Framing with used telephone poles? (inside the sheathing)

[Erin]

We have 18 or so used telephone poles, 30' long.  Obviously, for the construction of our house, we'd like to use materials we already have on hand if at all possible.  And where I've been designing a post and beam structure, these would be perfect.  But, two concerns--

1.  Where they're telephone poles, they've been treated with creosote.  But they're used, which means the oily tar-like coating that was originally on there has long since worn off.  I think this'd make it easier to seal with polyurethane or something.  Or is it possible to actually seal them?  (Creosote is not exactly something I want off-gassing into my home)

2.  They're used.  They're ones the electric co. has pulled out and replaced.  Because of this, I'm not sure I'd use them for a pole building in an external application, but I wonder if they'd still be strong for an internal, protected application...

Thoughts?

[MikeT]

I would steer so far away from those.  Creosote is a known carcinogen.  Sealed or not, on that basis alone I would not do it.  I bet when you get those in a closed space, you would readily realize that there is plenty of smelly creosote still there.

mt

[akemt]

You know who'd probably be able to give you good advice on whether it can be sealed, etc, would be the people on the forum at www.loghomebuilders.org  My guess would be that they'd work fine in a pole barn application with little human exposure...but that might defeat the purpose of the pole barn.  I know questions of this nature have come up before on the LHBA forum and people have built with non-treated telephone poles (brand new, though).

I'd want to be doubly sure it was completely sealed myself...

Best of luck!
Catherine

[glenn kangiser]

I agree with Mike T.  I have used a few in non-critical places. If cool they don't smell much - warm they are bad - if hot, creosote starts oozing out of them and running like oil even if they were dry looking to start with.-- I researched sealing them and there doesn't seem to be any dependable way to do it. 

I'd keep them in other places besides the house.

[Redoverfarm]

I agree with Glenn.  There is no sealant that would protect you from the odor. If it was the last resort I would use then to frame and then partition them off to isolate the smell.  Would never leave them exposed inside.

[glenn kangiser]

I would use a well sealed plastic barrier if it was permanent in the house.  I have a few in a retaining wall I'm going to do that with.

[muldoon]

that creosote is nasty stuff.  here in the south it attracts hogs like crazy, they try to rub themselves against it.  I have read that the hogs use it to keep bugs off themselves... but I have to wonder how the hogs know about creosotes hog lice repellent properties?  Anyway, aside from carcinogenic properties (and really that should be enough), I wouldn't want them under my house because it would mean that it would be attracting wild boar under my house to wallow which does not sound like a good idea. 

[Redoverfarm]

And to think I just built a 16' X 32' hog pin and guess what I used for the post.  But I was thinking of them and used pressure treated utility poles instead of creosote poles.  My boys design as it is his 4H project.  Poles compliments of Dominion Power. They use the mud as their repellent from what I have seen.

[MikeT]

Just found this on the EPA website regarding creosote and residential uses--in a word, DON'T.

http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/chemicals/creosote_prelim_risk_assess.htm

[MountainDon]

I think that should pretty well settle that idea...

[Erin]

Well like I said, I knew creosote was not something I wanted off-gassing, but didn't know if it was possible to seal or not.
I guess it's not... Rats!  I'll have to go dig through our pile and see if there are some that were just end-treated...