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The great post hole debate: concrete vs. tamped dirt
For years on my jobs in Portland, I set every 4x4 post with a full bag of concrete, thinking it was the only right way. Then about three years ago, a guy on a big crew showed me how he just tamps the dirt back in tight with a steel bar, and his fences were still standing solid after a decade. I switched to tamping for most jobs now because it's faster, cheaper, and honestly easier to fix if a post rots. What's your go-to method for setting wood posts in a typical residential fence?
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danielr941mo ago
Doesn't concrete actually help drainage if you slope it?
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felix1471mo ago
My old boss in Austin swore by tamped dirt with a gravel base for drainage. He said concrete traps moisture right against the wood, which can speed up rot. I've used his method ever since and it's held up great.
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