Thread: Carport posts in-ground

Even creosote wasn't fool proof. Paint ons are short lived. To get the best life out of your posts, particularly in a termite prone area, mount the posts above ground with galvanised brackets. You will double the life of your posts and much easier to replace a post when the time comes.

Concreting a post in will guarantee that it will rot. You are effectively placing a wooden post into a concrete pot that, as the wood shrinks, will fill with water.

The best treatment for termites is Termidor available from various suppliers but expensive. It should be diluted and mixed with the soil surrounding the post.

Don't set the post in ground, use these instead
Dunnings 140 x 600 x 50mm Type A Galvanised Post Anchor | Bunnings Warehouse

Hi Andrew, Posts in the ground have one significant advantage over stirrups - they require much less bracing of tbe overall structure. As a class 1 timber they are rated 25+ years in ground. Termites are going to struggle to get through a concrete footing (but they are very clever). I have removed far too many posts out of concrete footings and most of them survive fairly well. The area they normally go is at ground level. There is a creosote replacement available at bunnings (and others), it's a Diggers product but getting anything to soak into Iron bark will be tough. Charring the section in the ground would be more effective.

Another benefit to using stirrups is you will have a visual inspection strip that the termites would need to build there mud tubes over to get to the post... Easy to spot if you keep leaves and debris clear of the base of the post.

The other thought is Galvanized RHS Posts

Australian Handyman Supplies 75 x 75mm x 2.4m Galvanised Steel Fencing Post

OR at you local steel merchant for heavy gauge....