Simpson Strong-Drive® SDWS Timber Screw In yesterday’s article I discussed attachment of roof trusses in post frame building construction. In most cases, Hansen Pole Buildings utilizes Simpson Strong-Drive® SDWS Timber screws. It was more than twenty years ago Simpson Strong-Tie changed fastening world with introduction of a heavy-duty structural connector screw used in wood construction […]

Connecting Trusses Not Dots This feature is probably not overly mentioned, however as most structural failures involve connections, it probably should be. FEATURE: Double trusses notched into sidewall columns and connected with Strong-Drive® SDWS TIMBER Screws BENEFIT: Trusses placed in a notch cannot slide down columns and Strong-Drive® SDWS TIMBER Screws resist uplift forces without […]

Site Built Roof Trusses In penning my recent article about sexy prefab roof trusses, recalled from recesses of what little mind I have yet, was a story I will share with you about site built roof trusses. I was not long into my position as truss plant manager for Lucas Plywood and Lumber when a […]

Today Mike addresses questions about steel ceilings, options for wall finishes, and condensation in added space. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a 40ft wide x 60ft long x 12ft high pole barn. The trusses are 4ft on center. I want to put a steel ceiling up and wanted to know the best size piece […]

Prefab Wood Roof Trusses Are Sexy Though In 1952, in Pompano Beach, Florida, an inventor named Carroll Sanford had been experimenting with building prefabricated roof trusses using plywood gusset plates and varying concoctions and combinations of glue, staples, nails and screws. Eventually he conceived of light gauge steel plates with punched teeth to connect wooden […]

Wall Girts Are Not Sexy Thought I had forgotten about Features and Benefits? Guess again! My 1990’s salesman Jerry was proud of his ability to rattle off a litany of features, without explaining to clients benefits of any of them. This one feature I can imagine meant little or nothing to clients, as wall girts […]

Do I Need Any Additional Vapor Barrier? Reader TOM in NEW LONDON writes: “Have a 40 x 60 pole barn which I have poured a 20 X 60 6″ concrete floor with radiant heat. I have installed 1 1/2″ R 7.5 rigid pink board between the 2 X 6 side boards against the steel. I […]

Will My Post Frame Building Support a Ceiling? One of my frequently received questions – wanting to add a ceiling into a post frame building and wondering if the building will support the added weight. Other frequent questions include condensation issues and ventilation, so this reader has hit upon a trifecta. Reader BRYAN in SWANTON […]

This weeks PBG discusses a bottom chord dead load, installing sliding barn doors, and truss spacing. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Ok, just to make sure I understand that 10lb psf dead load rating would cover the bottom chords supporting ducts either resting on or suspended from them inside the conditioned space? My thinking is if […]

Post Frame Columns Without Ups or Downs Once post frame building columns are placed into those holes in ground, there needs to be (or sure should be) a solid plan to keep them from being sucked out of ground, or sinking down into it. FEATURE: Pre-mix concrete bottom collars attached to columns with pounded in […]

Avoiding Pulling a Building Permit? You have a densely treed rural location or have no neighbors, so you have made a decision to avoid pulling a building permit for your new post frame building. Think again – YOU. WILL. BE. CAUGHT. All too often we hear from clients who invested in Hansen Pole Building kits […]

Uplift Plate™ I realize I got you readers happily involved in reading a series of articles however I need to break it up slightly. In delivering “The Ultimate Post Frame Building Experience”™ Hansen Pole Buildings perpetually searches for new materials and methods to maintain our post frame kit packages as best possible value for your […]

Today’s PBG addresses slab insulation, vapor barriers and sliding doors at an entry. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am starting a project finishing a Hansen pole barn in a suburb of Minneapolis. My question is in regard to the floor. I assume there was no insulation under the slab, I have yet to confirm this, […]

Reader CHRISTI in INOLA writes: “Is it standard practice to pour concrete above the base trim of the building? In the attached photos you can see the red chalk line where the concrete will come up to. Help! They are coming this week to pour.” Gentle inquirers, if you want a relatively quickly (or in […]

What About Poles Themselves? Well poles of “pole barn” fame have transformed into today’s post of “post frame” buildings. Round posts just do not lend themselves to ease of construction unlike square or rectangular columns. FEATURE: Glu-laminated or solid-sawn grade stamped columns, depending upon marketplace availability. BENEFIT: Glu-laminated columns have a superior strength to weight […]

Starting From the Ground Up- UC-4B Treated Columns Decades ago, when I began training a sales staff for Momb Steel Buildings (my 1990’s post frame construction company) I developed an outline we called, “From the Ground Up”. Just as implied by its name, this training went through features and benefits of a typical post frame […]

Customers Didn’t Care When I originally dove into pole barn kit package sales in 1980 it appeared customers didn’t care about features or benefits of our buildings. If they did, they certainly were not asking me! Advertising was simple – newsprint (regional farm paper and free shoppers). Our ads listed dimensions (width, length and eave […]

Do you own a piece of technology which has amazing features which you don’t begin to use (or understand) much more than a small portion of? I know I do. Technology has bombarded us with devices such as cellular telephones, which have outpaced most users’ needs. Unless a feature actually does something I can use, […]

The Pole Barn Guru answers questions about a traditional red barn, footings, and additional lighting to outside of building.   DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Hello, We are looking to have a barn built by the Amish community, but are having trouble finding someone to contact. I see on your website you have had several things […]

Insulating a Steel Truss Building Reader JONATHAN in MISSISSIPPI has been planning a building using steel trusses and has insulating questions. He writes: “I have recently found your blog and I have to say I am on good information overload.  I’ve read your posts on insulation and air barrier more than twice maybe more.  I […]

Guest Blog Specifics. This column has been recognized multiple times as a top construction industry blog – second World Wide for two consecutive years! It also has a significant readership, with articles having been read as many as 1/4 million times. Due to this popularity, I receive numerous requests to guest blog. Who should consider […]

Importance of Constrained Posts In structural design of post frame (pole) buildings, an ability to transfer wind shear loads from roof to endwalls to ground becomes a key to cost effective design success. When sidewall columns are in a properly constrained condition (usually by attachment to a concrete slab-on-grade) shear forces are reduced by 25%. […]

Siloxa-Tek 8505 Concrete Sealant Recently I received a question from a reader who was having condensation issues in his post frame (pole) building. Amongst my suggestions was using a concrete floor sealant, if there was not a well-sealed vapor barrier underneath the slab. Following this conversation, my reader did his research and determined a silane […]

In todays blog, the Pole Barn Guru discusses stilt homes, ductwork in attic, and post frame house design options. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Pole Barns for Stilt Construction – Just read your Kitty Hawk story – And FEMA backs you up. From FEMA-DRs-4085-NY Foundation Requirements and Recommendations for Elevated Home – Piles can be used […]

Who is Responsible for Design of Permanent Truss Bracing? This article was triggered by an email questioning truss bracing from Hansen Pole Buildings’ client JASON in WELLINGTON who writes: “My inspector is telling me that the truss documents take precedence over the building plans. I told them the building plan has the x bracing and […]