Category Archives: Lumber

Visually Graded Lumber Variability Can be a Problem

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/23/2015
Visually Graded Lumber Variability Can be a Problem

While it is impossible to get around the fact lumber is an organic substance, and therefore has inherent variability, it has always been used as the primary raw material of the residential construction industry. In fact, the growing reliance on the structural design properties of lumber by the US housing industry led to the development […]

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Pole Building Shipping Disasters

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/18/2015
Pole Building Shipping Disasters

Convoy For those of you not old enough to remember, or those of us too old to remember, the late 1970’s were a time of 55 mph speed limits and C.W. McCall’s iconic: https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=crmas&p=cw+mccall+convoy Interesting things can happen to pole building kit packages once they get loaded on to one of those big rigs and […]

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Southern Pine is Not a Benefit!

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/17/2015
Southern Pine is Not a Benefit!

Almost Anything Can be Sold as a Benefit Over the years I have noticed one thing about sales people (and sales organizations), almost anything can be run up the flag pole as a benefit (oftentimes it is actually a feature) and if it is touted highly enough, a certain number of people will believe it. […]

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Local Lumberyard Quote

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/16/2015
Local Lumberyard Quote

Local Lumberyard + Pole Barns = Scary Yes, the title looks to be a simple math equation. The problem with math equations is, not very many people can actually do them – at least not when they fly a desk at the local lumber dealer. Case in point –XYZ Lumberyard with multiple state locations. (name […]

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How to Untwist a Pressure Treated Post

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/26/2015
How to Untwist a Pressure Treated Post

This actually began as an “Ask the Pole Barn Guru” question: DEAR POLE BARN GURU: We have installed the Pressure Treated Posts  and they were straight when the concrete was poured, now a couple of weeks later we are seeing the poles twist and warp. They are straight at the ground level but about half […]

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The Lumber Twist

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/04/2015
The Lumber Twist

Twisting Out of Control This morning I received a voice mail message from a builder. He has arrived at a pole building jobsite where the materials have been “on the ground” for some time. It is now August, in Central Washington – where temperatures over 100 and humidity of next to nothing are not unusual. […]

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Perma Column vs. Pressure Treated

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 07/24/2015
Perma Column vs. Pressure Treated

Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rick has been working with a client who has a nose for knowledge – and I thank both of them for sharing information with me, so I can pay it forward. This particular client is weighing the use of Perma Columns against the more traditional design solution for post frame (pole […]

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MSDS

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 07/17/2015
MSDS

MSDS In the olden days, we were taught to look both ways before we went out in the street to play for the quarter dad offered us. Basically, we had personal responsibility – if we did something stupid, it was our own fault. MSDS is the Material Safety Data Sheet which actually is more than […]

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Does Aged Lumber Get Stronger?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 07/10/2015
Does Aged Lumber Get Stronger?

I’ll never be mistaken for either Jamie Hyneman or Adam Savage of the Discovery Channel’s popular and long running series MythBusters, however I can occasionally do some debunking of urban (and rural) legends. I do have to admit, watching MythBusters can become addicting – especially when it can be tuned in on Netflix and watched […]

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Pressure Treated Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/26/2015
Pressure Treated Lumber

Preserving Wood Columns Beyond Code Requirements The Building Codes (IBC – International Building Code and IRC – International Residential Code) specify minimum requirements for pressure treated lumber used to structurally support buildings. My previous dissertations on pressure treating are available for your reading pleasure here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2012/10/pressure-treated-posts-2/ and https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2014/05/building-code-3/ Hansen Pole Buildings Designer Kelly brought to […]

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Part IV: Lumber Quality

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/20/2015
Part IV: Lumber Quality

We Don’t Always Do Things Perfect, But We Do Listen Part IV Last summer Hansen Pole Buildings Supplied a pole building kit package to a client who experienced a few challenges and took the time to address them. Here is the last portion of the email I was responding to (the past three days’ blogs […]

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Tongue and Groove Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 02/25/2015
Tongue and Groove Lumber

My first exposure to tongue and groove lumber was when I managed the prefabricated metal plate connected wood truss manufacturing facility at Lucas Plywood and Lumber back in 1979. I’d relocated from Northern Idaho to Salem, Oregon to take the position. (Read more about Lucas Plywood and Lumber here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2011/06/theres-no-education-like-real-life-business-experience/) The most common method of […]

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Dear Guru: Is Toe Nailing a Good Idea?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/29/2014
Dear Guru: Is Toe Nailing a Good Idea?

