“ATTENTION: Now YOU Can Discover What They Don’t Want You To Know!” “Secrets of Pole Barn Warranties Revealed” Would you seriously want to purchase a new “big-ticket” product without a warranty? Just think about it for a moment…would you order a new car or truck without a warranty? Of course not. You wouldn’t even consider […]

Here are the words of Ginnie’s husband – someone who understands: “Aaaargh! We’re never moving again! What we thought was going to be an easy melding of two households into one, has proved to be a nightmare times two. Remember that 40′ x 60′ pole barn on the farm that I was bragging about, 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” […]

I’m an old guy (at least to my kids) – I turn 58 on Monday. Myself and my childhood cronies all grew up riding bicycles everywhere, and none of us wore cycle helmets. Also, none of us, or anyone we knew, was damaged by crashing a bike and not having worn a helmet. Cycle helmets […]

Post frame (pole) buildings are unique in their ability to be constructed without having to pour a concrete slab floor. Often clients will opt to design their buildings without this floor, with the intention of saving money by pouring the floor at a later date. There are some times when this becomes a case of […]

Please, Don’t Let This be You I’ve preached for years about thoroughly checking out anyone or business thoroughly before committing to a large investment. Here is how to check out pole building suppliers: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2015/01/pole-building-suppliers/ And builders: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2013/07/contractor-6/ Apparently not everyone who is looking for a building contacts us, or at the least follows my advice. […]

It seems I am always reading – looking for new content to entertain, inform and enlighten the loyal readers of this column. One of the columns I read is “Ask The Builder” where readers send their questions to Tim Carter looking for advice – much like my Monday, “Ask the Pole Barn Guru” column. Recently, […]

I’ve spoken a lot about the re-purposing of pole buildings for uses other than what was originally intended. Barns become homes, shops, businesses, etc. Here is one which I had never considered, from an October 25, 2015 article first published in www.dailyitem .com and written by Eric Scicchitano (photo by author). “A motorist was flung […]

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” […]

You have gone to great lengths to get every detail right in your new post frame home. You chose the right company for the design and to provide the plans and materials, the right finishes and colors. But have you chosen the right structural wood components? Are they protected from the threat of fungus, rot and […]

When I ran the prefabricated metal connector plated truss manufacturing plant for Lucas Plywood and Lumber in Salem, Oregon – one of the better framing contractors in town was a builder named Scott Rose. Scott was reliable, did great work and was very reasonably priced with a caveat…..he claimed his middle name was “extra”. As […]

October 17, 1989 at 5:04 p.m. Pacific time, I was the owner of M & W Building Supply Company in Canby, Oregon. At the same time, one of our sales people – Randy Oglevie, was talking on the phone to one of his clients in the San Francisco Bay area. Randy’s client was standing out […]

Why We Don’t Give Out Free Building Plans for Obtaining a Building Permit If I had a dollar for every client (or prospective client) who asked if we would supply them with free building plans to obtain their building permits, I could, at the very least, take a great vacation. I’ve warned people in the past […]

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” […]

The vinyl windows for your new pole building are delivered and upon inspecting them you find small square holes on the exterior frames of them. While the first thought may be, “Won’t those little holes let cold air in (or warm air out), the reality is these are the window’s weep holes. They are designed and […]

Winds and Stick Frame Construction This first appeared at www.ValleyNewsLive.com on Monday Oct. 12, 2015: “High winds caused a building under construction to fall in Fargo Monday. Parts of a building in the 300-block of 39th Street south, near the Flying J truck stop, fell apart after 1:00 p.m. Monday. City building inspectors say they […]

SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) are nothing new. The idea for using stress skinned panels began in the depression era with research and testing done primarily by Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, as part of an USFS (United States Forest Service) attempt to conserve forest resources. Engineers from Forest Products Laboratory weren’t the only ones […]

Snow Load Duration Factor Wood is a natural, fibrous non-homogeneous material.  Because of this wood has several unique characteristics.  One of these properties is duration of load.  This is the ability of wood to resist higher stresses when loads are applied for a short duration of time.  In other words, wood has a higher strength […]

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” […]

