I gave up on the 'perfect post hole' rule for a week and my work got faster

Everyone says you need to dig each post hole exactly 36 inches deep, no matter what. I was setting a line of fence in a really rocky part of my town last month, and hitting solid rock at about 28 inches on half the holes. The usual fix is to rent a breaker, which adds time and cost. So, for a 50-foot section, I just set those posts at 28 inches and packed the heck out of the concrete, making a wider base. I was sure it would fail. A big storm came through two weeks later with crazy wind, and that section held just as firm as the deeper ones. It made me think we might be too rigid with the rules sometimes when the ground is tough. When have you all adjusted the 'right way' because the site forced your hand?

3 comments

3 Comments

paigesullivan9d ago

I mean, that's a really interesting point about the concrete base. When you packed it wider, did you change your mix at all, like using more gravel, or just go with your usual bag mix? I've always heard the wider base helps with leverage, but I'm curious if the storm proved it was just as good for sheer holding power in the wind.

kelly.nora20h ago

Yeah, the "sheer holding power" thing @paigesullivan mentioned is exactly it. My last base was a total overkill brick. I used so much mix it was like a small tombstone. The wind just laughed and tried to flip the whole thing. This time I went wider but way thinner, almost like a big patio stone. It didn't try to lift at all because there was no edge to catch the wind underneath. It just sat there, flat and stubborn. Sometimes the answer isn't more concrete, it's smarter concrete.

skyler_thomas9d ago

Actually went with a leaner mix, less gravel. The wider base spreads the load so you don't need as much mass in the middle. It held through the wind because it couldn't tip, not because it was heavier.