Changed my mind about setting posts in wet concrete after a job in Tulsa

I used to think mixing a little wet concrete in the bottom of the hole was a good way to set a post solid, but I saw a crew do it on a big vinyl fence job last month and it's a mess. The concrete sets up like a bowl and traps water right around the wood post, so it rots out way faster. I've pulled three posts from that same neighborhood already, and every one was mush at the base. What's your go-to method for a solid post that still drains?

3 comments

3 Comments

paigewood8d ago

Hold up, I've set hundreds of posts in wet concrete and never had a rot issue. You have to slope the concrete away from the post at the top so water runs off. Those Tulsa posts probably just had a bad finish or the wrong concrete mix. A solid concrete collar locks the post in place way better than gravel for resisting wind.

schmidt.blake7d ago

Ever check if the soil type matters? Clay holds water way worse than sandy ground.

casey7877d ago

Man, that's a solid point from @schmidt.blake about soil. I saw a deck post fail in heavy clay because it just sat in a soggy hole. My go-to now is tamped gravel for the bottom third, then concrete on top sloped for runoff. It seems to lock it in but still lets water drain down past the wood.