Privacy Fence Post Depth — 1/3 of Height

The general rule of thumb for privacy fence posts is to bury them 1/3 the depth of the height of the post. This is easy for your typical privacy fence. Use 8′ posts, bury 2′ in the ground, and you’re left with a 6′ post on which to build a fence.

Concrete is still a good idea (I recommend it), especially if you live in an area with high winds or occasional hurricanes. I’ve even drilled a 9/16″ x 8″ hole in the bottoms of the posts and driven a piece of re-bar in with about 12″ sticking out. The result is a post buried 2 feet in the ground, with re-bar another 12″ (driven into the clay soil), surrounded by concrete — very strong posts. Overkill? Whatever, dude.

Farm & Ranch Fence

Your typical farm or ranch fence, especially one with wire stretched, has 2 types of posts — line posts and corner posts.

Use the 1/3 of height rule for the line posts depths. With 6 foot posts, you will probably bury 1.5 to 2 feet and end up with a 4 to 4.5 foot post. For corner posts, you might want to use a rule of 1/2 the height for the fence post depth. So, a 5 foot tall corner post would probably be buried 2.5 feet in the ground — probably more like 3 feet buried of an 8′ post.

These "Green Treated" poles have a light green color because they are treated with CCA

Green = CCA

9 times out of 10 green treated wood simply means CCA treated wood. CCA, of course, is Chromated Copper Arsenate, the stuff that was banned for use in most residential applications such as decks, railing, fences, and the like.

People freaked out about the “arsenate” component of the wood. Arsenate is a naturally-occurring form of arsenic so people got freaked out but the stuff is all around us anyway. Stick your hand in any patch of dirt in your backyard and you’ll probably be touching more arsenate than if you were to do a handstand on your CCA treated deck (which you can’t make anymore). I’ve researched it a decent amount and have seriously never seen any evidence that it actually causes any health issues. Oh, yeah. I digress…

CCA is still allowed for use in water and for many commercial and industrial applications because it is an ultra-effective treatment to dramatically increase the life of wood. Wood treated with CCA gets a green color that might range anywhere from light young-lemony-green with light treatment to near-forest green with a saltwater treatment (2.5pcf).

It’s that simple, really. Green treated wood is wood pressure treated with CCA.

Other Treatments

To separate themselves from the green treated wood, ACQ treated lumber producers branded their ACQ treated wood lumber as Yellawood, which you’ve probably seen on everything from store shelves to billboards. MCQ is basically clear, or colorless. In fact, the very strength of being clear is kind of its weakness, too, because when MCQ lumber is delivered many people do not believe they have received treated wood. It really is that hard to tell sometimes.

CCA is a better product anyway. I think we should drop the Yella stuff and the clear stuff and the whatever stuff and go back to the good ol’ green treated wood that works so well. It makes me want to only build on water where I know I can use the good stuff.

Of course, there’s also BLUE treated wood which is usually a borate-based treated wood but that’s a different conversation.

CT Valley School even teaches boatbuilding

So, we put together a list of relevant wood working schools in America…

Homestead Woodworking Institution

Homestead offers an impressive variety of courses for beginners to advanced students. From turning bowls to making furniture, Homestead Woodworking Institution has a well rounded set of classes to teach you everything you need to know. Located in Newmarket, NH, Homestead’s classes are affordable and you can even sign up online.

Lohr School For Woodworking

This popular wood working school is situated in Schwenksville, PA. The Lohr School for Woodworking is filled with exceptionally trained teachers that offer a comprehensive course level in wood working. You can learn all types of wood working techniques here but, most notably, Lohr teaches live edge free form wood working. Wood technology and joinery methods are covered in this school. This might be the school for the more artistic of you.

Connecticut Valley School

This wood working institution offers you a comprehensive learning program in every course level. Located in Manchester, CT, the Connecticut Valley School teaches traditional wood working skills such as wood turning and finishing but also offers course in such unique and [painstaking] skills as relief carving and boat building. The breadth of wood working techniques taught here is kind of amazing.

So, these are some of the wood working schools in United States that struck me as ones where you could get some great – and maybe unique – lessons.

I was going to make this a really big and comprehensive list and then I found this list of wood working schools and decided to stop writing more.

Happy Wood Working

Mollusks, Actually

So what are shipworms…and why and how do they cause so much damage? Shipworms (also known as Pileworms) actually are not really worms at all, but are rather a type of clam that has very small shells used for boring into wood in saltwater.