I’m a pretty calm guy. It takes a lot to get a fire stoked under me, but the City of Williston, North Dakota could eventually get me there. And here is why…. The Williston city commissioners are considering making a pole building moratorium on any new metal or pole structures permanent. In my humble opinion, […]

Judy Hansen is a Registered Nurse, who generally worked in smallish hospitals in the area around Browns Valley, MN. Primarily working in or being a nurse manager for 24 years – she pretty well did it all, including delivering her share of little ones into the world. One of her favorite positions was working at […]

The answer is – yes! Back in the late 1960’s in Spokane, Washington Joseph “Joe” Mazzie started Pacific Metal Buildings. Joe is from my father and uncle’s generation and, being in construction (and living in the same general area of town) they were acquainted. Joe developed a reputation as a shrewd businessman, as well as […]

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” […]

Earlier this year I was motoring around Arizona and stopped in to visit the Contractor (aka Pro) Desk at The Home Depot® in Sierra Vista. My timing could not have been better, as The Home Depot® Pro Account Sales Associate (PASA) Sherry was working on a quote for standing seam steel roofing and the question […]

Accidentally learning more new stuff today. Most of the best things I have ever learned have been by accident, probably why my adult children believe Dad knows more worthless trivia than anyone! I was looking for information on Fabral’s website (www.Fabral.com) for standing seam roofing and at the bottom of a page was chimney pots. […]

See the Pretty Pole Building Some of the time I drive my wife absolutely nuts. We are talking some serious bonkers here. A prime time for this is when I am looking at photos of newly constructed pole buildings. She will remark, “What a nice looking building”. And then hide the photos as she realizes, […]

Daylighting Windows are more than just a building’s eyes to the world. Properly located they can also save on your pole building’s utility bills as well as increasing comfort and productivity. Daylighting is the use of nature’s sunshine, rather than bulbs, to light interior spaces. Many variables need to be considered to maximize the benefits. […]

Your Package is a Considerable Amount More! “I like your package a lot but it seems to be a considerable amount more than my other quotes. I have attached the one I received from 84 Lumber. A couple of things are a little different but the bottom line is considerably less. Please let me know […]

Every Hansen Pole Building Kit Package comes with building plans which are drafted by a real live human being! They are then reviewed not once, but twice, by upper level team members – who catch just about every errant line. To insure the final building plans are correct (usually it is an issue of “no, […]

Apparently this is my week for learning brand new stuff, and as luck usually has it, when I get to learn – it is bushel baskets full! A Hansen Pole Buildings client is constructing a post frame building home in Clallum County, Washington. In discussions with the local Building Officials, he was advised he would […]

Once Upon a Time My nearly four year old grandson Colton overnighted with Grandma and Poppa last night. Colton is Jake’s son (you might remember Jake from various pole building adventures such as https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2012/07/construction-time-2/). Colton likes Papa Mike just a little, so we got into some serious pre-bedtime reading and like every good story, they […]

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 […]

Don’t be Mean, be Average At Hansen Pole Buildings, every building plans is originally drafted to meet the client’s specific needs and what they ordered. Every once in a while they receive some interesting feedback. Like this: “Project #15-05xx has declined plan approval for the following reason: page S-0 under code data mean roof height […]

If it is weird, strange or otherwise just bizarre, when it comes to pole buildings, chances are it will eventually come across my desk. Otherwise I would have run out of material to write articles about a long, long time ago. And it is rewarding to know I’ve got lots of loyal readers – like […]

Manufacturers and resellers of all steel frame buildings are quick to tout the fire resistance of steel as a reason to not turn to pole (post frame) buildings as a design solution. Dr. Michael N. is a lecturer in two subject areas at his local university, civil engineering and structural steel design. This is what […]

Hansen Pole Buildings is a proud member of the NFBA (National Frame Building Association https://www.nfba.org). Pretty much every Monday the Association sends out a newsletter, via email, to its members. In today’s newsletter was a link to an article written by Stephen Szoke and published in Construction Executive, May 5, “Building Codes: One Size Does […]

Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Dave Gross sent me this note recently: “I have a client questioning steel versus wood. I have gone through the blogs and discussed the pros and cons with client. Her main comeback is wood rot and bugs in South Carolina. She is a sharp cookie. 30 year business owner. Just built […]

It wasn’t too long ago I had a client who was looking for a new building and wanted to make sure we did not use steel roofing and siding from either Wheeling Corrugating or Metal Sales™ Manufacturing Corporation (https://www.metalsales.us.com/). I’d inquired further as to what his issues were with these two manufacturers and the response […]

About a year ago the Technical Department of Hansen Pole Buildings was contacted by the manufacturer of the Toci Ground Anchor: “We manufacture the Toci Ground Anchor, an anchoring device that you may find useful in your line of business. The Toci Ground Anchor safely secures any outdoor structure or building to the ground without […]

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” […]

“Wild Eyed and Southern Fried” Panama City Beach, Florida might very well be the best beach this side of paradise – with 27 miles of stunning white sand, emerald green waters and surefire enjoyment in, on or under the water. One thing for certain which they have and no one else has is The Wicked […]

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” […]

Attaching Solar Panels to Exposed-Fastened Steel Roofing I am simply amazed at the sheer number of solar system installers who convince their clients they have to use standing seam steel roofing in order to attach the solar panels to the steel roofs. First – they are doing a total disservice to their clients by causing […]

Eight Nifty Tricks to Save Money When Building a Pole Barn (reprised) This is Part II of a two part series on pole barn savings through material and feature choices. Bret Buelo of Wick Buildings® wrote an article by this title last year, some of the items I agree with, some not so much. This […]

Eight Nifty Tricks to Save Money When Building a Pole Barn (reprised) Bret Buelo of Wick Buildings® wrote an article by this title last year, some of the items I agree with, some not so much. I will offer my “take” on his points. “1. Spacing of your columns. Builders typically space columns anywhere between six […]

Screw Through Ridges or Valleys? Today’s article is courtesy of the Journal of Light Construction online: Q: The new corrugated metal roofing on our client’s garage leaks. The installer had driven the fasteners through the valleys and into the 2-by rafters. We’ve since been told that corrugated roofing should always be fastened through the ridges of […]

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” […]

Hansen Pole Buildings Designer Rick is an avid stream fisherman. Near one of his favorite fishing holes, is also one of his favorite after fishing watering holes – The Castle Rock Inn. Last December 16, the Inn burned to the ground: https://host.madison.com/news/local/columnists/on-wisconsin-optimism-remains-intact-at-the-castle-rock-inn/article_b14f8b8d-ae28-5668-a61f-be119981a5e3.html The owners of The Castle Rock Inn chose a pole building to replace […]

Just Another Windy Conversation Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rick asked me this question today: “Mike, I got a guy who wants to compare an over wind rated building to a Quonset hut at 150 mph” (miles per hour). Of course I jump right onto this one off the get go, “So the Quonset people have […]

Larimer County, Colorado I drive through the Fort Collins area about once a year. Other than the urbanized areas, the terrain is a classic example of Exposure C for wind (for a “fun” wind exposure story read https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2011/11/wind_exposure/ or to get more technical: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/03/wind-exposure-confusion/). One of our clients had been discussing with Hansen Pole Buildings […]

Hansen Pole Buildings Wizard Justine is in a never ending search to provide the best possible building components to our clients. For some of the pole building kit packages we provide, glu-laminated columns are either specified by the client, or are the best design solution. Long time readers may remember the friendly discussions over nail […]

There is a builder in my neck of the woods who advertises as “the only company around that offers…Vertical Flush Walls, for your pole building, shop or garage, which allows you to sheetrock inside your building without having to re-frame the inside!” In the photo with this article, wall girts have been placed “barn” style […]

Personally I would never put a roof on any building I own other than steel. Here is my take: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2012/01/steel-roofing-2/ Some folks have the mistaken idea shingled roofs are a better solution in the event of extreme hail events. Here is the truth: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2013/04/metal-roofing/ For those who are still not convinced and seriously still think […]

We Don’t Always Do Things Perfect, But We Do Listen Part II 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 a portion of the email I was responding to: “On the design flaws, and other […]

