Colorado Hay Barns

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/24/2014
Colorado Hay Barns

I woke up this morning in El Paso, Texas and this evening I am in Montrose, Colorado. It was a long drive and I am certain the rental car company will appreciate all of the miles I am putting on their car. Interesting trip today – some great scenery, especially North of Durango, Colorado. Just […]

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Trimming an Overhead Door

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/23/2014
Trimming an Overhead Door

Every once in a while I surprise people and actually pass out some worthwhile real life scenario information. Today it is going to be a “how-to”: trimming an overhead door. Here is the picture – the client hired a contractor to construct their building and ended up completing the building themselves. The new pole building […]

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Pencil Hardness Tests for Painted Steel Roofing and Siding

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/22/2014
Pencil Hardness Tests for Painted Steel Roofing and Siding

In researching the paint systems applied to steel roofing and siding used on pole buildings, I came up with some interesting information. From an August 2003 story in Metal Roofing Magazine: “There are dozens of criteria and tests paints are subject to, including falling sand erosion tests, acid tests, adhesion after impact and bending, and […]

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Dear Pole Barn Guru: Will Treated Wood Rot?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/21/2014
Dear Pole Barn Guru: Will Treated Wood Rot?

New!  The Pole Barn Guru’s mailbox is overflowing with questions.  Due to high demand, he is answering questions on Saturdays as well as Mondays. Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays.  With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch […]

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Pole Barn Guru Advice: Use Sonotubes

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/19/2014
Pole Barn Guru Advice: Use Sonotubes

New!  The Pole Barn Guru’s mailbox is overflowing with questions.  Due to high demand, he is answering questions on Saturdays as well as Mondays. Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays.  With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch […]

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Paint Fade

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/18/2014
Paint Fade

When I went off to architecture school at the University of Idaho in 1975, I needed a vehicle which would be a little better suited to the weekly commute from Post Falls to Moscow. My 1964 Datsun pickup (they were really tiny then) had been OK for motoring around town in high school – but […]

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Curl-Lok Self Storage Doors

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/17/2014
Curl-Lok Self Storage Doors

I had built 100 units for a customer who had his financing collapse – and I ended up becoming the unwilling owner. In the early 1990’s I became the owner of a self-storage facility, which was the last thing I wanted to do at the time. One thing which made ownership even less enjoyable was […]

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Pole Buildings and the 2014 Winter Olympics

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/16/2014
Pole Buildings and the 2014 Winter Olympics

From February 7-23 I was among millions of Americans who spent their evenings glued to their televisions to watch the 2014 Winter Olympics (officially known as the XXII Olympic Winter Games). Held in Sochi, Russia, a total of 98 events were held during the games. I inadvertently became a fan of men’s freestyle skiing, when […]

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Violating Setbacks: As Big as Texas

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/15/2014
Violating Setbacks: As Big as Texas

I believe in as little government interference in what a person constructs on their own property, as possible. The physical size of the state and the bigger-than-life attitude of some of its inhabitants has led to the saying “Everything is bigger in Texas.” Among things which appear to be bigger in Texas are the size […]

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Reflective Radiant Barrier Wars

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on
Reflective Radiant Barrier Wars

Martin Holladay recently wrote an article for GreenBuildingAdvisor.com entitled, “Stay Away from Foil-Faced Bubble Wrap”. Note that for the purposes of this blog, my comments are heretofore in bold. I have no issues at all with a Reflective Radiant Barrier, as long as it is sold for what it is, and not wrongly represented. In […]

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Dear Guru: What Steps Should I Take to Add Insulation To My Pole Barn?

Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays.  With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment.  If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]

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Steel Coil Coating

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/09/2014
Steel Coil Coating

Several years ago, I had the experience of touring a steel coil coating facility in the Midwest. For folks like me who love a magic show, coil coating ranks right up there for entertainment value. Steel coil coating is a continuous and highly automated process for coating steel before fabrication. As a coil of steel […]

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Galvanized Steel Coil

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/08/2014
Galvanized Steel Coil

Before Steel Coil Can Be Coated  I think far too often we take for granted the many processes companies spend lots of time and resources (not to mention money) to give us products with features we come to take for granted.  Like making sure metal such as steel does not rust and corrode after years […]

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Dear Pole Barn Guru: What Size Glulam Should I Use?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/07/2014
Dear Pole Barn Guru: What Size Glulam Should I Use?

Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays.  With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment.  If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]

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Dear Pole Barn Guru: Can I Use Concrete Brackets with a Foundation?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/05/2014
Dear Pole Barn Guru: Can I Use Concrete Brackets with a Foundation?

New!  The Pole Barn Guru’s mailbox is overflowing with questions.  Due to high demand, he is answering questions on Saturdays as well as Mondays. Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays.  With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch […]

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Where Pre-painted Steel Coil Comes From

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/04/2014
Where Pre-painted Steel Coil Comes From

Where Pre-painted Steel Coil Comes From At the National Frame Building Association (NFBA) 2014 Frame Building Expo were several exhibitors who paint steel coil. These coils are used by steel roll formers to create siding and roofing panels, as well as trims for pole buildings. Among these companies were AkzoNobel, Dura Coat Products, Precoat Metals, […]

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Nationwide®Insurance on Pole Building Failures Part 2

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/03/2014
Nationwide®Insurance on Pole Building Failures Part 2

As my loyal readers know, I recently attended the NFBA (National Frame Building Association) 2014 Expo in Nashville, TN.  The NFBA (https://www.nfba.org) is the only national trade association which represents post-frame industry professionals. The association is the country’s primary source of post-frame building resources, research, networking, news and education. This is Part II on a […]

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Nationwide®Top Three Reasons Pole Buildings Fail

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/02/2014
Nationwide®Top Three Reasons Pole Buildings Fail

Nationwide® Insurance and Common Pole Building Failures As my loyal readers know, I recently attended the NFBA (National Frame Building Association) 2014 Expo in Nashville, TN.  The NFBA (https://www.nfba.org) is the only national trade association which represents post-frame industry professionals. The association is the country’s primary source of post-frame building resources, research, networking, news and […]

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Titan Timbers vs. Nail-lam Columns

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/01/2014
Titan Timbers vs. Nail-lam Columns

Timber Technologies Titan Timbers vs. Littfin Truss Nail-lam Columns – The battle continues One of the exhibitors at the 2014 NFBA Expo was Timber Technologies, LLC of Colfax, WI. Timber Technologies is a full-line glulam manufacturer of Titan Timber columns and beams for post-frame buildings. Their Titan Timbers are straight, strong, reliable, easy to cut, […]

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Dear Pole Barn Guru: Can I Use Spray Foam Insulation in My Pole Barn?

Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building topics, with answers posted on Mondays.  With many questions to answer, please be patient to watch for yours to come up on a future Monday segment.  If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with a “reply-able” […]

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Dear Pole Barn Guru: I Have a Roof Mold Problem

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/30/2014
Dear Pole Barn Guru: I Have a Roof Mold Problem

ADDED BLOG DAY!  Due to a large volume of questions to the Pole Barn Guru, we are adding another day for answering questions – so look for more Pole Barn wisdom from The guru on Saturdays – starting – today!  Welcome to Ask the Pole Barn Guru – where you can ask questions about building […]

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Wide Span Trusses

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/28/2014
Wide Span Trusses

Long ago, in a Galaxy far away…..no not Star Wars, but one of my “past lives” in the 1980’s at M & W Building Supply. It was an early Fall Monday morning – the first day at work for my then brother-in-law Jimmie Ballinger (Jimmie and I were married to sisters). Jimmie had decided he […]

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Planning Department: Get Permission!

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/27/2014
Planning Department: Get Permission!

Planning Department – Get Permission First, Don’t Beg Forgiveness Every once in a while I read a story and it just makes me wonder, “What were they thinking”? The story below appeared February 25, 2014 in a Post-Tribune article written by Kitty Conley: Variance granted for pole barn already under construction  CROWN POINT — The […]

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Pole Building Pioneer Robin Speronis

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/26/2014
Pole Building Pioneer Robin Speronis

Off The Grid A fair number of our clients, who construct their own pole buildings, have the pioneering spirit which made the United States a great country. They want to be as independent as possible, and avoid having to deal with governmental agencies as much as possible. Freedom, in the “Land of the Free” is […]

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Roof Sheathing Clips

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/25/2014
Roof Sheathing Clips

My Dad and Uncles were framing contractors. My male cousins and I all worked for their business (Momb Enterprises, Inc.) at one time or another, typically during school summer breaks. The first task on any new jobsite was my cousin Kim hanging up the infamous “MEI Slaves” sign. My Uncles, especially Lyle and Gil, were […]

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