14 x 20 Pole Barn using 4x4 posts

[fried1765]

And, that's a fact!

At least nothing a home owner can get....

SR

Not exactly true!
Depends on where you live.
All along the East coast of the US, anyone can buy
"marine grade" PT lumber, though it is never sold at "big box" stores.
Marine grade PT lumber (often Southern Yellow pine) IS suitable for direct burial.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Not exactly true!
Depends on where you live.
All along the East coast of the US, anyone can buy
"marine grade" PT lumber, though it is never sold at "big box" stores.
Marine grade PT lumber (often Southern Yellow pine) IS suitable for direct burial.

I agree and that's why I said "home owner"... They just don't have .80 or 1.0 lumber available to them in any place they are use to shopping.

It was a complete fraud how we got to this "new" PT lumber and none of the new PT is as good as the "old" stuff...

SR

 

[Kenneth in Texas]

The posts you got 25 years ago were treated differently. Nothing you can get today will be of the same quality.

you mean I cant get treated lumber or posts thats made for ground contact? I just bought 22 4x4's 2 weeks ago that were.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

On my 20 x 22 shed I used 4x4 posts along the side walls and 4x6 in the corners and for door posts. We put in a standard 8 ft garage door. The side walls are 8 feet tall.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

you mean I cant get treated lumber or posts thats made for ground contact? I just bought 22 4x4's 2 weeks ago that were.

Yes you can, BUT they won't be the quality of PT, of the old post.

SR

 

[tcreeley]

Hi,
I've built a few sheds over the years using stick built methods with framed wooden floors. A couple of 12x16, and one 12x12 on a cement slab, so I'm familiar with 2x4 based shed building.

Now I'm looking to build something a bit bigger... 14 x 20... and really interested in a small pole barn style structure.

My first major question, since I'm not familiar with this building style, is about the poles. I would prefer to use 4x4s since they are easier to work with. I'll need 12 footers so that I can bury 4' and have 8' walls. A 12 foot 4x6 or 6x6 would be really heavy and hard to plumb etc. While I could use larger lumber and 10 foot spacing, I was thinking that I could use 4x4 posts and 5 foot spacing.

So five 4x4 posts along each 20 foot wall, plus two more posts along the 14 foot walls. Evenly spaced on one wall, but a bit wider on the other to allow for a 6 foot wide door.

View attachment 511819

What do you think? Some folks really frown upon 4x4 posts even in the smallest pole barns. Some promote 6x6 or even 8x8 posts.
I should also mention that I plan to use 2x4 girts and T1-11 siding. So the siding itself will add to the rigidity and support of the walls.

Thanks,
Doug

What is the frost depth? (41/2 - 5' in my area.) I'd be below that. PT I hope. I'd go with 14' length and cut off the excess for the level. Hard to get the holes all perfectly at the same depth. 6x6 is not that heavy to handle.
I built my barn using 8" pvc sauna style tubing filled with cement. I spaced them every 10' and put them below the frost line. Then I ran 6x6 pt sills on top of them and went to standard 2x4 stick building with 1/2" plywood sheathing outside and inside (horses). I sided with wood clapboards. 30 x30 2 story barn with a standup cupola, metal roofing.
Frost heaves are terrible in my area. The pvc helps to prevent the frost from getting a purchase on the sides.

They say locally that pt is only good for 30 years in the ground. I've been here 34 years. I'd be out of luck by now if I had relied on pt in the ground.


Good luck.