Concrete pouring for fence on cold conditions

[foodfisher]

Re: Concrete pouring for fence on cold conditions

Filling the top of the hole with dirt invites early failure. Dirt holds moisture, moisture feeds rot/fungus. I'd fill completely w/concrete and add a slight slope away from any wood member.PS-If subterranean termites are in your area, a dirt fill adds direct access to your new food supply.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Concrete pouring for fence on cold conditions

Filling the top of the hole with dirt invites early failure. Dirt holds moisture, moisture feeds rot/fungus. I'd fill completely w/concrete and add a slight slope away from any wood member.PS-If subterranean termites are in your area, a dirt fill adds direct access to your new food supply.

I have to disagree...I have pulled up ps post that have been in the ground for over 20 years....top of posts were rotted but BELOW ground (clay) look like brand new wood. I have been putting in ps posts for over 40 years and have never had underground rot.

 

[rickryder]

Re: Concrete pouring for fence on cold conditions

Don't know why a few of you guys say concrete cures in 3-5 days...... Full cure on a portland based concrete takes 28 days for a full cure. If you want to set the posts quickly Buy Ace in the hole or Post Set. They are quick setting mixes... http://www.packagepavement.com/setting_post_qk.html

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Concrete pouring for fence on cold conditions

PS post? Here in so cal. I've dug out rotted posts from the concrete they were set in and placed PT (pressure treated) posts back in the same empty space. Rotted posts were redwood. You know where the saying "termites don't eat redwood" came from. Redwood salesmen. PT wood is said to be good for 50+ years, but that only covers the treated parts. Cut a treated 4x4 and look at the end. You'll see the center didn't treated. Rot and termites will devour the center. Want to hang a gate on a potential shell? Just saying

 

[Nandy]

Re: Concrete pouring for fence on cold conditions

Thanks for the input guys but the question was about packing the dry concrete or not. I went ahead and pack it as some locals have done. Thanks.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Concrete pouring for fence on cold conditions

PS post? Here in so cal. I've dug out rotted posts from the concrete they were set in and placed PT (pressure treated) posts back in the same empty space. Rotted posts were redwood. You know where the saying "termites don't eat redwood" came from. Redwood salesmen. PT wood is said to be good for 50+ years, but that only covers the treated parts. Cut a treated 4x4 and look at the end. You'll see the center didn't treated. Rot and termites will devour the center. Want to hang a gate on a potential shell? Just saying

Here in NC redwood is a joke...might last 5 years underground before the termites consume it....PT is just the opposite here, the top rots before the bottom. Don't know 'bout california but I've been putting up fence in NC for years and that's the way it has been around here.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Concrete pouring for fence on cold conditions

One of the many things that I have done over a lifetime was install fence for sears as a sub contractor. You have nothing to worry about. I used to fill the hole up with concrete until it was 5 or 6 inches from the surface then fill it the rest of the way with dirt. Like someone else said,this is not structural I used to pour DRY ready mix into the hole then pour a bucket of water on top of it and then agitate with a piece of re-bar.

This will work. Done it myself. Great for fence posts and saves the effort of mixing concrete (ugg)!