As mentioned in a recent post (last Wednesday), recently while ‘net surfing, I stumbled across some interesting reading on a website for a hybrid steel frame – wood girts and purlins building. The same website also had the benefits and/or disadvantages of all steel buildings. Again, I’ll present their information and then either agree or […]

We’ve seen prices of materials creeping up fairly steadily for the past year, and according to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the era of cheap construction materials may be slipping away. The price index for construction costs input — a weighted average of all materials used in construction, plus items consumed by contractors, […]

By guest blogger J.A.Hansen, owner of Hansen Buildings Where I left you yesterday was watching an inferno blazing away at 1800 degrees, 3 feet from a wood framed firewall.  This carefully monitored firewall test was carried out in a UL testing facility under strict conditions to see if a structurally independent wall made of wood […]

Guest blog by J.A.Hansen, owner of Hansen Buildings… There were several concurrent conferences with great speakers at the NFBA expo Mike the Pole Barn Guru, Eric (my business partner and President of Hansen Buildings) and myself recently attended in St. Louis, MO. The National Frame Builders’ Association website: www.nfba.org gives this description:  “NFBA is the […]

Saturday night….nearly 9 p.m. I know what you are thinking, it is after beer:30 and if anything I should be out listening to my step-son Adam’s band Skyline from Fargo (yes….a blatant plug for his band) play. Nope – we’re working! And the office phone rings. Now I am not certain who is playing with […]

Had you going with the title, didn’t I? Kutyaharapást szőrével is Hungarian for “The hair of the dog”. The English saying “the hair of the dog” dates back to the days of Shakespeare, and deals with curing a hangover with even more alcohol!  Similarly, I want to cure the lack of building overhangs, with information […]

Stair design and location seems to be fairly baffling. There are some general rules which, if followed, make things much easier. These are based upon the International Building Codes and there do exist some localized code exceptions (always check with your Building Official prior to building stairs). In order to keep things simple, spiral stairs […]

What’s the Stink? One popular, although expensive, method of insulating pole buildings is with spray foam insulation. Besides cost, spray foam can also bring with it problems in the form of lingering odors.  These odors are coming from a catalyst in the foam, or from foam which is off-ratio, not mixed well or sprayed too […]

Many people have literally built their own pole buildings – from digging the holes, until the last screw is driven. Some do portions of the work themselves and hire a builder to drive the nails, while others employ a general contractor to do everything for them. Most adore their new buildings. Some are deeply disillusioned. […]

When I opened my first business, back in 1981 (yes, I am dating myself), my first regular repeat client was a fireman from Woodburn, Oregon. He was a great person to deal with, always paid his bills on time, and never complained. I’d nearly forgotten about him, until I heard the following saga from a […]

It may not be possible to put a price on love, but the square footage and location of where the love story takes place is a different story. Many couples take their potential partner’s “digs” (which includes the garage/shop and any other pole building) into account before entering into a relationship, according to a new study, […]

Wood. It Doesn’t Melt The steel/wood steel/wood debate, as far as building structure, seems never ending. The “all steel” building manufacturers highly tout the resistance of their heavy steel frames against fire. But just maybe, the all steel buildings are not everything they are promoted to be. I’m a member of several discussion groups on […]

“Except where erected on solid rock or otherwise protected from frost, foundation walls, piers and other permanent supports of buildings and structures larger than 400 square feet in area or 10 feet in height shall extend below the frost line of the locality, and spread footings of adequate size shall be provided where necessary to […]

In a misguided effort to make things “easier” for potential building owners and builders, some Building Departments have prescriptive requirements for non-engineered pole buildings. This means if someone walks in the Building Department door and wants to construct a pole building, as long as the building owner (or builder) agrees to build to match the […]

Clients ask me, “What is the difference between your engineered and non-engineered buildings”? In the case of Hansen Buildings, the only difference is the engineered buildings have been reviewed by a professional engineer, who is registered in the state where the building is to be constructed. This review is for structural adequacy.  And, following the […]

