ZEPROG!

Don’t be bamboozled into thinking that gum poles are merely « black painted » logs. Oh, no brother Gum poles accessible in South Africa are specific types. To start with they are produced in contracted plantations to specs of the manufacturer. This is important because the producer has to conform to SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) specifications on the poles produced.

So, the entire process of gum poles start out with the choice and grading of the timer in the plantation by the manufacturer. In terms of the SABS standards poles need to be measured for defects, they must undergo strength tests and the moisture content needs to measured before treatment can start. So, at this early stage the standard of the pole is set according to the SABS specifications. Production plants are audited on a regular basis by the SABS to guarantee conformity to standards.

In addition to the SABS standards manufacturers further have to abide by the conventional specifications of users like Telkom, Eskom as well as others. Further consider the fact that there is a log home sector in South Africa which also set their high specifications on log manufacturers.

Once the wet gum poles are delivered to the manufacturer, the poles must be dried. They are either air dried or they are kiln dried, and after that they again are graded. Once dried the gum poles need to be treated. They are either Creosoted or tanalised according to the end- user requirements.

The process process entails a treatment vessel (bath) to which the poles are filled and subjected to high pressure and extreme temperature when the preservative is added. Pressure is maintained till the preservative has reached the necessary preservative absorption is reached. The preservative will then be pumped from the vessel and a vacuum designed to allow the gum poles to « surface dry ».

On release from the treatment vessel the gum poles are again inspected to ensure the absolute minimum penetration of 15 mm of preservative, where after the ends are clad with a metal disc in order to avoid the ends from splitting.

So, by the point you buy your gum poles from the timber yard you receive a quality product that you can tackle your project in the full knowledge that you have a product that will tolerate the weather and any attack by insects, like termites. Creosoted treatment gives the characteristic black colour to gum poles, while the tantalised variety retains the colour of the natural wood.

Gum poles are wonderfully versatile in their use and require the minimum of tools for construction purposes. With a drill, a saw, a hammer, wide chisel and bolts and nuts along with a spanner you can construct. Gum poles can be used as the construction of homes, cabins, garden sheds, swings for the kids and fences, in fact anything else that you can think of. A tree house or a Wendy house will see to it that you get an extra hug and kiss from the child.

The best way to please Mom? Well maybe a number of flower boxes or an outside counter by the braai or a new fence or a lapa – a bit of imagination can go a long way