Real "pole" barn

1bush2hog · Oct 28, 2004

Real \"pole\" barn

I am considering options on building 30X40 barn and have already received quotes from Morton and another metal building supplier.

I have read posts regarding building your own using wood too. I really like the visual of wood buildings and both have pro's and cons.

Here's the question - Anyone used actual tree 'poles' to build with? I've seen them used for open type structures.

I have about a 100 plus locust trees that went down recently compliments of Ivan and am considering using some of these for actual poles and have also talked to some portable saw mill guys about doing some milling into 6X6's, 4X's and also maybe even some 2X's.

Is it worth the effort and expense?

Dargo · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

I have a neighbor who has a mini saw mill and he did that. Unfortunately, his posts curled and twisted. I do not have any idea what he did wrong, but it sure made a mess of his building. When they twisted, they took his metal siding with them. Maybe somebody can tell you how to keep your lumber from curling and twisting like my neighbor's did.

1bush2hog · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

What kind of wood did he use that curled and twisted?

Maybe he did not let his lumber dry thoroughly enough before he used it?

cowboydoc · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

I've had some friends do this. When it's all said and done it just depends on what your time is worth. If you have alot of time and your time isn't worth much it's a rewarding endeavor to go through. It's going to take longer to build because you're going to have to cut and then have everything milled. Also things are not going to fit exactly right like finished lumber and 6x6's will. You'll spend more time getting the material and more time putting it up. If I had plenty of time I'd do it. If my time was valuable I'd just buy pre-made materials and put it up in a fourth of the time.

Varmintmist · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

The locust will twist like Fats Domino on crack, and split like a girls gymnastic team once you mill it and it tries to dry. IF you can find enough strait trees long enough to use, just use them as they are. Bark them and put then somewhere to dry under cover. The locust will outlast any pressure treated wood out there, which is why it is used for fence posts. The bark MUST come off or it will rot.

What you could do is cut them in 7-8 foot lenths and sell then for fence posts. Then use that money for the lumber for the building. If they are large, you can split rails and make more posts. You will gain a whole new respect for our forefathers once you split a few. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

theboman · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

We have a barn here, oh I guess 15-20 years old and we have some real poles in use..... I think oak, maybe popular.

I know of a lot of barns in the area built the same way that are a lot older than that.

JRobyn · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

My neighbor has offerred to "give" me this pole barn, made with "real" poles throughout, mostly cedar and locust. It contains very little milled lumber. This was hand built in about the 1940s as a tobacco drying barn. All I have to do is to get it down and move it!

cowboydoc · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

Even if you figured your time at $minimum wage you'd be better off to buy new materials than to try and salvage that. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

1bush2hog · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

Thanks for the advice. I was kind of thinking this might be the case, but just hoping to be able to use some of that locust for something other than fence posts and rails.

I certainly don't have the time to deal with all the custom fitting required, and wouldn't really trust too many others to do it right either.

1bush2hog · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

I was wondering about how the green ones would cure out. Dang disappointing to hear that.

I understand the manual labor involved splitting those rascals too as I split quite a few fence post in my younger days. Never did any rails though.

Thanks for the input.

1bush2hog · Oct 28, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

What a deal /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Charolais · Oct 29, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

I live in an area that lots of log and true pole buildings were built. I say true pole buildings by everything is round but the perlings for the tin and the sideing. Now if you want your wood poles not to warp and twist, it should be cut on light nights in Feb.(sap is in the roots) and debarked soon after. Then it must be left to dry until late April under a shed out of the weather. Even saw lumber won't warp when cut at the proper time.

mikim · Oct 29, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

MAN -- I'd be all over that! wish I had that offer here ... It would take me a long time to take that down ... but given the time it would certainly be worth it. All that old weathered siding is great - although you'll lose half even being careful - the rest can be used for small projects or sold to someone who likes it for hobby work. That weathered wood is fairly popular around here for just about everything. Hopefully the beams inside are not rotted - once again - all that old wood - the parts that are rot free - is great for other projects - not necessarily for another barn.

Varmintmist · Oct 29, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

If you dont mill them then they will dry as strait as they are. Then they will get HARD and last forever. If you can find enough strait ones that you can use for the frame, they will be great, just dont turn them into boards or 6x6's.

Splitting rails and splitting fence posts is the same thing. rails are just a bit longer.

1bush2hog · Oct 29, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

What about milling the locust after it dries? Same effect?

Some of the trees I had go down appear to have been dead for awhile.

California · Oct 29, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

Does anyone have experience with Eucalyptus poles?

I have seen a patio cover supported by 3 to 4 inch natural poles. I wonder if poles 8 inch and larger could be used for structural work after they were dried.

I know it can't be used for milled lumber due to twisting.

Westonium · Oct 30, 2004

Re: Real \"pole\" barn

On the eucalyptus: Right - don't mill it. It is very dense and heavy stuff. Very hard to ignite even wood thats dried for 2 seasons. Once it DOES ignite, it burns hotter than nearly any other wood, and leaves very very little ash.

I'd pay good money for a load of the stuff delivered to Oregon.

Maple is very light in comparison.

If I lived in Cali, I'd grow Eucalyptus just for firewood sake. I would expect poles made out of the stuff to be insanely strong. Black locust has a specific gravity of .79 vs. .98 of Eucalyptus. This means Eucalyptus just barely floats in water. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Denser than dense oaks.