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Storing Pressure treated Post
I just purchased 100 Pressure treated post 4x4x8, Hopefully will start Board fence this fall, How is best way to store them, I have them out in Woods stacked 5 deep with Black plastic over them, will this be sufficient?
Thanks in advance
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Storing Pressure treated Post
Generally you store PT the same as regular wood.
First and foremost, get it well up off the ground to prevent rot and insect problems.
Horizontal is better, but well supported so as not to bow.
Put spacers, square sticks, in the industry called "stickers" between every second or third row to allow air to flow through the pile.
If the wood is covered with plastic or something like it be sure to use lots of blocks or soemmthing to keep it well away from the wood itself, again to allow lots of air flow.
If the stack is somewhere the hot sun can get to it be absolutley sure that the wood is allowed lots of air and keep it as absolutely dry as possible, heat and huimidity will warp & twist even the best wood given a bit of time.
Best of luck.
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Storing Pressure treated Post
Congratulations on your new fence.
Get them off the ground, like Murf said.
See if you can make a makeshift plastic tent over the pile instead of just covering the pile. I always keep my wood under a roof.
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Storing Pressure treated Post
If treated Southern yellow pine..enjoy those twisted and bowed post this fall. You will fine they are harded then also. But the good news is much lighter as they will be dry.
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Storing Pressure treated Post
If they are CCA or ACQ treated you dont need to worry about rot or insects (you said treated wood right?), you need to worry about them warping (and badly so). They need to be stacked neatly together and tie wrapped tightly with steel straps to as prevent too much deflection as they dry out, as they dry keep tightening the straps, they will shrink a lot, there is at least 0.4lb of treatment chemical per cubic foot that will have it's solvent (water) dissapear.
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Storing Pressure treated Post
Seems like you're better off putting up that fence right away, before your posts get to be good for nothing.
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Storing Pressure treated Post
I think you need to put bands on it in addition to slats to keep it straight. Once the bands are cut on any lumber I have seen, the top rows with no weight to keep them straight get twisted as they dry out.
I always buy the wood just in time to use it so at least it is straight in the lumber yard and when I build something with it. When you buy it well in advance of youir build need you take on the risk that the lumber yard takes if the wood twists before it is sold (ie. it becomes unwanted junk).
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Storing Pressure treated Post
Ann And Dennis (IMO) hit the safe way to keep your lumber as straight as possible. Band the in piles 4'x4'x8' put up and off the ground a bit.
My buddy thats a logger dried his Ash that he had rough cut up. He done it the way that was described with the slats.
It worked great but was alot of work AND was NOT treated lumber (It was ASH) big difference! Treated lumber will bend a perfect circle more times than not if you dont take care of it 
Good luck
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Storing Pressure treated Post
I agree with DenisS--it's wood. It's gonna check and crack, and warp regardless of banding, storing or covering. The wood used for these 4x4's is not the best since they're used primarily for fence posts and deck posts. I remove wooden fence posts for a friend's fence business with my TC33D and a box blade. Every post is different---I've sheared some off clean at the grade, some pop right out with no problem, some splinter below ground.
IMHO, you'd be better served preserving/maintaining the posts/fence AFTER it's installed. That's where you will see added life.
To me it doesn't make sense expending a lot of energy caring for something that grew in the ground and is going right back into it only to be resubjected to the elements. Kidding now---it's like protecting a pile of mulch from the rain.
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Storing Pressure treated Post
I took a different approach when I fenced in a half acre for the dogs. We dug the holes first with a Kubota and PHD, then went to the lumber yard and picked up treated 4X4X8's. These came from outside storage and were wet and still straight. We put them in immediately with two bags of Sack-Crete for each one, then put on galvanized brachets and treated 2X4's for cross ties. We just worked straight through until all the cross ties were in. We eliminated most of the tendancy to warp. I am putting the slats up now.
If you are storing them keep them wet and out of the sun. The tarp is a good idea. As they dry out they usually will warp in the direction of the side that dries out first (but they can warp any old way).
The worst thing is laying them on the ground flat on damp soil with the sun beating down on them. This guarantees that the dry side will warp toward the sun.
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