# Repair fence posts with rotted top?



## saw (Jan 7, 2014)

I hope this topic falls within "woodworking".

I have some 6x6 fence posts with rotted holes on the top. So far that hasn't affected the fence structure so I think if I prevent them from getting worse that would be ok.

I could put a post cap on top to prevent water from entering. But should I fill the hole first? And if so, how?


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

What that looks like is treated wood that wasn't treated. Some unscrupulous companies will just hose wood with that the chemical to give it a green color instead of putting in a tank and actually pressure treating it. About all you can do is replace it or hide it. You might just trim around the top and put some kind of decorative cap on top. The problem with the post though it is rotting out from the bottom too and eventually the post will just break off at the ground level. It might be easier in the long run to replace the post especially if you have to make a bunch of decorative caps for a lot of posts so they match.


----------



## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

+1 on replace now.

GMC


----------



## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

As Steve said, I think it's likely that there's rot in the bottom as well and replacement isn't far off. Although, I have seen pier pilings rot from just the top. The bacteria that causes rot is already in there, so I'm not sure how much a cap would slow the rot. The reason it rots is because water is allowed to pool in there. Perhaps drilling a drain hole might not hurt. 

As an aside, I have some small retaining walls built from PT lumber from a respectable lumber yard. A couple of boards rotted out just in the middle. For some reason, the preservative didn't get into the middle.


----------