One of the joys of what I do is I get to learn new things every day. I’ve often thought to myself, the day I stop learning, is the day I am dead. In today’s lesson….one of our clients has taken his engineer sealed plans to his Building Department to obtain a building permit. The […]

One of our Building Designers asked me the other day if a 10% “shrink factor” should be used when advising how much concrete it takes to pour a concrete slab on grade. This particular Building Designer “in a previous life” had been a building contractor.  It had been his practice to always order 10% more […]

Fiberglass insulation is difficult to write about. In my opinion just about everyone knows about this topic or how the product works. There just isn’t much sizzle to the topic. I would hate to work for an advertising agency or public relations firm having to write about this stuff on a weekly or monthly basis! […]

This is not like Where’s Waldo?, or Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? The relationship of the top of a concrete slab inside your new pole building, to the grade surrounding the building is critical not only during construction, but also in the lifetime of performance of your building. Hansen Pole Buildings services […]

Collateral loads are additional dead loads hung from the building, such as sprinkler systems; drop ceilings, HVAC equipment, lighting etc. These are the loads which are most often overlooked or neglected in the design of a new pole building. Many times, it is just no one having made the client aware. Most building sales people […]

An increasing number of new pole building owners consider installing solar roofing panels in order to harness solar energy and generate electricity for their new buildings. The traditional approach was based on installing heavy crystalline solar panels on top of an asphalt shingle roof. Shingles are an oil based roofing system with a relatively short […]

A request we receive frequently is for skylights to be installed in the steel covered roofs of our pole buildings. My first thoughts go back to a building I worked inside of over the winter of 1980-81. About 20 years old, the building had a steel roof with numerous fiberglass (actually Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic or […]

One of the most asked for and least understood option for a pole building is designing for an attic “bonus room”. A bonus room is exactly what it sounds like – it is extra space, a “bonus”. For sake of simplicity, let’s think about this in the realm of only a gable style roof. A […]

Often our clients are comparing the costs of a post frame building against those of an all steel building. Pole (post frame) buildings with pressure preservative treated wood columns embedded in the ground include the design of the foundation in the building plans. Provided engineered building plans have been ordered, no other engineering is needed […]

We’ve all seen the buy local campaigns, but what does it really mean to buy local and what are the benefits? Hansen Pole Buildings, if anything, are logistical wizards. We source the best available products, at competitive prices, with the least amount of transportation possible. This allows you to get the most pole building for […]

My grandparent’s lake cabin was nearly 75 years old when the cedar shake roof finally gave out in the 1980’s. With the quality of cedar shakes down and the price high (besides the dangers of a wooden roof in a forest) the solution became clear – painted steel. In the woods, the non-combustible feature alone […]

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 […]

As I mentioned yesterday (in case you missed my post), many a person has purchased a nail gun in eager anticipation of using it to save time and effort in construction of their new pole building.  Inherent in any tool is the “safety first” concerns it brings along with it. Nail gun work rules and […]

Architects, engineers and contractors can select from a plethora of building materials which often incorporate new technology and manufacturing processes. Some of these materials are formulated from substances only barely understood by scientists and chemical engineers. It was not always so. Life used to be much simpler for engineers and building code officials, back when […]

Just in time delivery made Toyota Motors famous two decades ago. The basic premise is to have materials delivered as close to the time needed for assembly. These practices allowed Toyota to more efficiently manage inventories and the costs associated with them. By streamlining processes, they were able to get more work done more efficiently, […]

Can you really build your own pole building? In short – of course you can! For those who will look at the plans and read the directions, you will build a far better building than hiring it done. Why?  ‘Cause you will follow the instructions and take the time and care with your building! As […]

Build your own garage, shop or barn in this economy?  With unemployment remaining in the nine percent range and the economy sputtering along, the last few years have been less than perfect.  Real estate has continued on an ugly path with no end in sight.  There couldn’t have been any Americans crazy enough to act […]

Three decades ago, when I was a newbie in the pole building industry, I was working in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. One of the local roll formers was selling steel roofing and siding as 26 gauge or (as they called it) .018E. To begin with, what is a steel roll former? The process of […]

