Wood Post Rot After a Humid Summer: Repair a Bay or Replace the Run?

The post that moved

You lean on the gate and the whole section walks. That is usually the post, not the pickets. After a humid Gwinnett summer, rot starts right at the soil line where the post stays wet.

Push each post. If two or three in a row give, a single-bay patch will look new next to a run that is already failing.

Repair one bay when

• Only the gate post or one storm-hit section is loose
• The remaining posts are solid below grade
• You like the current height and style
• The HOA will notice a mismatched panel more than a repair

Replace a longer run when

• Posts crumble when you probe at the dirt
• Panels are already warped from sun on the south side
• You were going to change height or switch to a different material anyway

Wood vs metal in this climate

Wood still looks right on a lot of Gwinnett lots. It also needs a plan for ground contact. Steel or aluminum skips the rot cycle but changes the look. Ask to see a nearby job, not a catalog photo.

Start with fence contractors in Gwinnett or Snellville fence repair. Have them mark which posts they would keep.

The fence directory is the page to use when you are ready to compare companies.