A marine bivalve mollusk (with 65 different species)…they get their name for their long, narrow, cylindrical bodies – resembling worms. However, upon closer inspection, you will find a small drill-like shell. This shell has two halves with a gap between them, like a clamshell. In the gap there is a muscular foot that acts as a suction cup, holding the shell in place while it’s razor-sharp edges scrape the wood ahead of it. Shipworms have long tubes that stick out into the water so the worm can breathe, and can also seal the worm in the wood in cases of extended periods out of water…low tides for example.

Up To 6 Feet Long

Also known as “Termites of the sea”, shipworms eat sawdust. The stomach of shipworms has a pouch for storing sawdust and an organ/gland full of bacteria that aide in digesting wood. The bacteria take nitrogen from the water and convert it to protein for the worms’ nourishment. The shipworm invades wood while still in the larval stage, making an entrance hall that is usually too small to see. It uses the shells on its head to burrow. The ridged, rough surfaces rub the wood away as the worm moves from side to side. This cuts away a perfectly circular tube that is just larger than the shell. The wormlike body follows behind the shell, producing a chalk-like substance to line the burrow. As they burrow deeply into the wood, they grow very quickly. As the worm grows, so does the burrow. Depending on the size of their homes, shipworms can range in size from 6 inches to as long as 6 feet.

Expensive Damages

Once a shipworm claims a home, it is there for life. A piece of wood may be infested with shipworm, but they will deliberately avoid each other’s tunnels. Instead they twist and turn their tunnels until the wood becomes a mass of tubes and holes, and eventually collapses. Shipworms are sometimes called the mollusk with the million-dollar appetite. These creatures are credited with single-handedly destroying the Hudson River piers in New York City. Researchers estimate that untreated timbers, such as pier pilings, exposed to Hawaii’s ocean waters will last less than two years.

A Positive Note

However, this incredible appetite has a purpose. Large amounts of wood get into the oceans by river deposits, forests and mostly, humans. Shipworms play an integral role in reducing the amount of driftwood in the world’s oceans.

How To Stop Shipworms

So, how do we stop the shipworms & protect our ships & wooden structures? By protesting at the White House? Not likely. Shipworms don’t like copper….so we can build using copper nails, or even copper sheeting. A cheaper and easier method is simply using CCA treated wood which contains copper (CCA = Chromated COPPER Arsenate).

Well, We Like Oysters

Or, we can eat them. In some places, shipworms are considered a culinary delicacy. In the Philippines, it is prepared as ‘kinilaw’ – eaten raw, with vinegar or lime juice & chopped peppers and onions…Similar to ceviche. The taste has been compared to a very wide variety of foods ranging from milk to oysters.

To offer the cheapest bulkhead materials you will find, Building Products Plus in Houston, TX has developed BulkheadMaterials.com (http://www.bulkheadmaterials.com) to promote their ultra low-cost vinyl bulkhead materials packages — especially for 3, 4, and 5 feet tall (exposed height) walls.

The prices are actually listed on BulkheadMaterials.com and include all wood and hardware required to build a basic vinyl bulkhead. The materials are shipped in what they call “ready to build” packages.

Vinyl Sheet Piling Has Become a Commodity

The vinyl sheet piling market has become thoroughly competitive during the last decade. 10 years ago there were only a few producers but now with abundant vinyl sheet manufacturers, advances in technology, and the spread of production knowledge vinyl sheet pilings have essentially become a commodity product.

Building Products Plus keeps prices low by maintaining relationships with multiple vinyl sheet piling producers and by purchasing opportunistically. The resulting low costs are passed to you. The manufacturer of the materials you purchase may vary but all vinyl bulkhead materials quoted on and sold from BulkheadMaterials.com meet minimum specified requirements for the wall size indicated.

Vinyl Bulkhead Design

To help plan your project, you will find some basic bulkhead design drawings on BulkheadMaterials.com at http://www.bulkheadmaterials.com/vinyl-bulkhead-design.htm. The drawings will be helpful for purchasing your bulkhead materials and understanding the basic elements of your wall.

Vinyl Bulkhead Quotes

You can get a quote for your specific wall, including delivery, by phone or online at http://www.bulkheadmaterials.com/contact.htm. Your quote will be created by an experienced project consultant who can help you make decisions about the best vinyl sheet piling lengths, best wood treatment levels, and hardware choices.

Keep Up with BulkheadMaterials.com

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Building Products Plus, LLP is a manufacturer and supplier of extended-life building materials for marine and shoreline, high-end commercial, and farm and ranch projects. Based in Houston, TX, Building Products Plus has been supplying long-lasting building materials since 1993.

