Cypress post protection

[Slong1958]

I’m getting ready to build a patio cover and I’m using 8x8 cypress posts that will put in the ground then concrete poured around them. What can I put on or around these post to give me the max protection against rot and temimites.
The reason behind this is I’ve got 3 8x8x12 post that I’m going to notch and sit a 4x12x 26 ft beam on the post. With them in the ground with concrete the post can’t move as I would think if it was sitting on a footing with a bracket.

 

[RNeumann]

Unfortunately the ship has sailed. Posts, in concrete, in the ground will rot. Depending on the quality of the treatment and the soil type and moisture it could be a year or 30. Nothing magic to do at this point.

 

[PA hayseed]

Yeah, as rneumann said, everything rots.

I'm not a world renowned contractor, I don't install posts for a living, but I do have a keyboard and internet access

Here is a list of tips I have been told over the years.
Provide proper drainage around your post holes. Dig the hole to desired frost depth, make it a little deeper and put gravel in it.
Make sure water in ground/slope of ground isn't heading towards posts, keep patio roof water from falling onto posts (gutters and drainage).
You can treat the post with numerous water proofers/resistors, everything from a water based sealer to oil based sealer, various varnish/oils, up to dipping them in tar.
Ensure you continually keep the above grade section of the post sealed/treated, so it doesn't suck in moisture.
if your posts are going in concrete, and the concrete will be above ground, make sure to slope the top of the concrete away from the wood.
If you sink those posts, and you are going to seal them, Put the post in the mix overnight, it will be soaked before it goes into the ground, the soil/concrete will suck out the extra over time.

In the end it is ultimately a crap shoot because mother nature is B****

 

[kinglake]

Cypress is not pressured treated, so neither of the above are relevant. Cypress is extremely rot resistant except when in ground contact, where it rots just as fast as any non-treated pine. I highly suggest an appropriately treated pine post (or better yet metal) and hen wrap it with the cypress above ground. The cypress will last indefinitely at that point.

 

[EddieWalker]

The secret for the longest life of a post in the ground is keeping water away from it. Water is the enemy!!!

I've never used Cypress, and I don't know anything about it first hand.

For every post that I put in the ground, I make sure that mound up the soil, or concrete around it. I want there to be a slope that carries water away from the post.

100% of every post that I've replaced that was rotted, the rot was right at ground level, and they all had a depression around the post to hold water. Sometimes it was from not enough concrete, or that lawn around the concrete built up over time leaving that area around the post as the low spot.

I keep reading about people putting gravel at the bottom of a post and I dont understand it. Gravel will create space for water to remain there longer. Having the post in solid concrete, or compacted earth means that there is less of a chance of water getting in there, and what does get in there is minimal. I would think that the gravel would create a cavity that would attract ground water to go into that area. I would never add gravel to the bottom of a hole for a post.

Depending on how much strength that I'm wanting out of the post, I will either dump the sack into the hole with some water already in there, and then dump more water in while adding more of the concrete mix right out of the sack. Then when the hole is full, I'll mix a little water with the concrete to create build it up higher then the surrounding soil. For a corner or gate post, or a structure like a gazebo or a porch, I mix the concrete first. Properly mixed concrete will be significantly stronger then just dumping it into the hole and adding water.

 

[Roadworthy]

In this area I don't believe you can set a deck post in concrete. There are stand offs to secure it one inch above. The galvanized standoff is set into the concrete with the post secured to the top. Posts for pole buildings are set directly into concrete.

 

[aczlan]

I’m getting ready to build a patio cover and I’m using 8x8 cypress posts that will put in the ground then concrete poured around them. What can I put on or around these post to give me the max protection against rot and temimites.
The reason behind this is I’ve got 3 8x8x12 post that I’m going to notch and sit a 4x12x 26 ft beam on the post. With them in the ground with concrete the post can’t move as I would think if it was sitting on a footing with a bracket.

Why not set a bracket into the concrete and bolt it in?

Aaron Z

 

[oosik]

Not wood but T-133 fence posts. I have one short section of my perimeter fence that goes thru a wet/water filled moat area. I replace those five T-133 steel posts every five years or so. They "melt away" right at the ground level. The remaining 650 steel post are as good as the day I drove them in.

 

[aczlan]

Not wood but T-133 fence posts. I have one short section of my perimeter fence that goes thru a wet/water filled moat area. I replace those five T-133 steel posts every five years or so. They "melt away" right at the ground level. The remaining 650 steel post are as good as the day I drove them in.

