In the article the author mentions that he just pours the dry concrete powder down into the fence post holes and allows the moisture in the soil to soak in and eventually cure the concrete.
I like this idea a lot. Is it for real? Have you done this?
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He's rainy West coast, as am I, but I was still skeptical of this method.
Interested to hear other responses.
I believe "sacrete" has a mix designed for this purpose specifically .
I have done it using regular sack mix myself and it worked for me.
Dry mix followed by a topping of of mixed so I could shape a sloped cap that way.
I personally have never done this.
However I have removed a few fence posts which I am told were done this way. Seemed to have worked. Posts were in place for 15+ years.
Jim
That is a very old technique and yes it does work. Similar to dry pack when laying stone.Every one probably know all this but just in case. The dryer the concrete or mortar the strong and harder it will be. Also you get less shrinkage. That said probably won't make any difference for a post hole. Just mix it up and pour it in the hole.
Yeah, I do it all the time. I usually put some clean 3/4 gravel in the hole, set & rough level the post, dump 1/2 the cement, tamp and level, dump the rest, tamp and level, and then pour some water on top. I had to pull a post ~ 5 years after setting it, and the plug came up with the post, solid as a rock.
Steve
doesn't the gravel around the post let it be dryer and retard the rotting process??? (probably wishful thinking....)
Bud
I think so, and when I build fences, I set the posts in the holes and tamp sand and gravel around them for drainage and never use concrete. Concrete shrinks, or the post shrinks and allows water to be trapped against the post. Almost every post around here that I've seen in concrete is rotted--usually that's why I'm called upon to build a new fence. Often they are rotted right at the soil line, so they snap off there and leave the remainder under ground.
I've seen qute a few fence companies do that. I guess if you have a lot of clay it may actually work backwards causing water to stand in the pea gravel. The post are just as tight in gravel as concrete.
yes it does...
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An interesting idea, and I can see why it might work. I can also see why it might fail. The difference? Preparation and attention to detail.
I've removed / replaced a number of posts, even power poles, that were simply planted in dirt alone. These poles were planted so well that they were strong and true, up to the time the base rotted through.
I've also seen poles -even short ones, for 3 ft. tall fences- that carried their concrete 'puddle' with them as they leaned, shifted,and failed.
Simply put, it seems that there is no substitute for depth. I don't think we fully appreciate the strain on the poles, even if it is only wind pushing on chain-link mesh.
It's possible -and I'm just guessing here- that mixing the concrete with water gives you something that is easier to work with, is more likely to fill every void, and will set both quicker and more uniformly. After all, there is no telling when the soil will let enough water in to do the work (some soils are pretty waterproof), and the concrete that cures first will pretty much seal out further water.
Built a 24'X36' pole barn this way back in '88. And on top of a windy hill. It's still solid as a rock.
Runnerguy
I built a deck a few years back and the city inspector INSISTED I pour the concrete in dry. He didnt want any water added.
It was my sister-in-laws house and i'm still welcome there so I guess it wored fine.
i see people do that but i mix it up with the right amount of water then pour it in, I see the neighbor hired a guy that poured his dry mix into holes standing with water below the water table, I cant believe the mix would be right, even if you have bags i thought one should dry mix first then add the water