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I have a 6x6 PT post that I will be wrapping in PVC and install a top post cap. The issue is at the top of one of the post, it twitted a bit. So now when I install the top post cap it will be at an angle. You can see from the picture its not too bad, I would say it twisted about an inch or so. I currently have bracing so it doesn’t get worse but what can I do the fix that issue? Or will there be room on the PVC wrap and cap that I can hide this? I’m not a professional carpenter so I looking for ideas on what to do here in order to straighten the post at the top. Thanks in advance for the suggestions. I would really appreciate suggestions on what I need to do to lessen this when I wrap the post with azek post wrap. P post twisted

After cutting a little off the post on the side and sanding it, it got it looking almost unnoticeable. Thanks for all the suggestions.

enter image description here

Da P.A
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    wrapping in vinyl/pvc is kind of where the handyman skills end and it is more about being an artist. When I am working on a project and I think... "my wife would probably do better on this than me" I either get her help or I hire out - I can't even draw a decent stick figure. Guys that wrap daily will make this look good with the twist. If you need to get rid of the twist you need a substantial C coupling on the top that you can rotate or put pressure on... curious to see the ideas on taking the twist out. But the wrap can be done with the twist... seen worse. – DMoore Aug 18 '21 at 18:28
  • Ok, so I'm assuming the wrap has a little room to play with that can make the twist not to noticeble. Just curious if there are ways to fix it now before I wrap it and install the top cap. – Da P.A Aug 18 '21 at 20:12
  • Is this a pre-purchased "wrap kit" or are you buying the PVC (either in board or sheet form) and cutting it yourself? The kit may or may not have room to accommodate the twist without twisting itself. If you're cutting your own, you can build in the room and shim to hold it solid. – FreeMan Aug 19 '21 at 16:39
  • You're not going to be able to "un-twist" the post or prevent it from twisting more if that's what it wants to do. There's no bracing or such that can withstand the pressures. Covering it with PVC may hide it sufficiently, but leave some room for additional seasonal movement if it wants to twist or untwist underneath the PVC skin. – gnicko Aug 20 '21 at 19:31

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Since you're going to be wrapping it in vinyl the best way to prepare a warped post is sanding the warp out of it as much as possible with a belt sander. What you'll be doing is sanding off the 'high' corners starting with where the warp begins and work your way up on each side. Belt sanders can be aggressive so work slowly and be careful not to overdo it. "When all you need is an aspirin, don't take the whole bottle."
This will mean that you'll have some gaps opposite the corners on the same surface under the vinyl wrap that you can fill with furring strips or other types of shims that you can cut to fit. In other words between the sanding and shimming you will be squaring up the post.
Once it's wrapped it will all be square.
As mentioned in the comments by @DMoore this requires a bit of an artists touch but not too difficult to do.
Good luck.

HoneyDo
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  • thank you so much, I was thinking about sanding it as well but wasn't sure if it was a viable solution. I really appreciate your advise. – Da P.A Aug 18 '21 at 20:53
  • Yeah, the trick is the shim should be the same thickness as the amount of wood you sanded off. – HoneyDo Aug 18 '21 at 20:57
  • If you're sanding PT lumber, I'd strongly recommend a dust mask. The good news is that there are loads available and they're pretty cheap now. – FreeMan Aug 19 '21 at 16:40
  • Oh yeah! You're right but shouldn't need PT if it's all kept above grade. But good point! – HoneyDo Aug 19 '21 at 17:51
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    Sanding will work but it's going to be a lot more time/effort than if you used a plane or maybe even a saw. If you sawed the high corners off one side you could possibly nail them on the other to make up the gap. – gnicko Aug 20 '21 at 19:33