PSA: I think we're overdoing it with the concrete for corner posts

Everyone says to use a full bag of mix per post, but on a job in Tempe last month, I only used half a bag for a 6-foot cedar fence and it's rock solid after a full monsoon season. Has anyone else had a good result with less concrete, or did I just get lucky?

3 comments

3 Comments

xenawhite5d ago

Absolutely! I did the same thing on my own fence line about three years back. I only used maybe a third of a bag for each corner post, just enough to really lock the gravel base in place. Those posts haven't budged a bit, even with our heavy clay soil holding water. It seems like a lot of the advice is for worst-case soil conditions, or maybe just to sell more concrete mix. Your experience in Tempe really proves the point.

aaron7085d ago

Yeah, I always thought you needed a whole bag per post too. But seeing it hold up in clay and hearing your method with just a third of a bag really makes me reconsider. Maybe the gravel does most of the work and the concrete is just there to seal it all in. How deep did you set your corner posts?

emery8794d ago

How deep did you set the post? I used half a bag for my corner posts in sandy soil and packed gravel tight around the base. They've been solid for two years now.