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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All Graded Lumber is Not the Same

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/23/2014
All Graded Lumber is Not the Same

Standard & Btr and #2 Graded Lumber Are Not the Same Although I had a couple of years’ experience in the prefabricated metal connector plated truss industry, my first opportunity to truly “fly solo” was when I was hired, at the end of August 1979 to manage the truss plant at what was then Lucas […]

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Is There Really a Lumber Shortage?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 10/09/2014
Is There Really a Lumber Shortage?

Do we grow enough wood to build a significant number of new wood framed buildings? Most people have the belief the world’s forests are shrinking. They are worried about a lumber shortage. This is one of the marketing ploys frequently used by producers and builders of non-wood framed buildings. A Yale University-led study published in […]

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Glulams vs. Solid Sawn Columns

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 10/08/2014
Glulams vs. Solid Sawn Columns

A Hansen Pole Buildings client recently called his Building Designer Rick. The client was concerned as three ply glulams were provided for his pole building kit package, instead of the 4×6 and 6×6 solid sawn columns which were on his plans.  He is concerned his inspector will give him trouble about this and would like […]

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Dimensional Lumber Sizes

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/17/2014
Dimensional Lumber Sizes

Craig Webb to the Rescue Yesterday I wrote about what has become known as the “Lowe’s 2×4” judgment. For those of you who have read the post regarding lumber nominal sizes versus actual dimensions – you’ve probably been left in wonderment over the article! I know I was still frothing over it. Luckily, up came […]

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Lowe’s 2×4 Judgment

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/16/2014
Lowe’s 2×4 Judgment

“Unlawfully Advertised’ 2x4s Cost Lowe’s $1.6 million When I first read this story, it was enough to cause blood to squirt from my eyeballs. My reaction was this is yet another case of government run totally amok! For the handful of American adults who have NOT ever purchased or used a 2×4 – the rest […]

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Cut Ends of Pressure Treated Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/04/2014
Cut Ends of Pressure Treated Lumber

What to do about Cut Ends of Pressure Treated Lumber? One of my sons works for an auto parts store. He seriously enjoys his job. However he has some misgivings about portions of it. Raises and promotions are based, in part, upon how much extra stuff (with high profit margins) the staff is able to […]

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PET Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/27/2014
PET Lumber

A Builder’s PET The stereotypical builder appears to be characterized as driving a four-wheel-drive extended cab pickup (of course jacked up so a ladder is required to get in), having a jobsite stereo system which can be heard for miles with the sound turned to only 30%, and of course – the ever faithful pet, […]

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Lumber Bending Stress

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/14/2014
Lumber Bending Stress

The Big Stick is Better than the Little Stick – Right? Those of you who are regular readers know I am fascinated by all things magical. I don’t know how they do it, but I will watch a good magician over and over. When I was in architecture school at the University of Idaho – […]

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Incising Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/13/2014
Incising Lumber

Incising My former wife (mother of my two youngest children – Allison and Brent), was by training an RDH (Registered Dental Hygienist). In order to keep her registration current, she had to obtain CEUs (Continuing Education Credits). One way to generate CEUs was to attend the annual state dental convention. One year I went along […]

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Wane

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 07/03/2014
Wane

In the construction of Eric’s new self-storage pole building, my son got to experience first-hand the effects of wane! What exactly is wane? When a log enters a sawmill, it is first cut into boards. Before further processing, most boards cut from the outside edges of the log exhibit wither residual bark or jagged edges […]

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Eased Edge Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 07/01/2014
Eased Edge Lumber