As we near the end of 2011, I’ve been browsing various websites from the pole building industry. When I first entered the post frame business in 1980, nearly everyone was attaching steel roofing and siding to purlins and girts using ring shank nails with waffle heads, with rubber washers. It only took a couple of […]

As a youngster, I heard stories about my parents doing road races in my Dad’s Jaguar. I’d seen photos of the two of them and as a result, having a Jaguar of my own became a goal. Early in 1988, I had determined it was time for a new car. I was living in the […]

The International Building Code (IBC) is the primary non-residential United States model building code. Although the code covers all buildings, and has been adopted to varying degrees in all 50 states, most agricultural buildings are not designed in accordance with its provisions. This is because most state and local governments which adopt the IBC exempt […]

As I said yesterday, a properly engineered building is a fully engineered building.  Either it is engineered, or it is not.  I have been appalled to hear what clients feel are reputable companies tell me they sell buildings at a much lesser price if the client does not require sealed plans.  My question to them […]

Some or all of a building collapses in a wind or snow storm. Upon examination, it is determined the building had several major weaknesses due to lacking engineering. The building owner is frustrated and angry as he truly believed he had purchased a properly engineered building. A properly engineered building, in the average client’s mind, […]

It’s not even December and I’m already tired of pushing/shoveling snow.  But strangely, there is something about the wintertime which is somewhat comforting.  My wife and I live by a lake in the mountains where most folks around us retreat to the city when the snow flies.  Like relatives, we happily welcome our summertime friends […]

Farmers who are considering building a new barn or storage shed on their property in 2012 can take advantage of a tax relief benefit which can translate into significant savings. For 2012, new agricultural buildings such as pole barns, equipment sheds, hay storage, and livestock facilities are eligible for “bonus depreciation” of up to 50 […]

As long as we are on the subject of designing for horses (see yesterday’s blog), we should give a little attention to something which seems “not that big of a deal”, but it really is…size of your horse aisleway. If you start looking on the internet, you will find suggestions for an 8’ aisleway, to […]

My 21 year old daughter Bailey is a professional horse trainer. She works at a riding facility in Aumsville, Oregon – near Salem. Now Dad is pretty proud of her, as she has competed with the best in Tennessee and one of her horses was a national grand champion. The road to her dream occupation […]

My lovely bride and I have been putting away money so we can finish our new home – cabinets, trims and floor coverings and we’ve got it made. Now we have been saving for what, five years? At this rate, I will be dead for about forty years before I’ll have saved enough to enjoy […]

Here is an easy home activity, which will give you an idea of how buildings work. Find a discarded shoe box; remove the top and any contents. Now turn upside down on a countertop. With one hand, push gently downward on the inverted box, enough so as to limit the ability of the sides to […]

Today’s blog is a true story continuation from yesterday – so if you missed it, go back and catch up. The location is masked so as to avoid any possible retribution against the clients who were just trying to do things right. Dealing with your Planning Department can be a hurdle to overcome before you […]

Just Saying No: A Planning Department Horror Story The location is masked so as to avoid any possible retribution against the clients who were just trying to do things right. Thankfully this is not how things usually go, but the Planning Department can be a hurdle to overcome before you even consider starting in on […]

I read a fair number of blogs relating to the construction industry. Recently one of them was talking about the proposed removal of an 80 year-old pine tree leaning precariously over their house. This resulted in a call to an arborist (on a sidebar, I have near my home a business “The Affordable Arborists”, which […]

Like many suppliers of pole buildings kits, whether “standard” or completely “custom” kits, such as ours, I’m sure I am barking up a familiar tree.  What does building materials inventory involve?  Let me tell you about one of my most frustrating stories first. The one which first comes to mind, in talking about inventory, is […]

Is Mini-Storage for You? My brother and I were pole building contractors in 1991, when we got a contract to construct 3 self-storage buildings along rural Highway 95 just north of Athol, Idaho. We’d done other work for the same client, and had met with the property owner, who was providing the financing for the […]

Most alternative eco-friendly roofing materials, such as those which contain a high recycled content, are about three to four times the installed cost of asphalt shingles.  This is a hard sell for anyone, no matter how green you want to be. There may be a reason to be optimistic for the future, however. Euroshiled Roofing’s […]

