I went to Home Depot twice and asked this question to 2 different "experts". One said 24" and the other debated between 36" and 41". We live about 40 miles north of Detroit, Michigan.
Also, one said that 60 pounds of contrete is enough and the other said 120 pounds (per post). Some was to go around the post and some inside.
2006-06-21 06:02:46 · 5 answers · asked by Wes W 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
The posts are vinyl.
2006-06-21 06:42:26 · update #1
I would say 24" would be your absolute minimum, 36" is probably best, 41" sounds like overkill UNLESS you get a lot of frost heave
I've used 1 bag of concrete per post. make sure you taper the concrete so water runs to the outside of the plug (and use silicone caulk for where post meets concrete. Assuming posts are wood, you can also fit rebar, perpendicularly thru the post to provide firmer anchor to concrete. Aslo you may want to consider tamping peagravel into the base of your hole for better drainage.
PS. maybe a little deeper and more concrete for gate posts.
2006-06-21 06:14:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Vinyl Fence Posts
2016-12-13 06:54:05 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one has actually hit on the proper answer here. The post needs to be sunk below the frost line. PERIOD. Otherwise, the post could heave (be pushed out of the ground in the winter. The frost line for your area is different than the frost line for another area. Call your local building department and ask them what the code is for setting fence posts. I live in an area with NO frost line and I sink the posts at least 2 and sometimes two and a half feet. When I lived up north, they had to be at least 35" in the ground. PT posts will withstand being encased in concrete. They may rot eventually, but by then, you would probably want to replace the fence anyway. Oh, and btw, a 4 X 4 is only approximately 3 and a half inches in both directions. It's called "nominal dimensions".
2016-03-15 14:00:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Typically, a rule of thumb is the post should be buried 1/3 of it's length, so for a 3' fence, you should buy posts that are 4 1/2 feet long and sink the posts 18". 60 pounds of concrete is plenty enough for each post. Those suckers will never come out!
2006-06-21 06:11:13 · answer #4 · answered by hellzbellz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Location location is the key word here, and your 40 miles north of Detroit, I'd say minimum depth of 24 inches deep and the max you will need to go would 36 " This is a judgment call by the person installing. and yes, everyone will give you a different answer. the object of th game is to beat that frost line so the post don't move 60 lbs per post for the concrete is fine.
2006-06-21 06:16:29 · answer #5 · answered by The Old Moose 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are yanking your leg,,,for a 3 ft tall fence,,,24 inchs deep with about one bag of post mix...around the out side and fill the center to ground level with sand..........So buy 5 ft post bury em 2 ft deep
2006-06-21 06:10:03 · answer #6 · answered by Jerry S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