Question about post framing

[jteam]

Hello all. I have been lurking awhile and signed up recently. Finally decided to really sit down and start planning my garage/workshop. So far I am pretty much set on a post frame building and have started putting together ideas for my plans. Question one is, with post frame building, has anyone tried coating the bottom 4-5 feet of the posts with urethane bedliner material to prevent rot? If so how did it hold up? Second question is if anyone built their own laminated posts, say out of 2x6's? Any suggestions there or is it cheaper, easier, or more sound to buy them premade?

Thanks in advance. I cant wait to hear some comments and/or ideas.

 

[speadphreak]

Ive built quite a few pole buildings some with solid post some with glued and nailed 2x6s. In all cases Ive used some sort of of "paint on barrier" on the sides and bottom. Ive used tar, bedliner, and in one case some left over epoxy paint. I set all of my poles in wet concrete with the "barrier" above the concrete. In case of a dirt or gravel floor I use sona tubes or square forms made out of plywood to bring the top of the concrete several inches above the finished grade and above the bottom of the side walls if applicable. I set the poles in 1-1/2"in from the outside of the tube so the bottom purlin will let the sheeting go down over the concrete. For concrete pads I bring the post concrete slightly above where the bottom of the pad will be, and use a bonding agent on top of that to bond with the pad. I still bring the barrier an inch or two above the finish height of the pad.

I built a small pole barn 16x24x8h for my grandfather almost twenty years ago this way with tar. About two years ago we had a very large tree fall on the building. It was pretty much destroyed, and the insurance paid to have the whole building rebuilt. When we rebuilt it we pulled the damaged 4x4 poles instead of scabbing on to them. We busted the concrete off of two of them and cut through them and they honestly looked as good as when we buried them. These were regular 4x4s that you buy a the lumber yard.
Im not saying its the best or right way, but it works for me.