6"x6" Posts

jace_da_face

Hi all,

I'm planning on building a garden pergola. I wish to use 6x6 wooden posts for the job with either 2x6 or 2x8 beams and joists. As of yet I am not sure what type or what species to use. Hardwood or pressure treated softwood. But I'm discovering that many of my local suppliers don't do 6x6. Is it really that unusual?

Can any one suggest a good supplier? I'm in the Galway region but would be willing to travel. I would like to get planed timber.

Also, any recomendations on type of wood to use for a nice finish and which can withstand the harsh weather?

kadman

Try a sawmill for a bit of larch, might be worth it.

Hardwood is going to eat money for 6x6 posts. Is there a budget you are working too. Most suppliers stocking preserved post, are normally carrying 3x3, 4x4 and the gate posts are from a bout 7x7 upwards.

Saw mill is going to be the best option money wise , in my opinion. The big warehouse shoping stores, you know the ones, will cripple you price wise on larger posts. Check out the timber sticky at the top of this forum, you should get a few contacts there.

kadman

jace_da_face

Thanks kadman. I will look in to local sawmills. Will they supply pressure treated?

kadman

Some will supply pressure treated. Depending on the timber you buy, whether you will need pressure treating or not.

Larch is an excellent durable timber, used for boat building ect. The timber the Inland waterways uses is also an excellent durable timber, but the correct name escapes me at the moment. Douglas Fir has a good reputation as well, but I have never used much of it. Irish oak from a sawmill might be worth enquiring about.

Do you have a working budget, or are you doing it on the fly.

kadman

Greenheart, if you can get it.

http://www.hermpac.co.nz/pdfs/HP_Greenheart.pdf

NauP

Considering a similiar project myself - what height are you going for and did you get a plan for it?

jace_da_face

Well Kadman, I don't have a budget as of yet. I am just at the planning and costing stages. I need to decide on a few things first such as the type of wood and dimensions. As well as that I need to take in to account costs associated with anchoring the posts. I will explain further shortly.

Naup, I was figuring a height of about 2.5 meters. I didn't get a plan for it but I sketched a rough one myself based on many pictures and articles from the internet. It is amazing how many variations there are on what is really a simple enough idea. The hardest part seems to be deciding what you like best. I will draught an exact plan when I have decided on the wood dimensions.

So far I am thinking the structure will be 2.8m x 2.5m x 2.5m (L x W x H). The structure will be attached to my house above my dining room window via a ledger board and it will cover a patio area. This means I only need to anchor 2 posts on the ouitside of the pergola. The posts will either be 4 x 4 or 6 x 6. The ledger and outer beam will either be 2 x 8 or 2 x 6. If I use the 6 x 6 posts I will probably use two outer beams to connect the posts together, one on each side of the posts. The rafters will then run perpindicular to the house on 2 x 6s.

I am not going to anchor the posts in the ground. The idea of digging a couple of 3 foot holes, removing all that soil and mixing all that concrete to mount posts in the ground is not appealing. I have come across post spikes before and while the idea sound good in principle the ones I have seen don't look like they would provide much stability to a tall structure, taller than say a fence. But I have come across these guys on the internet called Oz-Post.

Check out http://www.oz-post.com/html.php

It is the same idea. You drive a long steel spike with fins in to the ground. You attach your posts to the bit that remains above ground. This means no digging, no mixing and setting concrete, no mess and more importantly no part of the post remains in the ground meaning no rot. This system appears to be only available in the U.S and Australia however. That's a pain but I will import if neccessary. Their anchors are designed to be driven in to the ground with either (A) a sledge hammer and block of wood or (B) a jack hammer with appropriate attachment. Option B sounds drastic I know but it appears to work very well in the videos.

I was in touch with the builders of my house to confirm layout of certain services. If I am going to drive 36" spikes in to the ground I need to be sure I'm avoiding waste pipes and gas lines etc. The plan is coming together but I am in no rush especially with the weather being the way it is. I would rather take the time to do it right. Perhaps Easter might be a realistic timeframe.

jace_da_face

Hi Kadman. I found a link in this forum to a supplier http://www.irishwoods.com/stockroom/index.htm who supplies larch in 6x6. Could be just what I'm after

Qwerty?

Hi, I got treated softwood 6"x6" by 8' from Regans Sawmills (near Claremorris) for fencing recently. I can find the price somewhere if you want it.

jace_da_face

Hi Qwerty. I've settled on using Larch and I've sorced a sawmill nearby. Thanks tho