The best way to preserve wood is to leave it as a tree and use steel.

 

I think it may get pricey using steel posts. Though I do like the idea of steel posts with wood fencing.

 

Are we talking PT, cedar? I've seen people use a tar like product on timbers and it flaked off, all it did was trap moisture.

 

Pressure treated fence post. I'm curious how the tar could trap moisture? I think if it were applied just above grade to 6" or so below grade, it would protect from moisture.. no? I think I'm over thinking this...

 

I've seen guys use tubes coming out 2-3" above grade, I'd also push for thicker posts if moisture will be an issue

 

Coat the wood posts in copper green. Bang Bang....Done

I use 2'' glav steel posts when building all my up charge fences .

JonMon www.deckmastersllc.com

 

24 years ago I built a fence around my property.

4x4 PT post, 2' deep, painted with Copper Green.

Just replaced two gate posts because my FIL let the wind catch them
and broke them.

Pulled the posts and they show NO signs of rot...

Nor do any of the others.

 

Also, the PT and wood from 24 years ago was quite different from today's...

 

That wood degredation is usually from wetting / drying cycles, and with PT SYP is much worse if it's exposed to direct sunlight. It's a little better if you raise the concrete above the soil surface, and slope it away from the post. If you're a glutton for work, you can drill a hole down the center of the post, and fill it with antifreeze every year.

 

I've heard of wrapping the lower part of a post in galvi or copper, but haven't done it.

 

I've seen that, galv, but after 15 years the posts were rotted and broke off at ground level.

 

Pour your used motor oil over it.

 

Copper green does work. Stops bugs and rot from going on in any wood and stops rot that has already started.

Joe Wood, www.woodsshop.com taught me the copper flat stock trick. Fastening the metal with copper nails a few inches above and below the contact area. The idea is the more copper gets wet the more it leaches and the more protection the post gets.

That came from old Japan, sometimes I think Joe was brought up in a oriental family in another life. Most all his work has that...slant..to it.

JonMon www.deckmastersllc.com

 

Joe Wood, www.woodsshop.com taught me the copper flat stock trick. Fastening the metal with copper nails a few inches above and below the contact area. The idea is the more copper gets wet the more it leaches and the more protection the post gets.



JonMon www.deckmastersllc.com

Interesting.

 

These are all great ideas.

Painting with copper green sounds easy and reasonable. Though the 4x4 are usually already quite wet.

Wrapping in copper or galvanized steel is a good idea but might get pricey again.

I liked the idea of applying tar around grade, cheap, quick, maybe poisonous...

I find I smell like copper green for the rest of the day after using it.

 

The PT of today is very different than 15 or so years ago and it will rot.

As I see it you have three choices:
1. Use PT 4x4 posts and watch them warp like a banana,
2. Use a schedule #40 or a .095 galvanized 2-3/8 inch post and wrap it in wood, here we would use cedar.
3. Up size your posts to 6x6's
4. If possible in your area use creosote to treat the bottom of the posts. There are a lot of rail road ties that have lasted decades.

Bob

 

The PT of today is very different than 15 or so years ago and it will rot.

Use posts rated for marine exposure - they have much better protection.

 

I vote for tar

 

Railroad ties last because they are sitting on gravel. Creosote has no protection from rot or bugs..

J.

 

Creosote has no protection from rot or bugs..

It has to be very high levels - something you aren't going to get with a brush or simple dip. Once they crack through the protected layer, they go just like any other wood.

 

FWIW, I get 10' bark-on cedar fence posts for $4.50 here. If I wanted them to last longer, I'd char the part to be buried.

 

I have been thinking about trying to do this on the pole sheds I build
I have thought about wrapping the post at ground level with something like grace ice and water shield.
Water would not get in between the post and ice and water since that would be covered by the shed wall
Is this a terrible idea?

 

Yes.

J.

 

Do you gentlemen know about bo-dark? Farmers have used those trees for fence posts for near on a 100 years and I bet they are still there and in good shape. A bo-dark tree makes a chain saw cry.

Bob

 

Do you gentlemen know about bo-dark?

Also called Osage Orange. Harder to get some places than others...

 

Do you gentlemen know about bo-dark? Farmers have used those trees for fence posts for near on a 100 years and I bet they are still there and in good shape. A bo-dark tree makes a chain saw cry. Bob

Never heard of it. We have an over abundance of locust around here, that's what the farmers use

 

We have a railroad tie retaining wall that's holding up our driveway at our lake house. It's about 10' tall. It's over 30 years old

 

I often remove old railway ties sitting in dirt in people gardens. They are usually hollow and full of bugs.

 

I haven't seen anyone buy new railroad ties. I've seen people buy ones that had pulled up due to cracks (these will rot fast if not treated), and I've seen fake new ones.

 

It depends on the fence I guess.

But do any of you hang a new fence on the existing posts when you bid? I figure the post really only needs to last as long as the fence it supports.

Im not saying I haven't seen a perfectly god fence laying on the grass with broken posts, but that's the exception rather than the rule.

 

A quick bit of history. Charring posts was recommended practice before there were preservatives. It created some surface creosote, and destroyed sugars close to the surface that insects and fungi could eat.

If charring wasn't possible, then smearing the wood with charcoal from a fire was recommended. Probably better than nothing

 

I can still get .60 PCF treated 4x4s, but most are .4 or .20 now.

I don't have any 30 year old fences to base this on, but running the concrete above grade and sloping it seems to help a lot. More work to make it look nice.

 

I don't like the way concrete above grade looks for fence posts. Just my opinion

 

I haven't used these guys, but I can get full marine spec treated poles and lumber locally. If you look at their website, they offer treated poles that have been sealed to slow leaching of the CCA.

"Most dimensional pressure treated lumber is treated to .25 or .40 pcf in ACQ. Larger dimensional lumber (2x8 and above) can be treated to .60 pcf with CCA but only for use in certain commercial construction applications. We usually recommend .60 pcf (CCA or ACQ) for freshwater use, ground contact, or extreme weather conditions, .80 CCA for government specifications or brackish (salty fresh) water, and 2.5 pcf CCA for projects in saltwater."

http://www.americanpoleandtimber.com/prod_treatedlumber.shtml

 

Out Door Kitchen- Thanks

I am probably posting this in the wrong place, I haven't learned the maze route quite yet.

About a month ago I was asking for recommendations for appliances, rock finish, countertops, and a few other questions for designing and building an outdoor kitchen. I was offered a lot of good ideas and put them in a design, as well as lights for the deck. Clemens helped me a lot, as usual.

I am up-loading the design that I gave the customer in a PDF slide show. He contacted me today and said he loves it, not I just have to come up with some pricing.

I just wanted to say thank you for your in-put. As an old codger I still try to learn from you young bucks.

Bob