post and beam house

[tom41]

I am thinking on building a post and beam home. Something like  900 to 1000 SF., single story, what size posts (would rather be square posts) and how deep in the ground and how to bury (gravel, concrete, or what?) thanks

[mark_chenail]

Tom: This is how I am building my house in Missouri, a sort of pole building that supports raised deck floors with conventional framing between the posts.  You can read all about it at   www.geocities.com/missourijournal/index.html.  I started out using 4x4 posts but then switched to 5x5 posts when I started to build taller spaces.
I had wanted 6x6 posts so that they would stand proud of the framing and wall finishes inside and out, but 6x6 werent available in the length I needed.  Actually this was a blessing, a 5x5 20' post weighs a ton and takes 4 hefty guys at least to move and lift into place.  I shudder to think how heavy the 6x6 posts would have been.   As to depth in the ground, it rather depends on the frost line in your area and the kind of ground you are working in.  In my part of Missouri, the ground is very stony and very hard to dig post holes in without mechanical equipment but luckily the frost line isnt deep.  With 4x4 posts 16feet long, I went down between 2-3 feet and found that more than sufficient.  In fact in one or two places where I encountered thick roots and immoveable stones, set 5x5 16' posts with barely 2 feet in the ground.  They have been in the ground now for 7 years and there has been no movement that I can perceive.  Its a great way to build and very tolerant of mistakes in laying out if you arent really good at making square corners.  Good luck with it.