Bigfoot Systems® Bigfoot Systems® bills itself as North America’s Original #1 Selling Pier Footing Form, which I would say is most likely 100% or more correct. So, what exactly is a Bigfoot and why would one use one? Before we get carried away, I have never used a Bigfoot and this is not a celebrity […]

Manure Storage Pole Barns Here is a combination which seems doomed from the get go: young man, girl 60 miles away from said young man’s home, late night darkness, a crotch rocket, slow speed zones, Idaho Highway patrol and unfamiliar roads. After our youngest son had surgery to repair his broken hip, Dad had very […]

Mike answers questions about spray foam releasing agents, Going up instead of out, and a Post Frame Basketball Court. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Thank you for this blog of informative words on the world of post frame construction. I am a confirmed fan of spray foam insulation. What are your thoughts on the use of […]

The Effects of Temperature Upon Concrete and Lumber Every time I begin to think I could never possibly hear something new, I have to be corrected as something new crops up. In this particular instance it was a reasoning to not embed properly pressure treated columns in the ground surrounded by concrete. Rot? Nope – […]

The Dual Splash Plank Dilemma I’ve never been a fan of stacking splash planks. Even when they are center matched (think tongue and grooved) the two boards never seem to want to bend, twist, warp and/or cup the same direction leading to gaps. Gaps which lead to water getting through and spoiling an otherwise fun place […]

Free Standing Hangar Door Disclaimer: this is not a testimonial for this door, I have not personally used one, and to the best of my knowledge none of our clients has (although I could be wrong on this last part). As readers of yesterday’s column have learned, deflection can become an issue with openings for […]

Hangar Doors in Eave Side of Buildings Reader KEN in ZEPHYRHILLS writes: “To facilitate use as an aircraft hangar can the sliding doors be located on the side rather than the end walls?” I have been involved in more than a fair number of airplane hangars, starting way before my days in the post frame […]

Mike answers questions about a Roof Line, Roofing with OSB layer, and Endwall Only Sheds: DEAR POLE BARN GURU: What is the roof line style in the attached picture called? BRYAN in MARYSVILLE DEAR BRYAN: The prefabricated roof truss folks would refer to this as being a Polynesian roof – one in which the outer […]

We Are Number One  Hopefully you can survive the obnoxious YouTube commercial at the beginning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY. Unlike the champions in Queen’s iconic 1977 hit “We Are The Champions”, Hansen Pole Buildings has merely won, from BUILD Magazine, their “Award for Outstanding Pole Barn Kits – USA” for 2018. It isn’t the world, however we like […]

The loyal readers of my articles are seeing there is a definitive push towards energy efficiency in post frame construction. Indeed it appears to be the current popular buzz word. Most of the post frame industry did not come from the land of residential construction, therefore the application of the Energy Code can be daunting […]

As I keyboard this, it is the seventh anniversary of the passing of my Uncle Neil Momb. I had reminded his daughter, my cousin Amy, of how I loved her Dad’s ability to make profound statements with a smile. Back in 2014 I wrote a couple of articles about my uncle’s adventures in building in […]

Hansen Pole Buildings’ client BRENT in WASHOUGAL writes: “We have your 40×80 pole barn built sept. 2014, and it’s having problems with mold forming over the purlins. I’m wanting to know my options to prevent a future problem. Thanks.” Mike the Pole Barn Guru responds: First – get rid of the mold. Mix in the […]

Trimming Posts, A Taller Building, and Post Treatment: DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Trimming posts or adding Shims? My pole barn kit uses steel trusses that sit on top of the posts and bolt to their sides. If I set two or three posts lower than the rest, can I just add a shim the top […]

How Not to Do a Post Frame Shear Wall Reader DAVID in MIDDLETON writes: “Hi we are currently building a 40/72 pole barn. We are wrapping the bottom 4 feet in OSB for sheer strength along with sheeting the roof with osb. We want to insulate the walls and put a drop ceiling in the […]

The following is the second part of a two part series on the risk of a metal roof and lightning. Jump back one day to read the first segment. Jim Cunningham writes: “Lightning – like any electrical charge – seeks the path of least resistance to discharge. In CG lightning, it’s discharging into the earth, […]

Lightening and Steel Covered Pole Barns From a www.kmbz.com story of March 8, 2018 by Jim Cunningham: “Each year more than 100 people are killed by lightning in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service. Another 300 people are injured in the electrical strikes.  Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 4-10.  In most cases […]

How to Clearspan the Juncture of L or T shaped Post Frame Buildings There are some instances where either an L or a T shaped building is the design solution of choice. In some cases it is due to the shape of the property being built upon. Other times it is a result of ideal […]

Replacing and overhead garage door, instructions for a pole barn, and the use of “Strong Columns” in today’s Pole Barn Guru! DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Looking to perhaps replace my 10 wide by 8 tall overhead pole barn door with a 10′-10′. Along with chain pull down. What options do you have or suggest. It’s […]

Is a Double Truss System Stable for the Midwest? Reader SHARON in NORTH DAKOTA writes: “Dear Pole Barn Guru, I have attached some pictures of a 62×96 pole barn with 12ft sidewalls. I am rather ignorant about truss systems, but this one looks atypical to others I have seen. What type of truss system is […]

2018 ARCHITECTURE AWARDS For the second consecutive year Hansen Pole Buildings, LLC has been nominated for BUILD News’ Architecture Awards. Pretty heady stuff, however it seems after 16 years of promoting building excellence and delivering “The Ultimate Post Frame Building Experience™”, our hard work and due diligence is paying off. From BUILD News: Shaping the […]

Permafrost is soil, rock or sediment which is frozen for more than two consecutive years. In areas not overlain by ice, it exists beneath a layer of soil, rock or sediment, which freezes and thaws annually and is called the “active layer”. In practice, this means permafrost occurs at an average air temperature of 28°F or […]

No Leak Overhead Door Dog Ears The key to cutting trims for no leak overhead door dog ears for post frame buildings comes from careful cutting and installation of pieces to water flows in front of, rather than getting behind, each piece as it works down the building. It also helps to utilize a trim […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am about to build a pole building on a piece of land that is absolutely flat (pasture). I have read on this site that the poles should be installed before any earth work has been done. However, the state of Idaho says that I must have a drainage slope away […]

Bad Energy Efficient Pole Barn Advice from GreenBuildingAdvisor.com Long time readers of this blog have seen ample posts about energy efficient post frame (pole barn) buildings. As most are aware, there is as much bad information (maybe more) than good available on the internet. Whilst I’d like to believe Martin Holladay at www.greenbuildingadvisor.com is fairly […]

Agricultural land has increasingly become overrun with a proliferation of event centers, wedding venues and bed-and-breakfast inns. This is due to a rise in the “farm-to-fork” movement which has seen a growing popularity of agritourism as more landowners open up their ranches to those who wish to experience the bucolic countryside views. I’ve written in […]