The straw bale house is called the balehaus@bath and has set out to demonstrate the effectiveness of smart design and the use of renewable materials to decrease a home’s carbon footprint.

Straw – Renewable & Insulating
Straw is exceptionally renewable and has excellent insulating properties so it is a very energy-efficient building material when considering both production and the operation of the home. Additionally, hay (straw) can generally be grown locally (in most places) so carbon emissions from transportation are reduced as well.

Panels Resists Fire
Flammability tests of the pre-fabricated panels showed that they resisted fire very well – 4 times as long as required. Read more about that here.

See for yourself. Here’s the image gallery and you will also see a link to the “straw cam” where you can watch some videos of the construction.

The house is about more than just the straw bales. Design and other factors are considered as well. This might be one of many great options researchers find to develop greener homes for a “carbon-neutral” future.

It’s no secret I think American Pole and Timber is one of the coolest companies because of their ability to make just about anything and their willingness to say yes to just about any project thrown at them. There are not many companies that could handle the diversity of products American Pole and Timber handles but they have been doing it for nearly two decades now with steady growth.

Aside from their pdf of timber truss designs, you will be interested in the timber truss options they offer and, especially, how they ship exceptionally large timber trusses – timber trusses that are too large to fit on a truck assembled.

Shipping Large Trusses

Kind of off-topic here… They ship nationwide but some of their trusses are GIANT so they actually build the timber truss in their shop in Houston, TX (fully assembled) to ensure the truss is made properly and meets all the required dimensions and specs once assembled. They then mark each component and disassemble each truss for shipment. Depending on the client and truss, they will send one of their employees with the truss to guide and/or help with the reassembly on the job site.

After 10 years in and around the lumber business, I still think that’s pretty cool.

Think about it – “treated” wood with zero chemicals – 100% natural wood.

Thermally Modified Wood
Although thermally modified wood has been proven effective in Europe since the mid-90′s, it is new to the US where it took on the brand name Nature’s Choice. Developed in Finland, thermally modified wood is kind of baked (for lack of a better word) until the composition of the wood changes such that it is no longer attractive to termites, fungus, and other forms of decay. Using special kilns, the wood is heated for about a day to just below flash point and cooled using carefully timed applications of water to maximize its strength and longevity.

As Green As It Gets
Nature’s Choice (http://www.NaturesChoiceDeck.com) is as green as it gets. It is made of easily renewable southern yellow pine from managed forest land and produced in the heart of Amish country in production facilities that use relatively zero electricity. It’s seriously green from start to finish. It contains no chemicals so you don’t have to worry about your gardens, lawn, ground water, or kids. And, finally, since it is long-lasting the wood will not need to be replaced often. However, when you do replace it the wood can be thrown away, re-used, or even burned (unlike chemically pressure-treated wood).

This is the stuff dreams are made of, eco-speaking.

Physical Properties
Its strength is up to par, too. You can cut, drill, nail, screw, and everything just like regular wood. No special fasteners are required but you can use a hidden deck fastener system is you wish. In other words, it is regular wood – except, you know, with no chemicals.

Here are the stats from Nature’s Choice Deck technical info page.

Beautiful Appearance – Darker Color
Nature’s Choice is made of premium grade (better than #1) southern yellow pine so the boards are about 100% free of wane and nearly totally free of knots. The faces of the boards are different (one side smooth, the other grooved) and since the wood is so highly selected, the boards are essentially reversible.

The thermal modification process darkens the wood to a beautiful light-mahogany color. The picture above is unstained pine (really!). See the Nature’s Choice Deck website for more pictures. According to the guys at Building Products Plus, all of the pictures on the site (as of the date of this writing) are southern yellow pine. Hard to believe but see the comparison image here.

Dimensions & Availability
Currently, Nature’s Choice thermally modified wood is available in 1″x5″ (actual dimensions) deck boards. They say they will offer more in the future. In fact, they mentioned plans for large timbers made with the stuff and maybe even pilings. Yes, chemical-free pilings. These guys are kind of quietly leading their own green movement.

Expect to see more Nature’s Choice Deck in the future. People have been looking for this sort of thing and it’s finally here.

