Installing Wood Fence Posts Without Concrete

Cedar has a reputation for durability but unless a few guidelines are followed cedar posts can fail in as few as five years.

Installing wood fence posts without concrete.

Slowly over the years concrete has cracked and fence has leaned. Concrete is a no no for fence posts may 12 2012. Poor drainage low quality wood and poor protection against insect damage. Tamped soil on a base of gravel is enough to secure most posts but consider concrete for soft soils.

Three factors contribute to this early failure. How to set a long lasting fence post without concrete may 8 2015 daniel fence post fence posts 8 comments at 15 and eager to find my first real job i followed up mercilessly on an application i submitted to a farm county park that was an easy bike ride away. Almost all posts are loose. The fence post depth increases with the height of the fence.

Inspect your posts at least once a year ideally in spring or fall and reapply paint or stain as necessary to protect the wood and keep your fence looking its best. A 24 inch depth works well for a 4 foot tall fence but a fence that is 6 feet high should have posts sunk 3 feet deep or more. I installed eight foot high wood privacy fence with 12 foot 4 4 with 2 x 4 cross pieces and 1 x 4 fencing in 1990 all posts cemented in total of 170 feet. Here s how to install new cedar fence posts and avoid the problems that made your old posts rot.

The depth of the hole should be 1 3 1 2 the post height above ground i e a 6 foot tall fence would require a hole depth of at least 2 feet. Wooden fence posts are more vulnerable and fragile than metal. Installing fence posts in place with concrete is the best way to guarantee that they remain upright and unmoving but you might not relish the idea of mixing batch after batch of concrete to fill. Look no matter what preventative steps you take and i ll get to those eventually wooden posts rot.