Warning: That old trick for setting posts in clay soil can backfire

For a decade, I'd just pour a dry concrete mix around the post and add water, thinking it set faster. Last spring in Augusta, a whole line of pickets on a 40-foot run started leaning after a heavy rain. The clay held the water like a bowl and the concrete never cured right. I switched to using a gravel base and a wet mix, tamping it in layers. Has anyone else found a better fix for wet clay spots?

3 comments

3 Comments

samreed8d ago

So your concrete soup finally set?

rowanw918d ago

Actually, concrete doesn't really "cure," it chemically sets. That's why the water sitting in the clay messes it up so bad. Your gravel base fix is smart because it gets rid of the extra water.

ray_burns8d ago

Oh man, that's the concrete version of instant soup, just add water and hope for the best! Sounds like you built a little bathtub for your posts. I've seen that happen before, where the mix just turns to mush and never gets hard. Your gravel base fix is the way to go for sure, it lets the water drain out instead of pool. Did the whole fence line straighten out after you redid it, or was it a total loss?