Wood – How to repair damage to the corner of a 4×4 post

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I'm updating my outdoor shower, and planning to reuse the existing (20 year old pressure treated) 4×4 posts. They're still solidly seated in the ground and surrounded by decking so I'd like to avoid replacing them.

In a couple of spots, the wood is broken or chipped out where an old hinge used to hang, or just from wear and tear. (Pictured below.) I'd like to repair it for cosmetic reasons before painting them and updating the rest of the shower.

What's the best way to make the repair? My instinct is to use my multi-tool to cut out the broken wood and then cut a new piece of wood and nail (and/or glue) it into the cutout. E.g. cut a 1"x1" section out of the broken corner and replace it with a solid piece of wood. Then saw/sand it flush. Is that a reasonable solution? Are there any more obvious / easier / better solutions? Thanks.

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Best Answer

Your intended repair method is called a "Dutchman". A This Old House article shows how to do it, but it's basically exactly what you said, so I won't bother to repeat the steps here.

It may look "repaired", but Dutchmen are used to repair knots and cracks in wood in fine furniture, so there's no reason you couldn't use one here, as well. They're often made of a contrasting color of wood to celebrate the repair and show off a bit, so there's no stigma of the repair being visible. Of course, if you're planning on painting the posts, then a well done Dutchman will be basically invisible when you're done anyway.

Since this is structural, you will want to be sure that you make good, tight fitting joints, and you'll want to be sure to make your Dutchmen out of PT lumber, and use a waterproof (not just water resistant) glue, to give it the best possible chance of lasting as long as the rest of the post.