# weight loads on 4x6 posts



## cc0514 (Apr 13, 2009)

I built a playhouse for my kids using four 4x6 posts to support the house. Im now concerned about the weight of the house on the 4x6 posts. How can I determine the compression and/or vertical weight that a 6 foot 4x6 can support?


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## wildcat (Oct 24, 2008)

Can you post the info on the lumber stamp of the post (looking for wood species and lumber grade)? Also how tall are the posts?


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## cc0514 (Apr 13, 2009)

i used Pressure treated southern pine, grade 1. The posts are 4x6 and 5.5 ft high. There are 4 post spread 8 feet apart creating a square which supports the beams and joists of the playhouse.

Hope this helps


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## wildcat (Oct 24, 2008)

11,000 lbs per post


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## wildcat (Oct 24, 2008)

My concern here is not the capacity of the columns, they are good by a long ways. I would be more concerned about how wind load is getting to the ground. Do you have "cross bracing" between all the columns, or "knee braces" on connecting all the perimeter beams to the columns? If not then your connection of the columns to the bottom of the playhouse needs to be rigid in order to transfer wind load to the ground, pretty hard to do in this situation.

I would provide bracing of some kind, cross bracing or knee bracing. Just search around for examples of these and make sure you have some form of them, the members don't need to be anything huge for such a small application. But, you do need something just to make sure the structure won't rack in high wind.

I would use knee bracing personally. Probably use what I trimmed off of those 4x6 and place them at a 45 degree angle on each side of every column.


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