Ideas for pole shed foundation

[skiwest]

I've got a lot of lodge pole pine in a pile that really are too big for fence rails 8 to 10" in dia very straight and 20' or so long.  I was thinking a want to build a shed to store firewood.  

For the foundation I could just dig holes and backfill , but worry wouldn't last that long

could do as above but paint on wood preservative ,like a utility pole

set in concrete but that might rot too

or pour a sono tube , take above grade a couple of inches and stick in a piece of angle iron with some holes in it and bolt the bottom of the post to angle iron and build away fropm there

any other options

[glenn-k]

The only pine poles I have a problem with are the ones (3 of them) that are in the ground.  The ones that are a couple inches above the ground on a few inches of concrete with a vapor barrier under them are fine.  things above the ground will want to hinge more so bracing is in order.  

Also -- I have driven 3/4 round concrete stakes into the ground 2 feet with one foot sticking out then the concrete pad poured around it or put in dry dampened with a little water if in a hurry.  Drill the end of the pole - drop it on the end of the stake -- drill at least 1/8 inch oversize -- cross brace - tie down for wind if necessary -- or just do your bolted angle footing.

[desdawg]

If this is a temporary building and you don't want to be too fussy you can purchase the green copper based product to treat your own poles at Home Depot, available by the gallon. I have used it to touch up cut ends of 2X's and recoated some old power poles that I was recycling. Seems like it was about $16/gallon. I can't think of the name of it right off but it is available in the paint department.

[skiwest]

If this is a temporary building and you don't want to be too fussy you can purchase the green copper based product to treat your own poles at Home Depot, available by the gallon. I have used it to touch up cut ends of 2X's and recoated some old power poles that I was recycling. Seems like it was about $16/gallon. I can't think of the name of it right off but it is available in the paint department.

 that my second choice but not sure how long just painted on would work below grade.

[MountainDon]

I've used 2 products I got at either Home Depot or Lowes. A Behr product and one by Jasco. The Jasco is called Termin-8. Both were green.

The best way to protect the ends of posts is to soak them. Find a pail, container or some sort that's just big enough in diamterer to take the log/post. Get it standing in there (another challenge) and soak it in the preservative.

[skiwest]

I can see that the green stuff, copper ..., would be the easiest.

Would it help or hurt if before you back filled if wrapped below grade portion in tar paper?  Just thinking of slowing the leeching the green stuff into the ground water.  

As far as doing the pole dip, I think I could rig something up with skid steer with forks and some chains.

[glenn-k]

I don't think tarpaper would be too much of a problem.  I find that after a few years in contact with the soil it turns into a brittle paper without much tar left and will break and crumble.  Plastic holds water into the log as I found out on my 3 problem poles.

Wet logs will actually drip water out after cut and placed in a hole.

Tarpaper, help or hurt -- IMO probably a toss up.  I think it may help stop the leeching a bit as it will leech first.

[peter nap]

I've been painting my poles with brushable roofing sealer.

[Redoverfarm]

I know who asked me. Just reading the post and thought I would give my two cents worth. I would be thinking along the lines of Glenn with the 3/4 re-bar or simuliar. If they are going to be close to the ground I would go one better and add a spacer between the poured footing and the post bottom to keep the very edge of the post off the ground say 1/2". Just scrap metal with a 3/4" hole drilled through to slip over the re-bar or bolt.  

If you check around there is always a lot of galvanized utility pole
bolts or cross arm bolts that would work nice.

Nothing says that you can't do the combination of a couple different things at the same time. Glenns pins and one of the others treatments and let us know how they weather out.