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A guy in Tacoma told me my post holes were too clean and it clicked
I was putting up a cedar fence for a client, doing my usual thing. Drill the hole, clean out all the loose dirt, set the post, pack the gravel. This older guy who was watching from his porch came over and said, 'Son, that hole is too clean. You're making a cup for water to sit in.' He explained that leaving a bit of rough, undisturbed soil at the bottom gives water a path to drain away from the wood instead of pooling right against it. I'd been doing it the 'clean' way for about five years, thinking I was being thorough. Now I always leave that bottom layer alone, maybe just roughen it up a bit with the auger. It makes sense when you think about it. Has anyone else had a simple tip like that change a basic part of their routine?
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barnes.brian3d ago
That reminds me of a painter who told me to never caulk the bottom seam of exterior trim. Said it just traps moisture up there and makes it rot faster. Blew my mind.
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irisw733d ago
Wait, so all the caulk I've been smearing on for years was basically helping the wood rot? That explains the weird spongy spot on my window trim last fall. I guess I was really good at making a tiny water trap.
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