Sleeves Shore Up Rotted Posts

Sleeves Shore Up Rotted Posts The Pro Barn Saver offers a quick, low-cost fix for rotting posts in a pole barn. Custom-made, heavy steel sleeves slip over the deteriorating poles and attach to solid wood above and below the rot. “The wooden poles rot at the ground and for a foot or two below ground,” says Charley Bush, Pro Barn Saver. “That’s where the bacteria and other organisms live and attack the wood.” The sleeves are made from 10-gal. corrugated galvanized steel, and installation requires no excavation. After fabrication, the installation crew travels to the barn site with their driver. “We worked with a fabricator who builds machines designed to drive guardrail posts into the ground,” says Bush. “He designed it for our sleeves. It vibrates them into the ground.” Built-in uplift anchors connect to the still solid part of the post below ground. Above the surface, the sleeve is bolted to the upright. “Installing our sleeves can take the ‘smile’ out of a sagging roof,” says Bush. He points out that the issue isn’t limited to old barns, adding that pressure treatments are less effective than they used to be. He recommends that pole barn owners inspect posts that are 10 years old or older. “Use a spade to remove dirt close to a post and a foot or two below the surface,” says Bush. “If you have a pole barn that’s 15 years old, you’re lucky if there isn’t rot starting.” Bush has been marketing the post-saving system for about 18 mos. His installation crew has already restored posts on pole barns from Virginia to New York and from New Jersey to Ohio and Michigan. Although he runs ads, he says it’s the sight of the sleeves in place that attracts customers. When they see the sleeves at a farm show or while a neighbor is having them installed, they understand. “An ad doesn’t communicate the sleeves like seeing them in person,” says Bush. “Our standard size is 6 ft. long and weighs 90 lbs. We’ll soon have powder-coated sleeves as well. We expect our sleeves to last from 50 to 100 years.” Bush adds that sleeves are custom-made for each job and can be longer or shorter than 6 ft. He recommends that potential customers contact the company for advice on accurately measuring the post. Photos and videos are also encouraged. “Our head installer is very good at helping people measure their posts accurately,” says Bush. Installation prices vary depending on travel distance and time, the length and size of the sleeve, and current steel prices. “Each job is different,” says Bush. “Typically, if not driving too far, the price is around $475 per sleeve. It’s fun to see farmers realize they can fix the barn for a fraction of replacing the posts, much less building a new pole barn.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Pro Barn Saver, 706 Lycoming Mall Rd., Muncy, Penn. 17756 (ph 866-326-4394; info@theprobarnsaver.com; www.theprobarnsaver.com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.