RPH
Well-known member
There is a product called post guard that is a condom for wooden posts. 5 feet long and protects the post from exposure to wet soil. Also another product called post wrap tha is impregnated with asphalt.
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rotten fence posts
- Thread starter rieferman
- Start date
5lima30
Well-known member
My neighbor has a 66 acre farm next to me that dates back to the Civil War was fenced with locust fence posts and barbed wire. Most of the locust posts here last 30+ years in heavy clay soil. According to him the posts actually outlast the barbed wire by a few years. I just recently started putting up a split locust rail fence to help with some erosion problems I had. My neighbor swears that the locust posts will outlast the pressure treated posts... time will tell.
The best way around this is to install the post above the ground. Get a 6 or 8 inch cardbord round tube from HD. Drop it 3 ft or so in the ground. Fill with concrete and top it off with one of those Strong Tie metal fence post holders that use 2 long bolts to hold the post. My neighbor did his entire fence with them and still no problems.
Great thing is that if you need to change the post. Its just 2 bolts. No more digging.
Great thing is that if you need to change the post. Its just 2 bolts. No more digging.
No, do not use concrete, unless you plan to move within 10 years and leave the repair/replace problem to someone else. Fence doesn't last forever, the calculus of choice is to balance what you like vs durability vs maintenance vs cost vs availability etc etc, which has been done several million times (number of small farms in the US). And BTW remembered after your first post I have seen local split rail with cedar posts in an extremely high end installation and it looks great, although I have no idea how long it will last.
And for the history buffs, Thomas Jefferson spec'd black locust for his fence posts...
And for the history buffs, Thomas Jefferson spec'd black locust for his fence posts...
My neighbor has a 66 acre farm next to me that dates back to the Civil War was fenced with locust fence posts and barbed wire. Most of the locust posts here last 30+ years in heavy clay soil. According to him the posts actually outlast the barbed wire by a few years. I just recently started putting up a split locust rail fence to help with some erosion problems I had. My neighbor swears that the locust posts will outlast the pressure treated posts... time will tell.
Makes sense, but if he lived in Eastern NC he'd be screwed, by termites.