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Neighbor saw me struggling with a crooked fence post and showed me a 3 inch trick

Last weekend I was out in my backyard trying to get a fence post level for like an hour and it kept shifting. My neighbor Bob came over from two houses down and said "you need to dig the hole 3 inches deeper than you think and put gravel at the bottom." He showed me how the gravel lets water drain so the post doesnt rot or shift in the wet seasons. I tried it on the next post and it worked perfect first try. Has anyone else found that gravel trick actually helps with fence stability long term?
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3 Comments
eva_thompson10
Oh man, that gravel trick Bob showed you is the real deal. I did the same thing last year after watching a YouTube video, and my posts haven't budged at all through the rain and snow. How deep did you end up digging your holes?
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sanchez.mary
Read an article from a farm supply site that said you want at least 2 feet deep for fence posts, but in heavy clay soil you can get away with 18 inches if you use enough gravel. My holes ended up about 20 inches on average, and I packed the gravel tight with a hand tamper. Even after a rough winter with heavy frost, those posts are still standing straight and solid.
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david739
david7398d ago
Did your friend ever have problems with frost heave after using gravel like that?
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