Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Attention Forum Users: On the 28th of December 2023 at 9:00am Central Time, we will be taking the forums down for maintenance while we prepare the new forums for your use. Please click here for more information.

Tool Talk Discussion Forum

dry concrete in a post hole?

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
sjh

06-28-2007 10:11:38




Report to Moderator

I have done this twice. The first was a porch. 5 years later dug post up to add a deck. Concrete never set. Second one is brother did it and the post sank on him. My question is, if you have done this have you ever dug it up and found the concrete set?




[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
cj3b_jeep

06-29-2007 04:54:07




Report to Moderator
 Re: dry concrete in a post hole? in reply to sjh, 06-28-2007 10:11:38  
Here in Ohio, at least in my county, the standard is to drill an 18" hold, 38" deep. Make a concrete pad in the bottom 8" thick. Set post on top, backfill and pack tightly. I do like the idea of pea gravel. If you set your posts with concrete around them, you're just asking for them to rot. For smaller jobs, I have set them in concrete, but I wrapped the post with tar paper beforehand.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Thunderr

06-28-2007 20:01:24




Report to Moderator
 Re: dry concrete in a post hole? in reply to sjh, 06-28-2007 10:11:38  
WELL DONE FAWTEEN! Thats the way it ought to be done, if only it could always be that good...And for fence posts the very best is gravel filled. Forget post rotting, hard to remove and useless concrete, or expensive rapid post mix.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Mr Bob

06-28-2007 19:59:36




Report to Moderator
 Re: dry concrete in a post hole? in reply to sjh, 06-28-2007 10:11:38  
I never set treated posts in concrete. I pour slag or crushed limestone around them and tamp it down hard with the top end of a spudbar. Here in Ohio, I've seen treated posts that were set in concrete rot off right at the top of the concrete. I've never yet known of any I've set over the years to have rotted off or come loose yet.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
ldj

06-28-2007 19:20:02




Report to Moderator
 Re: dry concrete in a post hole? in reply to sjh, 06-28-2007 10:11:38  
No. But I put pea gravel in the hole. Works better than anything I ever used. Here in Tx when It gets dry and the ground cracks open, the pea gravel will work down an fill the void. With cement in the hole, when the ground cracks open there is nothing but a space between the cement and where ground pulled away, letting the post lean.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Midwest redneck

06-28-2007 13:18:13




Report to Moderator
 Re: dry concrete in a post hole? in reply to sjh, 06-28-2007 10:11:38  
What I did for my deck is....I used a Hilti hammer drill with a mixing bit to mix concrete in 5 gallon buckets and then I poured it in the holes. (works great, and you dont need a cement mixer)



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
souNdguy

06-28-2007 11:58:52




Report to Moderator
 Re: dry concrete in a post hole? in reply to sjh, 06-28-2007 10:11:38  
I like addingwater to the hole and give it a few mixing shots with the shovel.

For big piles.. I like to drop a pillow block.. or concrete pad block in the hole to prevent sinking.. etc..

Soundguy



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
jml755

06-28-2007 10:45:30




Report to Moderator
 Re: dry concrete in a post hole? in reply to sjh, 06-28-2007 10:11:38  
That is a common way to set posts. I've done it in the past and had mixed results, depending upon the moisture in the soil, time of year, etc. I've also poured wet concrete around the posts with mixed success. (Concrete sets up nice, but develops cracks at the corners where it's the thinnest.) Next pole barn I build will just have gravel or crushed concrete around the posts for drainage. You'll probably get dozens of different opinions on this. Should be interesting reading.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Fawteen

06-28-2007 12:23:41




Report to Moderator
 Re: dry concrete in a post hole? in reply to jml755, 06-28-2007 10:45:30  
I'm with you. If you are in frost country, a "dry hole" is the best. Local frost line is considered to be 4 feet.

I've done two projects where any heaving would cause significant problems. I built a deck for a B&B, used 6x6 PT on the corners, down a minimum of 4 feet 5 if I could get it, poured a 4" thick pad in the bottom, set the post and wrapped it in plastic (theory is the frost will move the plastic, not the post) and backfilled it with well tamped screened gravel. Hasn't even twitched in 10 years.

Built a pole barn the same way, with the same results.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy