Today's ground contact treated

[Tom King]

I built this fence in 2004.  The gate post, not in the picture, was set in concrete and I don't think it lasted but four or five years.  The line posts in this pasture dividing fence were just stuck in the ground.  So 20 years is the life limit here for the new ground contact treated posts.

The perimeter four board fence you see in the background was built in 1980.  I have replaced a few fence boards because I didn't catch the juvenile wood in them when I built that fence, but the posts and the majority of the original fence boards are all still hard as a rock.  I wish I could still get that type.

You can see the leaning posts have rotted down in the ground.  We don't really need to divide the pastures now with only two horses, so I may just take this down and reuse the rail boards.

 

[Coop]

My wife’s uncle lives in the country in Louisiana and he swears by not using concrete when setting a post. He prefers pea gravel or just plain dirt. I still use concrete and swear too, every time I replace one. And I even have the concrete 2-3” above the soil line and slope it away from the post? 

[wtnhighlander]

I've heard concrete should NOT be under the post, only gravel. Avoids trapping water in the hole.

[Coop]

I do that as well. And even put black tar roofing stuff up to about 8” above the concrete and do not put the tar on the bottom of the post for the same reason. 

[drzaius]

I did it all wrong and put the fenceposts in with concrete. That was 30 years ago and it's still solid.