Replies

1. 
   Stray_ | Oct 30, 2000 03:53pm | #1

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   Can't speak to the curing question. Round here the rulew of thumb is DON'T sink the post in concrete at all. Although PT is designed to last for decades, it's a no-no to encase it in concrete. As long as you are going well below frostline, no reason you can't sink the post in the hole and damp good 'ol mother earth around it.

1. 
   Robert_Lee_Barrott | Oct 30, 2000 08:17pm | #2

   *Do not put your fence post in concrete because if you ever have to replace it if it breaks off you will have to chip out the concrete first. Just use 3/4" limestone and pack it in good. This will let the water drain from around the post and it will last a long time. The concrete will hold the water and your post will rot faster.

1. 
   Pro-Dek | Nov 01, 2000 08:55am | #3

   *An incised pressure treated post is guaranteed to last 50 years buried. That means I'll be 104 years old when it rots. By then I'm not going to replace the thing so I say throw a bag of premix concrete around the thing and let the next young buck worry bout replacin it.As for the twisting and shrinking, put it in the ground wet.It's going to do that wet or dry and I don't have a year to wait for these fresh outta the pond things to dry out.

1. 
   Messi | Nov 01, 2000 12:29pm | #4

   *I've probably put in 500 PT 4x4 post in the last year. Never used concrete. Always sunk to below the frost line. I've never had one twist real bad. I'll put them in the day the supply house drops them off. Often I use rough cut, which is quite green still. I feel getting all the fence boards on helps to prevent some of the twisting.

1. 
   carter_hackney | Nov 06, 2000 01:29pm | #5

   *Consensus is, don't set PT posts in concrete. I will put posts in "sans" concrete. And certainly tamp. Tamping is so important. Especially next to foundations and behind retaining walls. How many walls have you seen arching out from vertical. About 1 in 3.

2. 
   Will_Allen | Nov 07, 2000 12:25am | #6

   *Concrete footings are sometimes vital to maintaing a straight fence line in high wind situations or clay soil areas. The trick is to not encase the bottom of the post in concrete. Set the bottom few inches in gravel allowing the water the post absorbs to get out. This goes for any type of post; cedar, redwood etc.

2. 
   carter_hackney | Nov 07, 2000 12:25am | #7

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   Treated lumber is great. But we all know that it continues to shrink and possibly twist as it dries. Before setting a 4x4x8' treated post into concrete, is it better to let it stabilize (dry out) indoors, or stabilize outdoors, where it will eventually be?