¼” EE In my exploration of lumber grade stamps, 1/4″ EE was one which I was familiar with, but had no idea what the history was behind it. When I remodeled my 1909 home 24 years ago – it was for the most part down to the bare studs and floor joists. The lumber, having […]

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Heat Treated Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/27/2014
Heat Treated Lumber

In yesterday’s article, I was explaining lumber grade stamps to my son, Brent. One part of the stamp which is not in the five “required” designations (grading agency, producing mill, product grade, species and moisture content) was the “HT”. HT designates the wood is heat treated lumber. Many countries require imported lumber to be heat-treated […]

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Grade Stamps

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/26/2014
Grade Stamps

Walk into your local lumber dealer – whether a big box store (aka The Home Depot® or Lowe’s®), a national lumber dealer (think ProBuild®, Stock Building Supply®, or 84 Lumber®) or the local mom and pop lumber seller and pickup any piece of dimensional lumber. On it will be a grade stamp – which is […]

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Not Burger King Crowns

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/25/2014
Not Burger King Crowns

My readers will recognize my 19-year-old son Brent’s name from recent articles on the construction of a pole building storage building here in Browns Valley. After two weeks of working together, I have learned something important (yes, 56 year old Dads can learn new things). Growing up, my brother Mark and I worked for Dad […]

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Poles for Pole Barns

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/12/2014
Poles for Pole Barns

Some days it seems there are nearly as many possible design solutions for pole barn “poles” as there are pole barns! Here is a brief overview of the organic (think coming from trees) ones. For the sake of brevity, I will limit this article to only applications where the columns are embedded in the ground. […]

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Finger Jointed Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 05/15/2014
Finger Jointed Lumber

The recent National Frame Building Association (NFBA) 2014 Frame Building Expo was a reunion event for me with several long-time friends. One of these is Ferg Evans. In the 1990’s I was elected to the first of five terms I was to serve on the Board of Directors for the Machine Stress Rated Lumber Producers […]

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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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TimberSIL® – A Great Idea?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 02/19/2014
TimberSIL® – A Great Idea?

Great Ideas May Not Always Bring Great Results Much ado has been made about alternatives to CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) pressure preservative treated lumber. CCA has been used to pressure treat lumber since the 1940s. Since the 1970s, the majority of the wood used in outdoor residential settings (as well as pole buildings) has been […]

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LVL: I Woodn’t Use It

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 01/22/2014
LVL: I Woodn’t Use It

I Woodn’t Use It (pun intended) For those of you who are unfamiliar with LVLs (Laminated Veneer Lumber) here is a good primer: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2013/01/lvl/ For the thousands of my regular daily readers, you know Justine well – she is the one who makes sure all of the good stuff arrives at client’s jobsites when they […]

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Allowable Lumber Defects

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/11/2013
Allowable Lumber Defects

As a teenager I worked for Blaine Johnston Construction in the Spokane Valley twice, the summer after my freshman year of college, and again after I was out of school. The second time around, I was the “change order guy” – if a client wanted something changed on their house, I got to go do […]

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Dear Guru? Use Galvanized Nails or Not?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/09/2013
Dear Guru?  Use Galvanized Nails or Not?

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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Should a Treated Post Look Treated all the Way Through?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 11/18/2013
Should a Treated Post Look Treated all the Way Through?

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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OSB versus Plywood

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 10/31/2013
OSB versus Plywood

Plywood or OSB; OSB or Plywood? Oriented strand board (OSB) long ago became the market leader, in relationship to plywood. As much as 75% of all sheathing is now OSB, thanks mostly to cost conscious buyers. OSB versus Plywood Prices Prices for commodities like structural panels are notoriously volatile, and plywood can often be nearly […]

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Construction Tape, Instead of Nails to Build Pole Buildings

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/03/2013
Construction Tape, Instead of Nails to Build Pole Buildings

I’m always on board (pun intended) for new, interesting and different ideas. This one certainly qualifies! German researchers are working on a quick-setting construction tape which can bond lumber members together. They’ve developed an adhesive tape, which sets in under a minute to reliably and durably bond together individual components. The construction tape doesn’t dry […]

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Composite Grade Board

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/28/2013
Composite Grade Board

