Putting a 14 Foot Tall Overhead Door in a Short Eave Height… I’ve been doing post frame buildings now for a couple of years. Okay, maybe a couple of couple of years, as in 37 (ouch, am I seriously this old?). I’ve learned a certain amount of clients (and builders) are seemingly dimensionally challenged when […]

If your new post frame building will only ever be cold storage, then an insulated overhead door just might be all your will ever want, or need. For most people, I encourage them to go with insulated doors, just on the oft chance someone down the line will have different ideas. Insulated overhead doors do […]

Overhead Doors With Mullions- aka Swing-Up Post Doors Chances are if something is unique, unusual or near impossible the request is going to end up coming to Hansen Pole Buildings – it is the nature of the beast! Here is a request for something I have never done (or actually seen done in person): DEAR […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I have a (about) 40×24 pole building that faces north. I have a regular door that faces west. The wind and any accompanying rain typically blows directly against that west facing door. The building was built in 1996 by the original owner of the house. I’ve only lived in the house […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Good morning. My name is Thomas and I am with xxxxxx; we manufacture metal roofing and siding and based out of Tennessee. I wanted to ask you a few questions to gain some information. First, my wife and I are starting to look at metal building for our new home, is […]

Snow Slides Off Roof – Kills Child I’ve recently been searching the pages of the IBC (International Building Code) for a section which I was just certain I had viewed in an earlier Code edition – preventing accumulated snow  sliding off roofs, in particular at door openings. I even went so far as to post […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Where can I find barn doors, sliding steel style? They have no internet presence, or else there is a secret name for them. Thank you! BONNY in FRANKFORT DEAR BONNY: If you are in search of a steel covered, metal framed sliding door (which is what the huge majority of sliding […]

Over the past 36 plus years in the post frame building industry, I’ve personally sold, delivered and/or specified pretty easily at least 10,000 sliding doors. I am certain someone has provided more, most probably far less. Very, very few of them have ever been with glass in the doors. Sherri in Kansas recently asked, “Do […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Is it possible to build a post frame building on a crawl space. If so, where do you place the poles. Inside, outside, on top, or in the concrete. Thank you JACOB in CARROLLTON DEAR JACOB: Yes, it is both very possible and very practical to build a post frame building […]

What Horsepower Should a Garage Door Opener Have? Good question, and important enough to be well deserving of its own article. It was asked of me by JAME from CAMBRIDGE: “Just bought a home with a great pole barn already on it. My question is I want to install a door opener on the big […]

Scissors Trusses in Post Frame Buildings I’ve written previously about Henry Getz, of Morton Buildings (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2016/06/origins-colored-steel/), however there are reasons other than pre-painted steel roofing and siding which the post frame industry should thank Henry for. Beyond color, Henry also introduced the raised-chord (scissors) truss to the post frame industry, which allowed a taller end […]

One of the many decisions you’ll need to make when choosing a customized pole barn is the door type. You can opt for either an overhead door that raises up or a sliding door that pushes from left to right (or vice versa) – so what’s the better choice? The sliding versus overhead door decision […]

Please keep in mind, I was a post frame (pole) building contractor in a past life. With as many as 35 crews erecting buildings in six states – if something could possibly go awry, one of my crews would find a way to achieve it! Seriously. Some of them were creative in methods which I […]

One Foot And it isn’t the left or the right one! Actually the one foot I have in mind is the difference in width between a standard 36 inch width entry door and a 48 inch wide one. Oh what a difference the extra foot makes! And most of the difference is not in cost. […]

Double Bi-parting Sliding Doors for an Airplane Hangar Every once in a while I get asked a Dear Pole Barn Guru question which just demands its own space in order to do the subject topic true justice. This happens to be one of them. DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I want to build a 50x40x16 for […]

Part III of three in how to build a Sliding Door(Part I posted July 13 and Part II July 14): Door Pull From experience, for opening ease, it is best mounted vertically onto door “end” – on a Vertical Side Rail face. If one-piece sliding doors, skip next section. Bi-Parting Doors With a few exceptions […]

This is part II of our three part series on how to build a sliding door. Trolley Mounting Instructions   Insert trolley mounting bolts into previously drilled door grid top lateral. See Figure 27-5. Assemble star washer, flange nut and locknut, and adjust on pendant bolts until there is approximately one inch between trolley bolt head […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: How does one construct a sliding barn door?  SHIRLEY IN FAIR GROVE DEAR SHIRLEY: The best answer to your question is Chapter 27 of the Hansen Pole Buildings Construction Manual. Here it is in three parts, Part I:  Most Common Mistakes: Expecting the door frame to be shipped pre-assembled. Installing siding […]

