> Kent has an angle on this that seems to work well. I'm not real keen on the longevity of poly-vinyl chloride, but it works and actually lasts longer than wood in a lot of cases.
Yes, I never buy wood laths anymore. Thin-wall 1/2 in. white irrigation pipe is the ticket. It's light and when the flagging fades and weathers away, the pipe is still visible in most settings.
These are 48-inch pieces in the photo below, showing where I found the post holes of a fence that defined the boundary of the tract as originally conveyed.
PVC Pipes
It is true, I have a 4" dia. steel gate post at the end of my driveway.
One day I was opening the gate and heard a weird noise in the post, there was a little bird trying to get out. We ended up helping him out, but at the bottom of the post was the bones of another bird that wasn't so lucky.
Good survival trick I suppose (for me);)
If it gets mowed, it's flush. If it's in a fence, maybe leave 0.3' up. If it's in a wooded area, maybe 0.5' up. I mostly use galvanized pipe now (1/2" in town, 3/4" out rural). I mostly use PVC pipe for witnesses now too, but have used T-bar fence posts, light-duty garden posts, but nothing that would resemble a corner. No pipes or rebars for witnesses.
It all depends on the situation.
Carl
Monuments set flush if practical.
If monument can't be set flush, collar or mound of stones will be used.
Guard stakes could be lath, t-posts, 2"x2"x18" hubs painted white (whites) etc.
I also try to attach a small piece of flagging to a fence or overhanging tree if possible.
One of the best visual cues I have seen land owners employ is white spray paint on exposed rebar with a soda can over the top. Obviously wouldn't fit over a cap, but man you can spot those suckers from quite a distance!