Rotted a pillar in the ground. TOP-5 tips how to do it right

I'll tell you the story of my friend. Thanks to him, I realized that this topic will be relevant for many. My friend decided to put up a fence using wooden posts. He was prepared for the fact that the pillars of wood would not last forever. But the fact that they would rot so quickly came as a surprise to him. Let's discuss what to do with the wooden posts to keep them from rotting.

1.Correct selection and preparation of material

The posts should be made of dry wood. It is important that they are free of knots, cracks and other damage. The bark should be removed. Without it, the pillar will not only look more aesthetically pleasing, but it will also not attract the attention of insects, such as the bark beetle. Before installing the post, the wood should be dried and shaken.

2.Using impregnation

Before installing a pole in the ground, you should take care of its protection from premature decay. You need to protect a wooden post from moisture, insects, temperature extremes and ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, it is necessary to process the post completely. This can be done using special solutions. The lower part should be saturated with a special composition more abundantly.

Antiseptic compositions with water-repellent properties are used as impregnation. Machine oil, mountain resin or birch tar are often used. It is recommended to apply the compositions in several layers, giving each layer time to dry.

The buried part must be protected from moisture as much as possible. To do this, it is covered with tar and coated with waterproofing materials. Better to use coated waterproofing. If it is not there, then you can wrap the buried part with roofing material.

3.Drainage cushion

In this case, the drainage layer plays an important role. The bottom should be covered with sand and gravel. In order to compact the sand and gravel mixture well, you can add a little water. Crushed stone is usually used as drainage. But in its absence, you can get by with brick chips or the same gravel with sand.

4.Correct pouring with concrete in the form of a cone

Having installed the pole in the hole, it should be poured with concrete. You can add a little dishwashing liquid to the solution to add moisture protection and shrink pores to the concrete. The calculation is as follows: 50 grams of detergent for 1 bucket of cement. The concrete should protrude 5-8 cm above the ground. The best solution would be to pour concrete in the shape of a cone so that moisture and precipitation do not linger at the base of the column. The joint between concrete and wood must be additionally treated with a sealant. Select the correct type of sealant. It must indicate that it is suitable for working with concrete.

5.An important addition - a protective cap

After installing the post on its top, put on a protective cap and secure with screws or nails. The cap is usually made independently from improvised means - plastic, metal.

These 5 tips will extend the life of your wooden pole several times over.