6x6 treated posts in ground

[Shaneard]

I think most people confuse what they have seen happen to fence posts and assume that the same thing is happening to deck posts or pole barn posts. In 100% of the time where I've come across a rotted post, it's rotted away at ground level, and the ground is lower around the post then anywhere else. Water sits there longer. For wood to rot, it has to go from wet to dry many many times. If you build up the area around a post so that water runs away from it, that post will last for many decades. 30 to 100 years depending on all the other factors that it has to deal with. If you put a roof over that post and cover it with a wall and the ground slopes away from the building, that wood post will easily last 100 years.

^^^^This has been my experience as well.

 

[Shaneard]

Lots of reading available.

Concrete increases wooden post decay by trapping water. at DuckDuckGo

I read some of what you posted, good read. Fence post will eventually rot regardless of what they are packed with or have concrete around them. There is a fence my parents neighbor put up about 32 years ago and he used locust post, they are rotten beyond rotten but lasted a really long time. A treated shed post if covered and water is diverted away from the post/shed (which it should be anyway) I would think will last our lifetime no matter what it's set in.

 

[ovrszd]

I think most people confuse what they have seen happen to fence posts and assume that the same thing is happening to deck posts or pole barn posts. In 100% of the time where I've come across a rotted post, it's rotted away at ground level, and the ground is lower around the post then anywhere else. Water sits there longer. For wood to rot, it has to go from wet to dry many many times. If you build up the area around a post so that water runs away from it, that post will last for many decades. 30 to 100 years depending on all the other factors that it has to deal with. If you put a roof over that post and cover it with a wall and the ground slopes away from the building, that wood post will easily last 100 years.

Well stated Eddie. Easy to find barns and sheds around here more than 100 years old, built with non treated posts buried in the ground. The rotted ones are where water was allowed to stand around the post. The dry ones are solid.

 

[ovrszd]

I read some of what you posted, good read. Fence post will eventually rot regardless of what they are packed with or have concrete around them. There is a fence my parents neighbor put up about 32 years ago and he used locust post, they are rotten beyond rotten but lasted a really long time. A treated shed post if covered and water is diverted away from the post/shed (which it should be anyway) I would think will last our lifetime no matter what it's set in.

I have access to Hedge here. Fenced my home property in 1979 using hedge posts averaging 5" diameter. All are rock solid. None have been replaced.

 

[bigdeano]

If you pack crushed rock around the post instead of dirt the post stays drier. The water can't wick through the rock like it does with dirt. You don't want fines in the rock, just approx 1" rocks.

 

[bcp]

These guys don't like short-lived wood fences. Even the fence "boards" are logs that go into the ground.



About 20-30 years ago they drilled about a 3/4 inch slanted hole in each log a few inches above ground level, poured in something, then put a wooden plug in the hole. I wonder what preservative it was.

Bruce

 

[Gunny]

These guys don't like short-lived wood fences. Even the fence "boards" are logs that go into the ground.

About 20-30 years ago they drilled about a 3/4 inch slanted hole in each log a few inches above ground level, poured in something, then put a wooden plug in the hole. I wonder what preservative it was.

Bruce

They did something on the order of that to all the utility poles around here, then dug down about four inches around each pole, stapled on some kind of treated paper, then shoved the dirt back.

When they did the one in front of the house, I asked one of the guys what they were doing and he claimed he didn't know what it was, that he just worked for the contractor.

 

[mechanic]

pole barn post in the ground will only survive if they are in a dry enviroment in the ground. Moisture breakes down the cca in the wood. Also if cracks develop in the post moisture can get past the outer treatment and start rot and termites.

 

[Oldoak]

I have not lost a single post in my 36 year old pole building. And here in northeast PA, the soil isn't exactly dry. When we constructed my 30x60' building, I just dug the holes with a post hole digger, set the 6"x6" treated post, and backfilled with the existing soil (hard pan) with no other special construction techniques.

Of course, it I were to put up a new building today, I would most likely do it differently. Our state and county building codes (more government regulations) require it.

 

[masscity]

All the huge buildings in Venice, Italy are sitting on untreated poles and for centuries.