1. Great Wood – When building, use naturally decay-resistant or properly treated lumber for wooden decks and other outdoor structures. Don’t let untreated wood posts or lumber sit directly on concrete.
2. Clean Joints – Clean joints between deck boards or between a deck and any other structure so dirt & debris won’t hold moisture.
3. Downspouts Pointed Away – Aluminum downspouts and water run-off should be guided away from the deck.
4. Keep it Dry – Make sure that instruments you use for watering (hoses, sprinklers, etc..) not spray the deck.
5. Airflow – Since airflow is crticial, ensure that the underside of the porch breathes correctly. To prevent moisture buildup & wood degradation the space under the deck should not be completely sealed.
6. Keep it Clean – Don’t let leaves, barbeque grill covers, etc…. layout on your deck for long periods. Plants in clay pots sitting on the deck or porch can cause moisture pooling; likewise, plants and shrubs planted close can contribute to moisture and water buildup on and around your deck. This allows mold and moisture to develop underneath.
7. Stain Early, Often – Add stains and sealers before the deck looks like it’s needing it. Create a consistent schedule where you add the sealer so it’s consistently apllied before the wood starts getting dried out. These can treat the wood and prevent moisture from leading to rot.
8. Underdeck – If you have a 2nd story deck over a ground floor deck, make sure you get an underdeck drainage system to prevent additional wear to the bottom deck. With underdeck drainage installed, your primary floor deck can behave like a unenclosed sunroom on rainy days. The bottom floor can now also be used as an extra storage room.

I’m sure these ideas will help you keep your wooden deck beautiful for many years to come.

Easy to Use Hidden Fasteners
Most decks built in the past 25 yers have used the simplest deck building material, galvanized nails, to keep the boards attached to the structure. As a matter of fact, builders have used nails like this for decades and thought very little about other alternatives. Now, stainless steel hidden deck fasteners are becoming more popular and even have power tools to help simplify their installation.

Out of all the fasteners on the market TigerClaw is, by far, the most popular. You should know that TigerClaw Fasteners were created by a contractor who was irritated with the expense and intensive labor of other hidden fastening systems. With a free installation block in every box, these fasteners install faster and easier than other comparable fasteners. With all work done from the top, you can save more on labor costs than compared with other hidden fastener installations.

Constructed from heavy gauge stainless steel, strength and durability are assured. TigerClaw hidden deck fasteners offer resilient hold-down power for both synthetic decking materials & wood. They allow the natural qualities of the wood to be preserved and reduce splitting, splintering, cupping and rotting.

No Visible Nails or Screws
With many new composites and clear-grained wood decking available, blemishing a smooth, even deck surface with unsightly rows of screws or nails is becoming increasingly undesirable.

I know a growing number of contractors are aware of hidden deck fasteners, but the majority aren’t. This article’s objective is to raise consumer awareness, and to bring hidden deck fasteners into the mainstream market.

With hidden deck fasteners, you can produce a better looking, longer lasting, safer deck at an affordable price.

Contributed by James Monroe, DIY Home Center

If you are the type that really cares about quality, you might also read about how to build a fence that lasts.

Best Single Source for American Made Hardware

If you need specialty domestic hardware or large quantities, first call American Pole and Timber at (866) 397-3038 and ask for David Mayfield (as of 3-30-09). I think anyone there can help you but David seems to know the most about domestic hardware. They stock some American made hardware but their real strength is in the great network of suppliers they have built for everything from hex bolts to steel cables to shackles. They usually offer some of the lowest prices, too, so you might want to let them bid your entire project (especially if you need treated wood).

Specialty American Made Hardware Suppliers

• Hinges Made in the USA – Bommer Industries has quality hinges made in the USA. They also supply various postal boxes.
• Household Hardware – National Manufacturing manufactures a variety of “household hardware” from hinges to gate and garage door hardware and drawer pulls.
• QWKE Anchoring Solutions – An interesting anchor solution for small posts and poles. You can actually install this post anchor into dirt with your drill instead of using a post hole digger. Their website was down at the time of this writing.
• Maze Nails – Look for the yellow and red boxes. Maze nails are made in the USA.
• Dock Hardware – American made dock hardware.
• Industrial Fasteners – Nuts, bolts, and other American made hardware and fasteners.
• Astoria Wire & Metal Products – Wire, metal, and tubing products. Custom stuff, too.
• D.C. Mitchell – Assorted hardware from door knobs to hinges to drawer pulls and more.

There’s a great start. The most difficult American made hardware to find is usually the industrial and industrial-marine stuff. I don’t mean small stuff like dock cleats and pile caps. I mean big stuff like tie rods and dock washers. That’s why I listed American Pole and Timber first since they have that stuff.

If you know if other suppliers of “made in the USA” hardware, please leave a comment with their name and website and I will add them to the list.