Wooden post with protective coating and method for making same

Abstract

A protected wooden post having a coating of a hardened protective material that surrounds the peripheral surface of the post to protect the wood thereunder from marring and abrasion, typically from the use of a nylon string trimmer to trim grass and weeds from around the base of the embedded post. A hardenable protective coating can be applied to a wooden post, either before the wooden post is installed into the ground, or after the wooden post is embedded into the ground. Typical wooden posts include mailbox posts, swing set posts, fence posts and telephone poles. The hardened protective coating typically includes a UV protector to diminish the effect of UV light from sunlight on the integrity of the protective coating material.

1 . A protected wooden post for positioning within the ground to an intended depth, comprising a wooden post having a first embedded end, a second upper end, and a ground-level position intermediate the first and second ends, and a hardened protective coating covering the peripheral surface of the wooden post and extending from proximate the ground-level position and extending toward the second end.  
   
   
       2 . The protected wooden post according to  claim 1  wherein the wooden post is selected form the group consisting of a mailbox post, a fence post, a swing or play set post, a deck support post, and a telephone pole.  
   
   
       3 . The protected wooden post according to  claim 1  wherein the protective coating comprises a binder that is selected from the group consisting of: oxygen-reactive binders, including alkyds, epoxy esters, urethane alkyds, and silicone alkyds; lacquers, including polyvinyl chloride polymers, chlorinated rubbers, acrylics, and bituminous materials; heat conversion binders, including hot melt materials, organisols and plastisols; co-reactive binders, including epoxies and polyurethanes; condensation binders; coalescent binders; and inorganic binders, including post-cured silicates, self-curing water silicates, and self-curing solvent-based silicates.  
   
   
       4 . The protective wooden post according to  claim 1  wherein the protective coating extends from below the ground-level position, to above the ground-level position and toward the upper end.  
   
   
       5 . The protected wooden post according to  claim 1  wherein the protective coating covers a length of the post of from about 5 cm to about 50 cm, and extends from a position about 5 cm to about 20 cm above the ground-level position, to a position about 2 cm to 15 cm below the ground-level position.  
   
   
       6 . A method of protecting the base of a wooden post from wear and abrasion, comprising the steps of: applying a hardenable protective material to cover the peripheral surface along the length of the post, extending from proximate a ground-level position intermediate the first and second ends of the post, toward the second end; and hardening the protective material into a protective coating.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the hardenable protective material is applied to the wooden post prior to positioning the wooden post into the ground.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the hardenable protective material is applied to the wooden post while positioned in the ground.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the wooden post is selected form the group consisting of a mailbox post, a fence post, a swing or play set post, a deck support post, and a telephone pole.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the protective coating comprises a binder that is selected from the group consisting of: oxygen-reactive binders, including alkyds, epoxy esters, urethane alkyds, and silicone alkyds; lacquers, including polyvinyl chloride polymers, chlorinated rubbers, acrylics, and bituminous materials; heat conversion binders, including hot melt materials, organisols and plastisols; co-reactive binders, including epoxies and polyurethanes; condensation binders; coalescent binders; and inorganic binders, including post-cured silicates, self-curing water silicates, and self-curing solvent-based silicates.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the hardenable protective material is applied from below the ground-level position, to above the ground-level position and toward the upper end.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the hardenable protective material is applied to cover a length of the post of from about 5 cm to about 50 cm, and to extend from a position about 5 cm to about 20 cm above the ground-level position, to a position about 2 cm to 15 cm below the ground-level position.