barndominium Warrantees Regular readers of my articles are aware I have joined and regularly read and contribute to every Facebook and Linkedin group about barndominiums and post frame buildings I possibly can find. My goal always is for people to get their best possible value for their investment, even should they somehow decide Hansen Pole […]

Ganged Wood Trusses and Closed Cell Spray Foam Post Frame Condensation Control Ganged wood trusses are most usually two individually fabricated metal connector plated roof trusses, fastened together with either nails or even better Simpson Drive Screws (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2017/03/simpson-drive-screws/), so they work together as a conjoined pair. True doubled trusses (not two single trusses spaced apart […]

Today’s Pole Barn Guru discusses finding a builder or DIY, posts in the ground or use wet set brackets, and whether or not to remodel or to rebuild a new structure. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Thank you for this great website. I have learned so much reviewing the blog articles. I will definitely buy one […]

Flash-and-Batt Insulating Barndominium Walls We’re in a seemingly never ending cycle of racing towards net zero post frame homes, shouses (shop/houses) and barndominiums (read more on net zero post frame here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2019/01/net-zero-post-frame-homes/).  One possible design solution involves what is known as “flash-and-batt” where two inches of closed cell spray foam insulation is applied to steel […]

How Not To Sheetrock Your Barndominium Gypsum wallboard (aka Sheetrock or drywall) is used as wall and ceiling covering of choice for nearly every barndominium, shouse (shop/house) or post frame home. It affords a plethora of advantages over other interior finishes – for many, it is about cost savings. For others it is fire protection […]

Putting Everything Under One Post Frame Roof I have been an advocate of one larger roof, rather than an enclosed building with a roof only side shed for years. This allows for greater headroom in ‘shed’ area without having to deal with pitch breaks (transition from a steeper slope main roof to a flatter shed […]

What to Consider in a Post Frame Garage Door Today’s guest contributor is Irene Trentham, Content Marketing Strategist of Arizona’s Best Garage Door and Repair Company, a locally-owned enterprise specializing in installing new garage doors and repairing defective ones for Phoenix Arizona area residents. She loves to do camping, hiking and yoga and to spend […]

Today’s Pole Barn Guru answers questions about “more information” on Hansen Pole Building’s product, pricing for a kit, as well as site work and grade changes. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hey, I was wanting to see if I could get some more information on a steel house. My wife and I have 5 acres in […]

What is Something Worth? I can be overly anal. Sometimes I have to really work hard to get around it – I purposefully have conundrums on my desk and for some perverse reason I feel comfortable in them.  I inherited my maternal grandmother’s counting gene. Even into her nineties, if I called her up and […]

What is Wrong With this Picture? Stairs, they seem to confound and befuddle just about everyone. In my early years as Sales Manager at Coeur d’Alene Truss, I used to volunteer to go measure houses up to confirm plan dimensions would match up with what was actually being built. Usually yes, but on occasion – […]

Every few years it seems there arises a need for young (remember I am only 62 years young) men to head into forests and become loggers. I have been there personally – there is just something manly about hacking down some snags with a chain saw! Myself, there is a sudden rush when a tree […]

I really suppose it is unfair of me to limit this article to just airplane hangars, as I have had instances to design hangars for helicopters as well. As an elementary school student, my pre-teen friends and I were all very impressed when a girl down our street’s father landed his helicopter in a field […]

This week the Pole Barn Guru answers questions about scissor trusses, wood framing and hanger bolts for sliding doors, as well as a foundation option for a post frame house. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a 30×40 pole barn. And my lower beam on the trusses is to low for my car lift. Is […]

Exciting Times for Post Frame Construction Welcome to 2020! My fifth decade of post frame buildings and I could not be more excited. 40 years ago today if you would have told me I was going to embark in an exciting career in post frame buildings I would have looked at you quizzically – and […]

Supporting Fill When Considerable Grade Changes Exist Everything in post frame (pole) building land seems to be predicated upon a clear level site. While many parts of our world (Upper Midwest) are fairly flat, most live where ups and downs, swirls and contours exist. Reader ROBERT in RIVER FALLS writes:  “I have a considerable slope […]