Blown Concrete Post

[Onoff]

Our frontage consists of concrete posts, put in using a tractor PTO and lashings of concrete. Then homemade panels, to SWMBO's design, o/of 2"x1" nailed together with a collated nailer on a jig.

 

Two things didn't happen. There are no gravel boards as SWMBO was insistent on keeping access for "all the liccle animals"  I knew that would come back to haunt me.

 

The other thing is I never applied a waterproofer to the concrete posts. Did a 100' of fence elsewhere 30 years ago, painted the concrete with Thompson's, and they're still like new.

 

Thus I've noticed a post here that has blown. I don't really want to dig it out and put a new one in tbh.

 

I'm hoping that the fence frame has swollen and just snapped the return off but gut feel this will be water having gotten in and rusted the steel. Maybe shutter and recast a bit on?

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dpmiller]

Ignore it til you finish the bathroom?

[ProDave]

I would just squirt some sealant into the crack to try and keep further moisture out and move on.  It is not going to fall down any time soon.

 

Don't start any more new jobs, you have plenty to do.

[Pocster]

27 minutes ago, dpmiller said:

Ignore it til you finish the bathroom?

And the glory hole doorbell 

 

and the boiler boxing in

 

and the ufh 

 

and the rotating shower head thing 

 

and that window surround 

 

and the ….. etc etc etc ETC 

[Pocster]

34 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Any thoughts?

Yeah - stop (expletive deleted)ing around 😁

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, pocster said:

Yeah - stop (expletive deleted)ing around 😁

 

That'll be the day that I die.

[saveasteading]

It has lost the protection that the concrete gives to the reinforecement, so wll rust and fail over a year or 2.

Cement paste or external filler in the cracks may give it some more life....but if the same has occurred underground then it is doomed.

[Onoff]

Bugger...counted 3 posts like this so far...only put in brand new in 2016. Not impressed. 

[Russdl]

Are they all damaged in the same area?
 

Bit weird to fail after such a short space of time. 

[Miek]

Has the wood swollen in the groove and put pressure on the concrete? Hard to imagine that breaking it...

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, Miek said:

Has the wood swollen in the groove and put pressure on the concrete? Hard to imagine that breaking it...

 

Yes, I think so. One time I tried lifting a panel out and it wouldn't budge. Today, after dry weather, up she comes. Rotten as a pear along the bottom. I may be able to salvage something by fitting a concrete gravel board and cutting the bottom off. 

 

A bit to early to give it "I told you so!" to SWMBO. Making these was bloody labour intensive and what with the price of timber now etc. I'll let her get over the Covid first. 

[Onoff]

Bugger! 6 years old. I am very disappointed.