Prefabricated Roof Trusses – They can Make You or Break You This article (written by yours truly) was published in the May 2016 Rural Builder magazine (https://media2.fwpublications.com.s3.amazonaws.com/CNM/RB_20160501e.pdf and begins on Page 26). Although the article is written towards post frame (pole) building contractors, it gives a perspective as to the challenges of ordering something as […]

Self-Disclosure People are fascinating, we all have life stories to tell, and most of us are merely looking for others who have listening ears so we can share our stories. This dates back to the days of prehistory, when early man sat around campfires and swapped lies. The homes of a hundred years ago were […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU:  Hello. Can you give me an estimate for a concrete slab only? Specs are below. Just looking for an approximate ballpark figure. 3,600 square feet 6” thick 3,000 PSI Heavy duty as plan to install a car lift at a later date. Heavy duty anchor bolts. Please advise. Thank you. SHERYL […]

Open Beam Post Frame Construction Post frame (pole barn or pole building) design lends itself to a myriad of different design opportunities which can create some truly unique as well as magnificent spaces. We were recently approached by a client who wanted his 36 foot width post frame building to have a 32 foot long […]

My oldest son Jake (read more about the adventures of Jake and I here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/07/construction-time-2/), has always had a certain fascination with secret rooms.  Maybe it was from playing the board game Clue too many times as a child! At least his interest is good natured, unlike America’s first serial killer H.H. Holmes. As described […]

It was a pleasant October evening back in 1985 in Blacksburg, Virginia. My friend Dr. Frank Woeste was then a professor in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech (officially Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) and he had invited me to teach one of his classes for a day, in exchange […]

Redwood for Post Frame Building Columns Just this week we had a client in the California Bay area interested in a roof only post frame structure. His caveat, he really wanted to have Redwood columns, as opposed to properly pressure preservative treated timbers. The characteristics of redwood make it a popular choice for outdoor applications. […]

Why NOT to Mess With HOAs Homeowners Associations (HOAs) are normally begun with every good intention in mind, however in my humble opinion they are a restriction upon how one determines their own property should best be used. An HOA is an incorporated association, usually created by a developer who prepares the Covenants, Conditions, and […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: We are in the process of investigating our options re., the construction of a pole barn to serve as a retail antique mall/auction house. We have several sites in mind from 3-5 acres but have made no decision re., that yet as negotiations remain underway. Our facility needs to be vintage […]

We have a certain percentage of our clients who are looking for log siding for their new post frame buildings. Usually these folks already have a log home on their property, or their new pole building is going to be their home and they want the ‘log home’ look without the challenges associated with real […]

Maybe you have a hobby that’s outgrown its current space. Or maybe 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. A detached workshop can be […]

I have to admit, steel price increases have in the past, been huge drivers of business. My own personal opinion is I would rather see your hard earned money stay in YOUR pocket, instead of the pockets of some faceless corporation. I know I work hard for my money, I am sure you work hard […]

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

FSC® Lumber When my youngest son Brent and I were helping Eric construct his self-storage pole building (you can read about it here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2014/06/builder/ we noticed some of the lumber had FSC stamps on it. I had heard of lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) but had never seen any of it in […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Do your pole barn garage kits come with assembly instructions? CORY IN NORTH LAS VEGAS DEAR CORY: Thank you for your interest in a new Hansen Pole Building. Besides full sized 24″ x 36″ blueprints (usually seven pages or more worth) which are totally specific to exactly your building and show […]

Hi! This is one of the founding owners of Hansen Pole Buildings, and for whom the company is named, J.A.Hansen. I thought we’d take a break from the usual Friday “rerun” blogs, for me to tell you a story. Bear with me here… It was September 26th of last year, 2015. I was on my […]

Sometime in the not too distant past, residential home builders figured out a way to reduce the price point of their new homes, by shrinking the width of the “two car garages” and using 14 foot wide overhead doors. However, “Houston, we have a problem”, as most of us drive vehicles down the road which […]

I will begin to extend my condolences to those who lost loved ones in the recent earthquake in Ecuador. As my long time readers may recall, our youngest daughter Allison spent her sophomore year of high school as a Rotary Youth Exchange student in Portoviejo, Manabi, Ecuador. She knew some of those who tragically perished. […]

How appropriate to have the following question asked after having just written recently about screeding concrete! DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Why does the concrete pad get poured at a level below the top of the bottom skirt board? If I bring the concrete level with the top, it is easier for to skreet level, plus […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: After you dig your holes for the treated posts, do you put the post in the hole, then pour in concrete around the post or do you pour about 8” of concrete in first then let that set up and put the post on the concrete what is the best way. […]

The word “lean” explains a great deal about the goals of Lean Construction. It implies something has been trimmed of excess fat, or, in the case of construction, of waste and inefficiency. Lean takes the “different moving parts” of a project — including concept, design, construction and occupancy — and works to coordinate all those processes together at the beginning of the project […]

There are sometimes when the “Ask the Pole Barn Guru™” questions are so good as to let their answers stand for themselves as an article. Here is a question put forth by Patrick from Nine Mile Falls: DEAR POLE BARN GURU: We are interested in have a pole building home. What is the best way […]

My long time readers will recall concrete flatwork is not my friend and I will avoid it whenever necessary. In the event one is forced into doing flatwork (apparently some folks actually enjoy it), concrete screeding is something to know about. Screeding is the process where a concrete finisher (a real live person, not a […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Was wondering about the foundation? We are wanting and looking for a plan on a pole barn for our home and he wants to know how or if you can or need to do a foundation but yet provide a crawl space? He wanted to know how you would keep the […]

How Many Licks Does It Take to Get to the Tootsie Roll Center of a Tootsie Pop? Well, according to Mr. Owl, the answer is three. At an office meeting of the Sweets Company of America in 1931, employees were asked to share any ideas for new candies. Employee Luke Weisgram had been thinking about […]