The first and most important step is to purchase the right wood poles that are durable enough and can withstand the natural elements that cause timber to deteriorate. At Sabie Poles, our wood poles are CCA-pressure treated which means it has added strength and durability and is protected against natural insect attacks, rot and decay.
We make sure that we provide only the best quality poles by having checks and balances in place for all our timber from the day that a seedling is planted until it is in our customer’s yard.
Once you have purchased these high-quality poles from us, you must know your responsibility of making use of these poles in any way possible, does not rest there. They first need to be handled correctly from start to finish and, though the maintenance on treated poles are not that high, they need to be taken care of every once and a while.
4 Basic steps for installing a wood pole
While there are so many uses for wood poles we will only be discussing one of the most important steps on how to install a timber correctly. Some things need to be done a certain way, and also some important factors you need to avoid.
Step 1 – Choose the right wood poles
Make sure that the poles are treated with the correct class treatment when it is CCA-treated. There is a specific CCA Treatment class for different applications. H4 and H5 poles are specifically manufactured and treated to be used with poles that come into contact with water. Read more on CCA Treatment classes in our post: Which CCA Class to use for your application.
When you purchase wood poles from a trusted manufacturer, make sure to state clearly what the purpose of use is. With Sabie Poles, you can rest assured that you are in good hands.
Why we are a reliable Timber Pole manufacturer, we are:
- Our Treated Poles are SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) approved according to the specific industry of use.
- Registered with the NRCS (National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications)
- A member of SAWPA (South African Wood Preservers Association)
- Visible on most online platforms, social media (Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn) to name a few, so you can read all about us and our products almost anywhere.
Step 2 – Prepare installation of the wood pole
Start digging a hole so that the post will be about a quarter or third below the soil surface.
– If you are only using soil, make the diameter very close to the size of the pole.
– If you are using gravel, make it a little wider.
Make sure you retain some of the soil to fill up the hole later.
Add about 10-15 cm of gravel to the base of the hole, this will allow any water that enters to drain
Step 3 – Place your wood pole inside the hole
Make sure the pole is straight and level, if you have to, get an assistant to hold it steady or secure it with stakes and screws to keep it in place. Clamps and timber to brace posts in position can also work.
Step 4 – Fill the hole with concrete or soil
Fill the holes with concrete within 75mm of ground level, making sure as you pour to tamp to concrete with the end of a piece of 100 x 50mm or similar sized timber. Recheck for verticality and adjust braces if necessary. Allow 48 hours for the concrete to set.
Trowel the concrete into a sloped shape so that it slopes downwards from the pole. This helps to allow water to run off from the post and stop decay.
Concrete should set atleast 3 days before you continue building the fence or putting any weight on the post.
Seal the gap between post and concrete with a sealant that bonds to concrete and wood.
When working with soil, fill the sides of the pole with the soil till it is level with the ground. Then stamp it after every 10cm or so to ensure that the soil is compact.
Tip:
In sandy soil, mix in gravel so that it will pack more firmly.
In clay soil, which doesn’t drain well, pack only gravel around posts.
The installation above mentioned method is particularly for Wooden Pole Fencing Posts.
Timber is one of the best materials to use for fencing. It is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and long-term solution for fencing and railing poles.
3 Other uses for wood poles
Wooden poles are versatile enough that you can use them in multiple industries. However, here we are going to discuss three additional uses for timber uses;
Railings / Balustrades
Balustrades are frequently seen on balconies and walkways along a pier. It is purely there for the safety of everyone making use of the raised platform, especially children. Without Balustrades, any type of raised platform will present a danger to people making use of it.
Building / Construction Wood Poles
The construction industry is a major consumer of CCA tanalized pressure-treated poles and timber products. Building with CCA Treated wood poles can add a sturdy, safe, rustic, environmentally friendly and warm elegance to any construction project.
Electricity (Transmission) wood Poles
Transmission poles, also known as utility poles, are designed to support overhead public utilities such as telecommunications or power lines.
In South Africa, transmission poles range from a height of 8m to 13m tall. Generally, they have a top diameter ranging from 100 to 239mm depending on their use case. They may be easily recognised by the fact that necessary equipment for their use may be mounted at the top of the pole.
Transmission poles can be used in infrastructures such as fiber optic cables, overhead power lines, and electrical cables. They may even be used to support transformers.
CCA treated wood poles provide installation flexibility, drill holes to fit their exact needs can be done easily.
According to an article published in “How we made it in Africa” the demand for treated wood poles to transmit electricity is getting higher, “Africa is a developing continent, and electrification is necessary to start creating industries. The starting point of putting up the infrastructure for electricity is timber – the cheapest supports you can get for erecting electrification cables – which needs to be treated. So the electrification of Africa results in the growth of the wood treatment industry.”
