Neighbor told me my fence posts were 6 inches too shallow

Last spring I was putting up a 6 foot privacy fence and had the posts set maybe 24 inches deep. My neighbor Bob came over and said that won't hold up to our heavy clay soil and frost heave, he recommended 36 inches minimum. I was skeptical because it meant more digging and more concrete bags but I went ahead and reset everything deeper. Sure enough this winter we had some serious ground shifting and my fence barely budged while his old one from before tilted. Has anyone else gotten good advice from a neighbor that saved them a headache later?

3 comments

3 Comments

wright.taylor7d ago

Yikes, that's a solid neighbor win right there. So now I gotta ask, did Bob give you any specific reason why 36 inches is the magic number for your clay soil, or was it more of a "just trust me, I've been around" kind of thing? Because I hear different rules for different frost lines depending on where you live, and I'm wondering if he actually checked your local building codes or just guessed based on his own fence.

holly_green827d ago

My uncle used 30 inches for his shed and the frost heave cracked the whole foundation.

spencer_hayes717d ago

Bob sounds like he knows his stuff. My neighbor Mike once told me I was mixing my concrete too wet for setting mailbox posts, said it weakens the mix. I blew him off because I figured wetter is easier to work. A year later and that mailbox was leaning like the Tower of Pisa after one good rain. @wright.taylor Mike actually showed me a picture he took of his own failed fence post from back in the 90s, said he learned the hard way so I wouldn't have to. Now I listen to any older guy with dirt on his boots.