The various uses of treated pilings
Treated pilings are the best substitute of wood where there is a necessity. They are used in various construction works both on land and in water. However, the best thing about this material is that they do not get damaged by water, insect, fungus or rot like wood. Especially when these pilings are used in the water, they hardly get damaged by fungus or decay like wood. These treated pilings are available in different sizes so as to enable more efficacies in construction. However, generally, they are available in four types.
- Square cross section
- Round cross section (traditional)
- With tapering
- Without tapering
Treated pilings have various uses and we would look into some of the most common ones in this post:
Roof Beams
A lot of houses use treated pilings as their roof structures. These pilings can be used as the rafters or the ridge beam in commercial buildings, farm houses, barns and village homes. Nowadays woods are replaced by these treated pilings in order to avoid decay and rot. These are also used in homes where it rains heavily, especially in southwestern adobe homes.
Pole Barns
Treated pilings are used for constructing pole barns. In the traditional type of pole barns, the butt end with the bigger diameter is installed deep in the ground, while the hole is packed with soil concrete or gravels. The poles are normally placed after every eight to twelve feet. Then the horizontal pieces of pilings are placed between the vertical pilings to make the siding of the barn.
Corrals or fences
Many times it has been seen that treated pilings of different diameters have been used to make fences. The posts of these fences are constructed using bigger pilings which are installed vertically. The smaller pilings are placed between these posts to make the mesh of fencing.
Porches and decks
The square cross-section treated pilings are quite popularly used for constructing porches or decks of houses. The larger pilings are installed vertically inside the ground and are tied to the beams which lay horizontally. After the basic structure is done, rim joists and floor joists are installed to give the structure of a deck or porch.
Retaining walls or bulkheads
Treated pilings are best used for constructing retaining walls around a pond, lake or any water body. They are used as bulkheads that do not decay or rot because of constant contact with the water.
There are various other uses of treated pilings and you can try these pilings out for different utility. However, you will need an expert constructor to install these pilings.
