ESB Poles for Cattle Shed

ford4610

Hi All,

I am wondering has anyone used old esb poles to build a open shed for cattle?

Cant see why they wouldn't work as good as steel.

dohc turbo2

ford4610 wrote: »

Hi All,

I am wondering has anyone used old esb poles to build a open shed for cattle?

Cant see why they wouldn't work as good as steel.

Would t be into it myself I would rather wait an extra 12 months to save and put up a steel structure, but that's me I like to do it once and proper, I've seen sheds done with poles some very well done some not , I know of one that in the bad storm the roof lifted and fell down killing some animals inside

mythos110

ford4610 wrote: »

Hi All,

I am wondering has anyone used old esb poles to build a open shed for cattle?

Cant see why they wouldn't work as good as steel.

My dad insisted on using them on a shed a few years ago (open shed for bags of meal and blocks etc.) despite my best protests at the time. It was an old stone shed that blew down so we put a wall plate on the remaining back wall and used 3x esb poles for the front.

We hadn't up a week when he goes to me one day - "Its a pity we didn't use steel there..." I nearly flipped!

They are still there 3 x years later but I'd still rather if we had used steel day one. Proper sheds are only dear the first day they go in.

ford4610

mythos110 wrote: »

My dad insisted on using them on a shed a few years ago (open shed for bags of meal and blocks etc.) despite my best protests at the time. It was an old stone shed that blew down so we put a wall plate on the remaining back wall and used 3x esb poles for the front.

We hadn't up a week when he goes to me one day - "Its a pity we didn't use steel there..." I nearly flipped!

They are still there 3 x years later but I'd still rather if we had used steel day one. Proper sheds are only dear the first day they go in.

But why have you preference for steel over timber as poles could last just as long.

mythos110

Steel is designed to take certain loads that timber poles just can't be guaranteed to take. I'm not looking forward to the first heavy fall of snow for example.

Steel can be specified to a size suitable for the surface area of the roof and hence the loadings being transferred to the pillars. If one pole cracks under load then your cladding is goosed and potentially your livestock as well.

I would imagine that if using for cattle then the cowdung isn't going to do any favours to the ability of the timber to stand up to rotting either.

We have put up lots of "normal" sheds at home recently and I consider them to be money better spent.

maidhc

ford4610 wrote: »

But why have you preference for steel over timber as poles could last just as long.

Timber doesn't last as well as steel. Even if steel rusts at the butt you can easily weld in a repair section. I would imagine a wood pole set in concrete wouldn't last very long at all.

Also, be careful of any discarded ESB poles, many that are around are from a faulty batch first installed in mind 2000s that rotted very badly.

divillybit

You'd think the poles would be a handy substitute for an rsj but I cut the end off one of these old poles with a chainsaw earlier this year and it was red rotten internally despite looking fine on the surface. They rot from the inside out from where the cresote doesent penetrate in the pressure treatment process. I remember meeting an esb man one day whose job it was to inspect poles by hitting them with a hammer. He knew by the sound it made when he hit the pole if it was rotten inside and said that one pole he hit that day was so red rotten that he wanted it replaced the following day, which was a Saturday. He wasnt letting that wait until the monday to replace it.

Dunedin

divillybit wrote: »

You'd think the poles would be a handy substitute for an rsj but I cut the end off one of these old poles with a chainsaw earlier this year and it was red rotten internally despite looking fine on the surface. They rot from the inside out from where the cresote doesent penetrate in the pressure treatment process. I remember meeting an esb man one day whose job it was to inspect poles by hitting them with a hammer. He knew by the sound it made when he hit the pole if it was rotten inside and said that one pole he hit that day was so red rotten that he wanted it replaced the following day, which was a Saturday. He wasnt letting that wait until the monday to replace it.

And a bit of handy overtime for him.....