"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
(Steve Harris) writes:
| In article ,
| (Dave Liquorice) wrote:
|
| I believe the problem isn't actually underground but at the point
| where soil, post, air and the elements meet.
|
| Yep. A fairly narrow band where the oxygen and moisture levels are
| just right for the rot to live.
|
| No. it breaks there because of the mechanics. The point where the post
| enters the socket is where it would break if flexed even if no rot had
| taken place.

That is true, but the rotting statement is also true. If you dig
or pull up a post, you will usually find a very distinct waist
just below the soil boundary.


I haven't been following this thread so sorry if this has been said, but the
problem is often water pooling on top of the in-ground concrete and the post
at that point thereby sitting in a semiperemant puddle. This can be avoided
by sloping the concrete away from the post to encourage run off and futher
helped by placing gravel around the base of the post. In moist ground some
contractors will dip the in ground section of post in pitch &/or extent the
conrete to surface level.

pk