Concrete fence posts are considered the backbone of strong and attractive garden fencing. Generally, garden fence posts are a long lasting alternative to timber posts. In today’s article, we will discuss how deep the concrete should be for a fence post.
Concrete depth for a fence post
It is very important to maintain the concrete depth for a fence post that is being placed in a garden. The general rule of setting a fence post is to bury it to the depth of the fence post hole from 1/3 to 1/2 of the actual above-ground height of the post for better placement.
Fence posts are considered one of the most popular types of barriers that people tend to use in their garden to prevent animals from coming inside the garden as well as intruders.
It also helps to redecorate your house by putting fences around them. That is why it is very common for people to use fences around their garden as well as their house.
Generally, people tend to use timber garden fence posts that are not that suitable for the environment and are not long-lasting as well. However, you can try using concrete fence posts that are highly suitable, efficient, and convenient.
When putting concrete fence posts in your garden or around your house, you need to keep in mind a few factors. One of the major factors that you need to consider when putting the concrete fence post around your house is the depth.
The general rule of putting concrete fence posts around the garden is to maintain the depth of the posts hole by 1/3 to 1/2 of the actual ground height of the post.
Considering that a 6-foot high finished fence post made of concrete needs to be buried three feet into the ground for better stabilization. Below is a brief discussion on how deep should concrete fences need to be of different heights:
5-foot fence:
If you follow the general rule of putting fence posts inside the ground, the depth should be 2.5 feet for a 5 feet fence.
However, it is completely fine if you want to keep 1.75 feet of the fence post inside the ground because you can also get to keep 1/3 of the fence post inside the ground.
Keeping the fence post at such depth will cause no problem with the structural support.
7-foot fence:
7-foot high concrete fence posts are quite long and large-sized fence posts, so you need to bury them at least. 3.5 feet under the ground. This depth will help you to provide stability and integrity to the fences.
It is always recommended to keep half of the concrete fence posts under the ground. However, you can also get to keep 1/3 of the ground fence posts under the ground without any issue.
10-foot fence:
A 10-foot concrete fence post needs to be five feet deep from the ground so that it can be stable enough to support your structure properly.
However, for a 10 feet post, you can also keep them 3.5 feet under the ground for better stabilization of the concrete fence posts and integrity, however, the concrete fence posts are quite heavier than usual timber fence posts.
It is better to keep half of them under the ground for better support.
3 factors that determine concrete depth for a fence post
Nowadays, people tend to use concrete fence posts in their gardens or around the house to prevent animals from getting inside of them or to keep intruders away from their homes.
Generally, concrete fence posts are quite an efficient and convenient option as they can sustain diverse weather conditions. Unlike the timber fence posts, these are quite strong.
That provides you with integrity and stability of the fence posts. That is why when using concrete fence posts around the house to create a barrier, you need to keep a few factors in your mind.
One of the common factors that you need to keep in mind while putting the fences around the house is the depth of the fence posts.
Apart from that, some other factors determine the concrete depth for a fence post. Below is a brief discussion on a few factors that helps to determine the concrete depth for a fence post:
Fence posts height:
The height of the fence posts is one of the main factors that you need to determine for the depth of the concrete fence post. Generally, the higher fence posts require much depth in the ground so that they can provide you with maximum support and stability.
Size of the hole:
Another thing that you need to determine for the concrete depth of the fence post is the depth or the size of the hole. Generally, the diameter of the whole should be as much as the size of the fence posts diameter.
Leveling:
Leveling is one of the major factors that determine the concrete depth of a fence post. Generally, the fence posts need to be leveled straight up from the ground for better structural support.
You need to keep the factors in mind to determine the concrete depth of the fence posts.
Can you set a fence post with dry concrete?
Putting the fence posts in the right places is one of the most important parts of fencing around the house or the garden.
People tend to use concrete fence posts that are much more durable and efficient to use. But before you put the concrete fence posts into the ground, you need to check the concrete as well.
You Should be prepared before putting the fence posts in the concrete. However, it is recommended to set a fence post with dry concrete.
The best option to put the fence posts in the ground is to use fast-setting concrete which is an ideal solution for setting posts. The reason why fast-setting concrete is ideal for setting posts is that there requires no mixing.
In addition to that, you can simply pour the dry concrete from the cement bag directly into the hole and then add water for it to get prepared. That is why it will be an efficient and convenient option to use the concrete fence posts using dry concrete.
How to measure proper concrete depth for your fence post?
When you use concrete fence posts in the ground, it is very important to measure the proper concrete depth for the fence posts. It will give you a proper idea of the depth and will not waste any part of the concrete fence post.
One of the most important parts of the concrete fence post is calculating the hole depth. If you can have a proper idea of the depth of your whole, it will be easier for you to place the other concrete fence posts in the ground.
The general rule of putting the concrete fence posts in the ground is to maintain a depth of half of the concrete fence posts’ height. Considering that if you have 6-foot high concrete fence posts, the ground depth should be 3 feet.
You can simply follow the steps below to measure the proper concrete depth for the fence post:
Measure the total height:
The first thing you need to do to calculate the depth of the concrete fence post is to measure its total height.
Measure one-third of the post:
After calculating the total height of the post, you need to measure 1/3 or half of the fence post to get an idea of the depth.
Calculate the diameter:
Make sure to calculate the diameter of the fence posts to keep it the same as the diameter of the hole.
How do I keep my post level while concrete dries?
Putting the concrete fence posts in the ground may look easier, but it is not as easy as it seems.
Generally, it may become difficult for you to keep the post level while the concrete dries. If your post is not leveled while the concrete is drying, it may permanently stick to the ground slightly bent.
That is why you need to level it in two directions with a 4-foot level. This is an ideal solution to keep the post level while the concrete dries.
After getting it straight in the first direction, you can hold one of the braces against the post and drive a single screw that will connect the brace to the post. After that, you can easily level the brace and the post in the other direction while you can keep filling the hole at the same time.
Final Thoughts
Generally, the concrete fence posts should be 1/3 or half of the total height that needs to be under the ground for better stability and integrity. This will provide maximum support and finishing for the fencing project of your house by making it efficient and convenient.