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Just realized I've been setting posts way too shallow in sandy soil
Last month on a job near the coast, a guy from an old crew walked by and said my 24 inch depth wouldn't hold a gate in sand. He showed me his trick of going 36 inches and adding a gravel collar at the base. Has anyone else adjusted their depth based on soil type and regretted not doing it sooner?
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scott.miles2mo ago
Exactly. That old timer saved you a headache. I switched to 36 inches in sand about two years ago after pulling out a 24 inch set that had shifted sideways in a storm. The gravel collar is the real secret. It stops the sand from washing away around the base when you get heavy rain. I also pack the top six inches with a mix of sand and cement dust. It hardens up just enough to keep the post stable without being permanent. You check your moisture levels in the hole before you pour? That made a big difference for me.
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hayden_nelson851mo ago
Checking moisture levels before pouring is honestly one of those things that sounds obsessive until you’ve had a post go crooked after a big rain. It’s like seasoning a cast iron pan (you know, you think it’s fine until it rusts on you). If it’s too wet, I just cover the hole with a piece of plywood and let it sit for a day. That little bit of patience makes the concrete set way more even.
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oscarc532mo ago
Moisture levels? Wait, you actually check the moisture in the hole before you pour? lmao. That's a level of detail I never even thought about. I've been out there just eyeballing it and hoping for the best like an idiot. What do you do if it's too wet, let it sit and dry out for a day?
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