How To Install A Post

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A sturdy wooden fence starts with the posts. The all-time way to install wooden argue posts depends on the type of soil you have—with dense, well-draining soil, you can usually just set the posts in soil or gravel, while sandy or dirty soil requires concrete for stability. Either way, nosotros've got you covered! You'll find pace-by-step instructions for each method below.

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   Effort this method if you lot have dense soil. You lot tin install your posts directly into the soil as long as it'due south dense and has good drainage. The installation is more labor-intensive and a bit less stable than concrete, but also cheaper and (often) more than decay-resistant.

   • Due to boosted strain, gate posts work better when installed in concrete.

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   Choose a durable fence post. Follow local advice if possible, since climate and availability will touch this determination. Unless you live in a desert, it pays to choose durable lumber, which comes in two varieties:

   • Posts made entirely from durable heartwood. Western juniper, black locust, and Osage-orange are excellent choices. Pacific yew, redwood, and virtually cedar and white oak species can last xx+ years in virtually conditions.^[1]
   • Pressure level-treated wood with virtually 1 inch (2.5cm) sapwood surrounding a core of heartwood. Aspen, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pino, and Douglas fir are suitable examples. Buy this from a trusted source to avoid poorly treated wood.
   • Note — All lumber should be labeled every bit suitable for footing contact. Non all pressure-treated wood is intended for burying.

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   Prep the wood against wet (optional). The sawn-off ends of the contend post are vulnerable to moisture. Consider these precautions if you live in a clammy climate:

   • Bevel the peak of the fence post to a 45º angle to encourage pelting runoff, or plan on installing a postal service cap.^[2]
   • Care for the ii ends with a non-water-based, brush-on woods preservative, such as copper naphthenate. Forest preservatives are toxic, so follow safe recommendations on the label. Apply multiple coats of the copper naphthenate and make sure to permit information technology dry for 24 hours after each awarding.

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   Dig the hole. As a general rule, an 8 foot post needs to exist placed and so that two feet of information technology are in the ground. If y'all plan to anchor the post in soil, the hole diameter should be as close to the fence post size every bit possible. If you plan to anchor the post in gravel, dig a scrap wider — roughly eight inches (20cm) across for a standard 4x4 post.

   • Use a postal service hole digger to dig a straight-walled hole. If the soil is difficult, cut through the sod with a shovel and/or let water soak into the dirt.
   • Go along some dirt (or dirt mixed with gravel) nearby to backfill the pigsty.

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   Drop gravel into the hole. A couple inches (few centimeters) of pea gravel or crushed rock improves soil drainage. Tamp it downwards well. This is peculiarly important if your soil has poor drainage.

   • You lot can utilize a wooden stick or broken wood tool handle as a tamping bar, or a slice of scrap lumber.

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   Position the mail in the hole. Middle the post in the hole, and get it level and in line with the other posts. An assistant will be useful to agree this in place during installation. However, if you lot are going to yourself have some 1"x 4"x 4' or longer material available. And then, drive wooden stakes into the ground on ii sides and attach them with screws to the 1"x 4" to brace for "plumbing" (vertical level).

   • Make certain that y'all measure the distance between your posts to ensure that the elevation and bottom rails will fit.

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   Fill the hole with tamped crushed rock or soil. Crushed rock offers better drainage than soil, and may improve stability too if well tamped and installed in dumbo soil. Whether using crushed stone or ordinary soil, shovel it in three–5 inches (7.5–12.5cm) at a fourth dimension, tamping well after each batch.^[3] Echo until the hole is filled.

   • Before each tamping, hold a level against the post and adjust until level.
   • If you'd like to establish grass at the base of the post, employ soil for the last couple inches (several cm), not gravel.

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   End with a small hillock. Build up the soil at the base of the pole to make a pocket-sized "hill" sloping away from the post in all directions. The spot where the post leaves the ground is the well-nigh common location for rot. Good drainage here is extremely important.

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   Set posts in concrete when stability is actress important. Physical may be necessary if you lot are installing a fence in sandy soil, or in very soft, muddy soil. It'south also a practiced idea when installing gate posts to provide extra stability. The master downside to concrete is its power to trap water around the mail. This can reduce the lifespan of the post by many years. The installation described here avoids this trouble with a gravel base and an open-bottomed physical sleeve.

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   Fix your fence posts. All fence posts should be made from durable lumber labeled for footing contact. For more information on selecting and prepping your fence posts, see the method above.

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   Dig a hole wider than the contend mail. ^[4] A typical 4x4 debate postal service requires a physical sleeve about 12 inches (30cm) across. Programme to bury ⅓ of the postal service, and so allow a few inches (several cm) for the base beneath it. A large post hole digger or mail driver will make this chore much easier.

   • Power tools tin be dangerous if the soil is rocky. You may demand to use a clamshell digger instead, plus a long earthworks bar to lever out rocks.
   • The width of the hole should be consistent the whole fashion down, not cone shaped.

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   Add a few inches of gravel. A base of gravel or crushed stone will greatly improve drainage. Pour 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15cm) into the hole and tamp it level.

