Old timer told me to set posts in dry concrete and let rain do the work. Thought he was nuts.

Been doing fence work for about 6 years now. Always mixed concrete wet in the hole like everyone else. Last month on a job in Boise, this 70 year old retired fence guy walks by and says I'm wasting my time with the hose. Said just dump the bag in dry, tamp it down, and let a few days of weather handle it. I laughed it off. Then I had a 200 foot run of privacy fence to finish and ran out of water on site. Figured what the heck. Set 12 posts dry. 3 days later it rained. Checked them this week and they are rock solid. Not one shifted. Has anyone else tried this trick or am I just lucky?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowanw9113d ago

Yep, this is the only way I do it now. Switched over about 4 years ago after a buddy in Montana talked me into it. Saves so much hassle. No mixing, no hauling water, no mess. Just dump the dry mix in, tamp it once or twice, and walk away. I've never had a single post shift or get loose. The concrete hardens up like normal after a good rain.

ross.kim13d ago

I switched about 3 years ago after my neighbor Dave showed me how he does his fence posts. I was so tired of mixing concrete in that plastic tub and making a huge mess every time. Now I just buy the 50lb bags of dry mix, pop a hole in the corner, and pour it right in the hole. I give it a couple good tamps with a 2x4 and it settles in just fine. Every single post I've done this way has been solid as a rock for years now, even after heavy storms and flooding in my area.

jana50913d ago

Hold on @rowanw91, the concrete doesn't harden from rain alone - it needs enough water mixed in to set properly, so still gotta pour water in the hole or it'll stay crumbly. Just don't want someone to try this on a dry week and end up with loose posts!