How to Build With Cedar Poles and Wood
- 1). Dig holes at the corners of your planned building for the bases of the cedar poles. The deeper the hole, the more securely the pole will be set and the stronger the building will be. For two-story buildings, the bases of the cedar poles should be set at least 6 feet into the ground.
- 2). Set the bases of the poles into the holes. This can be accomplished by using a lot of people with ropes, a block and tackle or a crane.
- 3). Backfill the holes around the bases of the cedar poles. Ensure that the poles are perfectly vertical when you put in the backfill. Brace the bases of the poles within the hole by using large rocks in addition to soil.
- 4). Construct beams that will support the building's floors by bolting horizontal planks to the sides of the poles. Lift the planks into place by attaching block and tackle assemblies to the top of each pole and hauling the planks up on ropes. When they are in position, drill all the way through the planks and the poles and secure the planks with bolts, nuts and washers.
- 5). Complete the structural skeleton of the building by bolting on beams for each floor and at the tops of the poles to support the roof. Unlike conventional architecture, which gains its strength from its walls, the walls of a pole building actually hang from the pole structure. The pole structure represents the full strength of the building.
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