Have you tried galvanized fenceposts vs the standard painted ones?

Aaron Z

 

[oosik]

"Have I tried galvanized T-133 posts?" No - but the "replacement time" is soon upon me. I'll have to check with my local supplier and see what he can find. I have about 60 brand new T-133's - - all are green with white tops. They must be available somewhere. The perimeter fence around Turnbull NWR is all galvanized posts.

 

[EddieWalker]

Shipping might be a deal breaker, but I've had good results buying other fencing stuff from Kencove. Some of their sales have been extremely good!!! I also really enjoy their catalog, it's a bathroom reading must have!!!

Galvanized HD T-Post 6' with Plate 6 ft 1.25 lb

 

[PA hayseed]

The secret for the longest life of a post in the ground is keeping water away from it. Water is the enemy!!!

I've never used Cypress, and I don't know anything about it first hand.

For every post that I put in the ground, I make sure that mound up the soil, or concrete around it. I want there to be a slope that carries water away from the post.

100% of every post that I've replaced that was rotted, the rot was right at ground level, and they all had a depression around the post to hold water. Sometimes it was from not enough concrete, or that lawn around the concrete built up over time leaving that area around the post as the low spot.

I keep reading about people putting gravel at the bottom of a post and I dont understand it. Gravel will create space for water to remain there longer. Having the post in solid concrete, or compacted earth means that there is less of a chance of water getting in there, and what does get in there is minimal. I would think that the gravel would create a cavity that would attract ground water to go into that area. I would never add gravel to the bottom of a hole for a post.

Depending on how much strength that I'm wanting out of the post, I will either dump the sack into the hole with some water already in there, and then dump more water in while adding more of the concrete mix right out of the sack. Then when the hole is full, I'll mix a little water with the concrete to create build it up higher then the surrounding soil. For a corner or gate post, or a structure like a gazebo or a porch, I mix the concrete first. Properly mixed concrete will be significantly stronger then just dumping it into the hole and adding water.

Edddie, the reason to add gravel to the bottom of the hole is if you have well draining soil. The water will drain away from the post. If you have hard soil, clay soil (what do yall call it in texas caliche?), soil that doesn't drain, then what you are saying would occur (collect and stay at bottom of post. Have read a lot of your stuff on here, you give solid advice. I was reading you reply and noticed you didn't mention just dry dumping concrete around post. I am finding more contractors are adding it around post without water. Their thought process is that the water in the ground will do it over time. I don't necessarily agree with them, but a bunch of them are doing it.

 

[Granthol]

Sling instead of setting the posts in concrete, pour concrete footers, add a post bracket that lifts them about 2 inches off the concrete then use the cypress. This set up will last longer than you most likely, regardless of your current age.

 

[/pine]

concrete will hold moisture against a wood post where gravel and especially sand will help disperse the water away from the post...fill the hole below the bottom of the post with packed gravel/sand...

 

[Slong1958]

Update, post are in the ground and all I need now is some dry weather some I can get back there again with my tractor to sit the 4x12x22 beam on top of the post. I put a rubberized coating that is used on retaining walls and basements around the bottom to help protect them. The posts are in the ground 36 and sitting on about 6 of crushed rock. I then sat the post and put about 6 more inches of stone, packed it really good then added concrete.

 

[EddieWalker]

Really nice looking posts!!!

 

[s219]

Update, post are in the ground and all I need now is some dry weather some I can get back there again with my tractor to sit the 4x12x22 beam on top of the post. I put a rubberized coating that is used on retaining walls and basements around the bottom to help protect them. The posts are in the ground 36 and sitting on about 6 of crushed rock. I then sat the post and put about 6 more inches of stone, packed it really good then added concrete.

Who's your little helper there in the first photo?

 

[TractorGuy]

Those are some really nice looking posts! Cypress is supposed to be very rot resistant since it grows in water and damp areas to start with. That rubberized coating below and above ground level should further protect them for years to come.

Like many have reported the rot often happens right at ground level. Just North of me the power company has started wrapping the base of all the power poles with metal. This was on poles that had been previously set without extra protection so I guess they are just trying to prevent moisture from sitting right at the ground level.

 

[/pine]

I know in FL it only takes about two weeks for the subterranean termites to find a piece of cypress making ground contact...I would consider treating the areas around the base of the posts...

 

[Slong1958]

Bought some Termidor SC from domyown.com and mixed pretty strong and soaked the bottom of the hole for protection against termites. The guy that’s going to do my concrete told me to rap the post with aluminum flashing before he pours the concrete said it helps.