# Repairing warped Pole Barn posts



## samert111 (Apr 9, 2010)

New to the forum here. 

I tried a search on this subject but results did not find a good match. 

I have a 10 year old pole barn in Michigan and over the years a couple of the 6x6 posts have warped a bit. One came in and the other went out. The original contractor came out and shimmed out the one to straighten out the side wall a bit but couldn't do anything for the post that went out. 

Is is possible to repair these posts short of replacing them? They are 48" in the ground but no concrete around them, just sitting on a cement pad at the bottom. 

I was thinking of trying to cut out (notch) one side up 12" from the floor to the ceiling and replacing this section with a new un-treated 2x6 and then on the other side of the post do the same but higher up from the floor and not all the way to the ceiling and then finally cut out the middle section even higher up from the floor and further down from the ceiling and slide in another 2x6 to basically replace the center section of the post that is warped with a homemade laminated post constucted from good dry un-treated 2x6's then bolt through them in several places including where they overlap the original treated 6x6 post for the side to side shear load. By doing one side of the post at a time, then finally the center section, the load on the post would never be less than 2/3's of the original thickness. 

Has anyone done something like this or have another suggestion on how to repair this?

Thanks,

Steve


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## sofalinux (May 28, 2009)

Are the warps in the center of the posts so the profile is like this...) or are the tops of the posts warped so the profile is like a tree blowing in the wind? Are the posts in the ends of the barn or the sides?

Maybe cutting kerfs every couple inches throughout the length of the warped section, 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through the post, would allow you to pull the warp out by fastening a winch to the warp and pulling from the post on the opposite side of the barn. Afterwards, bolts new lumber to the sides of the post to secure it in position.

Never heard of this problem before. An interesting thread to keep informed of.


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## samert111 (Apr 9, 2010)

daryl said:


> Are the warps in the center of the posts so the profile is like this...) or are the tops of the posts warped so the profile is like a tree blowing in the wind? Are the posts in the ends of the barn or the sides?
> 
> Maybe cutting kerfs every couple inches throughout the length of the warped section, 1/2 to 2/3 of the way through the post, would allow you to pull the warp out by fastening a winch to the warp and pulling from the post on the opposite side of the barn. Afterwards, bolts new lumber to the sides of the post to secure it in position.
> 
> Never heard of this problem before. An interesting thread to keep informed of.


Daryl,
The posts are bowed in teh middle like this ). One bows in and the other bows out. They are in the middle of the wall next to one another so you can imagine what the wave in the wall looks like. 

I've done some more research and becuase of my problem I guess today they actually make the posts like I described in my original post. A 3 pc glued and nailed laminated post with staggerd ends that interlock into a 48" treated 6x6 that goes into the ground. These are obviously pre-fabricated before they are used but I'm thinking I can possibly do the same thing to mine in sections like I described. 

I spoke to the guy who put up my barn and he suggested notching out the post where the cross perlins connect and bascially set them flush with the post and then add a 2x6 on either side to restore the structural intergrity. This is an option for the one that bows out but not the one that bows in. 

Your idea of cutting some kerfs in is interesting and I may look into that further. 

Thanks for the feedback.


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## sofalinux (May 28, 2009)

I think that it would not be too terrible of a job to remove the old poles and replace them, one at a time. The hardest part would be to detach the perlins and upper 2X10 plates which are held by nearly impossible to remove pole barn nails. And of coarse, digging the new hole. 
I bet that if you removed the siding around a pole you could easily see how to remove a pole and replace it.
Keep us posted. I'd like to see your solution.


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## Colt W. Knight (Nov 29, 2009)

I would want to know why the post warped, so you can prevent it from happening again.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Colt W. Knight said:


> I would want to know why the post warped, so you can prevent it from happening again.


Wild guess..............they bought the lumber from Home Depot.


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## samert111 (Apr 9, 2010)

Tony B said:


> Wild guess..............they bought the lumber from Home Depot.


No, it came from a local lumber yard but these treated timbers are typically very wet still from the process that keeps them from decaying and have a tendancy to warp as they dry out which is why they apparently do not use them anymore for pole buildings and go with the glued and laminated constructed posts connected to a treated timber on the bottom that can be buried in the ground. 

Replacing the entire timber would be quite a task as the roof trusses would need to be supported somehow and the headers removed from the posts. I suppose it may be easier to just cut it in sections and remove it that way and replace it with a new laminated post.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

Framing basics, 
Always crown studs/posts in the same direction, then regardless of the bow its all in the same direction and virtually invisible.

PT/SYP is a fast growth lumber and tends to warp, (read guaranteed to warp) as the chemicals/moisture evaporate. It's PT'd to go into the ground. It's a framing lumber meant to be outside not in habitable structures.

If this is a structural load bearing member I'd think twice before hacking on it to straighten out something for a "BARN". If you're adamant I'd check first with your town's building dept. The design may require 6X6s if you use relief cuts to flex the post they may require you to sandwich the post and fix them with carriage bolts.


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## raskgle (Dec 10, 2007)

*notch*

If possable notch in stringer that could give 1.5 inch. carl.


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## freedhardwoods (Sep 7, 2008)

I don't know all of their construction and repair techniques, but with over $100 million in sales all over the USA and 10 crews building locally, I'm sure my employer has seen every problem that could arise concerning a pole building. It is very possible that your building was supplied by us. I could give you their phone number if you want. I'm sure they would gladly tell you how they would repair it.


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