Fence post lifespan

[mendiplogs]

I've got the same problem, posts rotting off at ground level in less than 5 years. Even a 7"x7" gate post just snapped where rotted at ground level in 4 years. I am on heavy waterlogged clay though.

 

I've started milling my own 4"x4" oak and chestnut posts, as untreated green oak.chestnut will last me longer than any modern softwood pressure treated with the rubbish they are allowed to use these days.

 

I'm tempted to buy some good old fashioned creosote, and soak the bottom couple of feet of the new posts for a month or two. There's creosoted softwood fence posts here that the previous owner put in 40 to 50 years ago that are still going strong. Do it once, do it well! Just be aware that creosote if frowned on these days, but I don't think it's banned for this use, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

HI OIL ok to use creosote in the trade it home owners who can not use it or the trade to sale to thanks jon:thumbup:

[openspaceman]

 

I'm tempted to buy some good old fashioned creosote, and soak the bottom couple of feet of the new posts for a month or two. There's creosoted softwood fence posts here that the previous owner put in 40 to 50 years ago that are still going strong. Do it once, do it well! Just be aware that creosote if frowned on these days, but I don't think it's banned for this use, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

It's not banned for commercial use once it's thoroughly in the wood. The point is because it is phenolic it is a carcinogen, so best to handle it with gloves. This mutagenic propensity may be part of its effectiveness. Horses don't seem to gnaw creosoted timber like they do the copper based ones.

 

Nowadays creosote isn’t coal tar derived like it was in the days every large town had a coal gas plant so it may not be as deadly as then.

 

If you are treating an absorbant timber and have no access to a pressure chamber you can hot and cold dip it. The principle is to have dry wood so the cell sap spaces are empty of liquid, heat the post up and the air in the clls expands and leaves the wood, allow the wood to cool in a bath of creosote and as the air in the clls contracts it sucks the creosote in. Pressure treament systems apply a final vacuum to suck out excess creosote (VacVac process) as creosote is expensive and to leave a dry surface.

 

In the old days having the creosote catch fire was a regular occurrence, I would have liked to try a flash steam coil to run the heating and reduce this risk.

Edited March 14, 2015 by openspaceman
added section

[growforest]

postsaver.com sleeves - hd ones have 40 year guarantee. Couple these with larch or chestnut and you're pretty bullet-proof, depending on what you're trying to keep in / out

[Luckyeleven]

What about the american/Australian style of metal T posts, with the hooks already cast in the take the horizontal wires?

 

Like these;

Metal T Section Posts - Mesh Direct

 

Obviously only suitable for the intermediates but that's a big percentage of the posts

[madbopper]

Clipex fencing system, mc veigh parker web site.

 

Cheers for that Paul it looks the nuts mate.

[arbormonkey]

cheap way that is also the best go to your local DIY store B&Q tool station screw fix etc. and buy some bitumen roofing paint and just paint where comes into contact with the soil obviously cant specify exact area depends on how deep post is

[woody paul]

A big estate near me years ago put a concrete post every fourth post them fences are still standing 30years on wooden ones just spacers now.

[arbormonkey]

the problem you've got is the concrete posts arnt as good as they used to be the wooden tanilised post last 15 years a local fencing supplier told me this

[woody paul]

the problem you've got is the concrete posts arnt as good as they used to be the wooden tanilised post last 15 years a local fencing supplier told me this

 

Depends who makes them.

[Luckyeleven]

the problem you've got is the concrete posts arnt as good as they used to be the wooden tanilised post last 15 years a local fencing supplier told me this

 

My local supplier offers this 15 years guarantee but only on Kiln Dried treated posts, couple of quid extra on the price