Typically post frame (pole) buildings have a pressure treated board at the base of all enclosed walls. Known also as a Bottom Girt, Grade Girt, Skirt Board or Splash Plank, it is a decay and corrosion resistant girt which is in soil contact or located near the soil surface. It remains visible from the building […]

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MCA: Micronized Copper Technology

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/23/2013
MCA: Micronized Copper Technology

Particulate (micronized or dispersed) copper preservative technology has recently been introduced in the USA and Europe. In these systems, the copper is ground to micro sized particles and suspended in water rather than being dissolved in a chemical reaction as is the case with other copper products such as ACQ and Copper Azole. There are […]

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Pressure Treated Lumber: Copper Azole

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/22/2013
Pressure Treated Lumber: Copper Azole

Most of us – both those who specify wood treating and those who use it, look upon the litany of possible wood treatments like alphabet soup. Or maybe more like Scrabble – where my 19 year old daughter always seems to either draw the right letters, or make otherwise incomprehensible words (to her Dad anyway) […]

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Nail-Laminated Posts

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/21/2013
Nail-Laminated Posts

Nail It Up, Call It a Problem Eric, one of the owners of Hansen Pole Buildings, was contacted by a prefabricated roof truss manufacturer recently. They weren’t interested in selling just trusses; they wanted to provide their nail-laminated posts as well. Among their selling points were the columns were, “stronger than even the glu-laminated columns”. […]

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Dear Guru: Will a Treated Post Rot in the Ground?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/19/2013
Dear Guru: Will a Treated Post Rot in the Ground?

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: Will Poles Rot?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 07/22/2013
Dear Pole Barn Guru: Will Poles Rot?

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.  Email all questions to: PoleBarnGuru@HansenPoleBuildings.com DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Will the poles y’all use […]

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Steel Wrapped Poles & Sprinkler System

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/27/2013
Steel Wrapped Poles & Sprinkler System

Steel wrapped poles Hansen Pole Buildings Designer Alan came up with a new client concern recently. His client lost his last barn to a fire, so the client’s idea for his new pole barn is to wrap the poles with light gauge steel, in order to keep them from burning. Of course Alan and I […]

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Pole Barn Detective: Is it a Glulam?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/05/2013
Pole Barn Detective: Is it a Glulam?

Is it a Glulam? Usually the process works this way – check with the Planning Department to confirm the desired building can be constructed on the property, have pole building plans prepared by a registered design professional (RDP – engineer or architect), apply for and be granted a Building Permit, then build. The photo of […]

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Finger joints

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 05/09/2013
Finger joints

The first time I was exposed to finger joints in wood and actually noticed them, was when I was working for Lucas Plywood and Lumber of Salem, Oregon in 1979 (yep, back in the Dark Ages). I will digress momentarily…. My son recently turned 18, but when he was younger he had some interesting questions […]

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PRF Adhesives

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/30/2013
PRF Adhesives

In prior posts, I’ve mentioned phenol-resorcinol glues. When it comes to putting two or more pieces of wood together (like a glu-laminated column), this combination just can’t be beat for both performance and cost effectiveness. For those who want to be “in the know”, here is the straight scoop! WARNING: Failure to have aced high […]

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Glulam Column Sizes

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/26/2013
Glulam Column Sizes

Glu-laminated columns are a laminated composite product manufactured from high-strength lumber. By using multiple plies of materials, natural defects are randomized creating greater column strength and a higher degree of reliability. Hansen Pole Buildings provides glulam columns manufactured by several different companies, so there are some slight variations. This article will speak more to the […]

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Lumber Prices: You Got Wood?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/17/2013
Lumber Prices: You Got Wood?

