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Wood Strength

Name: Seamoor  City: St George

Question: Which wood is best for strength for a basement support collumn? I'm being told Cedar, but I really question it.

Name: joe | Date: August 21, 2005, 17:32
Answer: This is really an unanswerable question because just about any wood could potentially be sufficient for abasement support post depending on the size of the post and the amount of loads it would carry...But the only way to know for sure and the only leagl way to do it is to have a structural engineer determine your loads and size a post by size and species for you and provide his stamp on the design for your code office to approve it....Otherwise you can do nothing....Steel support columns (usually concrete filled) would still be your best option, however....But for wood, there is no way around having an engineer involved.

Name: joe | Date: August 21, 2005, 17:37
Answer: PS....Chemically rot reistant or naturally rot resistant columns are usually required by codes for basement columns to prevent decay and termite infestation...The only approved naturally rot resistant lumbers are heart wood of redwood and eastern red cedar...