Dockside Chat - Forget cement for fence posts

This product is ten times easier then using cement for setting fence posts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIllP-rDNRM&feature=fvwrel

Instead of installation, I think they meant....insulation. Expanding foam isnt passing code IMO and rightfully so.

This product is ten times easier then using cement for setting fence posts.



Easier than concrete? Just fixed a post yesterday. Dug out the old concrete, poured a 40lb bag of dry mix in the hole, took a leak on it, and covered it with dirt. The moisture in the ground will do the rest. ;)

Instead of installation, I think they meant....insulation. Expanding foam isnt passing code IMO and rightfully so.

Hey he is just keeping his pole warm........I agree just piss on it...lol

The video is low budget. They don't even measure, they just pour it in! I think this might be a good temporary solution, but here in Florida with the sandy soil you also need the mass of the concrete to help keep things in place, so I wouldn't think this would work down here. Thanks though!

Would never hold up a wooden fence up to a "Good Blow" here in FL. I bet the bottom of the pole feels nice and cozy though :Q. Lots of folks with absolutely no common sense will gravitate toward this product though because it promises less work. Once they hear that, they couldn't care less how well it works.

Would never hold up a wooden fence up to a "Good Blow" here in FL.

Lots of folks with absolutely no common sense will gravitate toward this product though because it promises less work.



I disagree with the "good blow" statement, because there's more surface area on the foam, it adheres better to the post, and it completely fills the area between post and old dirt. Fresh fill isn't as compacted.

I agree that I might not have any common sense.;) but get to my age and the photo of two gallons of goo compared to lifting 12 bags of concrete makes a strong statement.

Unless it's way cost-prohibitive, I'll try it on the next fence I re-set, because treated posts have about an 8 year life around here. Maybe the foam will extend that time because it (hopefully) won't hold water between the post and concrete.

Garett; thanks for the tip!

I agree, Bamaboy! The post in the video was metal, but if the material adheres ti treated wood, it may be superior to concrete.

Concrete is easy enough, especially if it's just a few posts. When putting up my fence I centered the post and poured the bag of dry "quick crete" in the hole and poured some water on it. Next day it was solid.

Concrete on wooded fence posts rots the wood out quicker . That foam will do the same thing .
When my neighbor hood was built a fence company put all 4 of my neighbors fences in . They didn't concrete the posts on the other 3 , I insisted on concrete on all of mine , mine rotter out a few years ago and a few snapped off when charlie came through in in 04 . The posts that were not concreted in just slightly bent over and were fixed quite easy and none of the snapped . Fence guy warned me and I didn't listen to him

The new PT wood isn't the same as the old .
If you don't put rain caps on top of the posts so water can not soak in like a wick and get trapped in the bottom 3ft of the post as the concrete won't let it dry or drain , it rots out

Use 3/4" rock. It will compact and hold the post and also let the water drain.

Butch

Use 3/4" rock. It will compact and hold the post and also let the water drain.

Butch


:banghead::banghead: KISS....(Keep It Simple, Stupid) Why do we sometimes find ways to complicate dirt?

Thanks, Butch. simple, cheap and easy (so long as rock is available)

Concrete on wooded fence posts rots the wood out quicker . That foam will do the same thing .
When my neighbor hood was built a fence company put all 4 of my neighbors fences in . They didn't concrete the posts on the other 3 , I insisted on concrete on all of mine , mine rotter out a few years ago and a few snapped off when charlie came through in in 04 . The posts that were not concreted in just slightly bent over and were fixed quite easy and none of the snapped . Fence guy warned me and I didn't listen to him

The new PT wood isn't the same as the old .
If you don't put rain caps on top of the posts so water can not soak in like a wick and get trapped in the bottom 3ft of the post as the concrete won't let it dry or drain , it rots out

You say, "They didn't concrete the post on the other 3", what did they do, just compact the dirt?

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Some other options that make it easier to replace later.
Does, did anyone use these or something similar?
I'd rather have galvanized then painted ones.

Yes all they did was fill the holes in with dirt and compacted it in with a sledge hammer and a 2x4

my new fence went it in vynil with concrete no more wood

Power company is using expanding foam when setting new poles.

If I am going to the trouble of digging a new hole replacing a post a buying concrete. I am going to mix the concrete correctly just so it sets up right. No way will I ever dig a hole put the post in and then dump dry concrete hoping ground moisture will set up the concrete correctly.

