(BPT) – There are a variety of reasons people put up a fence around their home. Often it’s to increase privacy, security, curb-appeal or property value. No matter what the reason or rationale, the long-term benefits of a fence are only as strong as the posts that keep it standing.
There are a variety of considerations including personal style, cost and versatility when deciding between wood, metal, PVC, vinyl or other popular materials for a fence. Regardless of the material selected, it’s critical that the fence posts are installed correctly and well-grounded with a strong concrete like Quikrete Fast Setting Concrete Mix. In addition to hardening in 20 to 40 minutes, fast-setting concrete doesn’t require any mixing and will reach a strength of 4,000 pounds per square inch in just two hours – making it ideal for setting fence posts regardless of the material being used for the project.
When setting a fence post, follow these steps:
When working with cement-based products, always wear eye protection and waterproof gloves.
* Set stakes and run string between each to mark the outline of the fence.
* Measure the length of your fence panels to mark the proper location of the postholes, and cut the posts with a saw to match the height of your fence.
* Dig a post hole three times the width of the post and one-third to a half the length of the post, and pour 6 inches of all-purpose gravel into the bottom of the posthole. For longer fences, using a gas or electric auger rather than a post hole digger is recommended.
* Put a post into a hole and attach 2-by-4 wood braces to the adjacent sides of the post before using a level to position the post perfectly vertical.
* Fill the hole with Quikrete Fast Setting Concrete Mix within 3 to 4 inches from the top of the hole.
* Pour up to one gallon of water into the hole until is soaks into the dry concrete mix and allow the concrete to set for 20 to 40 minutes.
* Repeat the process to set each post starting with the corner posts for accuracy.
* Pull a string from the top of the corner posts to make sure all the posts are the correct height and level.
* Wait 4 hours before attaching the fence panels to the posts.
Installing strong, straight and permanent posts assures that a fence will give a home privacy, protection, beauty and value for many years. For more information on properly setting posts including a step-by-step how-to project video, visit the QUIKRETE website or Facebook.