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   Brace the mail service. Position the mail service in the center of the hole, using a level to guide yous to a vertical position. To hold the mail service in identify, drop two stakes into the soil near two adjacent sides of the mail service. Blast or spiral scrap lumber between the stake and the post. Don't pound the nails or spiral the screws all the way into the post, then you tin easily remove them later.

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   Repeat for each post hole. Dig every postal service hole and caryatid each mail service and so you can pour the concrete all at once. Utilize a cord between corner posts to ensure that all fence posts are in line with each other.

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   Add together more than gravel. Another layer of tamped gravel will further meliorate drainage.

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   Mix your physical . Put on safety glasses and waterproof gloves.^[five] Pour a full bag of physical mix (or as much every bit you tin send) into your wheelbarrow and mix in about xc% of the recommended water co-ordinate to the label. Mix for a few minutes to bank check the final consistency, so slowly add together more than water until the physical feels similar paste.^[six]

   • To salve effort, you can rent a portable concrete mixer or the services of a concrete truck.
   • To save money, make your own concrete mix: 1 office Portland cement, 2 parts sand, and three parts fibroid gravel, by volume.^[7]
   • Some fast-setting concrete mixes can be poured in dry, and then mixed with water in the hole. These mixes tend to be weaker and more expensive, so speed comes at a high price.^[8]
   • Be careful non to brand the concrete too runny. Add together the water in small-scale increments until the physical comes off of the shovel easily.

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   Make full the hole with concrete. ^[nine] Shovel physical into the pigsty up to soil level. Work quickly enough to use each batch of concrete before it hardens. Take care not to splash cement onto the post.

   • Ready a level on peak of the post before the concrete dries to ensure it's direct.^[x]

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    Trowel the concrete into a slope shape. Smoothly cap off the top of the cement with a trowel, grading it outwards from the mail. Aim for a slope roughly ½ inch (1.25cm) to a higher place ground level, dropping to near 1 inch (ii.5cm) below ground level. This pitch will allow the water to flow off the mail, preventing pools of water that promote disuse.

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    Allow at least 3 days for the concrete to cure. Requite the physical some fourth dimension to dry and harden before building the fence or putting whatsoever weight on the post.

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    Seal the gap betwixt post and physical. Once the initial curing is complete, seal the gap around the base of operations of the fence post. This gap will widen with natural expansion and frost, allowing water to pool here and cause rot. Seal it with a sealant that bonds to concrete and wood, such as some silicone sealants or outside acrylic latex caulk.^[11]

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Add New Question

• Question

  What kind of concrete should I use to fix my wooden fence post?

  

  Mike Garcia is a Licensed Landscape Contractor and the Founder of Enviroscape LA, a total-service mural design and construction firm in Los Angeles, California. With over 30 years of experience, Mike specializes in sustainable mural practices. Mike holds an Ornamental Horticulture degree, C-27 Landscape Contractor and D-49 Tree Service Contractor licenses, and Permaculture Design, California Naturalist, International Certified Professional Pond Contractor, and Swimming Building certifications. He is one of eight Internationally Certified Pond Builders in the world. Enviroscape LA has won landscape and water feature awards from the International Professional Pond Contractors Association (IPPCA), National Association of Swimming Professionals (NAPP), and the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA). Mike is a by president of the CLCA and currently serves on their local Board of Directors. Enviroscape LA has been featured in PONDS United states of america Magazine, Pond and Garden Lifestyles Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times. Mike has appeared on Farthermost Home Makeover, HGTV's Landscapers Challenge, and A & E's series Fix That Yard.

  

  Licensed Landscape Contractor

  Expert Reply

• Question

  How do I fix a metallic fence post in physical?

  

  Anthony "TC" Williams is a Professional person Landscaper in Idaho. He is the President and Founder of Aqua Conservation Mural & Irrigation, an Idaho Registered Landscape Business Entity. With over 21 years of landscaping feel, TC has worked on projects such every bit the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise, Idaho. He is a Idaho Registered Contractor and a previously Licensed Irrigator in the State of Texas.

  

  Experienced Landscaper

  Adept Answer

• Question

  How far should the poles be from each other?

  

  This volition depend on how large your fence panels are. Ordinarily the panels are half-dozen feet (ane.8 meters) broad.

• Question

  If a contend has been gear up in concrete and I need to replace it later with new posts, will the concrete be an issue?

  

  If you lot identify posts in concrete, when yous have to supersede them you'll have to remove the concrete. So just know to exist prepared to spend more effort digging up the old physical and post.

• Question

  Will the 4x4 fence post warp in the sunday before I install the fence boards?

  

  Yeah. Don't let you lot posts just sit down in the sun. Wait until you have all your materials on site, and then yous can ready your posts.

• Question

  I am making a lawn practice frame with pressure treated woods 4x4s that are 12 feet tall. I'll use galvanized piping to secure all 4 posts together. I desire to utilize gravel rather than concrete due to a lot of rain in winter. How deep should the postal service holes be?

