Update: A whole cedar panel fence section collapsed on me yesterday

Was finishing a job in Springfield, the ground was still a bit soft from rain. Had the 6-foot panels up, all braced. Heard a crack, then the whole middle section just fell over. Turns out one of the 4x4 posts had rot about a foot down, hidden by dirt. Had to pull it, dig a new hole, set a fresh post with extra gravel for drainage. Cost me about 3 hours and an extra $80 in materials. Do you guys always probe for rot on old post replacements, or just assume and dig?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kevin2mo ago

Hidden by dirt" is the worst. I ALWAYS probe around the base with a screwdriver now. It adds two minutes and saves a whole afternoon.

holly_sanchez752mo ago

Ugh, I learned that lesson the hard way too, with a rotten gate post!

joelwells1mo ago

Always probe around the base with a screwdriver or a piece of rebar. You hit a soft spot, you know you've got a problem before you even start pulling. I learned that after having a whole line of panels start to lean because two posts were bad. @the_kevin is right, it takes two minutes and saves a huge headache. For replacements, I dig the new hole deeper and use a solid 80-pound bag of concrete mix, makes sure it never moves again.