Is it good or bad to install wooden deck and fence posts in concrete?
I’ve seen posts rot off at ground level, and been told it’s because they’re encased in concrete. A: Although it’s true that concrete can promote rot in wooden posts, there are situations where using concrete can’t be avoided. Any post that’ll be subjected to more than a little bit of side pressure needs the support that only concrete can provide. Posts at the end of a fence or on each side of a gate are cases in point. The key to a long working life is the way you install the concrete and the kind of posts you use. I’ve found that keeping the concrete five or six inches (12.5 or 13 centimetres) below soil level helps prevent rot, and using pressure-treated wood rated for use below ground goes a long way to eliminating rot problems, too. As far back as 1993, I set a number of wooden posts into concrete using these techniques. They still look perfectly sound today. Sign up for Steve’s free homeowner newsletter at www.stevemaxwell.ca. Steve Maxwell, technical editor of Canadian Home Works
