pole barn squareness?

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The one that works day in and day out is the water level ... and cheap to!
Leo )</font>

Mine was wrong out of the box. There is a principal known as static tension that effects water levels. They will get you close, but not exactly perfect.

A carpenters level can be checked by turning it end for end to see if the "level" is maintained. If it changes, it needs to be replaced or re calibrated. He is building a pole barn, and given the amount of difficulty that he has had in the past, if he is a 1/4" or for that matter, 1" off, I won't see it from my home and neither will he standing in front of it. I think that this is going to be one of those cases where "close enough is good enough". The worse that can happen is he will create a tourist attraction known as the "Leaning Pole Barn of ??" There are 12 pages and 119 postings.... lets give this guy a break and let him know that it doesn't have to be dead on level in all directions, unless he wants it to be. If that be the case, then he should hire a engineer to assist. Next thing we know, someone is going to suggest a plumb bob to check the uprights.... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[johnday]

Junkman; Sounds like an engineer. Seriously tho, mopower, Junkman is right, your definetly close enough. Just for laughs, take you levels, bubble and lasers, and go to an open house of one those $500,000+ places and check out their floors, walls, etc. I think you'll be impressed with how well you've done. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Glenn9643]

Well said.

I suggested a month or so ago that he was "within tolerances" and wasn't trying to build a watch or clock. Surely he wants it to be done correctly but you can beat yourself to death with details!

 

[pabelote]

them lasers can drop 1/4 per 100 ft so it aint perfect. like was said i would of already been nailin on to what you got. the mosture content of the wood dependin on time of year will play heck on you if you tryin to be dead on perfect.

 

[mopower440]

well, laser wasnt accurate, ended up using string levels, done..anyways, my posts are 4x6, i am putting some lengths of lumber nailed to the 4x6 posts under the truss supports to aid in supporting the truss supports, think thats called a scab board? anyway, i will be nailing this to the 3 1/2" part of the 4x6 post, a short length of 2x4 would be the same width as the 4x6 post, but would it help any to use a section of 2x6 instead? yes, it would be wider than the post, but maybe help support it more?

 

[SteveBenson]

If your barn is onlt 24' wide then a 2x4 is probably fine. Just fill in the gap between the girder (truss support) and top most girt. That should make you 2x4 at least 18" long. Pop about 10-12 nails in there.

 

[SteveBenson]

>Next thing we know, someone is going to suggest a plumb bob to check the uprights....

Let's not go there, we'd need another database for TBN /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[CTyler]

Glad you got it done. Hope you got your money back on the rental unit. Thier pretty easy to calibrate but then you shouldn't have to mess with a rental. Then rental place should be checking those things cause you always get some clown turning something they shoudn't going "whats this do?"

 

[mopower440]

na, they didnt even offer my money back, doesnt surprise me though, well, now i need to figure out what size scab board to nail to the 4 inch side of the posts to aid in holding up the truss supports, if i use 2x4, it will match the width of the post and look better, but 2x6 would probably support a little better because it would be wider, it will be wider than the post its being nailed to, but that would hurt anything would it?

 

[CTyler]

The scab board would be covered by the tin etc.. so you will not see it. In this particular case I'm not sure that a 2x6 will provide much more support vs the 2x4 but certainly would not hurt anything to use a 2x6. I wouldn't go searching for 2x4's if the 2x6 scraps/leftovers are already handy and available.

The scab board holding strength is from the number of pole nails and length of the board running down the pole.

I'm not sure what the length of the scab board should be though.