Treated poles? Need suggestions.

RickB 8N (WA) · Sep 17, 2014

I need to build a free-standing open shed to put my few implements under cover. I would like to use some of my pine logs as poles, but how to use them is my question. Bare, painted, treated (with what)? Do you bury them, concrete, pilings, pier blocks? All suggestions will get due consideration. Thanks

Ken Macfarlane · Sep 17, 2014

This is not scientific but here it is humid and the ground wet all the time.

Untreated pole stuck in ground - most species might get 5-10 years before its completely rotted off at grade.

Untreated poles with the first 2 feet below grade wrapped with plastic or blueskin asphalt waterproofing - I have 20 years with posts still good using this method.

Treated poles rated for ground contact - Seem to last forever here. Stuff 60 years old looks new when pulled out.

Dad used to use pentox with nearly no improvement. He also used painted on creosote helped but didn't seem to work as well as proper treated poles.

Mike (WA) · Sep 17, 2014

There is a bracket you can get to set the bracket in concrete and keep the wood post out of the ground. This one was used with a concrete stub wall, it might be a different one for holes in the ground. Check with your building dept- for pole building, it has to be approved, and have quite a bit of bracket in the concrete to anchor it properly.

I sure wouldn't put an untreated pine pole in the ground.

RodinNS · Sep 17, 2014

We've never had any problem with stuff that has been treated for ground contact or marine grade... but stuff not treated for ground use rots off. Obviously, ground contact and marine treat cost somewhat more and a LOT more respectively.

Rod

JMS/.MN · Sep 17, 2014

On regard to treating, there is soaking and pressure treating. I imagine the pressure treated is longer lasting.

Dusty MI · Sep 17, 2014

Have your poles sawn into boards and buy some pressure treated boards, then make lamated posts useing the pressure treated just on one end, and put that end in the ground.

Dusty

sms · Sep 18, 2014

Heres a site worth looking at for posts and for brackets mentioned below.
Permacolumn

Geo-TH,In · Sep 18, 2014

I would say put a pine board on the ground and see how fast the termites find it.

I used some old pine boards instead of treated. It took the termites 2 years to totally eat them.

My vote is to keep them off the ground and termite treat the ground.

paul · Sep 18, 2014

Use your wood above the ground.

Use professionally pressure treated to ground use (not the cheaper lower level treatments) wood or use concrete for the parts in the ground.

A building is too big an investment to use poles that rot off in 5 years.

Paul

dpendzic · Sep 19, 2014

pressure treating is also rated for use by how much retention of preservative it has--for water borne preservatives it can range from 0.2 to 2.5 pcf.

Steve-Maine · Sep 19, 2014

Years ago I used used telephone poles. Can get them for nothing. We I sold property 30 years later they pulled poles out of ground and still like new. I had a phone contractor set them.

Treated poles? Need suggestions.

RickB 8N (WA)

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Ken Macfarlane

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Mike (WA)

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RodinNS

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JMS/.MN

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Dusty MI

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sms

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