Post frame building is not necessarily a new form of construction. It’s actually been in use for centuries, particularly along coastlines where shelters needed to be elevated above the water level.
But it certainly has evolved and developed in the procedures and materials used to become a leading construction style today.
What Is Post Frame Construction?
All modern post frame construction comes from the original concept of putting posts in the ground as supporting members and using them as the frame on which the rest of the building is built.
We know post frame building been around for a long time because it’s been known for ages that posts sunk into the ground provide excellent attachment points for wall joists, flooring and roof trusses.
Native Americans used this style of construction for lodges and other large buildings. Even Alexander the Great used post frame construction to build the bridges his armies used.
In the 1930s, the term “pole barn” became popular to describe post frame style framing. Due to a disrupted economy from the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, to construct new buildings, farmers turned to the most cost-efficient materials they could: recycled telephone poles. These “telephone pole barns” were shortened to simply “pole barns”.
These days, “poles” are now commonly referred to as posts or columns, and are specifically engineered for post frame building
Early Problems
The biggest problem with post frame construction in the past has been the fact that organic wooden posts, sunk into the ground, decayed in time due to moisture absorption. This made the wood soft, weak, and easy to penetrate.
Bacteria, worms, borers, carpenter ants and fungus could also cause wood rot, breaking down the wood fibers and creating instability in the posts. This caused major structural problems.
The only way to address the issue was to remove the decayed posts and replace them. This was very time consuming since everything attached to the post had to be removed first. Only then could the post be dug up, replaced, and everything reattached.
Evolving Solutions
To counter decaying posts, the first known type of preservative was mud or swamp muck placed in the hole to cover the bottom of the column. This created an anaerobic, or oxygen deprived environment.
This environment resisted the formation of wood eating bacteria and fungus while keeping worms and wood boring beetles away.
The Greeks took a major step to keep the moisture out of their post poles by coating them in olive oil to resist moisture and decay. The Romans were the first to coat their posts in tar, which resisted moisture and made the wood fibers inedible for microorganisms, carpenter ants, and termites.
The first modern type of wood preservative creosote, a wood tar derivative, was invented in 1832.
Many different methods of post preservation have been introduced in modern times, including concrete bases which are most commonly used today.
Our Solution
At Alpine Builders, we are confident in our method of building a structure that lasts a lifetime.
Method 1: We begin with a laminated wooden post, made of the finest treated lumber and hand inspected for quality control, and comes with a 50-year warranty. Rebar is drilled through the bottom of the post. That post is rested on a concrete “cookie” at the bottom of a post hole. The concrete “cookie” prevents the post from settling into the ground and rotting from the bottom up. The posthole is then filled in with dirt using a specialized compactor. This method is quite effective in holding the post securely in the ground and providing uplift protection, with minimal settling. Despite it’s efficiency, this method is not industry standard, but is standard practice on most of Alpine’s projects.
Method 2: As in method 1, the post with drilled rebar is rested on the concrete “cookie”, and then, the post hole is filled in with concrete instead of dirt. This protects against any uplift, especially in high-wind environments.
Added protection: Even though treated modern posts hold very well against the elements, there are options for added protection to ensure your building will last beyond your lifetime. In both method 1 and 2, a fitted plastic cover can be put on the bottom of the post, secured with specialized screws, rested on the concrete “cookie”, and filled in with compacted dirt, or concrete. This plastic cover seals the wooden post as an added protection against water which can cause a bare post to rot in the ground.
Alpine Builders is happy to answer any questions you have about the post frame building process. Call our office today and speak to our skilled staff who can answer any questions you have.