How to build a pole barn?

[dumper]

Maybe use new telegraph poles the old ones are removed because they are rotten

[Stere]

Wonder if the the linesmen still carry a special mallet to tap the poles/test  them for soundness?

 

Probably it is abit more hi-tech now....

 

 

Anyhow normally the rot is at  ground lvl rest of the pole is  still decent.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Stere

[difflock]

I can say, having used used NIE poles for gateposts, that the untreated heart will rot out surprisingly fast, to leave a nowt but a wooden pipe!

And these were pressure impregnated cresote treated poles.

And not entirely sure that covering the top to prevent rainwater ingress would prevent this rapid rot, since they will wick moisture upwards from the ground.

They are replaced for very sound, or more accurately unsound reasons!

Edited August 24, 2022 by difflock

[Vedhoggar]

Erected a shed to store small tractor and associated equipment about 16 years ago using 6 secondhand well creosoted electric/telephone none of which have so far show any sign of decay but they were not concreted in, they stand in in crushed stone 4-6 inch size in the bottom and 2" down at the top. Sawn Douglas fir boards 12' x 6" were used on sides show and no sign of decay either, the boards where treated at the start with clear Cuprinol and fixed horizontally with slight overlap to shed rain water however it was probably a waste of time treating the Douglas boards as not in contact with ground. 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Vedhoggar

[trigger_andy]

13 hours ago, dumper said:

Maybe use new telegraph poles the old ones are removed because they are rotten

Not always the case. We had a bunch left on my property as BT replaced them with new. Even the installers had no idea why they get replaced as they can last up to 100 years and mine where perfect even after at least 20 years old.

[dan blocker]

2 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Not always the case. We had a bunch left on my property as BT replaced them with new. Even the installers had no idea why they get replaced as they can last up to 100 years and mine where perfect even after at least 20 years old.

Even a half rotten cresoted pole will outlast a new freshly so called”treated” timber post in the ground?

[Billhook]

We had a whole 33kva line changed simply because it was 50 years old, nothing to do with condition, and the poles looked fine with no signs of rot

[Billhook]

Another thought I had was perhaps to cut off the top of a round plastic oil drum the same diameter as the bottom of the pole and fill it full of creosote before putting it in the ground to let the creosote soak in and also stop water getting into the wood