Just bought $600 worth of vinyl picket fencing (Question)

[matcom]

replacing an old wooden fence with vinyl (no more painting!) :woohoo:

anyhooooo...

should I cement the posts or not? old fence isn't cemented but the pamphlet I have suggests concrete. Anyone installed one of these before? Will the fence hold up without cement?

[rug]

1. Ask GD how they feel about vinyl.

[SPKrazy]

2. i always use concrete

pour some from a sack into the hole with some gravel, and stir it around (after your post is in) put dirt over it and it will set in the ground just fine like that.

i don't suppose you have to have it

[Kali]

3. If the old one worked without it you should be fine,

We have a saying in our family. Two actually: 1) concrete and rocks around fence posts - grampa's revenge...and 2) concrete and rocks around fence posts - let the next generation worry about it.

The general rule is if you can dig the proper depth of hole you don't need concrete. If the ground is already solid rock (or you are using steel) and you don't (or can't!) want to chip through it to the correct depth, use concrete.

edit: steel in the wrong place

[hunter]

23. I use cheap fence post concrete.

Pour it in dry, add water.

Don't get concrete under the base of the post, especially if it's wood, and slope the top of the concrete down away from the post.

Once upon a time I always used high quality concrete mixed in a wheelbarrow for fence posts but I learned my lesson. My wife likes to rearrange things, including fences... just because she knows I can. Cheap fence post concrete is easily shattered with an iron digging bar if you ever have to take it out, but it does stabilize the fence just fine if you can't dig a deep hole for some reason, or if your soil is especially unstable.

[skygazer]

4. In all the miles of fencing I've put up, I've never used concrete

The fences always kept the horses in. As long as your posts are in deep enough, and if the old fence was find without, I'd say you probably don't need it.

[Deja Q]

5. Why did the song 'dueling banjos' suddenly come to mind?

:rofl:

[Omphaloskepsis]

6. How deep are you going to put the post?

Honestly, I wouldn't think of installing a fence without concrete. I worked for a few summers putting in fences. We went with a 18" hole for the post. And then we would pour in a bag of the ready mix concrete (50 pounds). Fill with water, it doesn't take very much. Grade the concrete away from the post (water accumulating on the post is bad). Let it sit for a few days.

This will help your fence remain true.. A post stuck in dirt will shift during installation. That might be OK on a farm. It will look like shit in your front lawn.

[matcom]

7. brochure says 24"

:shrug:

[BarenakedLady]

8. Dh just put up the fence for my garden

He used concrete for the posts. It's a composite fencing made from 100% post consumer recycled products. Looks like this:

[SPKrazy]

11. hey, where's the plants?

oh yeah, you're in the artic circle!

:rofl:


:hug:

[BarenakedLady]

12. Some of them are in my kitchen

I've got tomato, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini seedlings to put in. I'm going to direct plant the peas, spinach and mixed lettuces, hopefully in the next couple of days. Yup arctic circle indeed. It may have been a beautiful warm sunny day today...but watch, it'll probably snow in 2 days. *sigh*

:hug:

[sk8tenn]

14. recycled composite fence

I'm waiting for a quote on vinyl fence, but I'd love to know where to get this instead.

Where do you get this kind of fence?

[BarenakedLady]

16. Lowe's

I found the product website http://www.timberwolfcomposites.com/

[Blue-Jay]

9. I would use cement. How many posts are you talking about?

The reason I ask is that if there are a lot, you might be better off renting a gas auger instead of a back-breaking post hole digger.

If you're worried about how it's going to look, leave about 5 inches at the top when you pour the cement. After it dries, you can fill it the rest of the way in with topsoil, and reseed the grass.

Either that, or you can find mailbox post supports, and just hammer them into the dirt with a sledge. If you have rocky soil, they might try to turn a bit when you're pounding them in. Plus, they're kind of expensive.

[warrior1]

10. I used concrete

This is a picture after the install.

Took me all day but was well worth it. It does if I remember correctly recommend to use the concrete.

Have fun, you'll love the results.



I like it because it keeps the postman from going through the bushes and beating a path through it.

[TommyO]

13. What kind of signs are on your picket fence?

[Blue-Jay]

15. "BOYCOTT TommyO NOW!"

At least that was the sign in his yard the last time I drove past...

I think he changes it every week.

[TommyO]

17. Thank goodness! I wouldn't want it to be something silly like:

Impeach Now!

[MadHound]

18. Aww man, why did you have to go and get vinyl

It's just going to get chipped, cracked and broken in cold weather. Not to mention the tackiness of the whole thing. And then there's the whole enviromental thing to take into consideration

If you wanted something that you wouldn't have to constantly repaint, get either metal or wood, and use barn paint. That shit never fades or peels.

Anyway, now that you've got the shit, yes, you should sink the posts in concrete. Get thyself off to the hardware store for some Quicrete, that will do the trick.

Vinyl fencing,:yoiks:

[meegbear]

19. Aren't you supposed to use corn flakes?

:shrug:

[KitchenWitch]

20. Shame on you for squandering our fossil fuels like that - and the fence won't biodegrade!

Think of the children!

:P

[underpants]

21. Wow will they deliver it directly to your high fallootin' backyard

or are you gonna have ta move the couch to one side of the front porch?

[bleedingheart]

22. use concrete....

and...if you buy the premix...(the stuff you only have to add water too)...you can just pour it in dry and if the ground is wet...the water from the ground will help it set and no need to wait for it to set up...

1. dig hole
2. put in post (we drive in log nails to create a "rebar" affect
3. just dump dry complete mix concrete into hole...and then back with dirt...

Done it a ton of times and no problems...

[warrior1]

24. Matcom

How did the fence come out?

[matcom]

29. this coming Saturday

and Sunday if need be

[Maddy McCall]

25. I would certainly cement the posts.

But I live in hurricane alley, so you may not need to.

[trof]

26. You know posthole digger trick?

Or are they going in the old holes?
Anyway, if you want 'em 2' deep, put a piece of tape (or use magic marker) on one handle 24" from tip of 'spade'.
Easy peasey.
Except for the actual digging part.

If it's 6' post with 2' buried probably don't need concrete.
Maybe just at ends or corners.
You get enough freeze-thaw cycles to set them pretty firmly in dirt.

[warrior1]

27. Kick for Matcom

[matcom]

28. thanks for the tips man!

that IS handy! :hi: