Posted: 5/7/2009 9:24:23 AM EDT
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Has anyone thought of using used utility poles to build a "log" structure? If so, where does one find used poles?
I have written the local electric company, but haven't heard back yet from them and was hoping to get additional ideas on where to look. |
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They are treated with poisonous chemicals. Any dwelling would eventually pose a health hazard. Growing up, my dad instilled in me a deep fear of telephone poles, railroad ties, and green lumber. I think they use creosote on poles and ties and an arsenic compound on the green stuff. Probably not something you'd want to reside in. |
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What about getting them before they are treated with cresote? Just thinking, no idea on cost or availability. Before they are treated they are pine trees. Cut your own but they will rot pretty damn quick. Well, the problem I have is with finding ones on my property that are straight enough, and wouldn't take a team of mules to pull out to the building site. I did notice that Weyerhouser sells untreated utility poles, and have sent them an email asking about small quantitites. Otherwise, I may have to spend some time this summer searching and felling a few trees on my property, and hoping I can get them to a spot where they can dry out by next summer. |
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I really only deal with the bigger stuff but we occasionally use the small stuff for guying or other small-scale uses.
A 40' Douglas Fir pole with ~40" base diameter will cost about $800 fully treated. That is the price we are buying them for after everyone is done with contracts and fine print that makes someone a lot more money than I get. I really have no clue what the 'street' price would be, not very many are sold on the street. By comparison the 80' pole would be $2700 each. If this is for a shed or storage where you don't care about the chemicals I'd look at some local power companies or co-ops and get their tear-out poles, they usually have to ay to dispose of them anyway. |
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There is nothing special about a utility pole except the fact that they are treated.
The poster above who recommended contacting a local logger was spot on, often you can contract to buy a load of lesser quality logs that they can't get as much for at the log yard but are happy to sell to you for cash. Wood rotting is entirely dependent on how you build. (I own 150 acres of woods, a sawmill, and have built all my own buildings from wood from my own land) |
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There is nothing special about a utility pole except the fact that they are treated. The poster above who recommended contacting a local logger was spot on, often you can contract to buy a load of lesser quality logs that they can't get as much for at the log yard but are happy to sell to you for cash. Wood rotting is entirely dependent on how you build. (I own 150 acres of woods, a sawmill, and have built all my own buildings from wood from my own land) Yeah, I swing from pulling the 30 or so small trees off my own land (if I can find them straight enough) to contacting a local logger (which would work much easier if I lived where the land is, but that's a few year off), to finding shortcuts somehow. The more I research, tho, the more I lean towards doing them off my own property. I think I can get 30 or so, and not get tripped up by the "no logging until the contract is paid off" clause. Of course, one way to avoid hitting that (probably) would be to purchase and plant seedlings (Weyerhouser sells them for abour $400/1000 wholesale) for each tree I harvest. I could probably harvest 5-6 in a weekend, including bucking and what-not. I just have to figure what circumference I need for an 10-12" diameter log after being stripped of bark. |
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ive never done any residential construction with utility poles, but when i was about 16 my friend and i built a raft with three. we (being dumb) thought that since they were long and straight, thwy would be a good foundation for our raft. then we realized that the thing weighed a couple tons by the timewe were done with it, and it was a bitch to get into the water from the trailer we built it on. and then due to the creasote, it was extremely dense and heavy, and barely floated. b ut this is all a story in and of itself
loon |
| Utility poles are NOT treated with creosote throughout the whole pole...just the lower 1/3 that gets put in the ground. The reason that you wouldn't want to build with them is because they are NOT normal pine like someone above mentioned. We use cedar because of cedar's inherent ability to withstand rot. The reason that cedar (and redwood) holds up so well out in the weather is because they naturally produce tannic acid. You would not want to live in a house with exposed cedar walls. It would probably make your eyes water and being in that environment for prolonged periods of time may cause health issues. YMMV |
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Sorry about the sidetracking, but what about getting some used utility poles to build anti-vehicle obstacles?
