Protecting wooden fence posts from rot where underground

[JoeA]

I need to repair 2 out of the 5 wooden fence posts on my 3ft high front boundary fence with the neighbour.

The 2 posts had rotted away at the base. The posts are inserted into holes in a concrete drive, but under the concrete there is wet earth. 3 of the other posts seem to be fine.

I know using concrete posts would solve my problem, but I want them to match the other 3 posts, and I'm not ripping out 3 perfectly good posts just to make them all matching concrete posts. So it has to be wooden posts.

How can I stop the 2 new posts from rotting away? Can I paint some kind of sealant onto the part of the post that will be underground? Or do I need to make sure the edges of the hole in the drive are sealed where the post comes out? OR do I need to somehow seal inside the hole in the drive so the wet earth doesn't end up surrounding the post base?

Thanks

 

[Newboy]

Good quality pressure treated posts - but like all timber they will eventually rot

 

[Diyisfun]

You cant stop it, all you can do is delay it.

 

[JoeA]

Ah well, thanks anyway!

 

[JohnD]

concrete spurs, with wooden posts bolted to them, spaced up off the ground. You can paint the concrete with dark brown masonry paint to help it blend in.

I once managed (very much to my surprise) to pull a broken wooden stump out of the concrete it was set in. I was using a large, long drill to cut away the stump and (perhaps from the heat and vibration) it came loose. I slid a concrete spur into the hole and packed it round with sand.

It is very wearisome to break up and lift out of the ground a lump of concrete after a wooden post has rotted, as they all eventually will. Concrete posts are great.

Your three that have not rotted yet soon will.

 

[JoeA]

Thanks JohnD,

How exactly did you bolt the wooden post to the concrete spur? How far out of the ground did the spur sit?

Will I need to buy a power tool to cut up concrete posts to the appropriate length?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

Concrete spurs come in a couple of lengths. I think mine are about four feet, half buried, for a six-foot fence. With your low fence three foot might do.

I mostly use 8mm galvanised studding but am moving more to stainless bolts as the galvanised rusts badly.

Otherwise you could use concrete posts, painted, in the sure and certain knowledge that your remaining wooden posts will soon rot and break.

View media item 975 these are concrete posts and gravel boards.

 

[JoeA]

Very useful, Thanks.