Any good tricks for treating posts?

Iplayfarmer · Sep 30, 2009

I picked up a load of posts off Craigs List yesterday. It was a REALLY great deal until I realized that they are not treated. Now it's just a great deal.

I bought them to plant them for fence repair. What are some good ways to treat posts to preserve them when they are sunk in the ground?

bpattie · Sep 30, 2009

i have treated posts, even treated posts. I used a brush or small roller and applied a tar type paintable substance. guess you could use driveway sealer also. worked well.

Egon · Sep 30, 2009

Stand them in a barrel of water that has some copper sulfate mixed in. They will soak up the solution.

bdjsdad · Sep 30, 2009

You could have a boot by PostSaver USA melted to it. With that you get (2) layers of protection from the earth (polyetheylene on the outside with a layer of bitumen on the inside between the plastic and the post. Check them out at Advanced-sol.com. What state are you in? They are in PA.

Iplayfarmer said:
I picked up a load of posts off Craigs List yesterday. It was a REALLY great deal until I realized that they are not treated. Now it's just a great deal.

I bought them to plant them for fence repair. What are some good ways to treat posts to preserve them when they are sunk in the ground?

20 20 · Sep 30, 2009

Not sure what's the best, soak'em in diesel then let try and apply fence tar or driveway sealer???

theboman · Sep 30, 2009

Go to (insert home improvement place of your choice, 'round here it's Lowes or 84 Lumber) and get some foundation sealer. Works great... Just get it on the posts and let it set a day or two or week..... it's messy but works.

Carykong · Sep 30, 2009

Lowes has a penatrating sealer,Jasco Copper Brown,suitable for treating wood in ground contact installations. The copper is the magic bullet for perserving wood. Jasco treat,let dry,and then seal with foundation sealer.

As an aside, archeaology digs have clearly established that wood in contact with copper and or bronze(which has lots of copper) will remain remarkably preserved for 100s of year. In contrast to recent history ,wood and iron combinations quickly rot and rust away.

Egon · Oct 1, 2009

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrn/fplrn001.pdf

A site showing some treatment methods and post life. You have to read all of it or go to the end about page 10? for some easy reading lists.

Soundguy · Oct 1, 2009

get a 5g bucket of asphalt fence paint or copper napthenat fence dip.. use that .. both great products.. watch out.. CN removes hair and leaves a near permanent green stain on just about anything including skin ( till it wears off anyway! )

soundguy

nybirdman · Oct 1, 2009

The Amish around here drill an angled hole and pour used motor oil into post buried in the ground:I don't know how envirnomently sound this practice is tho.