pole shop

[mechanic]

What do you guys think of the treated and laninated lumber used in posts. A company out here in Missouri use treated 2x6 put together to make a laminated post that goes in the ground to construct a 30x30 shop building. They use either the 6x6 treated or the laninated post. I think the laminate post will last longer. The post which ever you choose is garranteed for 50 years. They also build the stud frame which cost a bit more. Anyone use the laninated post before?

 

[Birdhunter1]

I have not used the laminated post in the ground, I know of many builders and do it your self people that have and I have not heard any complaints. I have used laminated non treated post above concrete and found them very easy to build with and to notch in for lofts and trusses. Laminated posts will be less likely to have a twist or bow in them than a solid 6x6 post, something to keep in mind.

 

[BHD]

I know people will say I am wrong, but I have and my dad has bought many a fence post that was said to have 30 or 50 year life, and it is amazing on how many of them have rotted off over the years, and some times not that many years,

I know some treatments and process are better than others, but they make a steel bracket that goes into a concrete "post" that the wood post can be bolted to, or make your own. there are a number of company's that make them.

 

[sw99]

I like that idea for sure. I'm actually leaning towards a Red Iron Type steel building over the pole barn. Around here, the pole barn ends up being more expensive and I worry about the posts rotting out. The cheapest quote I have received for the actual pole barn building was $16 a square foot. I'm looking at a 30x40 size. I can get a Red Iron building delivered for under 12K. Pour a couple piers and have a crew set it up for 4.50 a square foot. The steel building ends up being around 4-5K less installed. I am too pressed for time to do it myself. Not to mention I have no idea what I'm doing...

 

[KYErik]

Any wood (treated or not) in direct contact with the gourd will eventually rot away (unless you are in a very dry climate). I opted for concrete piers with anchored oak posts sitting on the piers with a plastic sheet sandwiched between as a moisture barrier. If you use piers, you will likely need more bracing to resist a sideways wind load.

Properly sized treated posts (solid or laminated) in the ground will be inherently more stabil (in the short run) but will not last forever- and repairing rotted off posts will be a pretty sizable chore 30-50 years from now.

 

[WM75Guy]

Morton Buildings uses the laminated post built on site. They are one of the top builders of stables so if they use laminated posts there must be something to it. I have had zero issues with mine but it has only been up 7 years.

 

[EddieWalker]

If you have watched the TV show called Oak Island, you'll see that they are digging up wooden beams in pristine condition that have been in ground for hundreds of years. Last week, they pulled up a post that you could see the circular saw marks created when the beam was originally created in the 1800's.

Wood does not rot in the ground. It takes a combination of things for it to rot, with air being a big part of that. When they do rot, it's at the surface of the ground where water is allowed to puddle and sit for an extended period of time. If you build your barn so that water runs away from the building, it should easily last a hundred years or more.

I feel the reason some companies laminate three 2x6's together is for speed in notching those posts. I've dug through too many piles of treated 2x6's to believe that they are straighter then 6x6's. I've also seen them bend, twist and shrink after they have dried out. The shrinking is what gives me the most problems when I build a deck for a client. Out of a hundred boards, several will shrink in length half to 3/4's of an inch in six months. Several will twist or bow regardless of being screwed into the joists every 2 feet. I tell my clients that it's because of the way it's currently treated, and there is no predicting what each board will do in time.

I'm building two big decks early next year for clients and both know what to expect. All my posts will be treated 6x6's. Nothing else remains as straight over time.

 

[ovrszd]

If you have watched the TV show called Oak Island, you'll see that they are digging up wooden beams in pristine condition that have been in ground for hundreds of years. Last week, they pulled up a post that you could see the circular saw marks created when the beam was originally created in the 1800's.

Wood does not rot in the ground. It takes a combination of things for it to rot, with air being a big part of that. When they do rot, it's at the surface of the ground where water is allowed to puddle and sit for an extended period of time. If you build your barn so that water runs away from the building, it should easily last a hundred years or more.

I feel the reason some companies laminate three 2x6's together is for speed in notching those posts. I've dug through too many piles of treated 2x6's to believe that they are straighter then 6x6's. I've also seen them bend, twist and shrink after they have dried out. The shrinking is what gives me the most problems when I build a deck for a client. Out of a hundred boards, several will shrink in length half to 3/4's of an inch in six months. Several will twist or bow regardless of being screwed into the joists every 2 feet. I tell my clients that it's because of the way it's currently treated, and there is no predicting what each board will do in time.

I'm building two big decks early next year for clients and both know what to expect. All my posts will be treated 6x6's. Nothing else remains as straight over time.

Well written. I totally agree with all of it.

My 20 year old pole built shop burned a few years ago. Burned the 6x6 treated posts off at the top of the concrete. When I cleaned the pad for my new shop I dug up all the post stumps. I knocked the dirt off them and cut them into block lengths to use in the shop. If I had power washed the stumps you wouldn't have been able to tell them from new, still green colored.

The individual shrinkage of each 2x6 would be enough to steer me away from laminated posts.

 

[ovrszd]

I like that idea for sure. I'm actually leaning towards a Red Iron Type steel building over the pole barn. Around here, the pole barn ends up being more expensive and I worry about the posts rotting out. The cheapest quote I have received for the actual pole barn building was $16 a square foot. I'm looking at a 30x40 size. I can get a Red Iron building delivered for under 12K. Pour a couple piers and have a crew set it up for 4.50 a square foot. The steel building ends up being around 4-5K less installed. I am too pressed for time to do it myself. Not to mention I have no idea what I'm doing...

My current shop is all steel. 42x50x10 with vaulted ceiling. Required 10 piers. 6" concrete floor. 3 10x12 rollup doors. 6 48"x48" windows. Insulated, wired and lighted. $20 per square foot.

If you can get one for $4.50 a square foot you should go for it.

 

[cat fever]

Personally I like the 6X6 or 6X8 treated posts. If anyone is concerned about rotting, then put them in concrete all the way up to the surface. I've built three pole barns; 2 have the posts tamped in dirt and one cemented posts. No problems with either of them. 2 of them are about 18 years old.