Hi all,

The windy weather has only just started and one of my fence posts has
blown down. It has rotted at ground level. I have dug out the
remaining wood in preperation for the new post. The post was hammered
into one of these metal post spikes which was then encased in concrete.
This was one of my first attempts at putting up fence posts and
pannels about 8 years ago. I had planned just to use the spike, but
the piece of concrete that held the original post in place was so big,
that when I eventually managed to remove it, there was a huge hole, so
I ended up putting some new concrete in along with the post spike to
keep it in place. I also ended up putting it too deep and the top of
the post spike is a gound level.

The good thing is that its a lot easier getting this rotten post out
than it was with the previous one and in theory all I need to do is
hammer a new post into the post spike. I will be loweing the ground
level around the post a bit to try and reduce the rot, but was also
wondering what kind of wood treatment I should use on the post now that
we cannot get creosote anymore.

Anyone have any good recommendations?

Thanks

Alan

"AlanC" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all,

The windy weather has only just started and one of my fence posts has
blown down. It has rotted at ground level. I have dug out the
remaining wood in preperation for the new post. The post was hammered
into one of these metal post spikes which was then encased in concrete.
This was one of my first attempts at putting up fence posts and
pannels about 8 years ago. I had planned just to use the spike, but
the piece of concrete that held the original post in place was so big,
that when I eventually managed to remove it, there was a huge hole, so
I ended up putting some new concrete in along with the post spike to
keep it in place. I also ended up putting it too deep and the top of
the post spike is a gound level.

The good thing is that its a lot easier getting this rotten post out
than it was with the previous one and in theory all I need to do is
hammer a new post into the post spike. I will be loweing the ground
level around the post a bit to try and reduce the rot, but was also
wondering what kind of wood treatment I should use on the post now that
we cannot get creosote anymore.

Anyone have any good recommendations?

Concrete posts either full height or the shorter ones with holes in that you
can bolt a wooden fence post to

Thanks

Alan

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 15:51:36 +0000 (UTC), "TMC"
wrote:


"AlanC" wrote in message
roups.com...
Hi all,

The windy weather has only just started and one of my fence posts has
blown down. It has rotted at ground level. I have dug out the
remaining wood in preperation for the new post. The post was hammered
into one of these metal post spikes which was then encased in concrete.
This was one of my first attempts at putting up fence posts and
pannels about 8 years ago. I had planned just to use the spike, but
the piece of concrete that held the original post in place was so big,
that when I eventually managed to remove it, there was a huge hole, so
I ended up putting some new concrete in along with the post spike to
keep it in place. I also ended up putting it too deep and the top of
the post spike is a gound level.

The good thing is that its a lot easier getting this rotten post out
than it was with the previous one and in theory all I need to do is
hammer a new post into the post spike. I will be loweing the ground
level around the post a bit to try and reduce the rot, but was also
wondering what kind of wood treatment I should use on the post now that
we cannot get creosote anymore.

Anyone have any good recommendations?

Concrete posts either full height or the shorter ones with holes in that you
can bolt a wooden fence post to

I agree. I've recently had two sections of fence replaced using
concrete posts with slots (I'm not into heavy digging).

From experience, it doesn't matter if wooden posts are treated with
creosote or even pressure treated and dipped as well, their lifespan
is limited.

I also bought some much better than typical quality panels £20+ rather
than around £10. Apart from being much more substantial, they are
properly pressure treated rather than just being dipped.

We'll see the result in a few years, but a section that I had done 15
years ago is still in very good condition.






Thanks

Alan



--

..andy

On 25 Feb 2006 06:29:04 -0800, "AlanC"
wrote:

Hi all,

The windy weather has only just started and one of my fence posts has
blown down. It has rotted at ground level. I have dug out the
remaining wood in preperation for the new post. The post was hammered
into one of these metal post spikes which was then encased in concrete.
This was one of my first attempts at putting up fence posts and
pannels about 8 years ago. I had planned just to use the spike, but
the piece of concrete that held the original post in place was so big,
that when I eventually managed to remove it, there was a huge hole, so
I ended up putting some new concrete in along with the post spike to
keep it in place. I also ended up putting it too deep and the top of
the post spike is a gound level.

The good thing is that its a lot easier getting this rotten post out
than it was with the previous one and in theory all I need to do is
hammer a new post into the post spike. I will be loweing the ground
level around the post a bit to try and reduce the rot, but was also
wondering what kind of wood treatment I should use on the post now that
we cannot get creosote anymore.

Anyone have any good recommendations?

Hi,

See (posts 14 and 15):

http://groups.google.com/group/uk.d-i-y/browse_frm/thread/10b53404ff10dd99/69ba7565b48cdacf?lnk=st&q=%22pete+c%22+cuprinol&rn um=7#69ba7565b48cdacf#

To ensure the posts are dry before treating I'd look up the time
needed to air dry them according to their size and the outdoor
temperature.

When treating them I'd wrap the ends of the posts in thick polythene
eg DPC sheet. I'd then soak them until at least the recommended amount
of preserver has been taken up, preferably a lot more.

By measuring the amount of preserver used and then left over it's easy
to work out how much has gone into the wood.

cheers,
Pete.

AlanC wrote:
Hi all,

The windy weather has only just started and one of my fence posts has
blown down. It has rotted at ground level. I have dug out the
remaining wood in preperation for the new post. The post was hammered
into one of these metal post spikes which was then encased in concrete.

Therein lies part of the problem, don't encase it in concrete/cement.

--
Chris Green

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 20:26:08 +0000, Pete C
wrote:

To ensure the posts are dry before treating I'd look up the time
needed to air dry them according to their size and the outdoor
temperature.

When treating them I'd wrap the ends of the posts in thick polythene
eg DPC sheet. I'd then soak them until at least the recommended amount
of preserver has been taken up, preferably a lot more.

By measuring the amount of preserver used and then left over it's easy
to work out how much has gone into the wood.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...G=Search&meta=

--
Frank Erskine

"AlanC" wrote in message
oups.com...

The downside to this idea is that if it doesnt work then I will HAVE to
dig out the old concrete block, whereas at the moment I could just
stick another post in the hole and leave it for 10 years.

Can you weld a repair socket to the existing spike?
I couldn't without a lot of practise first. 8-(


IMHO its best to fit wooden posts and fit spurs when they rot after about 20
years.
My feather edged board is now 25 years old and never had any preservative on
it other than the brown muck it was coated in for the first 20 years.
Then next door decided it would look nice in red cedar and painted his side
of *my* fence..
needless to say I had to paint my side then.. grr!

If he had used creosote it would have had to come down as I am not having
that stuff anywhere near me as it gives me a rash amongst other effects.