Can we talk about the time a post hole collapsed on me in wet clay soil near Seattle?

I was setting a 6-foot cedar post last fall when the whole side gave way, so I had to pack it with gravel and quick-set concrete from the truck, which held but added an extra hour and $50 to the job, and now I always keep a bag of gravel on hand for soft spots, anyone else have a go-to fix for that?

3 comments

3 Comments

baker.eva24d ago

We hit that same wet clay near Tacoma last spring. My bright idea was to just tamp it down harder, which worked until the whole post leaned like the Tower of Pisa by lunch. Had to pull it, mix a whole bag of concrete in a wheelbarrow, and start over. I felt like a real genius that day. Gravel is a much smarter move, I just never seem to have it when I need it.

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the_pat17d ago

Ever try what ryanh56 said but with a bag of quickcrete mixed in?

ryanh5624d ago

That Tacoma clay is basically nature's concrete mix, just without the part where it actually holds anything up.