There are a certain percentage of folks who live in a dream world where hiring a Building Contractor to “turnkey” their pole building project makes life all good and happy. They hire a contractor to provide the materials, as well as the labor. Back in my early days of owning M & W Building Supply, […]

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: What’s more energy efficient when building a house with steel siding versus Hardieboard siding? QUESTIONING IN QUEBEC DEAR QUESTIONING: Hardiepanel® is a registered trademark and product of the James Hardie Company. It has an R value of 0.34 per 1/2 inch of thickness. Steel siding panels have a negligible R value, so […]

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” […]

Revolutionary Roof Monitor™ System Poised to Transform Market Most people have the mistaken belief International Building Code (IBC) snow loading requirements will give them a roof structure which will hold up literally forever. The truth could not be further from this belief! All buildings are categorized in the IBC by Risk Category (See https://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ibc/2012/icod_ibc_2012_16_par023.htm ) […]

If you are like me, you looked at this photo and the first thought was – the trim on the upper roof looks…..well frankly bad. Well it is bad, and it is bad due to installation issues, which could easily have been avoided. 1. The first trick to getting a good looking fascia, is to […]

Merry Christmas From Hansen Buildings!  

As a college teenager, the first “house” I owned was a single wide manufactured (aka mobile) home. It served its purpose at the time, as it was an economical starter home. I did some minor remodels to it – adding a coat closet by the front door and putting in air conditioning, but nothing as […]

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, […]

Did You Know Wood is Not a Renewable Resource? Yeah, I know. Anyone can basically put forth just about any statement they want and craft a defense to it which someone will believe! Of course this one was put forth in www.steelframing.org in one of their four times a year online issues of Framework. Reporting […]

In the Jungle, The Mighty Jungle…. The only “wimoweh” in this article is now out of the way, and no further mention will be made to the Solomon Linda tune which was originally composed only in Zulu. You have the song caught in your head now, don’t you? Jungles are not only in Africa. In […]

As a pole building “newbie” the first pole building I constructed back in the Spring of 1981 happened to be a 20 foot by 36 foot three sided loafing shed – with a single slope roof. As a builder, I didn’t make much money on it, as basically my head was still caught up in […]

Does Anyone Else See How This Could Be a Problem? Eric, one of the owners of Hansen Pole Buildings, had me check out a website today for a pole building supplier who is extolling the virtues of a particular “nailed up” laminated column, which has been the subject of some discussion in my articles. https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2014/04/titan-timbers/ […]

“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 […]

“With a Little Help from My Friends” was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released on the Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967. It was written for and sung by the Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr as the character “Billy Spears”. Several years ago, we provided pole building kit packages […]

Don’t get me wrong – in case I have not previously gotten my message across in earlier articles – I genuinely like Building Officials. Most of them really do care, and go out of their way to help both do it yourselfers and building contractors. With very few exceptions, Building Officials, field inspectors and plans […]

As the Nail Turns…. Every once in a while I write something which “touches a nerve” for someone. Here is an, “Ask The Pole Barn Guru” exchange which got an engineer entertained: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2014/06/hangers/ And here is the feedback: “You are very knowledgeable on almost every topic I read, but from one PE to another I […]

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 or Saturday segment.  If you want a quick answer, please be sure to answer with […]

Prime Lumber is a grade description for a special product variation of two inch dimensional lumber intended for use where appearance is a consideration. For No. 2 PRIME, the grade is based upon #2 dimensional lumber characteristics except the holes, skip and wane are closely limited to provide a high-quality product. While PRIME lumber may […]

The following article appeared in the Madison Journal Today (Madison County, Georgia) June 7, 2014: “Madison County commissioners plan to exclude pole barns, carports and lean-tos from permitting requirements.  But working out the policy on making this happen has not been an easy matter. And the board will once again discuss the issue at its […]

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 […]

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 […]

In today’s marketplace, most pole buildings are roofed and sided with silicon-modified polyester paint or SMP. SMPs create a middle ground between PVDFs (Polyvinylidene Fluorides) and polyesters. Also known as silicone-protected and siliconized polyesters, SMPs use polymerized silicone to improve polyester’s chalk performance and gloss retention. Companies initially experimented with varying levels of silicone, and […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

