Fence posts

[ss]

I have some bitumen paint, would this be good for painting the bottom of fence posts before concreting in the ground.

[Frank Erskine]

Not a particularly good idea.

If/when water gets into the wood it can't drain away into the ground.

[Dave Liquorice]

Concreted in, won't drain very well anyway. Give 'em a couple of years and they will have rotted through just above ground level, unless very well treated, preferably presured treated.

[stuart noble]

I think a very weak gravel mortar is the way to go. Strong enough to hold the post up, but weak enough to allow drainage and to be broken up when the post rots

[alan]

The bottom is not usually the problem area. It's the few inches just below ground area that rot. There is a commercial product which is essentially a bitumen impregnated band/sleeve that can be fitted on a wooden post at the air/ground boundary.

[alan]

I've had wooden posts last 10years+ when I've concreted them in. I raised the concrete level to around an inch above ground level and tapered it to allow rain to run off. Posts where the soil touches the posts at ground level rot rather fast.

[Part Timer]

Was on Dragons' Den IIRC.

[harry]

Metal spikes for fence posts will make them last far longer. Less work too. Concreting in is a very bad idea they soon rot.

[cl]

I just use treated posts driven straight into the ground. Some of mine have lasted more than ten years now, though I have the occasional casualty (the last one I drove the tractor into!).

[ss]

Thanks for the comments. I have to say my last fence lasted 20 years before the posts finally gave and that was on treated posts in concrete. Its just I have spare bitumen paint and I thought why not use it to improve the life of the posts. Reality is I probably wont be around in

20 years so maybe I shouldnt bother :-)

[alan]

The so called treated posts available in many of the sheds/timber merchants only seem to have a superficial surface treatment these days.

In my parents house many of the oak(??) fence posts were still serviceable after 50 years. They were tapered outwards below ground level and were only held in with soil.

[Bill Wright]

That's typical of your generation. All you think about is yourself. We younger people will have to live with the mess that you leave us. Global warming, sea levels rising by six metres, all the sea lions dead from heat stroke, and now you're leaving us with a wrecked fence! YOU BASTARD!

Dave Spart

[harry]

Your last fence was likely treated with arsenic. Now banned. Your new one won't.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , harry writes

Likely the copper and chromium had some impact as well.

[ss]

Not at all its because I care for the next generation as their will be no fuel left on the planet so I am ensuring whoever buys the place will have a fuel supply.

[Tim Lamb]

Not so. I believe you are not permitted to burn preservative treated timber.