While I am on an Overhead Door Rant I have been blessed to be the father of a herd of children – my youngest two, Allison (age 22) and Brent (age 21) will both be seniors in college this Fall. Yes, I am hearing the cheers from loyal readers who have reached this milestone. They […]

Several years ago, when Hansen Pole Buildings was a fledgling company, I worked with a client in Goldendale, Washington assisting him in designing what (in his eyes) would be his ideal dream building. My mission has always been to deliver the “Ultimate Post Frame Building Experience™”, which is greatly helped by clients who are open […]

At my first business, M & W Building Supply, we provided over 6000 post frame building kit packages in the years before I turned it over to the current owner, Jim Betonte. There were many memorable clients in those eight years, however a few instances stick in my mind. We were contracted to supply a […]

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 […]

At Hansen Pole Buildings, we have been accused, at times, of being overly anal. We are seemingly always looking for ways to make our buildings just a little bit better for our clients, whether it is a stronger connection or a better component. An example of one of these was when we upgraded from bolting […]

First the disclaimer – the photo is NOT of a Hansen Pole Building. It was provided and constructed by a small firm in Southern Missouri.  How small are they? Small enough to not have a website! And, according to the Better Business Bureau (of which they are not members), the business is under a year […]

Don’t be the Next Break In Sometimes the story is not the story and the misfortunes of others can be a lesson. In this morning’s news: “Police are seeking information about a break-in at a Wexford County, Michigan pole barn. The incident occurred Monday on Boon Road in Haring Township. A side door to the barn […]

I admit, when I first entered the post frame (pole) building business – I was clueless on a good day. My only “training” was picking the brain of an old time pole barn builder, George Evanovich. George was a nice enough guy, but it didn’t take me long to realize when it came to details […]

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” […]

We had a recent inquiry from a client who needed a new pole building for farm equipment storage. He has a windrower and several balers and trailers to put in the building. His initial request was for a 30’ x 40’ building, with a single sloping roof and a 14 foot eave height. For doors […]

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” […]

R U Paying Attention? Just this past week, we had one of our clients tell us his nearly completed pole building would require entry (person-type) doors with a R-20 insulating value. We at Hansen Pole Buildings, violated one of our own cardinal rules – we did not require our client to get the information in […]

Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Doug keeps me on my toes – he comes up with some of the most interesting questions, which I truly appreciate. Today, he asked me about chain hoists for overhead doors. I told him we did not currently include them in our proprietary “Instant Pricing™” system, due to lack of interest […]

Exterior Landings for Egress Entry Doors Picture this….. From inside of your new pole building, you open an entry door (person/man or similar descriptor) door and step out onto…..mud? Sorry, but this scenario is not going to meet with the requirements of the Building Codes. From the 2012 IBC (International Building Code): 1008.1.5 Floor elevation.  […]

Curl-Lok™ Sheet Steel Doors Back in 1991 my brother and I built a 100 unit self-storage facility just north of Athol, Idaho on Highway 95. Through a series of unfortunate events, I ended up as the “don’t want to be the owner” of the property until I sold it to the current owners (www.FarragutStorage.net). I […]

A very common statement is: “I love my building, but hate my doors.” Don’t put cheaply made inferior doors on a great building. Not all door companies offer the same quality! Hansen Pole Buildings has provided a significant number of pole building hangars located all across the country. By far, the most prevalent choice by […]

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” […]

Getting a quote on a sectional garage door? Or having one or more of them included either as part of a complete pole building kit package, or being provided by a builder? Chances are good they are not telling you this story…… About a decade ago, we had provided a pretty good sized (60’ x […]

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” […]

Friday’s Pole Barn Humor Just follow along here….. A client wrote for Technical Support: “I have had the roof and insulated walls on for quite some time and am currently enjoying an almost complete pole building. Just yesterday I installed the two sliding doors with a friend. This leaves only the trim to be completed. […]

Our oldest daughter Bailey gets mentioned pretty much in most articles I write which include horses. As a National Champion as both a rider and a trainer, she has seen plenty of horse barns. As a teenager, she mucked stalls – at the facility she worked at, they had over 40 of them. None of […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: My school district has two adventure courses on our property. One has been up for approx 20 years. It is made with telephone poles. We are concerned that the poles may be in need of replacement. How would we know? Is there testing we could have done? ROWING ON LAKE RONKONKOMA […]

