Installing Wood Fence Posts Without Concrete

Three factors contribute to this early failure.

Installing wood fence posts without concrete.

Spend some extra time and money on durable lumber and a well drained installation or that beautiful aesthetic will rot in a few years. 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. 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. Tamped soil on a base of gravel is enough to secure most posts but consider concrete for soft soils.

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. Look no matter what preventative steps you take and i ll get to those eventually wooden posts rot. Poor drainage low quality wood and poor protection against insect damage.

Dig post hole so diameter of the hole is 3 times the width of the post i e the hole for a 4 wood post should be about 12 inches wide. Do not set wooden posts in concrete. Almost all posts are loose. 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.

The fence post depth increases with the height of the fence. Wooden fence posts are more vulnerable and fragile than metal. Slowly over the years concrete has cracked and fence has leaned. Cedar has a reputation for durability but unless a few guidelines are followed cedar posts can fail in as few as five years.