Attention to detail will make your outdoor post projects more successful. Follow this five tips.
1) Projects that don’t keep out moisture are susceptible to rot. Divert water by sloping surfaces, giving rain and melting snow a path to drain away.
2) For the natural look of bark on logs, cut trees in winter, when bark adheres tightly. For bark-free logs, cut in spring. That’s when the cambium layer is active, and the bark peels like a banana—woohoo! Choose rot-resistant species, such as cedar, hemlock, or white oak.
A log-splitter will change the way you chop firewood
3) Corrosion-resistant fasteners, such as stainless steel or galvanized, won’t seize up and will allow for adjustments over time. I used a stainless steel turnbuckle with cable on this address marker; as the logs dry and shrink, I can retighten it.
4) If you bury pressure-treated posts, be certain the wood is rated for in-ground use; for small projects, anchor posts with a simple cross rail below the frost line. Even better, here I could secure a central pipe support in holes bored into bedrock, leaving an air space below the logs.
5) Water-based finishes are all-round superior to solvent-based paints or stains. Outdoors, use penetrating products, such as Sansin, never solid-hide stains, which are notorious for peeling. And that’s no fun.
This article was originally published in the Winter 2024 issue of Cottage Life.
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