What is the best way to stop wooden fence posts rotting below ground
level? My understanding is that keeping them out of contact with the
soil helps considerably (i.e. by setting them in concrete), but would
wrapping the bases in polythene make things better or worse (allowing
for some drainage at the base to let water out)?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

In article , Chris Hogg
writes
What is the best way to stop wooden fence posts rotting below ground
level? My understanding is that keeping them out of contact with the
soil helps considerably (i.e. by setting them in concrete), but would
wrapping the bases in polythene make things better or worse (allowing
for some drainage at the base to let water out)?


You will be a millionaire if you can come up with the answer ;-)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 19:51:15 +0100, Mike
wrote:

In article , Chris Hogg
writes
What is the best way to stop wooden fence posts rotting below ground
level? My understanding is that keeping them out of contact with the
soil helps considerably (i.e. by setting them in concrete), but would
wrapping the bases in polythene make things better or worse (allowing
for some drainage at the base to let water out)?


You will be a millionaire if you can come up with the answer ;-)

Use biocide impregnated posts.
--
martin

In article , Chris Hogg
writes
What is the best way to stop wooden fence posts rotting below ground
level? My understanding is that keeping them out of contact with the
soil helps considerably (i.e. by setting them in concrete), but would
wrapping the bases in polythene make things better or worse (allowing
for some drainage at the base to let water out)?


You will be a millionaire if you can come up with the answer ;-)

Use biocide impregnated posts.
--
martin

I believe the problem isn't actually underground but at the point where
soil, post, air and the elements meet. If you bed the posts in cement (or
maybe concrete .. I'm not really an expert in this. I've just observed
others who are!) and build up a collar round the post sloping out towards
the soil down the post the rainwater runs off the wood = it doesn't rot.
Well it does ultimately, but it lasts a good deal longer than if you don't.
Here in Edinburgh our posts have been in situ for over 10 years and there is
no sign of rot - or even deterioration - at all.
Anne

Its also recomended that you stand the base of all fence posts in a bucket
of creosote for 48 hrs before putting them in concrete and drill a hole
above soil level at an angle downwards into which periodically you can add
creosote and fill with a cork
"Anne Wheeldon" wrote in message
...


In article , Chris Hogg
writes
What is the best way to stop wooden fence posts rotting below ground
level? My understanding is that keeping them out of contact with the
soil helps considerably (i.e. by setting them in concrete), but would
wrapping the bases in polythene make things better or worse (allowing
for some drainage at the base to let water out)?


You will be a millionaire if you can come up with the answer ;-)

Use biocide impregnated posts.
--
martin

I believe the problem isn't actually underground but at the point where
soil, post, air and the elements meet. If you bed the posts in cement (or
maybe concrete .. I'm not really an expert in this. I've just observed
others who are!) and build up a collar round the post sloping out towards
the soil down the post the rainwater runs off the wood = it doesn't rot.
Well it does ultimately, but it lasts a good deal longer than if you
don't.
Here in Edinburgh our posts have been in situ for over 10 years and there
is
no sign of rot - or even deterioration - at all.
Anne

On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 19:54:43 +0000 (UTC), "bnd777"
wrote:

Its also recomended that you stand the base of all fence posts in a bucket
of creosote for 48 hrs before putting them in concrete and drill a hole
above soil level at an angle downwards into which periodically you can add
creosote and fill with a cork

Isn't the use of creosote banned, because it causes cancer?
Is creosote still on sale?
--
martin

It's still sold as creosote but it's had the harnful chemicals taken out
accoring to my boyfriend who works in a hardware shop. Still does the same
thing aparently too.

Charlie.

"martin" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 19:54:43 +0000 (UTC), "bnd777"
wrote:

Its also recomended that you stand the base of all fence posts in a
bucket
of creosote for 48 hrs before putting them in concrete and drill a hole
above soil level at an angle downwards into which periodically you can
add
creosote and fill with a cork

Isn't the use of creosote banned, because it causes cancer?
Is creosote still on sale?
--
martin

On Wed, 2 Jul 2003 21:11:55 +0100, "Charlie"
wrote:

It's still sold as creosote but it's had the harnful chemicals taken out
accoring to my boyfriend who works in a hardware shop. Still does the same
thing aparently too.

I couldn't find any on sale when I looked.
--
martin

Chris Hogg wrote:

What is the best way to stop wooden fence posts rotting below ground
level?

You could also use wood which is naturally rot resistant. Mature locust is
legendary; old farmer's joke:

How do you know when a locust fencepost needs replacing?
Well, you put a small rock on top of the post when you set it.
When the rock rots away, you should think about another post.

