Do it Best® I get a lot of people asking some great questions of the Pole Barn Guru. Some of which take some lengthy answers, in order to adequately make the point. Here is one which involves the thought of doing business through a Do it Best® store would add a level of security. For […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Is there anyone in this huge great country of ours who might draw and engineer stamp a plan for a 36 foot SITE BUILT TRUSS? ITS NOT LIKE I’m BUILDING THE FIRST EVER 110 FOOTER! It will be plywood laminated both sides, site build is always strong with big gussets and […]

As an RV owner, you may enjoy weeks or even months of traveling the country every year. But do you have a plan in place for those times when you won’t be using your motorhome? If you have a permanent home and give your RV a break for part of the year, it’s important to […]

Maybe you have a hobby that’s outgrown its current space. Or your family has been telling you they’re tired of hearing power tools running in the garage. Maybe you just need a place to work that’s free of distractions. Whatever the case, it’s time to build a custom workshop. You can create a backyard workshop […]

If you’re thinking about building a pole barn home (or ‘barndominium’), you no doubt already know that construction and labor costs for this type of residence can be significantly lower than the cost of building a traditional house. However, you may be wondering what your monthly utility bills will look like once you move in. […]

Who wouldn’t want a backyard guesthouse and the endless possibilities it offers? You could use your guesthouse to host friends from out of town or house parents or in-laws. You could earn some extra income by renting out your guesthouse on Homeaway or Airbnb, or you could use it as your very own sanctuary for […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: If I use a 2×8 treated for the bottom collar or purlin and I am planning on 5” of concrete and 2” rigid foam under the slab should I place my rigid insulation with the bottom of the 2×8 and if so should I have the any part of the 2×8 […]

How to Avoid a Disastrous DIY Pole Barn Project This is part three in a three part series on how to better ensure a great pole barn project, by getting rid of the pitfalls. I’d like to thank Bret Buelo of Wick Buildings for the basis of this article, which appeared on the Wick Buildings […]

Part two of a three part series. See yesterday’s blog for part one. I’d like to thank Bret Buelo of Wick Buildings for the basis of this article, which appeared on the Wick Buildings website (www.wickbuildings.com) August 12, 2016. Information from Bret’s article appears here in italics along with my comments as well. Part of […]

How to Avoid a Disastrous DIY Pole Barn Project I’d like to thank Bret Buelo of Wick Buildings for the basis of this article, which appeared on the Wick Buildings website (www.wickbuildings.com) August 12, 2016. Information from Bret’s article appears here in italics along with my own input as well. Wick Buildings is highly rated […]

Colorado Springs, Colorado Post Frame Buildings “It’s all about the building”, one of my favorite quotes from my favorite writer – me. In all seriousness, the quote is one of my favorite sayings, and I have lots of favorite writers with far better literary skills than I. Part of what, “It’s all about the building”, […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am looking for a price on double sliding doors that have an opening of 15’ wide x 12’ tall.  I have attached some pictures for clarification.  I also need to know if these doors can be mechanically opened as well as manually opened.  Can someone give me a call to […]

Nestled in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State is Cayuga County, the home of the Sterling Nature Center (https://www.facebook.com/sterlingnaturecenter/). This spectacular 1400 acre site, with nearly two miles of Lake Ontario shoreline, has been granted a conservation easement by the State of New York. This unique park features glacially-formed bluffs, with scenic vistas […]

Back in 2000, I had the pleasure of working with Dale Schiferl when we were both with Gruenwald Engineered Laminates, Inc.™ (https://gruen-wald.com/) , manufacturers of (among other things) glu-laminated columns for post frame (pole) buildings. Dale and I both moved on, Dale to open Timber Technologies, LLC, the manufacturer of Titan Timbers™. Dale and his […]

A Buggy Situation A client writes to Justine (the Hansen Pole Buildings’ Order Fulfillment goddess) this week: “I was hoping to get some advice.  I’m still working on the building having just completed rafter placement and was starting to pull apart the two bundles of lumber for the purlins.  When I started pulling boards out […]

When I attended Bowdish Junior High School in the early 1970s it was located in a rapidly growing area of the Spokane Valley of Washington. When the classrooms were filled beyond capacity, the school district opted to throw their resources into the rental of temporary classrooms (also known as portables). As an adult, and knowing […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’m looking into building a 32 x 72 pole structure as a residence on our property in the Colorado Springs area. We would like a raised floor instead of a concrete pad. I’ve been assuming that we could attach the flooring system to the foundation poles. Are there any structural issues […]

You Want It When? A week from Tuesday is going to find a life milestone has been passed – it will be after Labor Day. Or as we know it in the pole barn industry, the Panic Point. When I was a post frame (pole) building contractor in the 1990’s based in Northeast Washington state, […]

The late American radio and television writer Andy Rooney joined CBS television in 1949, however is probably best known for his end of the show segment on the CBS News program 60 Minutes, “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney”, which appeared from 1978 to 2011. Andy had a few words on barns, which I will […]

Please keep in mind, I was a post frame (pole) building contractor in a past life. With as many as 35 crews erecting buildings in six states – if something could possibly go awry, one of my crews would find a way to achieve it! Seriously. Some of them were creative in methods which I […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: LVL beams, 24 ft bay width, telephone/power poles as verticals. Should I sit the LVL on top of the poles, or bolt them to the sides? GEORGE IN WAKE FOREST DEAR GEORGE: You asked for my advice, so here it comes. I have to tell you this is wrong in so […]

If an Engineer Didn’t Structurally Design This Building, Then Who Did? Many of you have been reading the ongoing and sad saga of Jimmy’s building…..here is the next installment: Jimmy: “You should go buy a lottery ticket, I asked the builder, he told me only on industrial buildings do they use engineering plans. There is […]

Don’t be Like Jimmy’s Parents A new post frame (pole) building or barn is an investment, a very permanent investment. Readers have been following a couple of articles involving Jimmy’s new building, which is NOT a Hansen Pole Building and Jimmy is not very happy. This is how the building was purchased (in Jimmy’s words): […]

From a recent The Associated Press article:  CARDINGTON, OHIO The state Highway Patrol says a pilot injured his arm when his single engine airplane struck a barn and crashed in a pasture. Sixty-year-old Joe Dreyer, of Cardington, was piloting a Cessna 180 aircraft when he lost power attempting to land at his farm. Authorities say […]

One of the great things about post frame (pole) building construction is the ability to add interior raised spaces (think lofts, mezzanines and second stories). One of the most overlooked things about adding such space is proper engineering design. In general I have found them to be inadequate to support the loads. This can result […]