Yes – sliding doors can end up being placed on a roof…..just not on purpose! The photo is of a sliding door on a Morton Building owned by a friend of a Hansen Pole Buildings employee. As this is an older building, it is not intended to be a negative commentary on any of the […]

I happen to live in what might be classified as “the boonies”. It is seriously out in the midst of the forest. And when in the middle of a forest, if a tree falls down and nobody hears it – chances are it is going to clip a power line and leave me without electricity! […]

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” […]

CSI: Pole Barn Our youngest daughter, Allison, is studying to be a Forensic Psychologist. My lovely bride and I may have been culprits in this, as we sent her to a CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) camp for 10 days when she was about 11! All of the boys in her CSI class talked tough, but […]

More “True Confessions” from the Pole Barn Guru….. I’ve not only never installed one of these and never sold one – I’ve also never seen one in real life! I have not one, but TWO detached pole building garages at our house. One is two car, the other three. Each of them has an entry […]

X-treme Custom Hangar Doors Plattekill, New York is just a short drive north from New York City. Nestled in the trees along the highway is a unique airport, as it is home to aviators who build and fly experimental or otherwise unique aircraft. My first experience with the pilots who, for the most part, reside […]

I thought it to be very timely to be sitting down to write articles about hangar doors and to have the Construction Magazine Network email me with an advertisement for Hydroswing® Hydraulic Doors. Having never dealt with Hydroswing®, I began my research by checking out their website (https://hydroswing-hydraulic-doors.com/). I have to admit, I am a […]

Last October I was bemoaning sliding doors as a design solution for airplane hangars. At the end of the article (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2013/10/sliding-hangar-doors/) I threatened my loyal readers with some other alternatives. This past week, one of our clients asked us about putting a 38’4” wide by 12’ tall Horton Stack Door on a Hansen Pole Building, […]

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 […]

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” […]

In the case of most pole buildings – doors are an important feature. As long as they open and close as expected, most people really don’t give much, if any thought to them. Overhead doors offer many things which other door choices do not. Here are some things which are all too often not considered […]

Author’s Note: This is part 9 of a series of blogs written from a 6500+ motorcycle trip from WA to Ohio and back.  See Blog from Oct. 15th for the beginning…and hang on for the ride! It IS a Small World As my “Zen” motorcycle trip approached the home stretch, I was enjoying glorious beautiful […]

I grew up having to slide open hangar doors to get my Dad’s 182 Cessna in and out. I didn’t like sliding hangar doors as a design solution then, and I like them even less as an adult. Let’s start the discussion with simple….just “plain old” sliding hangar doors, mounted on the outside of the […]

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” […]

As a Wayne Dalton overhead door dealer, Hansen Pole Buildings now has new design options to offer to our valued clients. Thanks to recent enhancements, in several of their garage door lines, Model 8300 doors, part of Wayne Dalton’s Classic Steel line, now offer realistic Walnut and Golden Oak wood-grain color finishes in the Sonoma […]

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: I have erected a 125’x50′ […]

Welcome to our newest feature: 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: Which is […]

Back in the days when I was building pole buildings (I had up to 35 crews constructing them), we frequently had our overhead sectional steel overhead doors hung by a professional door installation company. Several months after the completion of one particular building, we received a call from the client, who told us his overhead […]

My confession – I am a baseball fan. In baseball, the tale of the tape is usually in regards to how far a home run has been hit. Ever been to the Mall of America? The mall is built atop of the location of the old Metropolitan Stadium (one time home of the Minnesota Twins). […]

Let Me Out The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, who […]

In the past three plus decades I’ve literally sold tens, if not hundreds of thousands of sliding doors as well as steel sectional overhead doors. At Hansen Pole Buildings, we get hundreds of new inquiries every day – many of these are for people who are requesting sliding “barn” style doors, for the most part […]

One of my favorites is when new clients want to climate control their building and also choose to use sliding barn doors. If you are unfamiliar with sliding doors, they are typically made from 1-1/2” thick steel or aluminum members which are screwed together at joints and then sheathed with steel siding. The doors are […]

But can it Pass a Missile Test? Many hurricane prone regions are following the state of Florida’s lead and are requiring all buildings and their components withstand a certain amount of wind pressure. Wind loaded overhead doors generally are design to withstand from 90 mph to 150 mph wind speeds. These design wind speeds are […]

  Most people with overhead style garage doors do not realize the doors they have are more than likely NOT “wind rated”. This means, in the event of winds over 50 or so miles per hour, they stand a good chance of collapsing. If the garage door fails, the wind forces inside your building increase […]