When Four Sides are Less Expensive than Three Imagine, if you will, a balloon. If the opening is shut, it is pretty hard to blow any more air into it. Open it up, blow into it and it expands as the air pressure on the inside is increased. Now picture a pole building with one […]

Whether a DIYer, or a building contractor, there are two primary methods for acquisition of materials for a pole building kit. There is the “old fashioned way”…. Someone roughs out a building plan, generally without the ability to do structural engineering calculations to determine if what is in “the plan” will actually carry the climactic […]

I learn new things every single day. I learned this one when Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rachel shared this with the staff last week: “Spoke to my customer Marion last night and he couldn’t say enough good things about our building.   He lives in his building until he can build his house.  He said they […]

Break out the Marshmellows… I get Google Alerts for any articles with pole barn or pole building in them. Pretty much every day there are one or more stories about barns burning down (think of how many houses burn down every day in the USA and a barn a day is insignificant). As sad as […]

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” […]

OK, I admit, at times I can be a bit “over-the-top” when it comes to pole buildings. I even get Google alerts for any stories which mention pole buildings! Nearly every day there is an alert about a pole building having been broken into. Pretty sad, when one thinks about it, as the concept of […]

In 1960 Chubby Checker did a cover of the Hank Ballard and the Midnighters 1959 song “The Twist”. Checker’s cover reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 both in 1960 and again in 1962, becoming the only single to reach number one in two different chart runs. While “The Twist” was a musical hit, […]

I have configured both Google and Yahoo for notifications every time “pole barn” or “pole building” comes up in a new or edited article on the Internet. One of the things I am looking for is new or innovative ways people use buildings. Some of them make for interesting potential blog posts. From Van Buren […]

Most people shopping for a new pole building kit package are great people. There are, however, some who are a bit more challenging. In the event you fit into one or more of the following, I am going to make a helpful suggestion at the end of this article. Do you buy only on price? […]

Energy Star and Windows Ever wonder where the whole “Energy Star” thing started from? It seems like it pops up on everything from computers to refrigerators to windows. Well, the Energy Star program was started in 1992. It is a voluntary program, which lets manufacturers put an Energy Star label on specific items if they […]

Concrete – when cured it normally looks gray and is hard. Not much more to know about it… right? Wrong. All concrete is not created equal. Modern concrete mixtures often contain many additives, some of them used to decrease the selling price of the pre-mix, others for strength or curing characteristics. Back in the “olden […]

All of the airplane owners have figured out the title already. Those were the call letters for our Dad’s Cessna 182. When my brother and I were fairly young, our Dad bought a partial interest in a Cessna Skylane. There was nothing like waking up Sunday morning and having Dad ask if we wanted to […]

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” […]

Like the durability of steel roofing, but not the look of standing seam or through screwed steel? Look no further. Steel shingles are manufactured to provide a unique look in a durable, energy-efficient, recyclable roofing product. Believe it or not, there are consumers out there who want all steel has to offer, but don’t want […]

Greg, one of my blog readers, posted a comment online in regards to using ¼” foam fanfold insulation between roof purlins and roof steel. While I have seen this used, I have never done it myself, so I felt it was due time to get on my research tennies and find out more. Fanfold insulation […]

Most contractors didn’t become contractors because they love to communicate. If they did they would be like Bob Villa and have their own TV show. Sometimes what they say seems completely obvious to them, but makes no sense to you. Of course most of what I say seems completely obvious to me, but makes no […]

When Mike the Pole Barn Guru blog was first begun two years ago, I had it in my mind it might be possible to write on say 100 or so topics, provided I really put my mind to it. For those who are keeping track, this happens to be blog #500!! And yes, there are […]

This is a hands on demonstration which can be done at home! Side note – I love audience participation as well as magic shows. Required items –  a two inch long #9 self-tapping screw with a ¼” hex head (like the kind used to attach steel roofing and siding), a block of kiln dried 2×4 […]

Can I replace Gable with Gambrel Trusses? 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: […]