Purchasing House with Older Pole Barn - Are posts rotted?

[bagsanthony]

Hello , looking to purchase a piece of property and the pole barn is approximately 40 years old… you can see a lot of standing water/stains on the outside of the building. Obviously no gutters. My concern is if the posts are all rotted? What are your thoughts? What else should I look for? Thanks

 

[mike93lx]

I would look at the posts

They may have protectors or a coating, they might be mushy. No one here can tell

 

[The Cobbler]

the water stains on the lower portion are nothing to be concerned with. as above poster says, look at the posts . after 40 yrs I suspect there will be some rot , how much is the question.

 

[bagsanthony]

Thanks unfortunately all OSB covered. I can’t tell… I’m sure they aren’t coated

 

[mike93lx]

Thanks unfortunately all OSB covered. I can’t tell… I’m sure they aren’t coated

If you can't see the posts, you have to gamble.

 

[Bill Bowman]

Personally, I'd take the gamble. With a bit of TLC, that will make a nice out building.

 

[billconner]

40 years ago they could have been creosote. Can you see any of the posts to find a grade stamp? What is the soil like around the building? Is the natural drainage away from the building?

 

[Hank11]

Have a qualified person inspect the building. No one can answer this from the internet.

 

[danfromsyr]

check on the property's town records if a permit was applied and if so the build plans or builder.

 

[Mick56]

If allowed, you would need to dig down alongside a pole, and probe it with a screwdriver.

 

[ycgoat]

How old is the OSB? What condition is it in?

If I was concerned, such as if there were signs of moisture inside around the post locations, I would;

Try to determine which post would have the most damage and remove the interior covering to access the base of the post where it enters the ground. Then a visual inspection making note of what kind of treatment and installation then probing the post where it enters the ground with a screw driver to see how much if any is rotten

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

You should be able to see the posts from the outside just below the siding. You may have to lay on the ground to see them but should be able to probe them with a screwdriver to tell if they are soft. They usually rot right at ground level.

 

[andyvh1959]

Dig around the posts from the outside and see if any posts show likely rot, probe them with a screwdriver. Should only have to dig down 6" to find enough post to probe. Rot is more likely where the wood has been exposed to moisture and air. Below grade should be solid, at grade may show rot if any exists.

 

[RPH]

A sharp pick or knife to stick into suspect areas. If rotten, the pick will slide in easy and deep until it hits good wood, if ever.
Very little penetration indicates good wood.

 

[AC-WC]

I have a pole barn that was built in the 60's or 70's. When we moved in the posts were still decent but I noticed carpenter ants and some surface rot, algae in the last 5 years. You have many relatively easy ways to fix if it's bad. I was thinking old school i.e. digging out the old posts, putting in a concrete tube and attaching to the post. Hired an Amish crew and they came up with an ingenious way. If I remember right it was around $2000 for all my posts around 14. Done in a day about 2 yrs ago now. This is 20X30. I would not let rotted posts scare me from purchasing if everything else with the house/property is positive.

 

[bagsanthony]

Thanks guys for all the helpful replies! I now know what to look for. Unfortunately, I will not be purchasing this property. The owner took a few short cuts per my walk through tonight:

- I'm in upstate Ny and a heating oil furnace was here... well the thrifty past owner cut the fill and vent to the outside (I've never seen this before) and would fill his own tank from his truck diesel transfer pump... using offroad diesel. Not sure the logic here, maybe wanted to save a few bucks or he had a spill and the company would no longer fill... IDK?

-The basement was very leaky and water damage was evident. There was even water on the floor. Incoming water line from the well looked to have some leaks.

-The pole barn had a nice rainfall effect going/leaked pretty bad... Again this is Upstate NY it rains a lot!

-The basement stairs we're pretty wompy (re-done by the owner) and had a drain pipe going through it. Again never seen that before!

-The past owner wasn't a fan of junction boxes - I don't think he knew what they were, just a wire nut and good!

-The generator interlock was pretty crappy- past owner drilled a hole outside the house and wire nutted a cord to the outside - wish I took a pic.

-Under cabinet kitchen lights were done with exposed wiring and wire nuts!

-The pole barn had an active Zinsco 100 A panel LOL!!!!! These are the ones that catch on fire!

The prices of homes in this area have SKYROCKETED.... and it's amazing what junk people are selling LOL