The desired level of soil compaction is best achieved by matching the soil type with its proper compaction method.  Other factors must be considered as well, such as soil compaction specs and job site conditions.  Since granular soils are not cohesive and the particles require a shaking or vibratory action to move them, vibratory plates […]

Ready to get your head deeper into the dirt?  Stick with me here and I’ll explain at the end why this is so important. Here we go…. The Proctor, or Modified Proctor Test, determines the maximum density of a soil needed for a specific job site.  The test first determines the maximum density achievable for […]

When I think of water and soil, I can’t help but think of the Tower of Suurhusen in Germany.  This one leans even more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.  But it’s why it leans which interests me.  Built in 1450, it probably would have never leaned, if not for changing the moisture […]

This is day two in several where I am discussing all kinds of issues with site preparation, mostly what to do with the…dirt. So what actually is soil? Soil is formed in place or deposited by various forces of nature – such as glaciers, wind, lakes and rivers – residually or organically.  The important elements […]

Caught your attention, didn’t I? Every building project starts from the same place – the dirt. In order to achieve a quality outcome, it takes a quality beginning.  It’s hard to believe, but there is a lot of “stuff” to cover about dirt.  Stick with me here for the next several blogs and we’ll take […]

The best time to insulate your new pole building…is at the time of construction. There are many building features which are more easily done at time of construction, but sometimes the old pocketbook only stretches so far. At the very least, if you can prepare your building for future “additions” of features such as additional […]

I’ve personally used and experienced wonderful results with a product referred to by the trade name BIBS®.  You can read more about it on the internet:  www.bibs.com I know I’m going to sound like a commercial talking about how great this stuff is, but I honestly have no affiliation with the company producing it. I […]

If you didn’t read my yesterday’s blog – you may want to prior to reading today’s, which is the “rest of the story” on metal building insulation, commonly known as “MBI”. My first experience installing MBI was not a fun one, in any sense of the word “fun”. What no one warned us about were […]

It was a cold morning….and I was working on one of the first pole barns I had ever built. With the roof all framed up, it was time to install the roof steel, or so I thought. In a pile, on the ground, were bags of something white, about as large as an oversized water […]

Insulation is one of the topics, once brought into conversation, seems to make most folks’ eyes glaze over.  Many know enough to ask about R Value, and understand “the higher the better”.  Or so they think.  Sometimes you need to stop a minute and go back to the source of what I call “the need”.  […]

Let me in…Let me in! A fair number of pole buildings end up with enclosed attic spaces. An enclosed attic is one where the bottom chord (lowest horizontal or in the case of a vaulted ceiling – slightly sloping) has a ceiling attached or suspended from it. In the event this is going to happen […]

Yesterday I started talking a little bit about one of the hardest things to choose on a building – colors. This is one of those subjects where I feel totally out of my element, but because we get so many folks asking “what color should I choose for….?”, I feel I can share some of […]

If we are going out for an evening on the town, my wife won’t let me pick the clothes I am going to wear.  While I am sure it has something to do with my inability to match colors, even I sometimes wonder about colors people choose for their pole buildings. Several years ago we […]

Ten years ago when we first started our internet based business, we set up an ACH option for customers to make payments on their pole building kits.  I can still remember the first gal we offered payment by ACH to.  From memory in talking to her son, the elderly lady who was actually paying for […]

Today‘s guest blog is written by a fellow Rotarian of mine, Rich Wilson, who is an Insurance and Financial Services Agent for Farmers Insurance out of Coeur d ‘Alene, ID. So you want to build a pole building structure behind your home.  So how does pole building insurance work? It’s always best to check with your […]

We all know what Assume Means… Bob is a builder in Northern California. He made a request for a quote on a building recently, via the Hansen Pole Buildings website. The building he had in mind was to be 30’ wide x 80’ long. Bob told me the roof snow load was 100 pounds per […]

