Installing A Concrete Fence? What To Know About Setting The Fence Posts

Posted on: 19 July 2018

When installing a chain link fence in a grass covered yard, a crucial part of this process is properly setting the fence posts. If you do not install them correctly, the entire fence will be insecure and unstable. Any time a fence posts gets installed in soil, you need to add something to reinforce it, which is typically a concrete footing that the post sets into. While the job seems easy, it can be tricky if you have not done it before. Here are some tips to get you through it.

Digging the Post Holes

The labor involved with digging the post holes will really depend on if there are rocks underground in the soil. If the fence is tall, it requires a deeper hole for the post to go into, which is more labor. While there are not set guidelines for determining the exact depth of the post holes, a good rule to follow is to dig a hole that is ⅓ to ½ of the length of the post when it sticks above ground. This means a 3 foot tall fence needs to have a post hole that is approximately 1 to ½ feet deep.

While an essential tool to have is a special post hole digging shovel, pickaxes can also be useful for dealing with tough soil. You can use it to break up tough soil before you dig a little deeper with the post hole digging shovel. You should also use a tamper to make the bottom of the hole firm when you are finished digging.

Setting the Fence Posts

Make sure that the post is the correct height in the hole, and perfectly straight. You can hold it in place with some rope and stakes so that it does not move. Then mix the concrete by pouring the water and mix directly into the post hole. All the ingredients mix together with some of the loose soil, which actually creates a strong bond. Just make sure to follow directions provided with the concrete for the proper ratio of concrete to water.

Use a drill that has a mixing attachment to easily stir the concrete. While you could mix by hand, it will be labor intensive and take a lot of time.

If you do not feel like you can correctly install the post holes, contact a local fencing contractor like Canyon  Fence Co to do the job for you. It's the best way to insure the fence installation is done correctly.

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