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Fence Posts and Holes

Archived in Landscape, Construction, Outdoors | 1 Comment

In building a strong wood fence, you must always remember that the foundation for that fence is your posts. No matter how strong you might build the panels, the fence will not stand the test of TIME and the elements if your posts are not planted firmly into the ground.

Like all of my advice, this information comes from personal experience and research, and I welcome comments or additions to clarify or improve this entry.

The Holes

No matter how you dig them, the holes for your new fence posts should be sufficient to balance out a number of competing factors. This includes the height of the fence, the dimensions of the post, frost, wind, and soil composition. My rule of thumb is that the hole should be at least half the height of the fence and twice the width of the longest side of the post. For example, a six-foot fence using 4 inch by 6 inch posts, should have MINIMUM three-foot deep and twelve inch wide holes.

The Base

To ensure (a) proper drainage at the very base of your holes, (b) proper support for your posts, and (c) longevity of your materials, you should place a base of coarse gravel or road crush about four to six inches deep (compacted) at the base of each hole.

The Form

I use concrete to ensure that the posts I place are there for the long haul. Hand mixed (just add water) concrete comes in convenient bags and dries in a day or two. Ensure that your hole is wide enough (see above) so that the concrete has enough depth to avoid cracking and breaking away from the post. Compact the concrete, removing extra air pockets, using a rod or two-by-four. For aesthetics, I always leave a few inches of space at the top of the concrete for decorative stone placed after the surrounding area has been finished and the fence built.

The Posts

It’s tough to find posts that are not qualified outdoor wood, such as treated lumber or cedar. I use treated lumber for my posts, ensuring that they are square to the property-line and perpendicular to the ground. Level and brace, lifting the post and dropping it into the hole a few times to ensure compaction at the base. Secure to the ground or existing structures to limit movement while the concrete dries.

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Composting - Part 2 - What?

Archived in Landscape, Outdoors, Compost | 1 Comment

AS I NOTED in Part 1, a compost lets you get all sorts of functionality out of your organic matter. Sure, it seems like it’s abundant now. But in the vast, sterile confines of an infinite universe, organic matter is more precious than gold. Okay, so maybe not. But why throw away millions of years of evolution when your plants will love it. Yum.

What can I compost?

Yard clippings, dead weeds, and mulch. You are looking to form “layers” in your compost pile. The rule of thumb is GREEN and BROWN with scattered household organics. Green yard wastes are fresh lawn clippings, trimmed plants or weeds, etc. Brown yard wastes are fallen leaves, dried weeds, or small twigs.

Household organics. You know you have this. You make a salad and there are some stems and brown bits left over, you eat an apple and there sits the core, or you peel some fruit and the rind is left behind. The rule of thumb is that as long as it came from the soil it can go back. IF it grew from the ground somewhere, chances are you can compost it. This, of course, included coffee grounds and tea bags, but in moderation.

What can’t I compost?

Animal wastes of any kind. This includes not only feces and litter, but waste matter from food that had an animal origin. No, we’re not being vegetarian here, but don’t you dare chuck your trimmings or bones into a compost unless you want rodents and skunks rummaging through it. (By the way, cleaned egg shells are okay to compost.)

Large organics. Chunks of sod, wood, or thick branches will break down eventually (emphasis on EVENTUALLY) but we’d like to use this compost in, you know, our lifetime.

REMEMBER…

Your compost needs water to survive. The composting is happening because micro-organisms are breaking down the organic matter as food, and turning it into rich, useful soil. Your pile should be roughly as wet as a squeezed sponge: damp, but not sopping, dry but not parched.

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Read more posts by Gary W (About the Author)

del.icio.us Digg it Earthlink Furl iFeedReaders ma.gnolia Maple.nu Netvouz Netscape RawSugar reddit Scuttle Shadows Simpy Spurl StumbleUpon Wink Yahoo MyWeb

Posts that might have similar content:

Gary’s Construction Anecdotes >> For your convenience, here are some of the articles I've written on my landscaping and contruction experiences. As usual remember: I’m just a guy who has done this work for myself, once. This is just my experience, so do more research

Composting - Part 1 - Why? >> One of the more annoying things I've noticed since a number of houses on our street have put down sod and begun the never-ending process of mowing the grass is the exponential increase in yard waste sitting by the curb on garbage

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