Now you're going to tell me it doesn't grow over there and this is a waste
of electrons? Grows like a weed in some areas here; nasty thorny stuff,
and hard enough that you need to have your chain saw file at hand while
cutting it...


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

"bnd777" wrote in message
...
Its also recomended that you stand the base of all fence posts in a bucket
of creosote for 48 hrs before putting them in concrete and drill a hole
above soil level at an angle downwards into which periodically you can add
creosote and fill with a cork
"Anne Wheeldon" wrote in message
...


Interesting; I have had ideas along this line myself ( drilling a top-up
hole ) but never
tried it out. I remember seeing a neighbours old fence post which was
rotten. It split in
half when he got to grips with it, even though it looked reasonable on the
outside. The
entire inner part had rotted away, leaving only a shell about 1/10 inch
thick. It appeared
the beasties had eaten everything except the nasty tasting impregnated wood
on the outside!
My advice is therefore to also drench any holes you may drill in a
fence post with
preservative, lest you provide rot with a way into the centre of the post,
bypassing the
preservative.


Andy.

On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 19:09:12 GMT, Anne Wheeldon 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. Up in the air it gets to dry down in
the ground it's to wet and/or lacking in oxygen.

If you bed the posts in cement (or maybe concrete ..

Concrete. Cement is the binding agent in concrete made of sharp sand
and small stones.

build up a collar round the post sloping out towards the soil down
the post the rainwater runs off the wood = it doesn't rot.

Makes them a beggar to replace when they do rot though you have this
1cwt block of concrete buried in the ground. Personally I'd got for
proper pressure treated timber and (when you could still get it) a
good soaking in creosote. ie stand the post end in a container such
that it is submerged in creosote to above the proposed ground level.
The rest of the post just gets a generous brush coating.

--
Cheers
Dave. Remove "spam" for valid email.

Maybe I've missed something but is there a reason why you can't use concrete
posts? I know they're expensive and bl--dy heavy but they don't rot - ever! Ours
are painted the same colour as the fence and blend in quite well.
--
M C C

My old dad who was a builder all his life always said wood and concrete
don't mix. One method you could try is burning the end of the post, have you
ever noticed how burnt wood never seems to rot.


"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
What is the best way to stop wooden fence posts rotting below ground
level? My understanding is that keeping them out of contact with the
soil helps considerably (i.e. by setting them in concrete), but would
wrapping the bases in polythene make things better or worse (allowing
for some drainage at the base to let water out)?


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Chris Hogg wrote:

What is the best way to stop wooden fence posts rotting below ground
level? My understanding is that keeping them out of contact with the
soil helps considerably (i.e. by setting them in concrete), but would
wrapping the bases in polythene make things better or worse (allowing
for some drainage at the base to let water out)?

As others have said, there's a problem at the concrete/wood interface.
When our last fence died (snapped at the point that the wood entered the
concrete, despite the raised collar, the fencing person recommended
concrete stubs(or similar term). The stubs are buried in the ground to
the recommended depth, and the fence posts are bolted to the stubs with
the base of the post just above the soil. It's not as obtrusive as I
feared, and the fence has withstood some fairly strong winds since, but
my conscience twinges when I remember that concrete is extremely
environmentally unsound. If yours doesn't, you could go for full size
concrete posts to which fence panels/rails/whatever are bolted.

regards
sarah



--
Waist deep, neck deep
We'll be drowning before too long
We're neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damned fools keep yelling to push on

Always put a brick or piece of broken paving right at the base of the hole
so the post is on this not soil when the concrete is poured in

"andrewpreece" wrote in message
...

"bnd777" wrote in message
...
Its also recomended that you stand the base of all fence posts in a
bucket
of creosote for 48 hrs before putting them in concrete and drill a hole
above soil level at an angle downwards into which periodically you can
add
creosote and fill with a cork
"Anne Wheeldon" wrote in message
...


Interesting; I have had ideas along this line myself ( drilling a top-up
hole ) but never
tried it out. I remember seeing a neighbours old fence post which was
rotten. It split in
half when he got to grips with it, even though it looked reasonable on the
outside. The
entire inner part had rotted away, leaving only a shell about 1/10 inch
thick. It appeared
the beasties had eaten everything except the nasty tasting impregnated
wood
on the outside!
My advice is therefore to also drench any holes you may drill in a
fence post with
preservative, lest you provide rot with a way into the centre of the post,
bypassing the
preservative.


Andy.