I was setting a fence line in Springfield and saw a crew using untreated posts in a flood zone.

The whole bottom section was already showing rot after just one winter. How do you guys handle ground contact in areas that get soaked?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jana1mo ago

Watched my neighbor try to save money with untreated posts along his creek bank. They looked fine going in that first fall. By the next summer, you could push half of them over with your hand. The bottom foot was just spongy, rotten mush. He ended up having to redo the whole line with pressure-treated wood. Honestly, it was more work and cost him way more in the long run.

the_wesley1mo ago

My cousin did the same thing with a split rail fence near his pond. Thought he was being smart skipping the treated lumber. Two springs later, a good wind knocked over three whole sections like dominoes. The posts snapped right at ground level, totally eaten up. He spent that whole weekend digging out rotten stumps and swearing at himself.

lilyp371mo ago

My buddy in Galveston tried that and lost 20 posts in a year. He switched to pressure-treated with a tar sealant dip.