How to Keep Your Wood Porch Post From Rotting From Water
Wooden supporting posts for porches and fences are subject to moisture and bug deterioration when set directly into soil without a protective barrier having been placed around the base of the post. The placement of such a barrier material is a very simple process during the time of construction, but it will require physical labor in digging around the post in a post-construction setting. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Long-handled digging shovel
- Wire brush
- Large-grit sandpaper
- Paint brush
- Wood weatherproofing sealant
- 1 roll of black irrigation plastic
- Black electric tape
Instructions
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Dig away all of the soil packed around your support post until you reach the cement base at the bottom of the post. Dig about one foot out away from the post, all the way around. Dig the soil away from only one post at a time to prevent structural instability.
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Brush off all soil caked to the surface of the wood post with a wire brush until all debris has been removed. Ensure that you can see bare wood on all sides of the post. Allow the post to dry over two days of full sunlight exposure.
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Use large-grit sandpaper to sand away the outer layer of weathered wood, from the base to the soil level, until the post looks as though it is nearly new.
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Generously coat, with quality weatherproofing sealant, the portion of the post which will be buried. Apply four to six coats of the sealant over a day's period, applying it heavily near the base so it runs down between the concrete and the surface of the post. Allow to dry thoroughly after the last coat according to the sealant manufacturer's recommendations.
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Cover the bottom portion of the post with two layers of black plastic to provide a secondary moisture barrier around the post. Wrap it as tightly as possible and use black electrical tape to secure the loose end when finished.
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6
Replace the soil into the hole around the post by filling it with six inches of soil at a time and packing each layer tightly against all sides of the post. This may be accomplished by using the tip of the shovel handle, but use caution so you don't strike the head of yourself or others with the metal shovel on the other end. Continue layering and packing the soil until the post is secured with soil to ground-level.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are placing new posts, simply apply the sealant and the plastic before burying the lower portion of the post for the first time.
For above-ground porch posts, simply keep the edges and surfaces painted every two to three years and apply a weatherproof caulk around any open cracks near the base.
