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Setting Poles #1745 06/17/05 08:00 PM
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cg Offline OP
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I'm building a 30 X 40 shed.
Going to be using telephone poles rough cut off to 12'.
3 down each side and 3 down the middle.
Going to be using full 3x10x20 beams.6 total.
How deep should i dig hole if using quickcrete.
Also what diameter should hole be.
I've got some more questions for later.
Thanks
cg in mississippi

Re: Setting Poles #1746 06/17/05 11:16 PM
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Ray Gibbs Offline
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Stay away from the quickcrete, or any "crete" for that matter. Poles set in concrete are prone to accelerated rot usually at a point just below grade. The concrete does not permit moisture to disipate and as a result the wood will become punky in a very short time. Older utility poles of the pines (red or southern yellow) and Doug Fir were treated along their entire length with creosote until environmental restrictions stopped this practice. Western cedar poles were usually only treated at the butt. Newer poles are now treated full length using CCA Peg, the green stuff on PT lumber. This stuff also does nasty things to our planet but it doesn't have the tendency to leach out of the wood in the sun like creosote does. Anyhow I woud just stick your poles in the ground, butt end down, back fill and tamp. I've pulled 50 yr old Western Red cedar poles out of the ground that were set this way and the wood was as hard as this desk top. I don't know much about your climate down there but you want to dig below the frost line. Up here in the Great White North a 4'to 5' hole is required to safely get you into warm dirt during the winter. Hope this helps.

Re: Setting Poles #1747 06/18/05 03:20 AM
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Emmett Greenleaf Offline
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Hooray Ray.
Now if you really wanna avoid wood rot in the earth (sounds like a mystery thriller) dig some holes, pour footers which extend at least 6" above grade and up your poles from these platforms using any number of fastening methods discusses in this forum ad nauseum. Use the search engine.
You can buy pyramidal and conical forms made of treated cardboard quite cheaply.
Ask your local building permit folks how deep the footers have to go. A kinda rule of thumb if the soil is decent is the diameter of the footer at it's base is 4 times the diameter of the footer top/pole base being supported.
The other alternative is sky hooks, currently out of stock at Home Depot.
work safe, have fun.
deralte

Re: Setting Poles #1748 06/18/05 03:35 PM
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Ray Gibbs Offline
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Right on.


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