Let's put up a fence!!

I am going to attempt putting up a fence to keep neighborhood busybodies at bay.

When setting the post (4"x4" post = 12" wide x 24" deep hole), should I concrete or not??

I have admittedly no experience with such things but I say yes.

yes and if freezing is an issue, make sure you dig below the frost line

If you run concrete between the posts (under the fence itself), it keeps the grass from growing up and rotting the fence.

I have been informed (and seen the end result) that the acidic concrete destroys the wood faster. Pack in some gravel instead.

If the fence is taller than 4 feet, definitely use concrete. Of course this is based on my experience, so your situation may be different.

I put in 200' of 4' picket, 100' of 6' stockade, and a 4'tall x 10' wide gate. The posts are 5"x5" PT.

Because of large boulders used for fill when the house was built in the 50s, a significant number of posts that couldn't go to the full depth. Add a high water table (I hit water at 6" deep on some holes), the choice was clear and I used concert on all the posts.

The results: 7 New England winters later the fence is still as straight as an arrow and the gate doesn't sag when closed or open.

6‘ privacy fence . . . I forgot to add that.

Soak the bottom of the fenceposts in drain oil for about a week before burying them.

Pour a little waste oil on the top of each post every time you do an oil change. A little around the bottom helps too.

Keeps your fenceposts from rotting.

I would never do a thing like this, it's just what I've heard.

Check your local building codes first, if the busy bodies are busy, the inspector will stop by. Mine has to be within 6" of property line, there is no good side - bad side rule.

Go with gravel like crush 'n run, concrete floats after a few years. Buy a decent fence post tamper also, well worth the investment!

Dan

Keith Tanner wrote: I have been informed (and seen the end result) that the acidic concrete destroys the wood faster. Pack in some gravel instead.

If you use pressure treated wood that's rated for contact with concrete or masonry (or direct burial) you should be all right. I suggest putting the posts on a little compacted gravel at the bottom of the hole, then pouring concrete around them once they are trued up. That way you're making a collar that is open at the bottom so water can drain out, rather than a closed concrete bottom that will hold the post in a tub of water.

In reply to 914Driver:

Strangely enough, the busy bodies don't care about stuff like that. They are an odd bunch due to them being fickle . . .

I say concrete. Get an auger, dig the holes dip/soak the fence posts in your favorite preservative. Some gravel in the bottom, drop in the post then fill with unmixed concrete, it will adsorb moisture from the ground to set up. I've done work like that and helped friends to it no issue over a decade later. The fence posts are starting to rot from the top and be damaged by striming, but no rot at the base.

My fence posts are just set in the ground, and have been that way for 25 years with no issues. I say no concrete.

I've built a lot of fences over the years. uce concrete but as adrian says, no need to premix it. Just pout it in dry and spray the top when everything is plumb. Power auger is your friend depending on local soil conditions.

My favorite fence I ever built was a shadowbox style with the top in nice arches from one post to the next and the bottoms of all the pickets set in a 6" though of concrete (made weedeating it easier and impossible for dogs to escape from).

Nothing says "berkeley off" like razor wire.

Can't you just pour the concrete in the hole and use one of those fencepost holders that will sit in the concrete. Then you just bolt your fencepost in place. This will keep wood off concrete.

Over the last 15 years, I've pulled a LOT of fence posts out of the ground to gain access to backyards and every single one of them has been set in concrete. None of them have been rotten at the bottom.

I'd use concrete.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I say concrete. Get an auger, dig the holes dip/soak the fence posts in your favorite preservative. Some gravel in the bottom, drop in the post then fill with unmixed concrete, it will adsorb moisture from the ground to set up. I've done work like that and helped friends to it no issue over a decade later. The fence posts are starting to rot from the top and be damaged by striming, but no rot at the base.

This. Ade helped me put a 6' privacy fence in my back yard about 6-7 years ago using this method, and it's holding up perfectly. In fact, I didn't even dip the posts in anything, just dropped them in the holes and filled with Quikcrete.

Cool!! Thanks for all the responses.

For Quikcrete . . . Just the normal plain jane stuff??

Definitely use concrete, BTDT. The cheap stuff with aggregate in it will be fine. Figure 3/4 bag per hole. Dump it in dry, mix a little water with a piece of rebar etc. Make sure the posts are labeled 'GC' (Ground Contact). Rent an auger, 8" diameter will be fine for 4x4's, then make sure you call the utility location service before digging a single hole! They will come out and mark for free, the catch is if you DON'T call them and hit an underground phone line, CATV, power line etc then you can be on the hook for repairs!

^^This.

Also, take the time and use screws instead of nails.

Yeah, definitely use screws. From personal experience, spend a little more and get the square drive type. The Philips and Torx type wear out bits at approximately the same rate as the Germans fired shells in the Battle of the Bulge.

Contact your city planner, to verify what kind of fence you're allowed to build. F-I-L didn't, and had to tear down his 6' tall privacy fence, as city code only allows 4' privacy (what's the point?) or 6' chain link.

One more thing: be REAL sure where the property line is! A neighbor some years ago did not do this, he came home one day and found little pink flags all over the place. Turned out the neighbor between us was selling his house, when the deal was about to go down the surveyor came out to verify the placement of the property markers and it turned out he had encroached about 3' on one side. This meant he had to tear down and rebuild the fence. The worst part was it was on the side which had the drive through gate, he could no longer keep his boat in the back yard.

In reply to RealMiniDriver:

Had a neighbor a while back that asked for permission to install an 8ft privacy fence and was denied stating 6ft was the limit. He asked if he could build up 2 feet of soil around his property and build the fence on that and was lauded for his creativity and told to go right ahead.

That back yard was awesome when done. So quiet compared to the houses next door