Got Wood? While very few consumers visit retail lumberyards or big box home improvement centers nearly as often as I do, if it has been over a year since your last visit, prepare for some serious sticker shock. The sheet of 7/16” osb (oriented strand board) which retailed for a five spot and change last […]

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Coriolis Affect on Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 04/02/2013
Coriolis Affect on Lumber

Coriolis Affect on Lumber My oldest step-son, Jake is a very smart lad and teaches high school physics. He does his part to keep students involved, including having created a Facebook page “Mr. Roarks Science Group”. In a recent post he wrote: “One of the science “facts” I always hear is that water spins down […]

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Poplar, not Popular

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/21/2013
Poplar, not Popular

I’ve been having back and forth discussions involving board and batten siding. The opposite side of my discussion (who has been considering using yellow poplar) writes: “I too was Worried about board and batten, however our barns are 60-100 years old and still are in good shape.  At least ones that still have a good […]

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Pole Barn or Block Foundation?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/01/2013
Pole Barn or Block Foundation?

A prospective client recently posted this question about block foundations: “Our family farm was started around 1850. During this time there were 12-14 barns and 1 house. Most barns deteriorated due to bad roofing. But we’re talking about stuff that lasted 100 years and some longer. We still have 4 barns left and the house […]

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Lumber: When a Foot is not a Foot

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 02/20/2013
Lumber: When a Foot is not a Foot

This article was a recent Internet rage: Subway customers are whipping out their measuring tapes after Internet postings that claim a short-shifting of the worldwide chain’s famous footlong sub, putting the Milford, Conn.-based company in the hot seat. The controversy began Tuesday in Australia, when a very precise customer, identified as Matt Corby of Perth, […]

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What does 2×6 Lumber Weigh?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 02/08/2013
What does 2×6 Lumber Weigh?

Is 2×6 lumber heavy? This is actually fairly important, not just to determine how many boards can be toted around a jobsite by one person, but also in calculating the dead loads which must be carried by structural members such as roof trusses and rafters. Like most things played around with by engineers, and other […]

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Wood Preservative

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 02/05/2013
Wood Preservative

What I Learned Today – Wood Preservative Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rachel had an interesting story today. She reported, “A builder says he uses Borax around the bottom of the steel.  I thought this was strange and he didn’t say why he was using it.” Being the naturally curious sort, Rachel started researching on the […]

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Lumber Prices to Hit All-Time Highs?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 01/17/2013
Lumber Prices to Hit All-Time Highs?

Lumber prices are expected to soar in 2013 before hitting all-time highs the following year, according to a report by the Vancouver consulting group International Wood Markets. Wood Markets president Russ Taylor said the dynamics have been in place since 2008 for a so-called “supercycle” which will push lumber prices into the stratosphere. The only […]

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Pink 2×4 Studs

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 01/16/2013
Pink 2×4 Studs

In December I had the opportunity to call on one of our “partners” in the southeastern United States. One thing I began to notice with regularity, as I went from location to location across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana was “pink” 2×4 studs. Using my limited mental facilities, I could only associate these with some sort […]

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LVL: Laminated Veneer Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 01/14/2013
LVL: Laminated Veneer Lumber

What is an LVL? Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is an industry standard in framing of new wood frame buildings. LVLs are used to replace solid wood beams and joists. They are made in a process similar to plywood, where rotary peeled wood veneers (usually pine or fir) are dried then laminated together with glue and […]

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Debate Over Pressure Treated Wood Stairs

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/27/2012
Debate Over Pressure Treated Wood Stairs

While doing research for a recent post on pressure treated lumber for pole buildings in Hawaii, I stumbled across a YouTube video entitled, “Think Twice before Using Pressure Treated Lumber for a stairway”. The maker of the video purports to have decades of construction experience and is based in Southern California. The video is specifically […]

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Pole Building in Hawaii Using Pressure Treated Wood

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/26/2012
Pole Building in Hawaii Using Pressure Treated Wood

Over the past few decades, I’ve been involved in several pole building projects on the Hawaiian Islands, and they all had one thing in common – the use of pressure preservative treated lumber throughout, included the prefabricated wood roof trusses. The use of pressure treated wood has been standard building practice in Hawaii and the […]

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Machine Graded Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/24/2012
Machine Graded Lumber

Lumber grades take into account natural characteristics, including knots, splits, checks, shake, and wane. Lumber design values are assigned to lumber grades to provide a means for using this material in structural applications. These values are published in Design Values for Wood Construction, a supplement to the National Design Specification® (NDS) for Wood Construction. The […]

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Reasons to Buy Used Utility Poles for Pole Barns

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 11/23/2012
Reasons to Buy Used Utility Poles for Pole Barns

Here are the top three reasons – Money, Availability, and Recycling/Reusing. Trying to save a few bucks on your pole barn and don’t care about longevity or ease of use, then used utility poles may be the answer. Most people, who are going to invest an average of $50,000 into a new building, prefer to […]

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How Long Will Utility Poles Last?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 11/21/2012
How Long Will Utility Poles Last?

