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Hi All, they say the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. This may be an exception. I'm building a 20x32' pole barn using 4x6 PT poles. Which direction do I orient the poles. Is the 4" or 6" side facing "out"? Is it the same all the way around or different on the ends etc etc? Thanks. Sky

Hey Sky,

I really don't think it matters other than have them all oriented the same. Are you going to be using any Simpson products to support your horizontal girders? Most of the barns we've built had 12'x12' stalls and we had a vertical support every 12'. We would have a Simpson Column Cap and I would want my girders the same thickness/width of the pole below it. Just for looks if anything else.

Friday afternoon diversion:
Three aggies drove over to the local lumber yard one afternoon. One of the Aggies went inside to see the lumber salesman. He told the lumber salesman he needed some four by twos. "Four by twos?" the the salesman asked. Huh-uh said the Aggie, four by twos. "You mean two by fours", the salesman said as he started taking the order. "Ok", the salesman said to the Aggie as he filed out the order. "Just how long do you need these two by fours?". The Aggie thought for a minute and he answered the salesman, "Well", he said "We're gonna need them for quit a long time. You see, we're gonna build a barn".

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jerry Karlo,

Thanks Jerry. This will be an open bay. My gut tells me to orient the 4x6s the same way you would for 2x6 stick framing. Seems like it would resist wind better. I'm trying to get my arms around the corner posts. If the side walls are built with the girts nailed to the 4" face and I want to do the same for the front and back walls, are the corners oriented with the 4" face to the front walls or the 6" face? Which provides more strength? Thanks. Sky

The orientation of the sidewall posts links to the wind bracing for the building. The wind bracing within the walls that begins at the top of the corner and angles to a point near the bottom of the second post going each way from the corner. The ends of the braces are cut to fit tight against the posts. There is plenty of structure in the sidewalls for the braces, The knee braces between the posts and the roof trusses requires that the narrow side of the post be against and away from the sidewall girts. The bracing against the trusses only comes part way down the posts. This means you want more post strength in the direction of the short braces than the longer braces in the sidewalls. In some areas the problem of weather or seismic stresses make the orientation of the posts an important matter. In a few areas these stresses are so seldom and small that putting the posts flat in the wall is fine.