DIY poles for pole house (not a glulam repeat)

[videogamemaker]

Here is my new member thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ons/377030-greetings-iceland.html#post4724577

Short version, American transplant to Iceland, bought some land from my father in law, and wish to build a pole house. Lumber here is very limited, and there is only a single company that makes glulam posts, and treated glulam is not an option. Additionally the longest PT 6x6s max out at 3 meters long, and I'll need something closer to 10. PT 2x6s can be had up to 7 meters in length

My idea, is to make a column out of 2x6's (metric here, but close enough), using PT at the bottom and where it would be exposed, and change to T1 at the level it will be inside the house. Rather than attempting to laminate them myself (which from the search here has been gone over before) I will use wood glue but additionally bolt through every 1 meter with stainless steel bolts and large square washers on either side. Additionally I will stagger the splices and use a tongue and groove or finger splice.

How crazy does this sound? I will have to run this past a building inspector, but wanted to get some more informal advice here first.

 

[jemclimber]

Just remember that much PT 2x6 material is not pressure treated enough for ground contact application. If you go this route make sure the material is rated PT'd for ground contact. Otherwise it sounds like a plan.

 

[teg]

My dad was an architect and used the method you said to build decks and horse barns... He over-built everything. Pretty sure he used 2x6's on the outside and 2x4 in the middle. We did not use glue, only nails and some bolts. This was 20+ years ago for the barn and it's still standing!

Hope someone else can chime in... I didn't think my dad wanted to use glue, as to not trap water in between. I think with the better glues, that might be a non-issue.

 

[Leejohn]

Go look at this Morton Buildings – Pole Barns, Horse Barns, Metal Buildings |
Morton Buildings they do it some what like that.

 

[fried1765]

Here is my new member thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ons/377030-greetings-iceland.html#post4724577

Short version, American transplant to Iceland, bought some land from my father in law, and wish to build a pole house. Lumber here is very limited, and there is only a single company that makes glulam posts, and treated glulam is not an option. Additionally the longest PT 6x6s max out at 3 meters long, and I'll need something closer to 10. PT 2x6s can be had up to 7 meters in length

My idea, is to make a column out of 2x6's (metric here, but close enough), using PT at the bottom and where it would be exposed, and change to T1 at the level it will be inside the house. Rather than attempting to laminate them myself (which from the search here has been gone over before) I will use wood glue but additionally bolt through every 1 meter with stainless steel bolts and large square washers on either side. Additionally I will stagger the splices and use a tongue and groove or finger splice.

How crazy does this sound? I will have to run this past a building inspector, but wanted to get some more informal advice here first.

View attachment 503992

You concept is precisely what Morton Buildings uses in the US.
I have a Morton that was built in 1984.
Spent much of a year stationed in Iceland, back in the mid sixties.
Most beautiful women on the planet!

 

[videogamemaker]

You concept is precisely what Morton Buildings uses in the US.
I have a Morton that was built in 1984.
Spent much of a year stationed in Iceland, back in the mid sixties.
Most beautiful women on the planet!

Yep, the threads I found via search mentioned morton's construction method. I'd been intending to use PT all the way up before seeing that info.

Icelandic men aren't too bad either. I found one to marry and haven't looked back. :laughing:

 

[Rustyiron]

I have done exactly as you describe. Much easier to handle the short posts. (get them where they belong and backfill in the hole)
I made the center ply of the post the longest, then 3' shorter to one side and 6' shorter on the other. This made for a strong transition joint to "regular" lumber above grade. I just used hot dipped galvanized nails, and plenty of them nailed from each side, and on an angle to resist towards each other. Now they have better const. adhesives that work with the wet treated lumber, I would use it. As mentioned, make sure you have the proper "direct burial" rating.
Welcome to the forum:thumbsup:

 

[davedj1]

I believe you will want to use them sideways as they will be stronger and the bolts will conduct the cold and frost up in winter. The concept of made up posts is not new. PT for ground contact, KD for above with some good stain and they should last a good while. Use PL400 or similar product instead of glue.

 

[dieselcrawler]

My dad built a pole barn in 1980 out of telephone poles. As the years passed, a few of them have rotted off at ground level, one of which he replace with a 4 layer 'pole' as you described. That was 20 years ago, and it is holding up just fine.

 

[videogamemaker]

I believe you will want to use them sideways as they will be stronger and the bolts will conduct the cold and frost up in winter. The concept of made up posts is not new. PT for ground contact, KD for above with some good stain and they should last a good while. Use PL400 or similar product instead of glue.

Can you go more into detail about what you mean by "use them sideways"? The house blueprint is roughly square. Currently I have them oriented so that truss bolts will run in the same direction as the below house bolts, so I don't have to double up (and have easy notches for the trusses by cutting down one board)

Also the bolts conducting cold and frost, do you mean to keep aware of expansion? or is there something else about this point I'm not following?