  

  The rule of thumb is ane/iii length of post, or in this example 4ft. If using gravel merely, tamp down all around the posts every few inches as gravel is poured in.

• Question

  Should I run a string forth the top as well?

  

  If yous want all the tops even, an easier way would be to run a string line after all the posts are set, and then mark and trim off the tops of the posts.

• Question

  Can you please analyze the use of stakes?

  

  The stakes are simply needed to agree it centered and in place. Once y'all're finished, they tin can be removed or left in place, just they're no longer necessary.

• Question

  Is a 6X6 post really warranted for a 6 foot tall fence or is information technology overkill compared to a 4X4 post

  

  No, merely make certain you're using a ten ft. 4x4's and burying them 4 anxiety deep. A 6x6 is a scrap overkill.

• Question

  I demand to fix 24 4x4 posts into concrete on steep terrain to build a fence. How much should I await to spend on labor costs?

  

  Regardless of terrain, labor costs should be the same per hour. What determines labor costs is the length of time information technology takes to finish the task. An efficient 3-human crew could complete your job in a long day (8-ten hours). Price would vary depending on your location, merely you can wait to pay at to the lowest degree $600.

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• Install your corner posts first. In one case they are in place, running a cord betwixt them tin guide the placement of additional fence posts. Commonly, corner or end posts are bigger than other types of posts and they are built in an "H" bracing pattern using another postal service for stability. If the posts are in dirt, then they should also be deeper in the basis than field posts.

• Give the argue fourth dimension to lose its natural moisture earlier you paint it, or the paint could trap the moisture and encourage rot.^[12] Depending on the humidity and how freshly the wood was cutting, drying could accept upward to a few months. You may too consider a h2o repellent stain, which lasts longer than paint.

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• Almost woods will slowly warp over time. This is much more than noticeable in some species than others.

• Always telephone call the National Digline at 811 to request that utility companies come out and marker areas where pipes and wires may be before doing any earthworks.^[xiii]

• Some types of pressure treatment and wood preservative contains harmful chemicals. Wood treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is the nigh notorious, but is no longer sold to homeowners in the US or Eu. If y'all are using CCA-treated wood, do not identify information technology where it could contact drinking h2o or animals that may chew on it. Clothing a respirator while sawing it, and exercise not burn the fleck.^[xiv]

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Commodity Summary X

To install a wood fence post in soil or gravel, kickoff with a post made of a sturdy textile, such as heartwood or force per unit area-treated sapwood with a heartwood core. If the acme of the post isn't already beveled, cut it at a 45-degree angle to encourage rain to run off, which will reduce the chance of h2o damage. Brush a not-water-based wood preservative, such as copper naphthenate, on both cut ends of the postal service. Let the preservative dry for 24 hours earlier you install the post. Use a mail-hole digger to dig a hole with straight, fifty-fifty sides in the gravel or soil where yous plan to put the post. Brand the hole deep plenty so that nearly ¼ of the postal service is under the ground. For instance, if your mail service is 8 ft (two.4 m) tall, your hole should exist most 2 ft (.six yard) deep. If y'all're working with soil, make the diameter of the hole as shut to the size of the fence post as possible. For gravel, brand the hole a petty wider. For case, if the contend mail is four by 4 inches (10 by ten cm), make the pigsty about 8 inches (20 cm) across. To promote better soil drainage and go along the lesser of the mail service from rotting, drop most ii inches (5 cm) of gravel in the bottom of the hole, and so pack it downwards firmly with a stick or a piece of bit wood. Center the post in the pigsty and make certain it's level, then make full in the pigsty effectually the post with soil, gravel, or crushed stone. Cascade in the filler a petty bit at a time and pack it down firmly before adding more, until the pigsty is completely filled in. Finally, build a minor colina of soil or gravel around the base of the post for extra stability. If you're installing the fence in soft sand or soil, you might demand to reinforce the mail with physical. To do this, start by making the hole a little wider and deeper. For a 4 past 4-inch (10 by 10 cm) mail service, make the pigsty nearly 12 inches (30 cm) across. It should be deep plenty to cover at to the lowest degree 1/3rd of the length of the post, plus an extra 4-six inches (ten to 15 cm) at the lesser for gravel. Pour the gravel into the lesser of the hole and tamp it downward firmly, and so slide the post into identify. Wedge a pair of stakes into the pigsty on either side of the post to go along information technology standing. Place some pieces of scrap woods between the stakes and the postal service and lightly boom or spiral them into place. Add some other few inches of tamped gravel around the base of the post, and so fill in the rest of the hole with concrete upward to just in a higher place the surface level of the soil. Employ a trowel to shape the concrete at the base of the post into a low, sloping mound, about ½ inch (i.three cm) above the soil surface at its highest point. Once the concrete sets, seal the gap between the concrete and the bottom of the post with a sealant designed to bond concrete and woods, such every bit silicone or latex caulk. To learn more from our Professional Landscaper co-writer, similar how to dig the holes for your fence posts, keep reading the article!

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