ot wood post

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randy1

Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

need to change somes 4x4 gate post whats your thoughts on treated post vs rough cut oak post?

 

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BigDanT

Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

Oak would make good food for the underground critters. Stick with the treated.

 

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Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

White oak might be okay, I don't know. Red oak will rot through in 2 years or so around here.
Zach

 

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FBH44

Well-known Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

Osage orange if you can find it. Almost impossible to cut, impossible to nail into, but it'll last and last and last ...

 

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hadley

Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

White oak will weather better than other oaks but is not good for inground use.

 

omahagreg

Well-known Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

The treated lumber now says it is not for direct soil contact! Guess they don't make em like they used too...!

 

kcm.MN

Well-known Member

Location

NW Minnesota

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

You can get treated wood for in-ground use. Haven't bought it in a while so have no idea what cost is.

You can also treat oak posts by getting them SUPER dry (moisture content), then soaking them in used hot motor oil. The oil will soak into the wood and help resist them little varmints. Definitely white oak though.

Back in the olden days, many ships were built using white oak, as it has closed-cell wood. Rad oaks are open-cell.

 

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teddy52food

Well-known Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

A true white oak is better than burr oak too. There is no good white oak here as it was all cut for fence posts many years ago.

 

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Old560

Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

I put in some oak 4x4. They were the first to rot off and fall over. Never have got the fence up.

 

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VicS

Well-known Member

Location

SE Il.

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

I've been just been screwing 3- 2by6s together. Treated that is.

 

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CKain(MI)

Well-known Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

got Locust trees around ? great life for posts, I was told.

 

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Bob Harvey

Well-known Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

So, you can't find any 6" used drill pipe ? Miles of it available - cheap. That's where I'd look. HTH

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

Rail road ties! Oak is generally food for fungus rot. Jim

 

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Grey

Member

• Apr 13, 2017

• #1

old farmer neighbor of mine says a good locust post will wear out two holes

 

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jimmyjoe

Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

Good railroad ties are oak.

 

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jacksun65

Well-known Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

they have it both ways now ground contact and non ground for those who are afraid of walking on their deck with poisoned wood.

 

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James Howell

Well-known Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

You might consider using bois de arc (bo dark) posts if they are available in your area.

We still have some very old bois de arc fence posts from the 1940s in several places around the farm.

 

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Married2Allis

Well-known Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

My fence line has oak posts must be 50+ years old. I think white oak. Locust is the best wood type I've seen for not rotting.

 

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Part Time Pete

Well-known Member

Location

Leatherstocking Region NY

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

I would recommend locust or larch. they both last about for ever, but larch is a little easier to work with
Pete

 

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rustyfarmall

Well-known Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

(quoted from post at 19:14:51 04/13/17) The treated lumber now says it is not for direct soil contact! Guess they don't make em like they used too...!

Click to expand...

Just a few years ago I bought pressure treated 4x4s and deck planks. All of it is rated for ground contact.

 

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Bret4207

Well-known Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

(quoted from post at 21:30:46 04/13/17) need to change somes 4x4 gate post whats your thoughts on treated post vs rough cut oak post?

Click to expand...

If you can get the treated that approved for ground contact use, they will last. The common lumber yard treated is not approved for ground contact. Strength-wise, oak is many time stronger than yellow pine, but unless it's dry white oak properly installed and with drainage, it's not going to outlast the treated by a lot.

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

Plus a whole lot of nasty chemistry. Jim

 

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Bret4207

Well-known Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

(quoted from post at 10:07:37 04/14/17)

(quoted from post at 19:14:51 04/13/17) The treated lumber now says it is not for direct soil contact! Guess they don't make em like they used too...!

Click to expand...

Just a few years ago I bought pressure treated 4x4s and deck planks. All of it is rated for ground contact.

Click to expand...

It depends on where you buy them. Some places sell "the good stuff" and it will be marked as being made for ground contact. The average Lowes treated isn't. The stuff we got 20 years ago is not the same stuff we get now.

 

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notjustair

Well-known Member

• Apr 14, 2017

• #1

I've never put a post in the ground that wasn't hedge (Osage orange). Some here were put in 40 years ago and they are still standing.