If I had a dime for every time, over the last three plus decades, I have had a potential client even bring up using old telephone (utility) poles for constructing a new pole barn, I would be retired and sitting on the beach in Ecuador now! Pole buildings are designed with the thought of being […]

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PCP Treated Poles

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 11/20/2012
PCP Treated Poles

I first became involved in the post frame (pole) building industry over three decades ago, in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. At the time, many of the region’s pole barn builders were buying the lumber for the pole buildings they were selling to consumers from Withers Lumber in Brooks, Oregon. The “special” thing about this […]

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Pressure Treated Posts: 1807.3.1

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 10/31/2012
Pressure Treated Posts: 1807.3.1

Not near as exciting as 867-5309, but this one Section of the International Building Code (IBC) is one of the most important and least understood sections. The American Wood Preservers Association (AWPA) addresses in, Section UC4 wood, which is pressure preservative treated for “Ground Contact”. The “UC” is short for “Use Class”. UC4A is for […]

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Tuff Posts for Pole Buildings

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 10/01/2012
Tuff Posts for Pole Buildings

This is a product review for Tuff Posts,  a product I have never used. Now how can I feel qualified to do such a review? Thanks to the miracle of the internet, a plethora of information can be gleaned on nearly any product. Tuff Posts are prefabricated columns for use in pole buildings. As a […]

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Parallam® Plus PSL

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/19/2012
Parallam® Plus PSL

Justine (a Hansen Buildings Project Coordinator) recently needed to order some glu-laminated columns for a pole building kit package. One of our vendors recommended she instead order Parallam® Plus PSL columns instead, insisting they would be as strong as or stronger than glu-lams. Parallam® is the brand name for an engineered wood product developed by […]

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Competitor’s Quote: A Paul Harvey

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/10/2012
Competitor’s Quote: A Paul Harvey

Client to Hansen Pole Buildings Designer, Jim; “I talked to a local lumber yard and received a quote from them for a similar 40×60 with attic truss at 40#/sq and they were about 20K lower than your quote.  The 54K that you quoted seemed a little high when I received it.  The other quote did […]

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Pole Barn Lumber: Southern Pine Updates

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/08/2012
Pole Barn Lumber: Southern Pine Updates

Southern Pine lumber has been popular since Colonial times for a wide variety of applications. Favorable growing conditions, wise forest management, and efficient manufacturing ensure a continuous supply of high-quality Southern Pine products for future generations. Southern Pine consists of four main species — shortleaf, longleaf, loblolly, and slash — and has been the preferred […]

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Termites in Your Pole Barn

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/07/2012
Termites in Your Pole Barn

Even the best of pressure preservative treatment chemicals are not going to entirely eliminate the possibility of termite infestations. No, the termites are probably not going to touch the pressure treated materials, but usually building owners are unwilling to invest in all pressure treated wood for their pole buildings. So, what to do with the […]

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ACQ Treated Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 06/04/2012
ACQ Treated Lumber

Pressure-treated lumber has been available for about 60 years. Most original formulas centered on arsenic as the main preservative, to help lumber withstand the extremes of outdoor use. While over time small amounts of chemicals from treatments such as CCA may have leached out of the treated timbers, a 2004 report in Wood and Fibre […]

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Cedar or Redwood Posts for Pole Buildings?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 05/31/2012
Cedar or Redwood Posts for Pole Buildings?

