Choosing the best poles for Construction

Choosing the best poles are a crucial step in ensuring your construction project runs smoothly. The following guidelines will help you select the right pole for your construction needs.

A straight pole looks good, is easy to align and simplifies the attachment of beams and fasteners of pole-frame houses. Even for strong and durable for pole construction, shrinkage can be a problem: large logs require a long seasoning period.

Many pole-frame constructions use chemically treated poles from plantation-grown softwood trees because of their ready availability and consistent quality. The most common chemical preservative treatment used is copper-chrome-arsenic (CCA). The copper acts as a fungicide, the arsenic as an insecticide and the chrome as a fixing agent that renders the water-borne preservatives insoluble. CCA is applied by vacuum or pressure impregnation and the strength is varied according to purpose.

CCA-treated wood is odourless and can be easily painted or stained once dry. It has a light green colour, which weathers to a light grey in about five years. A guarantee certificate as to its anticipated lifespan should be supplied. The purpose of the poles and whether they are to be embedded in the ground should be specified when ordering, as there are various levels of treatment. Poles are available in a variety of lengths and diameters. A certificate of compliance should be obtained from the supplier as evidence of the quality of preservative treatment.

A pole-frame house, with unpainted, tree trunk-like supports, blends smoothly into a natural setting. Such houses are flexible in design. Since the walls and partitions are non-load-bearing, there are few restrictions on the design of the interior space. Varying floor levels can be achieved simply by shifting bearers up and down the poles. Exposed rafters and beams make for warm, attractive ceilings.

Pole-frame buildings can be constructed in as many different shapes and sizes as conventional, ground-based houses. Because the poles take the weight of the roof, extensive use of glass is often made in walls — an important feature with buildings that are often on steep hillsides that may offer the possibility of spectacular views. A simple shape can easily be changed to include different levels or a different roof shape and a cantilevered floor.