hi folks – Hope this is correct forum. I want to replace the roadside mailbox at my house. I want to use either a cedar wood post or a pressure treated wood post. Are you supposed to avoid concreting in a wooden post? Seems to me I remember people saying don’t ever cement a wood post in the ground because the hole will retain water and thus accelerate wood rot. Instead dig a hole, put 4-6 inches of gravel in the bottom for drainage, place the post in the hole, and then tamp the dirt down and make sure the post is straight. But seems to me I’ve also heard people say cement the post in. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Hi, Our front porch is made of large rectangular stone slabs. The mortar in between the stones is chipping and this *may* be causing a leak in our basement - we are still investigating the leak, and decided to fix the mortar regardless. How can we repair the mortar in the most waterproof way possible??? It seems like the previous owner repaired part of it, but this new mortar is failing as well. The porch was built a couple of years ago. The sides of the porch is in excellent condition, but the mortar on the top needs repairing. Damaged sections of mortar also tend to stay humid longer after it rains. Any way to prevent further issues/degradation/water infiltration? Any help would be appreciated!