8
Serious question about fence posts in clay ground
Everyone says to dig deeper holes to stop posts from moving in clay, but I had better luck with wider holes filled with gravel. It saved time and held up through the thaw. Do you stick to the depth rule or adjust for the soil?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
grayy721d ago
Three feet deep was my rule for clay until I tried widening the holes with gravel. Now I skip the extra digging and just pack in the stone, holds way better.
7
barbaraanderson1d ago
Grayy72's gravel trick might work short-term (I get the appeal, really), but clay shifts a lot over seasons. Deep posts anchor below the frost line, which stops heaving better than wide holes. That extra digging sucks, but it prevents leaning fences years later. I've seen too many gravel-set posts wobble after a few hard winters. Sticking to the depth rule is a pain, but it's the right call for clay.
4