Subject: fenceposts
Date: Sat, 15 May 1999

i am looking for an alternative to using pressure treated (CCA) posts to use with my fence. can you recommend anything. i have heard that there is borate-treated lumber available, but i have no idea who might carry it. please help!
thanks!
c. anderson

Borate treated lumber might be helpful, but has the disadvantage that borates are water soluble and will leach out of the wood. This is not a big problem for exterior lumber used above the ground, but would not be good for fenceposts which will be wet much of the time. Pre-treated borate lumber would be hard to find.

I can only suggest that you use our CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer) on the post bottoms before they go into the ground. What you would do is turn the post upside down, apply the CPES generously to the end grain on the bottom and to the sides, allow it to cure (4-5 days) and then apply a second coating. This will coat the wood in epoxy and make it highly rot resistant. Cured epoxy is non-toxic and will not affect the surrounding environment. However, when CPES is mixed there are hydrocarbons that are part of the carrier mix which are strong-smelling and dissipate into the air. Not dangerous if used in the open air or in a garage with a fan for cross ventilation. The fumes go away in a few hours.

If you are interested, tell us how many posts you have, their size, and how far into the ground they are going to go and we can give you an estimate of how much CPES you would require.

Doc