Need pole / post advice: Extending a shed roof

[rbstern]

I set up my sawmill near my shed, with a couple of intents in mind: 1) The shed is going to be used for drying wood, and 2) to extend the shed roof to a pole / roof structure (similar to a porch roof) that would offer shelter to the last section of the sawmill track, so the sawmill head would be out of the weather without needing to put a cover on it.

A couple of weeks ago, I cut a couple of 5x5 posts from a pine log, intended to be the poles for the roof extension. I've been pondering how to set them to keep them from rotting. My instinct is to auger holes, fill with concrete, and anchor the posts on top of the concrete, just above the ground. The disappointing part of that thinking is that typical galvanized anchors for posts cost as much or more than PT posts. Seems counterproductive to have a sawmill and then spend more to protect the sawmill wood from rotting than the equivalent PT wood from the orange big box store costs.

Another possibility would be adding a piece of vertically set rebar to the concrete, and drill a hole in the post end, inserting the rebar into the post end hole, to act as a lateral brace. And maybe a simple, galvanized L bracket to resist uplift.

Pic of sawmill/shed end follows. I happen to have eight bundles of that exact roof shingle left over from our house build, so my plan is to blend the roof of the extension to the shed.

Input greatly appreciated.

 

[yellowchevy]

They're not cheap but very nice and I'm sure you've seen them before but I really like these brackets for anchoring to concrete. They've got wet set ones as well.

Another option I've done in the past is cut pieces of angle iron the wide of you post then anchor to the concrete followed by lagging or bolting through the post to the other angle that's you've anchored to the concrete.

Don't know if that helps or not.

 

[BlueKnife]

I set up my sawmill near my shed, with a couple of intents in mind: 1) The shed is going to be used for drying wood, and 2) to extend the shed roof to a pole / roof structure (similar to a porch roof) that would offer shelter to the last section of the sawmill track, so the sawmill head would be out of the weather without needing to put a cover on it.

A couple of weeks ago, I cut a couple of 5x5 posts from a pine log, intended to be the poles for the roof extension. I've been pondering how to set them to keep them from rotting. My instinct is to auger holes, fill with concrete, and anchor the posts on top of the concrete, just above the ground. The disappointing part of that thinking is that typical galvanized anchors for posts cost as much or more than PT posts. Seems counterproductive to have a sawmill and then spend more to protect the sawmill wood from rotting than the equivalent PT wood from the orange big box store costs.

Another possibility would be adding a piece of vertically set rebar to the concrete, and drill a hole in the post end, inserting the rebar into the post end hole, to act as a lateral brace. And maybe a simple, galvanized L bracket to resist uplift.

Pic of sawmill/shed end follows. I happen to have eight bundles of that exact roof shingle left over from our house build, so my plan is to blend the roof of the extension to the shed.

Input greatly appreciated.

View attachment 665132

Find some locust or white oak logs to cut the posts out of instead and set those on the concrete. Far more rot resistant than pine.

 

[Roadworthy]

My lean to roof is posts set on concrete pads under the ground to take the pressure - then a foot above that a kind o concrete collar with sixteen penny nails driven into the wood to prevent movement. I did use PT 6 X 6 posts. You could consider a concrete pad on the ground with a steel separator to keep the post from direct contact with the concrete.

 

[flyerdan]

Don't know if it's still possible with all the greenie-weenie stuff, but my dad had some poles treated with penta for a boatshed. They dipped the last four feet in the solution, enough to leave a bit of the treated wood above the ground line.
Utility poles are still treated, someone is doing it, just have to find the right people.

 

[Hiptfarms]

Where abouts in Georgia are you? Don't y'all have eastern red cedar trees ? That's what I use in central SC for building posts. I mainly use 6x6 posts around the farm whenever I build anything.

 

[fried1765]

Find some locust or white oak logs to cut the posts out of instead and set those on the concrete. Far more rot resistant than pine.

Yup!
Pine logs will rot within 15 years, no matter how you set them.

 

[CADplans]

We have had a hitching post in the yard, from the previous owner,, since we bought the house in 1982.
He made it out of taken down telephone poles,, so, I guess the total age of the creosoted poles to be 80 years.
The creosoted poles were 100% rotted, even the horizontal one that was not touching the ground!!

I went to the local Southern States Farm Supply, they had 6-7 inch top posts, ten feet long, for $16.95 each, I bought two.
I cut one in half, and rebuilt the hitching post.

The posts are 0.40% CCA treated,,I think that is the best you can generally get,, now.
When I built my first shed, I used 0.60% CCA treated posts. They were put 48+ inches in the ground.
I took out one of those 0.60% treated posts after 25 years,, it literally looked like it had never been in the ground.

I will bet the 0.40% CCA treated posts I installed last week will be rot free at the turn of the next century,,

 

[rbstern]

Where abouts in Georgia are you? Don't y'all have eastern red cedar trees ? That's what I use in central SC for building posts. I mainly use 6x6 posts around the farm whenever I build anything.

