Treating Pine poles

[Hitchcock Woods]

We are doing a horse jump overhaul (78 jumps) in the woods and we are going to purchase around 150 kiln dried, 7" x 16' pine poles that will be the jump rails.  Excluding pressure treating, what is the best way to treat pine so it will last longer than 2-3 years? 

[beenthere]

So you are saying you are not considering pressure treated SYP poles?
They would be the best bet for lasting more than a few years.

And what has been purchased prior, that only lasts a few years?

And why "kiln dried" spec.  ??

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

I assume that you are not against the chemicals used for pressure treating, but have some concern about PT.

Pressure treating is many times better (the treatment is deeper, more uniform, bleeds very llittle) than the next best, which is soaking, using hot and cold bath solutions of preservative.  The equipment for soaking is rather extensive...tanks of solutions of preservative chemicals, heating for the reservoirs and the treating tank, lifting devices, and more.  I am not sure if you can find commercial soaking or dipping today as it is just not that effective.  Also, dripping of excess chemical can be an issue with dipping.

Southern Pine does treat easily, so that is a plus.  In days past, using naturally decay resistant species, only the end of the pole that was in the ground or in contact with water was treated.  That saved a lot of money as the treating chemicals were and are expensive.

I am curious why you do not want pressure treating.  If the poles will hold a structure that is expensive or will last more than 10-15 years, PT is your only choice for longer life.

[scsmith42]

There was an article in Sawmill and Woodlot magazine a year or two back that recommended a two step process for home (farm) wood treatment.  Step 1 was soaking in a boric acid based solution such as Timbor or Solubor, and step two was a treatment with Copper Napthanate (CuNap) thinned with mineral spirits.

I treated some red oak slabs here on the farm and they have been outdoor for the better part of a year with no noticeable degrade.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Note that borates remain soluble in water, so do not use them where the wood is exposed to rain, etc. as the solution can wash out.  If the wood is dry and kept dry, then there is no need for treatment to prevent future attacks in pine.

Note that if you were going to sell treated wood, you do need to be licensed.

Note that the treatment will not prevent greying when exposed outside...or do you paint them?  If you paint them, then the mineral spirits would not work.

The treatment can also increase the weight...is this ok?

Plus, how would you dispose of the unused treating solutions?

[Hitchcock Woods]

Ok, i wasn't trying to write a novel, but here we go...

In the past, we just cut a straight pine out of the 2100 acre property that we manage, take a manageable 16'-24' from the tree (depending on jump size), and lay it in "cups" 3 ft off the ground.  The rail is not load bearing, it only acts as the highest point in the jump that the horse clears.  After 2 summers in SC heat, the log gets weathered, a horse grazes it with a hoof, and its time for a new pole.  We rinse and repeat this process every year for jump maintenance.  We are tired of cutting down 30 year old longleaf because they are our future forest so i inquired buying some poles from a local saw mill.  SC Pole and Piling gave us a quote of $30 a pole, which is a fraction from anyone else in the area, but on their website  scpole.com, it says they are untreated.  It doesn't have to be kiln dried but i figured that it would be easier to put a stain or something similar to it to help them last for ~ 10 years.  Budgeting this is a huge deal because we are a non-profit organization.  If we have to take them to a commercial pressure treater, so be it, but i don't want that to double the cost of the the rails.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[Hitchcock Woods]

 

 

Here is a pic for reference of horses jumping in our woods

[beenthere]

Time to get the pencil out and make some calculations comparing your own resource vs. the pole quote of $30 (and why 10 yr vs. 2 yr ?? ), and what a treated pole would cost. Figure the value of your own pole against its value if left in the stand, as you may be able to use thinnings for your poles.

Then consider setting up a dip tank with treating solution that you can soak your own poles and get longer life. Again, have to compare the costs, volunteer time, and service.

2 yrs seems a bit short for your own poles. Are these in use year around? Or is the jumping seasonal?

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

I would use untreated, dried and then put a water repellant (WR) finish (clear or colored) on them.  This finish will keep the water off and reduce the risk of decay substantially.  (You can look to see what penetrating finishes are used for decks and find one that works for you.)

Note that for items above ground a WR finish can be adequate.

  A treated post should last 100 years if decay was the only issue.  But if color or mechanical damage is the issue, the pressure treating will not help.  In fact, the PT may actually create a bit more brittleness on the surface.

[Hitchcock Woods]

So there are only 2 guys who manage the 2100 acre property (myself included) so man hours is a big concern.  It takes a lot of time and diesel to haul the tractors across the woods to cut rails every year.  $30 for a rail we just plug and play is nothing when time is a commodity.  "Beenthere", the woods are open dawn to dusk, 365 a year and the rails are in service that entire time.  We are trying to minimize the time spent on jump maintenance so we can spend more time on forest stewardship and restoration (ie prescribed burning and timber stand improvement).

[beenthere]

We are trying to minimize the time spent on jump maintenance so we can spend more time on forest stewardship and restoration (ie prescribed burning and timber stand improvement).

I hear ya!
Now find the poles that are also treated... and enjoy the 20-30 years of life from them. Well worth the investment and savings of valuable time.