More than once (especially in California), it has been suggested by lumber yards to use cedar or redwood posts for pole buildings, rather than pressure preservative treated wood of other species. The lumber yard sales people are of the belief the cedar or redwood posts should have adequate natural resistance to decay to last the […]

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Carpenters Love Wood: Saving Lumber & Reducing Construction Costs

The smell of fresh sawdust on a crisp fall morning, the slap and ring of hammers on boards, the sturdy feel of new framing – what’s not to love? So it’s no surprise when builders set out to frame a pole building, sometimes they use a little more lumber than really needed. Sometimes a lot […]

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Lumber Species Surprise!

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 03/30/2012
Lumber Species Surprise!

In the United States, there are four prevailing species of timber which is used for framing lumber. Douglas Fir-Larch – which includes Douglas Fir and Western Larch (Tamarack). Prevalent along the West Coast, it is also known as Oregon Pine or Red Fir. Hem-Fir – another western lumber species group which includes California Red Fir, […]

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Pressure Treating Glulam Columns

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 01/18/2012
Pressure Treating Glulam Columns

We recently had one of our engineers specify the use of glulam pressure treated columns to support one of our custom designed pole buildings. The client was concerned about pressure treated glulams in the ground, so it was time for some heavy duty research. According to the American Institute of Timber Construction (AITC), structural glued […]

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Southern Yellow Pine

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 01/16/2012
Southern Yellow Pine

I do a lot of research on most everything I blog about.  I want you to have the most solid and recent information, along with my advice as to how to put it to best use.  I found this recently at www.spib.org: “The Family owned and publicly traded companies that choose to use the SPIB […]

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Building with Wood: Do It Now

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 01/13/2012
Building with Wood: Do It Now

Brookfield Timberlands of Vancouver, B.C., Canada owns over 3800 square miles of forest land in Canada (larger than the land area of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined). They are one of North America’s largest log exporters. One of Brookfield’s partners feels a timber supply “shock” is fast approaching which will lead to significantly higher prices […]

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Forest Restoration: Can’t See the Forest for the Trees Part II

As I said yesterday, between 1952 and 2001, more trees grew, more trees died, and more were harvested.  Why? Forest density has a huge role in tree morbidity.  Forest restoration begins with sound ecologic management practices. I have a home in the state of Washington, and in fact, live a good share of the year […]

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Forest Health: Can’t See the Forest for the Trees?

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 12/05/2011
Forest Health: Can’t See the Forest for the Trees?

There have been times when I have seen manufacturers of all steel buildings attempt to portray pole buildings as being less than ecologically friendly. The premise being steel is 100% recyclable, while wood somehow is not. Or, by using wood in construction, we are somehow cutting down all of the trees! Today, forest growth in […]

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Green Pole Barns

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 10/04/2011
Green Pole Barns

Green building is one of the most dynamic market forces in construction today. Pole buildings are considered sustainable, but until very recently little documentation existed on the energy efficiency and the reduced impact on the environment created by pole barns. “Green building” is based on producing more sustainable buildings and is the basis for green […]

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Do the Lumber Twist

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/02/2011
Do the Lumber Twist

Let’s start in the forest… When David Friss of Anchorage worked for NOM ‘s Environmental Research Labs in Boulder, he was once asked why lightning sometimes spirals down the trunk of a tree. While the answer was not proven, we observed the path of least resistance might follow the spiral grain of the wood. He […]

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Green Lumber vs. Dry Lumber

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 09/01/2011
Green Lumber vs. Dry Lumber

Need a piece of lumber? In most of the United States, you get one from your local lumber yard or “big box” store and do not have a choice as to whether the lumber is “green” (moisture content of over 19%) or dry. For the most part, what is available at the retail level is […]

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Lumber Defects: Crowns Aren’t Just for Royalty

Posted by The Pole Barn Guru on 08/30/2011
Lumber Defects: Crowns Aren’t Just for Royalty

Grab any piece of lumber, with a narrow edge pointed up. Look down the narrow edge and you will normally see an upward or downward arch, or bow to the wood. An upward arch is “crowned up”.  This is a common lumber defect.  When building your new pole building, it is important for the crowns […]

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