Concreting Fence Posts

[bolo 2]

I have have to reinforce my 6’ garden fence with 2 new 4” posts. I’ve got the posts and the materials but unsure if it’s ok to concrete them in when the temperature is averaging around 2 degrees at the moment and need advice.

 

[HERTS P&D]

No problem, as long as you can dig the holes in the ground.

Andy

 

[JohnD]

you can make the mix with hot water if you like. The heat won't last long, but if you cover over the fresh concrete to protect it from frost, for a day or two, it will be OK.

 

[bolo 2]

Thanks guys, here’s hoping the ground hasn’t frozen solid.

 

[Notch7]

use post savers or wrap with bitumen flashband....makes the posts last a lot longer.

builders routinely do concreting at this temperature -they just avoid the real hard frost days / nights

you can use post mix dry --ram the mix in hard with post level, then pour on some water from a watering can and if very cold, cover with some cloth or similar

 

[bolo 2]

Elsewhere I read that the hole for a 4" post should be 8" wide by 30" deep. Seems a bit narrow to me. I'm going for the post dry mix.

 

[mikeey84]

Ideally you want the hole as narrow as possible, just to save on concrete.

Post should have 1/3 of its length in the ground.

 

[JohnD]

If the ground is soft, or the wind is strong, a wider wedge of concrete will spread the load, so less likely to move.

 

[bolo 2]

If the ground is soft

The soil most definitely is not soft! In fact, what appears to be the bedrock lies less than half a metre from the surface. I discovered this when I attempted to install a whirligig.

 

[Munroast]

the temperature a foot down will be 4 or 5 degrees even if it is -10 outside, cover the top of it with an old blanket for a few days, or just some plastic and shovel some soil on top of that.