I appreciate long time reader Vincent Phelps – Vincent, I know you are reading this and thank you! Vincent appears to be always on the lookout for technology and new and better ways to build bigger mousetraps (buildings). Here was a recent question he sent to me on Facebook (yes, we are Facebook friends): “Titanium […]

Sales and marketing….to some the thought of at least one of these is absolutely chilling. SALES There, I said it. It amazes even me how challenging it can be to get clients to engage with our Building Designers. I realize it is frightening to think – your problems might be solved or goals able to […]

I’ve been doing some of my own research on solar power lately, and have found some interesting stuff. The real interesting part of this article is not in the cool solar product – it is on how to solve the problem they do not know they have with the pole barn (post frame) building in […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I’d like to have a realistic comparison in price and benefits of both a pole barn vs. a metal barn. I am looking to build a 40×60. MELINDA IN ST. ANTHONY DEAR MELINDA: I will have to take a leap of faith here and guess ‘metal barn” is referencing an all […]

What distinguishing physical feature do Leonardo DiCaprio, John Travolta, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and Ronald Reagan all share? I said, “physical feature” so all of them having been movie stars is not the answer we were looking for. They all have widow’s peaks! The expression widow’s peak dates from 1849, and the term stems from the […]

Prefabricated Roof Trusses – They can Make You or Break You In yesterday’s blog, Mike the Pole Barn Guru started to share some secrets which should both increase your bottom line as well as allow you to sleep soundly at night. A short recap here, for the full account, read Part One posted yesterday, May […]

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 […]