One thing I’d really like to discuss is… over the years, every now and then we get folks who ask, “Why don’t you send extra?”  They mean extra lumber? Steel?  Extra posts?  How about trusses?!  Which parts of what may be over a hundred different pieces do you want me to send “extra”?  How many […]

“So you have pole building newsletters, why should I read an online ad to BUY BUY BUY from you?”  asked a client recently when I suggested he sign up. “You are exactly right, and I wouldn’t either”, I replied. “Really?” he dubiously answered. I went on to explain our newsletters are purposely designed to NOT […]

When I read this CNBC.com article, written by Colleen Kane, I immediately thought – why is it these folks aren’t just doing it the easy way? Here is a brief overview of one of the homes – a barn located in Dallas, Texas: This structure existed for its first 150 years or so as a […]

There is Always Someone Who Will Do It for Less! Over the past few days, one of the Building Designers for Hansen Buildings has been negotiating with a client on the design and materials for a building 80’ x 250’ x 20’ interior clear. This is a project with a price tag approaching $150,000 – […]

I once overheard my lovely bride responding to this question with – if you make the building large enough, short enough, take off the walls, doors, and roof insulation – it is almost free! While it doesn’t quite work this simply, she does have a point. Pole buildings come with an inherent economy of scale. […]

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 […]

Next thing you know…. One of our Building Designers, Bob, and I were sharing stories about our client’s favorite objections. You know, why they are procrastinating moving forward with their new building projects. Keep in mind, our clients usually contact us because they have a problem. Something like, “My wife/husband wants to be able to […]

Back in the day….over a decade ago, I had a good friend who had created a website and was making a good living selling one single aftermarket engine part for Dodge pickups. Now this was back when most people did not have internet service, and those who did, got it at the crawling speed of […]

I don’t think so…. Back in 2002, this was just a fledgling business. Sure, I had over 20 years of experience, but this new business meant starting over from nowhere.  I had never before sold buildings primarily through the internet. Our building plans – two pages (granted they were full blueprint size at 24” x […]

Private wood lots and portable sawmills exist in nearly every state in the United States. Over the years I have had more than one of the owners of these ask me about using rough sawn ungraded lumber in their pole barns. My recommendation, every time is…NO! If you are a private wood lot owner, I […]

How do Contractors Blow Budgets and Still Get Paid? Bid jobs are a miracle all in themselves. Usually they begin from an interested party at an organization realizing, “Hey, we need a new building”. Eventually they will get enough of their cohorts involved to reach a critical mass. One of them will then go forth […]

My mother used to have a saying, (watching my brother and I bandy about with many a sharp object), “it’s all fun until someone gets their eye poked out”.  In her stern voice, she was simply trying to make things safe for my bro’ and me. You might have a totally sweet concept for your […]

Considering using vinyl siding on your new pole building? Whether doing the work yourself, or hiring it done here are three helpful tips to keep in mind. Tip #1 Each piece of siding has nailing slots along the top edge. Every fastener needs to be placed in the center of a slot. Nailing on either […]

Bookshelf Girts aka Commercial  Girts: What are they? I do a lot of blogging, not because I enjoy it ( I do) but because I am always “listening” and learning.  And if there is anyone out there who I can help, my fun increases exponentially.  I recently came across this posting on a Farm Forum: […]

One of our Building Designers, Alan, is a former general contractor who, prior to becoming a Building Designer, had constructed about 200 Hansen Buildings in several Pacific Northwest states. This morning, he sent me an Instant Message as a client had asked if they, “could have eave lights in the roof of their building”? Traditional […]

Look like the Old West In the past week, we had two clients specifically request “rusted” steel roofing. If you have ever been to a theme park which had an “Old West” section (think Knott’s Berry Farm or portions of Disneyland), you’ve seen buildings and facades which have rusted steel roofs. Well – they did […]

There are few things which define American home ownership better than having a good backyard accessory pole building. Whether at your primary residence, or at the mountain or lake cabin, having the ideal space for your needs is what takes your home from “pretty good”…to ideal. While the weather is warm, having a barbeque under […]

