Building Pole Barn, need help re laminated poles

[BuickFarmer]

Planning on building a 40X40X12 pole barn and have decided to go with laminated poles/columns for sake of them remaining straighter mainly during the build.(I am building it by myself so they may be exposed several weeks...) These are the type consisting of 3 treated pine 2x6's for ground contact and #1 southern pine above that. I have not been able to find a supplier in the south for these. The closest place I can find is Menards in Kentucky. We don't have Menards down south hea. Does anyone know of a supplier within a couple hundred miles of Athens Georgia?

If I can't find any local, I guess I will be building my own but the problem that arises then is finding 2x6's treated for IN Ground contact. Also, while I am asking..... southern pine is still prone to more warping than say spruce. If I build my own, what would be the problem with using spruce (I think they refer to it as white wood these days?)

and and all help much appreciated

 

[EddieWalker]

Good to read that you are looking for wood that is rated for in ground contact!!! There is a huge difference between that and standard treated lumber. I don't know of a source for you, but if you are concerned about the wood warping, which is very common with the new methods of treating the wood, I would either let it dry out while stacked for a couple of months before using it, or use a very good quality construction glue with treated screws to hold them together and hope for the best. When leaving them out to dry, realize that some of them are going to twist and turn on you. Those are the ones you will return. For building decks and outdoor projects for clients, I add 20 percent to what I need because that's how many I expect to be unusable.

For a pole building, I use treated 6x6's and notch the tops of them. Both are plenty strong enough. The advantage of the 2x6's is it's faster and easier to create a place to rest your trusses over cutting out that space on a 6x6. I use a cordless saw and then my cordless sawzall to do that with the post in place. It takes a little time, but the result is always very satisfying.

Eddie

 

[bandaidmd]

have you thought about using one of these type products.

Post Protection For Pole Building, Pole Barns, Decks | Post Protector

they also make concrete and composite columns for the ground contact portion of pole construction.

https://www.permacolumn.com/?gclid=COWMk-39pbsCFbBAMgodLQQAJA

 

[farmer2009]

Good points Eddie. I have always just used a chain saw to cut notches in post and cut them off once trusses are on. Once you get the post set and trusses and strapping on the don't worp much even if it's a few weeks before siding gets put on.

 

[BuickFarmer]

Thanks for your input. Really don't understand why nobody offers them down south here. I find several sources up north and out west but nothing around here. I am talking to my local lumber yard about pursuing a source so they can carry them. thanks again

 

[kco]

The couple of pole barn structures I built used treated 6x6 tamped with gravel. The top 1.5 ft of fine gravel was mixed in a bucket with Copper II preservative:



It's likely not necessary but may help prevent rot, which mainly happens near the surface.

 

[Bigkrank]

On the last two large buildings built here with laminated posts, the treated 3 2X6 bottom sections are set in the ground with sackrete. Then a jig is used with a lazer and the treated posts were all sawed to the same heights, stair-stepped. The walls were bulit in sections and then set on the treated stub posts with a loader.

They do not build them like they did with 6X6's. I have seen some built where the bottom treated stub posts were put in and the skirt board and the concrete floor poured befored building the rest of the barn.