North GA, right across the border from Anderson, SC. Yep, we have cedars, although I can't be sure they are Eastern Red Cedar. Far less numerous than pines, so some difficulty finding and harvesting, but they are there. We also have a fair amount of white oak.

 

[Henro]

What I did was use pressure-treated 6 x 6 posts, set on concrete circular discs in the bottom of the holes.

I did a similar thing when I built my shed about 25 years ago (maybe, forget exactly when). No issues at all. Looks like the posts will last forever.

Put this 28x16 roof on the side of the shed last fall. Same motivation as yours. Plan on putting my small sawmill under roof, at least the power part. Did more excavation of the area beyond the roof after photo was taken.

I plumbed the posts and added a bag of concrete mix plus water to each hole to hold the post bases in position when back filling the holes.

 

[Hiptfarms]

My father was from the Hartwell area across from Anderson.

A lot of times here (central SC) landowners will allow folks to cut cedars after they harvast pines. I just passed a cut over this afternoon where they clear cut the area and left the cedars cut, lying on the ground. What a waste.

 

[oosik]

I've used REAL railroad ties. 8"x8"x12'. After 38 years in the ground they still stink and can get a little "juicy" in really hot weather. I have six of them as gate posts for three gates. Only down side - they are definitely a situation needing to be handled by a tractor & FEL. They are HEAVY in the extreme.

Thirty eight years ago a railroad line was abandoned and became the John Wayne Pioneer trail. They went thru the normal procedure. Remove the rails - pull and stack the ties. Since they were giving the ties away free - neighbor and I went down to have a look. There were monstrous stacks of used ties. There were much smaller stacks of brand new - unused ties.

What the heck. Why select a used tie when new ones were right there. Try as we could - we were completely worn out/frazzled to the bone - getting just six of them loaded in my pickup. We went back a couple weeks later. Some contractor had scarfed them all and was going to be selling them to Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

Anybody that has handled a real RR tie knows what I mean by HEAVY.

 

[milkie62]

This may a bit off topic but along pressure treated lines. There is a local pressure treating company that does most of the local work. Found their tag on the end of the lumber. Talked to them and they said if you go through your local yard,they will pressure treat any size lumber to any pressure treatment that you want. Only issue is that it has to be an entire banded amount. When my kids build decks on their new homes I will be spec'ing out all .60 lumber for them.

 

[Mat4644]

Some of the pole barn companies make laminated posts. The bottom portion that goes into the ground and a couple feet above is treated and the rest above untreated pine. No reason you can't screw treated wood on the ends of your lumber.

 

[s219]

For log posts, I have poured concrete piers in the ground that stick above grade by 6" or so. I place a piece of 1/4" flat steel bar stock (about 2" wide or whatever I have laying around) in the wet concrete that sticks up about 8". Drill holes in the bar to help it anchor better in the concrete, or weld rebar across, etc. Then once it's set mount your posts on the piers and use a chainsaw (tip of bar) to carve a flat spot on the side of the post where it meets up to the steel bar. Drill holes and bolt it together.

I have thought about trying to cut a slot in the log with a plunge cut, so that the log could slide over the bar and hide it. But I think it might take a lot of extra time to get right and I hate wasting time (or money) just to get some use out of logs for posts when it would be faster/cheaper to use treated posts and commercial brackets. So I think the trick with using logs is to keep it simple and cheap, otherwise there is no advantage except for maybe looks.

I always put something under the end of the log to keep it from contacting the concrete directly. Could be steel, a piece of scrap plastic, whatever.

 

[rbstern]

For log posts, I have poured concrete piers in the ground that stick above grade by 6" or so. I place a piece of 1/4" flat steel bar stock (about 2" wide or whatever I have laying around) in the wet concrete that sticks up about 8". Drill holes in the bar to help it anchor better in the concrete, or weld rebar across, etc. Then once it's set mount your posts on the piers and use a chainsaw (tip of bar) to carve a flat spot on the side of the post where it meets up to the steel bar. Drill holes and bolt it together.

I have thought about trying to cut a slot in the log with a plunge cut, so that the log could slide over the bar and hide it. But I think it might take a lot of extra time to get right and I hate wasting time (or money) just to get some use out of logs for posts when it would be faster/cheaper to use treated posts and commercial brackets. So I think the trick with using logs is to keep it simple and cheap, otherwise there is no advantage except for maybe looks.

I always put something under the end of the log to keep it from contacting the concrete directly. Could be steel, a piece of scrap plastic, whatever.

Very similar to what I had in mind.

 

[AK Newbie]

S219 good advice, thanks!

 

[rbstern]

Appreciate the feedback, all.

Finally got around to finishing this project. I poured concrete piers for the posts, so the posts sit above ground level. I added a piece of 1/2" rebar to the piers during the pour, sticking up about 6" from the top of the pier. I center drilled the bottom of the posts with a 1/2" bit, and dropped it onto the rebar as an anchor. Had to hammer them down to make them fit down over the rebar, works well as an anchor.

All of the wood for the extension came from milling on the HM122. Great machine. Well made and enjoyable to use.

Added bonus: There's room for my Yanmar 2210 under the roof.

 

[s219]

Nice job, looks like it was planned all along!