What Is a Peeled Post?
If you’re shopping for wooden posts for a fence, chances are you’ve seen the term “peeled post” at least a few times.
If you’re still wondering what a peeled post is and whether it is the right post for your fence project, read this. We’ve got all the information you need to know about peeled posts.
What Is a Peeled Post, and How Does It Differ from Other Wood Posts?
If you’re not a fence professional, chances are you’ve been confused by the different wood fence post options out there.
Aside from peeled posts, you might have seen terms like “dowelled wood post” or “turned wood post,” depending on where you live. You might also have heard wood fence posts referred to as tapered wood posts.
Peeled fence posts and tapered wood fence posts are the same thing, just different terms that are used in different parts of the world.
A peeled fence post or tapered wood fence post is a fence post that is made from a young tree that has had the bark peeled off – hence the name. Some tapered wood fence posts or peeled fence posts are also treated, but many are sold without any kind of chemical treatment too.
Dowelled wood fence posts or machine-turned wood fence posts, on the other hand, have been machined or processed from a larger diameter piece of wood so that they are smooth and uniform all the way down.
Why Do Peeled Posts Have Two Diameters?
When shopping for peeled wood fence posts, you will probably see that they are described by their length and two diameters. This might be something like 4 – 5” diameter if you are in a country that uses inches or 100 to 150mm if you live in a country that uses the metric system.
The answer to this is simple: they are a rough guide to the top and bottom of the peeled fence post.
Since peeled fence posts are not processed like dowelled wood fence posts are, they are naturally larger at the bottom than at the top – just like trees are. This is why these posts usually have two-diameter dimensions.
Why You Might Need Pointed Peeled Posts
The last thing you need to know about peeled wood fence posts is that some of them are pointed at the bottom.
This makes it a lot easier to pound your wood fence posts into the ground because it’s literally like pushing a pencil into some dirt. It’s a lot easier to do if the pencil is sharpened first!
If you are digging holes and then placing posts before filling them with concrete or gravel, having peeled posts is not as important since you don’t need to push them into the dirt.