Spending two weeks in TN in August gave me plenty of time on my daily morning run to see all kinds of damage from hail (in April) described by my son and daughter-in-law who live there, as “the biggest we’ve ever seen”.  I couldn’t help noticing the beat up siding, holes the size of baseballs […]

A couple weeks ago I posted about vinyl siding damage due to hail storms in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. Vinyl siding was not the only thing damaged – on my four mile running loop are numerous yard signs from roofers. The roofers are replacing shingles which were damaged by the same storm. When I first […]

On LinkedIn, I am a member of a builder discussion group. Recently this question was posed: “Do you use inferior products to get your bid down low or use the right product knowing you will lose the job on price?” Anthony LoCoco, owner of Traditions Home Improvement Service, LLC in Illinois responded with this answer, […]

Pole Building Design: Do It Right The photos above and quote below are an actual posting on a discussion website I belong to: “i got this late 60’s 102’x56′ pole barn/shelter. The poles are set 11’center squire. The purlins(nailed with 3 spikes each end)to the poles. rafters are 2×6,4′ apart,then 1×8 boards across and metal roofing […]

‘I want to see people build past minimum (code) standards’: Mike Holmes In a June 29, 2011 copyrighted article in Postmedia News, Mike Holmes says, “Anyone who knows me knows I talk an awful lot about building code. The code is a minimum acceptable standard for the construction of a building. It’s also a living, […]

After what has seemed like eons of planning, changes and more changes, interviewing prospective suppliers, dealing with planning and building departments…..it is done. You’ve ordered your new pole building. Time to kick back and relax until it is time to build. Think again…. Your RV, fifth-wheel, a logging truck or a manufactured home could easily […]

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 […]

Construction specifications are generally produced by architects or engineers, for governmental or NGO construction projects which are to be let out for competitive bids. Our experience shows us many of these project specifiers write in requirements for products which are either commercially not readily available, or are not practical for the intended use of the […]

There is a strong case to be made that wood is the greenest building material. But for it to really earn that title, we have to rethink how we build with it. In North America, wood construction has dominated single-family and low-rise housing; steel and concrete have dominated commercial and mid-rise residential construction. This usage […]

I Really Love What I Do How many of you can say you have been blessed to be in a career you truly love? One where you wake up every morning, excited to get to do it again? Call it luck, call it being blessed, call it anything you want….I love what I do. And […]

What the Hail? I’ve been visiting my son and his wife in Maryville, TN. I used to be a competitive long-distance runner, and while I absolutely hate running, I enjoy eating whatever I want even more, so I run to eat. My lovely daughter-in-law set me up on a four mile loop to run. Those […]

You want me to Tell You What? Several years ago, we wanted to make a direct payment to one of our vendors by ACH (Automated Clearing House) direct deposit to their checking account. We explained the process to them, as well as letting them know we needed to have their bank routing information and account […]

A New Pole Building: Why We Won’t Sell You Anything…. Have you ever purchased something, and then after the purchase wondered how it is you ended up owning it? We are not talking here about the package of Chiclets from an adorable child on a sunny beach – those types of small dollar purchases are […]

Let’s Buy Pole Barn Plans… As I browse about the ‘net, checking out what is available in our industry, I find lots of folks who are selling plans for barns and pole buildings. Some of these are remarkably inexpensive. Now, why might buying a set of pole barn plans off the internet not be a […]

Blazing Building Prices…Honestly You’ve been talking with someone about a new pole barn. You like the salesperson, and feel like you have built a good relationship with them. You feel they offer a good design solution, can deliver within your time frame….just one question remains. Is their price right? Here is the secret to honestly […]

Mega Clearspan Buildings…Just Put a Post in It In my first managerial position in the roof truss industry, we worked out of an 80 foot wide by 120 foot long concrete tilt up building. This building had a row of interior columns down the middle, 30 feet on center. These three columns posed no challenge […]

Stick ‘em Up Kim Fahey was recently convicted of a dozen misdemeanor building code infractions last month, in Los Angeles County. He faces several years in prison unless he tears down his “Phonehenge West”. Fahey said his constitutional right to do what he wants on his property is being trampled, calling that the real issue […]