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/accp/en0065/en0065b0125.gif http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/5-102/Fig6-17.gif http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/5-102/Fig6-19.gif |
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Utility poles are NOT treated with creosote throughout the whole pole...just the lower 1/3 that gets put in the ground. The reason that you wouldn't want to build with them is because they are NOT normal pine like someone above mentioned. We use cedar because of cedar's inherent ability to withstand rot. The reason that cedar (and redwood) holds up so well out in the weather is because they naturally produce tannic acid. You would not want to live in a house with exposed cedar walls. It would probably make your eyes water and being in that environment for prolonged periods of time may cause health issues. YMMV Cedar is not that bad, they make all kinds of homes with cedar. If there was an issue there is no reason why you couldn't stain or seal the cedar to hold in any chemicals or fumes. In fact there is a company that makes cedar log homes. http://www.cedarhomes.com/ http://www.newenglandcedarhomes.com/page-cedar-log-homes-47.html |
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Utility poles are NOT treated with creosote throughout the whole pole...just the lower 1/3 that gets put in the ground. The reason that you wouldn't want to build with them is because they are NOT normal pine like someone above mentioned. We use cedar because of cedar's inherent ability to withstand rot. The reason that cedar (and redwood) holds up so well out in the weather is because they naturally produce tannic acid. You would not want to live in a house with exposed cedar walls. It would probably make your eyes water and being in that environment for prolonged periods of time may cause health issues. YMMV Cedar poles are not completely treated, Douglas Fir poles are treated with Copper Napthanate throughout the entire pole. Don't get any on ya! Type of poles used is very regional, in the south they get a lot of one type, east coast another. They have a tree in Austraila (name of the tree escapes me) with such a high bending moment capacity that they don't have to guy for most angles. |
| I'm sure that the logs that those companies use to build with are sealed. Like I said above, you wouldn't want to have EXPOSED cedar... I work for a phone company. A few years back an areal cable lead was taken out of service and the poles taken down. Another employee took the poles, peeled them down to good un-dried wood, and used them to build a small cabin. The cabin had such a strong cedar smell to it that a person could barely stand to go in it. I suppose if it were sprayed with a nice coat of polyurathane or something like that it might be better. |
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actually I have seen lots of poles waiting to be treated at a couple of the suppliers places in South Alabama. I think its in Atmore and one in Brewton.
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What about getting them before they are treated with cresote? Just thinking, no idea on cost or availability. Before they are treated they are pine trees. Cut your own but they will rot pretty damn quick. |
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I'm sure that the logs that those companies use to build with are sealed. Like I said above, you wouldn't want to have EXPOSED cedar... I work for a phone company. A few years back an areal cable lead was taken out of service and the poles taken down. Another employee took the poles, peeled them down to good un-dried wood, and used them to build a small cabin. The cabin had such a strong cedar smell to it that a person could barely stand to go in it. I suppose if it were sprayed with a nice coat of polyurathane or something like that it might be better. Don't want to hijak this thread more than it has, but i'm gonna have to argue this. Having cut down and milled up hundreds of cedar (eastern red variety) into siding, decking, closet lining, and having used cedar inside and outside of the home I built, cedar "fumes" are like anything else. eventually the natural odor goes away. There are no "health hazzards" that I have experienced or are aware of. |
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Utility poles are NOT treated with creosote throughout the whole pole...just the lower 1/3 that gets put in the ground. The reason that you wouldn't want to build with them is because they are NOT normal pine like someone above mentioned. We use cedar because of cedar's inherent ability to withstand rot. The reason that cedar (and redwood) holds up so well out in the weather is because they naturally produce tannic acid. You would not want to live in a house with exposed cedar walls. It would probably make your eyes water and being in that environment for prolonged periods of time may cause health issues. YMMV Cedar is not that bad, they make all kinds of homes with cedar. If there was an issue there is no reason why you couldn't stain or seal the cedar to hold in any chemicals or fumes. In fact there is a company that makes cedar log homes. http://www.cedarhomes.com/ http://www.newenglandcedarhomes.com/page-cedar-log-homes-47.html One thing's for sure, you wouldn't have to worry about moths. 
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