Yes it is normal and you have both #1 and #2.

To avoid this, the wood should have been dried and sealed, at least sealed.

In the future, if it rains, the wood will continue to crack and rot.

Thanks, Jim! So, since it may not have dried appropriately, and definitely was not sealed, should we press to have these replaced? They are outside deck posts, so they will be exposed to the elements, especially harsh sun and rain as we are in the south.

Any type of wood will be a poor choice in this application. Do you have a picture looking back at the deck from the yard?

No pictures from the yard? I was interested in the deck structure and the style of house.

What type of surface is on the deck?

Next time you are at the job site, take a few pictures showing the deck construction from the yard.

I would have suggested the brick wrapped columns be instead concrete wrapped with brick extending above the deck floor to become part of the railing.

The cracks happen as the wood drys out. 8x8 material is typically green wood and will shrink, twist and crack as it drys. Sealing will do nothing to prevent the drying process.

It looks like the wood is sitting on, or the tile is wrapped around and maybe grouted to the posts. Another problem as this is an area that may trap and hold water causing rot.

Without images it's impossible to make good comments or suggestions.

Cedar should never be in contact with any wet surfaces; in the south it will even rot as siding due to the high relative humidities.

And it is a major maintenance struggle to keep it looking the “cedar” color.

The cracking will continue, if water/rain is allowed into the cracks, the cracking will increase and rot will start. Water will get into the cracks, this may cause rot.

There are cosmetic fixes and structural assists.

This may be an example of wrong materials for your location.

The replacement may cause more issues than fixing what you have. Post Pictures of the footing and post at the concrete from below.

I've got a log cabin. Checks are normal. We've got checks on inside and outside on the logs and beams. The logs were dried to 18 % moisture and still developed checks. For the logs on the outside we were told to use Big Stretch caulk to fill them. That could be something to look into. They make different colors. You don't want water getting in them. As far as cedar being used for that application I don't know about that.

Some checking is normal but that looks significant. And I'm surprised they didn't finish the tops of the posts off so there are no flat surfaces like the this...

We have sever checking in our 8x8 post columns on the front they are 11 ft tall and the back porch they 9 ft tall. They have been stained but inside the checking/cracks it’s not stained of course. should we try to get the stain down in there? I’m really not sure how we’d do that. They are also swisting. Should we be concerned or is this all normal for cedar post?

HU:

Don't worry please; it's normal.

Thank you!

Staining the cracks will do absolutely nothing for the wood to prevent cracking. Cracking is common, it's normal and there isn't a thing which can be done about it, The thicker the post the more it will crack and the lower the density of the wood the deeper the cracks will go. Red Cedar is the second lightest wood next to balsa so of any wood used cedar is the one that will crack the deepest. Staining will help repel water and block UV rays from the sun but won't stop cracks and the best stain ends up being just a paint.

Your timbers will never stop moving and the checks will open and close as the outer layers of the timber pick up and shed moisture. Do NOT try to fill the checks with epoxy or something similar. it will make it worse.

Why people buy and use these expensive timbers thinking they'll look the same as new is a mystery to me but I'm sure the builder didn't tell you what to expect. The UV rays destroy the woods lignin without extensive UV protection and in 10 years time they look like old nasty tree stumps. One things for certain, it won't be soon before you end up painting the posts to cover up the ugly and the reason you bought them in the first place will be lost, but will still have the cracks.

Best thing for posts isn't a solid post but a box built around a 4"x4" or 6"x6" treated post using 3/4" treated lumber, or even cedar and stained the color you want. You'll rarely see big funky checks because the outer box is thin wood which will dry easier with less movement.

Well the good news is that in 10 years I hope to have move on from here. Thanks for all your knowlegde and advice. Where were you when we were building? 😂

In the sun, the outer surface of a timber shrinks faster than the inner core creating cracks. Slowing this process down helps but it's difficult or impossible to prevent cracking in large timbers. As Kevin suggested, the best solution is to cover smaller structural posts. Take a look at the Woodway cedar rail kits with copper clad post caps.

https://www.woodwayproducts.com