New member here. I want to build a workshop and am leaning towards pole barn construction.
I have spent lots of time pouring over many of the messages on this board about pole barn construction and have learned a lot. But I'm still not sure what to do with the poles in a pole barn when a slab is poured.
I have read that it is best to not pour the concrete directly against the poles as the concrete will trap water and cause the poles to rot. Suggestions were to put a concrete cookie in the bottom of the hole or possibly pour a concrete "necklace" around the post and then fill with gravel, dirt, etc - but not concrete!
But what do you do with the poles when you pour the slab in the barn?
I asked a buddy of mine that has poured concrete for twenty years. He said to just concrete the whole thing up from bottom to top. I said "what about water getting in and rotting the poles?".
He said "you are going to put a roof, walls, etc on the barn aren't you?". I replied "yes". He asked how then were the poles going to get wet?
I couldn't answer!
He said that the "don't pour concrete around posts" logic apples to decks, fence posts, etc which are exposed to the elements, but enclosed posts are a different story. He said that the slab adds a lot of side to side strength to the building when poured against the poles.
So I'm confused. I like this guy a lot (and he volunteered to help with my slab for free!), but his argument seems to be contrary to what I've read here.
One thing I thought of as a compromise: I figure that with all the water coming off the eaves when it rains, the ground on the side walls can get very wet. Perhaps this water can make its way into any cracks in the concrete around the posts. Maybe a compromise would be a concrete necklace at the bottom, then fill with gravel, dirt, etc and then four of five inches of concrete at the top (the slab). This would allow the bulk of the pole to drain, and the top part should not get wet unless some soaks in from the bottom, but I'd assume that it would also then dry out when conditions change.
I don't want to goof this up! My wife already thinks that I don't know what I'm doing!!!
Thanks for any tips!
Kevin
I have spent lots of time pouring over many of the messages on this board about pole barn construction and have learned a lot. But I'm still not sure what to do with the poles in a pole barn when a slab is poured.
I have read that it is best to not pour the concrete directly against the poles as the concrete will trap water and cause the poles to rot. Suggestions were to put a concrete cookie in the bottom of the hole or possibly pour a concrete "necklace" around the post and then fill with gravel, dirt, etc - but not concrete!
But what do you do with the poles when you pour the slab in the barn?
I asked a buddy of mine that has poured concrete for twenty years. He said to just concrete the whole thing up from bottom to top. I said "what about water getting in and rotting the poles?".
He said "you are going to put a roof, walls, etc on the barn aren't you?". I replied "yes". He asked how then were the poles going to get wet?
I couldn't answer!
He said that the "don't pour concrete around posts" logic apples to decks, fence posts, etc which are exposed to the elements, but enclosed posts are a different story. He said that the slab adds a lot of side to side strength to the building when poured against the poles.
So I'm confused. I like this guy a lot (and he volunteered to help with my slab for free!), but his argument seems to be contrary to what I've read here.
One thing I thought of as a compromise: I figure that with all the water coming off the eaves when it rains, the ground on the side walls can get very wet. Perhaps this water can make its way into any cracks in the concrete around the posts. Maybe a compromise would be a concrete necklace at the bottom, then fill with gravel, dirt, etc and then four of five inches of concrete at the top (the slab). This would allow the bulk of the pole to drain, and the top part should not get wet unless some soaks in from the bottom, but I'd assume that it would also then dry out when conditions change.
I don't want to goof this up! My wife already thinks that I don't know what I'm doing!!!
Thanks for any tips!
Kevin