Watch This Video before Building a Wood Fence

http://homerepair.gregvan.com/fencerepairs/wood_fence_damage.htm One of the biggest problems with a wood fence are the wood posts that start to decay, or get hit by a large colony of termites. One time I put a new fence post in, only to find out that my idea didn't work. Actually it was an idea that I read about in one of my favorite homebuilding magazines. The magazine article suggested that you paint the bottom of your wood post with a roofing tar and then install the wood post, to enjoying many years of a maintenance free fence. Instead of using a roofing tar, I painted the bottom of the wood post fence with an elastomeric paint in the wood post rotted within one year and needed to be replaced. I've tried putting gravel at the bottom of the fence posts, leaving the wood exposed at the bottom and quite a few different things and I'm here to report that I haven't came up with any improvements or tips that I could share with anyone that really worked good. Watch this video if you want to learn more about things I've done to wood posts that haven't worked well.

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Howto & Style

Tags:

• wood post fence tips
• wood posts
• fence posts
• wood fence posts
• problems with wood fences
• termite damage to wood post
• wood rot problems
• exterior wood post tips
• home construction advice
• fence building problems
• fence building ideas

[lswasserm1]

My personal experience is that a treated SYP 4X4 fence post will easily last 30 years when set directly in the ground, No concrete required.

[gregvancom]

@lswasserm1 You have a good point, but if someone is watering their fence with sprinklers or the soil remains wet for long periods of time, you could have a problem. Thanks for your tip and it definitely would work, under the right conditions.

[dyldebus]

Try a galvanized Oz-post. They're a bit pricey but it's better than replacing the wood. What a pain.

[gregvancom]

@dyldebus I'm not impressed with these types of brackets, because they could create an extremely weak fence. You've got to keep something in mind here, if professional fence builders aren't using certain products, you should think twice before using them also. Some of these products can cost a small fortune and create an inferior product.

[gregvancom]

@YoCzechYourself I'm not sold on using this type of hardware, but I would love to here about your results, in the future, if you use them. I'm not suggesting that it won't work, but all of the fences I've seen with these conectors are wiggly.

[YoCzechYourself]

@gregvancom The post holders have a hole for lag bolts, or any bolt to go across, and ive seen them built with them, so im only assuming it should withstand winds.

[gregvancom]

@YoCzechYourself If the post is sitting above ground and isn't burried or encased inside of concrete, then your Okay, but this method wouldn't hold up a fence in a strong wind. Is this what you're refering to?

[YoCzechYourself]

@gregvancom Ok, but how, since you fill you sono tube with concrete, then if add around 6 inches of dirt on the top for moisture and when it freezes in the winter. The post is also sitting on a plate where you could add a moisture barrier to the bottom of it. That should be able to work.

[gregvancom]

@YoCzechYourself Because the concrete will absorb moisture from the ground and send it directly to the wood, eventually causeing it to rot.

[YoCzechYourself]

Might cost 5 bucks per hole... but why don't you just use sono tubes? It keeps the wood off the ground and doesn't let much moisture in. Decks use them and never seems to be a problem with decks. (Done properly)