Wooden Gate Posts

[TURBO5306]

I have two large wooden gate posts 2m high 200mm square that are starting to split and rot although their bases are solid. Can someone please suggest how I can repair these as taking them out of their bases would involve removing the gate electrics, cement drive blocks, reinforced concrete drive and then breaking down the concrete balls around the posts in the ground?
Many thanks,
John

 

[DIYmeister]

I have two large wooden gate posts 2m high 200mm square that are starting to split and rot although their bases are solid. Can someone please suggest how I can repair these as taking them out of their bases would involve removing the gate electrics, cement drive blocks, reinforced concrete drive and then breaking down the concrete balls around the posts in the ground?
Many thanks,
John

Hi John,
I had the same thing happen to my 4"x4" gate post. I used a Simpson Strong Tie plate (flat galvanized plate structural connector) to bridge and stop the split. Before you install the plate, add long lag bolts perpendicular to the split to close or at least stop the split. Make sure they don't interfere with the hinge bolts. If the split was at the hinge bolts and the gate sags, you can remount the hinge over the plate by drilling holes through the plate.
Good luck,
Claude

 

[piglet11]

Wood posts in concrete are a pain and in my experience, never last.
If I were working with hindsight, I would fix the wood post to a metal base, hot dip galvanised, in a concrete surround.
My father, plagued with rotting fence posts, used the iron angles that came with iron bedsteads, drove them in and fixed them to the corners.
As suggested by DIYmeister, if you look up builders metalwork from Simpson or similar, you might find some bracketry that will hold things together.
I'm a big fan of threaded studding, stainless or zinc plated, drill right through the post, cut to length with some hefty plates either side. Something like M8 to M12

 

[SamRoberts]

Wood posts in concrete are a pain and in my experience, never last.
If I were working with hindsight, I would fix the wood post to a metal base, hot dip galvanised, in a concrete surround.
My father, plagued with rotting fence posts, used the iron angles that came with iron bedsteads, drove them in and fixed them to the corners.
As suggested by DIYmeister, if you look up builders metalwork from Simpson or similar, you might find some bracketry that will hold things together.
I'm a big fan of threaded studding, stainless or zinc plated, drill right through the post, cut to length with some hefty plates either side. Something like M8 to M12

Great advice here

 

[SandburRanch]

Concrete didn't cause this splitting problem.
I'd pull the splits back together with construction screws after I bored the appropriate size anchor and pilot holes.