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′ steel pole building. I have (x2) Plyco sliding barn doors (two leaves) roller guide system. I need to install the doors and have no idea were to start the opening is 14’x10′. I have called the manufacturer for installation instructions. They have none!
If you can help drop me a line. CONFUSED

DEAR CONFUSED: It never ceases to amaze me at how many building kit suppliers send out a pile of materials, with no instructions on how things are to go together.

Obviously I have no way of knowing what your manufacturer had in mind (as they don’t either). I will email to you the relevant chapters from our Construction Guide, on sliding doors. This will give you information on how the openings should be framed, sliding doors assembled and hung.

Send some progress photos as you work through it.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: My husband & I want to build a run-in shed for our goats. We are not experienced builders! I have searched the internet for building plans without success. Do you know of any free run-in shed plans & would a pole structure be the easiest since the run-in won’t have a floor?  Thanks a million, Melissa

DEAR MELISSA: A pole building is most certainly the answer as far as your building needs. There is no other building which will be more affordable, easier to construct as well as being maintenance free.

 There are lots of free plans for most any size pole building available on the internet. My caution – you get what you pay for. I’d have to totally question the quality of any free plans, as to their being able to be either code conforming, or structurally sound.

 As you will need to purchase the materials anyhow, why not buy a complete kit package which include code conforming blueprints (even if you do not have to have a building permit I strongly advise plans which would meet the Building Codes), as well as detailed step-by-step assembly instructions?

 The best instructions will guide even a neophyte through the construction process, and chances are you end up with a better finished product than you could ever pay a builder for, as you will read the plans and follow the instructions.