Correct cement for fixing handrail post?

[laymanuk]

Forgive me if this question has already been answered but I'm new to this site and I couldn't find any related posts by searching these forums.

We have steps outside the front of our house which have a metal handrail. This handrail is held up my thick wooden posts concreted into the ground. The top post has worked itself loose over time and now there is a hole of about 5cm around the post and that is preventing the handrail from staying up.

I would like to reset the post in concrete so that it stays upright. We have neighbours with kids who do occasionally trespass onto the front of our house and so I am concerned about them knocking over the post whilst the concrete is drying so I have bought a fast setting mortar (Hanson quickset Mortar - Dry Blend) that claims to set in 10 minutes.

I am now worried that it may not actually be strong enough to keep the post in place. I have never done this sort of thing before so I wondered if anyone knew if such a product was O.K. for this kind of work? If not, what product should I be using?

thanks in advance.

 

[imamartian]

i'm no expert, but that sounds like it's doomed to failure... If the original concrete has moved away from the post, it'll keep going regardless of what you pour into the hole. I'd say you need to fetch the whole lot out and reset it again...

You're concern about the tresspassers seems a bit odd too, as you state they only trespass occasionally, whereas you only need a good 12 hours for the concrete to go off sufficiently... i'd say take your chances, and do the job properly !