Easier than concrete? Just fixed a post yesterday. Dug out the old concrete, poured a 40lb bag of dry mix in the hole, took a leak on it, and covered it with dirt. The moisture in the ground will do the rest. ;)
:thumbsup:

Yes all they did was fill the holes in with dirt and compacted it in with a sledge hammer and a 2x4

my new fence went it in vinyl with concrete no more wood

In mentioning that, what about using a vinyl "sleeve" over the 4x4 for those that still want to use concrete or the expanding liquid?
Let the vinyl stick up from the ground 6" +/- and run a few fasteners through the sleeve and into the 4x4 to prevent uplift?
If the wood were ever to rot, unfasten everything and pull the post out and insert another.
;?



.

In mentioning that, what about using a vinyl "sleeve" over the 4x4 for those that still want to use concrete or the expanding liquid?
Let the vinyl stick up from the ground 6" +/- and run a few fasteners through the sleeve and into the 4x4 to prevent uplift?
If the wood were ever to rot, unfasten everything and pull the post out and insert another.
;?



.

good idea :thumbsup:

Yes all they did was fill the holes in with dirt and compacted it in with a sledge hammer and a 2x4

my new fence went it in vynil with concrete no more wood

Ivan went thru our subdivision and the concreted posts either broke off at the ground or leaned over like the ones just stuck in the dirt and tamped with a 2x2, etc.
So placing the posts in concrete was a wasted effort.

Way cheaper to pull the leaners back up versus dismantling the fence in order to fix the snapped posts with new posts.

Lucky for me, the insurance companies would replace the entire snapped posts fences.
Thus I was able to scavenge enough nearly new fence panels to encircle my one acre for free.

As wet as it gets around here I'd be afraid that the foam would float up out of the ground in a good wet spell. I've seen septic tanks do it and even floor safes floating up out of the concrete while it was still wet.
Mike

A couple of things I don't like about it.

1) I would not dig the hole, put post in and add foam. Winter frost would grab a hold of the foam and lift it...to me that is pretty much a given. I would use a sona tube to solve that problem.

2) You look at my original post with the pictured link; I do Not like how the foam swells up more in the middle leaving a depression at the pole. Water would pocket at the pole the way the picture is showing and that would lead to rotting out a wooden poll quite quickly.

A couple of things I don't like about it.

1) I would not dig the hole, put post in and add foam. Winter frost would grab a hold of the foam and lift it...to me that is pretty much a given. I would use a sona tube to solve that problem.

2) You look at my original post with the pictured link; I do Not like how the foam swells up more in the middle leaving a depression at the pole. Water would pocket at the pole the way the picture is showing and that would lead to rotting out a wooden poll quite quickly.

I would not use cement or foam to put a wood fence post in the ground, PT or other wise. The way we do it up here in NE is 3/4" stone packed in around the pole in a hole 2 to 3 times the size of the pole (4" post = 8" to 12" dia hole no sona tube. The problem with putting a wood post in the ground using foam or concrete is the post will rot off within 6 inches of the surface because the water can not drain away from the wood. Water and air on wood = rot. Anyone ever have a fence post break off and still have to dig the rest of the post left in the ground below 6" and have it come out of the ground in near perfect condition? Using 3/4 stone packed around the post will allow water to drain away from the post which will help it last longer.

About as good an idea as setting a boats fuel tank in foam.

If you dont want your wood posts to ever rot again, soak the end in a bucket of glycol antifreeze before you bury it.

Antifreeze? I will give that a try.

I can't remember how many post I put in when I was a kid but a bunch. We always used gravel. 1/3 tamped gravel, 1/3 tamped dirt topped with 1/3 tamped gravel.
That was about 40 years ago and they're all still standing. That was when you could soak the post in coal-tar creosote.

Antifreeze? I will give that a try.

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_nf=1&gs_mss=antifreeze%20woo&tok=UZKAQLn7fuHTC8DcazhpEg&cp=15&gs_id=my&xhr=t&q=antifreeze+wood+rot&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=antifreeze+wood&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=3c711fb061ac048&biw=1252&bih=530

I only use those green uchannel metal ones anymore..

I work for the power company here on Galveston Island (sand ) and we use pole foam all the time . It sets up faster then concrete and you can't hardly pull the pole after words.

I haven't done fences but I've helped with a few mailbox posts. I'll use cement again if the old one had to be dug out and there's an oversize hole, and the new one can't be located elsewhere. Otherwise I dig a tight hole with a post-hole digger and fill in dirt and moisten it. If that isn't tight enough I come back and fill in the slack with sand.

Sand is also good to fix slightly loose poles. It doesn't take much. (Red Solo Cup. You're.. You're my friend!)