Anything to make a stump rot resistant?

[thecandydan]

Thought I'd ask . . . has anyone ever come across anything that could be applied to a stump to make it rot resistant? Of course polyurethane comes to mind, but I wonder if there's a good and easy solution (i.e. sprayable) to apply to the surface of a fairly large stump.

I have a basket installed into a 3-4' high stump . . . it was basically perfect, the center was sufficiently rotted that I was able to use post hole diggers to make a hole to set the basket sleeve into concrete . . . the rest of the stump is in fairly good shape . . . but I'm just wondering long term if anyone has tried to seal/coat a stump holding a disc golf basket?

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about:

I imagine someday when it rots away I'd just build a concrete pillar for it to sit on and surround it with some wood for aesthetics . . . but I'd like to keep it in the stump for as long as possible.

 

[txmxer]

No expert, but I think your issues will be at the ground stump interface, so that might be difficult to address.

My experience with clear coatings that maintain the appearance is they aren't UV resistant.

Regardless it's a cool fixture. Hope someone has a solution.

 

[Steve West]

The rot comes in from underneath. At best, anything applied to the surface would harden a shell around a void.

 

[MarkDSM]

Strip off bark and clean away debris, dry for months (occasional salt applications could help), rasp/sand to like an 80 grit, stain stump if you like, fill holes and cracks with clear epoxy, 3 coats or more heavy coats of poly urethane from a brush.

 

[DavidSauls]

No expert, but I think your issues will be at the ground stump interface, so that might be difficult to address.

My experience with clear coatings that maintain the appearance is they aren't UV resistant.

Regardless it's a cool fixture. Hope someone has a solution.

The rot comes in from underneath. At best, anything applied to the surface would harden a shell around a void.

What these guys said. Even pressure-treated lumber rots at ground contact.

I suppose you could forestall it by raising it up on bricks or stones, or putting it on plastic ground cover; and treat the top, for good measure. But the solution is probably going to be to plan to replace it every few years.

 

[Monocacy]

As others have said, moisture plus the presence of wood rot fungi will break down that stump soon enough.

Could you make a plaster cast of the stump before it rots away? Might need to strip bark first so the cast will release. If so you could then cast the stump in concrete (or other durable material), and paint to match the original.

I will be interested to see what you do because one of my local courses just installed a long pin in a rotted stump, and I don't expect the stump to last very long.

 

[BillFleming]

What these guys said. Even pressure-treated lumber rots at ground contact.
.

And what David said. This is why builders are required (not that they always do it) to make sure that wood is never in contact with the ground. They put metal or concrete footers under wood posts to reduce the possibility of rot.

 

[DavidSauls]

We never put a basket on a stump, but we did make a mistake of using some of those cool, right-sized log segments as supports for a bench. It looked great, but a few years later it collapsed to a plank propped awkwardly on sawdust, much to the surprise of the resting disc golfer.

 

[thecandydan]

Many thanks for the replies. Kinda what I figured, so I'll just enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Then someday when it falls I'll just build a concrete pillar and surround it with some wood for aesthetics. Although that will never be quite as cool as the original stump.

It's a challenging basket to putt on because it's on a hill. I've made it an island green . . . but shifted the circle island up the hill so to throw it in-bounds you tend to want to land up the hill from the basket . . . which means more often than not you're putting down the hill on an elevated basket. Has a nice pucker factor imo. So long-term one way or the other it will remain an elevated basket.

 

[Riverdog]

Many thanks for the replies. Kinda what I figured, so I'll just enjoy it for as long as it lasts..

It helps if the stump is the right kind of wood to start with - oak, locust, cedar - are relatively rot resistant to very rot resistant. This is the only tone pole on Ramcat and has been in this same white oak stump for about 10 years with maybe another 5-7 years of use in it.

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[Riverdog]

Oh, if you are going to salt it, 20 Mule Team Borax crystals are the trick. [emoji106]


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[jupiterboy]

I would look at the Seal-Once products. Maybe hit the stump when it is really dry and will soak it up. Nothing will make it last forever, but based on my experience with decks and heavy snow pack, this might be your best shot.