Easy pole-frame housing, from floor to roof

To make a pole-frame house, follow a set of logical instructions and use special methods for a secure foundation. These tips will give you the right techniques for a solid pole-frame house.

• To begin making a pole-frame house, locate the corners of the house and set up profile boards and string lines.
• The string lines will give the accurate position for each hole if you are embedding the poles or indicate the location of concrete footing pads.
• You can now construct the formwork for the footing pads. Keep the string lines a constant height above the formwork.
• Pour the pads, incorporating the brackets that will support the poles. Use a mix of one part cement, 2.7 parts sand and three parts aggregate.
• Manoeuvring the poles into position can be strenuous so invite about eight or 10 capable friends!

• If possible, position the poles in the ground straight from the back of the truck, using the height of the truck bed to advantage. If that is not convenient, fit a block and tackle to a temporary pole tripod.
• For poles on concrete pads, you have to position, drill and bolt the pole ends. Accurately align the poles vertically and horizontally and then brace them into position. Diagonal and horizontal braces will ensure that the structure remains firm
• Mark, level, drill and bolt the bearers into position. The bearers must be level because you will take all measurements above floor level from them. If bearers are bolted directly to the poles, the bolts alone carry the weight of the bearers.
• To reduce the load on the bolts, notch the poles about four centimetres deep to receive and support the bearers. Provide additional reinforcement by using spike-grid connectors or double-sided toothed ring connectors in conjunction with the bolts.

• Skew-nail the floor joists to the bearers. If you’re using standard size particle board flooring, you should place joists at a maximum of 60 centimetre centres. You should nail any joists that run beside poles to the poles as well as the bearers. As work proceeds, progressively remove temporary bracing.
• The floor may be tongue and groove hardwood or pine boards or large panels of plywood or particleboard. Structural pine plywood flooring is available in 2.4 metre and 1.8 metre lengths and 1.2 metre and 0.9 metre widths with tongue and grooved edges. Particleboard is the most economical flooring of all.

• Before attaching beams, square up and plumb all poles again, use a block and tackle between poles and cross-brace temporarily. Check out the tops of the poles to receive the ridge beams that will support the rafters
• Once you have securely bolted these into place, trim the tops of the poles level. If necessary attach mobile brackets to the poles to support scaffolding planks.
• Nail the rafters to the ridge and roof beams at spacings determined by the design and type of roof. If the site is likely to be exposed to high winds, use metal connectors to tie down the rafters and the roof battens securely.
• There are several ways to attach rafters to roof beams. Fixing them to both pole and beam adds strength. Placing the poles inside the walls gives the finished building a more conventional appearance than it would have with exposed poles around the perimeter.
• You can enclose the under-floor area if you need more space.

If you follow these steps and tips for building a pole-frame house, you’ll have a secure dwelling for years to come.