How to Set a Post for a Fence or Deck

Gravel at the bottom is silly use concrete to actually seal the post not expose the bottom to moisture like a candle wick.

Soil microbes degrade wood, moisture is a factor but not so much. Consider ancient boat timbers found at the bottom of lakes and oceans. Even still, good drainage is important. Also, keep soil away from the bottom of the pickets, as well. Stain anyone?

Here in mexico we use option 3

I heard flex seal works wonders if you spray the wood down to keep it from rotting.

Never allow earth to wood contact.

Expansion foam does not work nearly as well as concrete. I personally wouldn't use it at all. After it dries/cures you can wiggle the pole around in the hole a lot so I would not use it for decking. Its ok for setting a mailbox post but I would not use it for decking posts.

Why put rocks down instead of concrete at the bottom of the hole? Is it to drain water away? And I would fill the concrete higher than ground level then slope away from the post.

I just hit them into the soil lasts over 10 years

NO NO NO

Never use the foam. It is 110% crap! I tried it and after a few months it shrunk and lost volume. Never, ever, use that crap!

Simplest and easiest to understand deck post setting video that I have watched so far. Thanks Lowe's!!

I demoed a deck recently that was build using method 3 on here. With the anchors.
I have demoed many decks before in my business, but the 22 year old deck was rotted from decking to joists, but underneath the joists I found the beams (2x10s) and 4x4 posts all in perfect shape with no rot. The posts had never come in contact with ground and all that wood was still reusable after 22 years.. tennessee is wet and humid where I live so decking is a constant replacement, but i will be using method 3 from now on for low load bearing decks.

Suppose you wanted to make a single free standing post on a concrete pier to make an umbrella inspired trellis (exaggerating to get the point across). I would expect the post needs to be encased in the concrete to achieve sufficient support (cantilever) as using a metal fixture would place any wind loads into the fasteners. Is this assumption correct?

Okay but what if we don’t have all this specialized equipment 🙄🙄 ugh unhelpful

DO NOT USE EXPANDING FOAM! IT DOES NOT HOLD YOUR STRUCTURAL POST STURDY!

Here in Europe we do the option 3. It is much safer and the post is proteected by roting and moisture.We even secure the concrete from moisture by adding bitumen after it is hardened

mix concrete in wheelbarrow, then pour it in the hole, or you might get air pockets in it

Water and moisture is always your enemy around wood off any kind

Do N O T soil around the top of the post.

The end.

Foam shrinks just enough after fully curing to leave the post wobbly.

Wood in concrete ... should have been metal pole..

Never put a post in concert! The bottom will rot out. Always put gravel/dirt then concrete so the post had a ring on concrete around it. Water needs to escape into the ground!

What if you are building a deck and want to have posts to support the cross beam, and also for the posts to extend say 6 feet above the gound to attach a sail cloth to?

Great video
How do you get all the posts to the same height (exactly)

I have a question. I was taught to fill the hole first with concrete. Let it set a little. Then sink the lumber into the concrete. I've been doing it that way for years. What's your opinion?

love how clean his tools are lol

The cattle ranchers doing posts will always know better than city deck builders. I have several MILES of fence with all wooden posts, and mine is a smaller operation. No rancher has time or money for concrete, and the posts need to stand up to wind, snow etc. plus 1200 - 1800 pound cattle rubbing up against them all summer. Remember a good fence needs three qualities: 1) horse high, 2) dog tight, 3) Bull tough. You can do a great job without concrete and have it last many years. Mine are doing great and were installed new in 1994. I expect them to outlast me. Carry on!

kids

Concrete is the only way

Great ,,, in a couple years the posts will be rotted from wicking water...

MOST IMPORTANTLY CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG❗

Concrete to the top.

Probably to /
Z to t up mom 😀

i've never seen someone pour dry concrete mix and add water on top lol. The bottom 50% of the mix is still dry as hell and will never cure properly.

This video is useful because it tells us what NOT TO DO.

Great info- Thanks

U.
L

Expanding foam. I hope no one does this. If you want it to last use concrete

Not liking the expanding foam option

wait, you can use foam to secure the post? doesnt look very stabile

Subtitles please... I’m deaf

Love how they forget to mention to tar the bottom of the post. That will double the life of the wood. But of course lowes wants your wood to rot so you buy more.

Can i use the imbedded anchor bolt design on a cinder block filled with concrete?

Horrible advice to tell people to top the hole with soil. Horrible.

Holes need to be 3x the width of the post? So for a 6x6 post I need to dig an 18" wide hole? 🤔

You did not just put in dry concrete and then water after! OMG. Premix it in a wheelbarrow first

Why is gravel needed at the base of the hole? I'm asking because I'm installing a mailbox and wondering if that step needs to take place for my job as well.

The foam does not work. Within two days it shrinks away from the pole and the circumference of the hole. You end up with a loose post

Filling the top portion of post hole with dirt will definitely ensure future fence work as posts are sure to rot! Job security at its finest.

Thanks for this video. I am about to create a post, to be used as my bird feeding station. I am losing my battle to racoons destroying my existing post. In your opinion, do you think the post is strong for racoons?