Tanalised post difference...both HC4

[NicKarla]

I bought two posts rated as HC4. When they were cut I was concerned to see a big difference between them.

The post as it should be. A large percent of the wood treated.




Not how it should be...also rated as HC4

 

[NicKarla]

Just an update.
I received an email from the wood yard stating that there is nothing wrong with the post in the second picture. Can anyone help offer some advice with which I can either be reassured by or are they trying to pull the wool over my eyes?

 

[ladylola]

Read both of your related posts , about er.......posts. In my experience of tantalised and protimised timbers the amount of visible penetration can vary . If the timber has been recently treated and is still quite wet it can look greener further from the faces , drier timber tends to look paler. As these are gate posts did you need to cut them? Still done now so I'd suggest the uncut end goes in the ground , treat the cut end ( always advised anyway) and either put a cap on or cut a slope on it before treating.
I didn't get round to answering your other post although others have given you good advice. I perhaps could have suggested looking for some teak timbers from a reclamation yard. Expensive but very resistant to rot and attack.
I will add that treatments do also vary in their effectiveness . I have an arbour built with 3x3 timbers that has stood for 25 years and is still fine but recently had to repair a fence for someone built with 6" round treated timbers barely 5years ago and found that most had rotted away.

 

[NicKarla]

Thanks for your reply. I have just been informed that the post was incorrectly supplied and is in fact a non HC4 post labelled as HC4. I have changed it now for the right one.
With regards to fitting them, I had to lop 60cm off as they are only going 1m above ground level..digging an unnecessary 60cm more was not really practical.

Slightly changing the subject, I have seen many HC4 posts where the heartwood has not been central yet the tanalising fails to penetrate even if is right on the edge. Is this because the heartwood is naturally resistant to moisture and would this cause a problem? A good example of this can be seen on the website below when looking at the posts on the top compared to the ones underneath.

http://www.wallersawmills.co.uk/sawn-timber/kiln-dried-timber-posts/timber-gate-posts-4x4/

 

[r896neo]

Heart wood is much denser and so will absorb less treatment at the same pressure as the sap wood. Simple

So whilst it is less penetrated by the treatment it also takes much longer for water and rot to develop for the same reason.

Treatment in general is more to do with preventing insect and fungal issues. preventing rot is more to do with quality of installation.

 

[NicKarla]

Thanks for that. Makes sense.
I receieved an email from the wood yard apologising for missing one of the photos. Apparently the other post was not HC4 and had been stamped in error, so that clears that one up.