Whether you are looking for a convenient just add water ready mix bag or sand, stone and cement in it's individual components then you will find what you are looking for in this section.
There are sites that indicate that backfilling your hole with the earth removed from it is an acceptable way of securing your fencing posts. We strongly advise against this if you want your fencing to stay upright! The only way to ensure that you get a lasting installation is to add either a pre-mixed concrete product or mix your own using a ratio of 3 stone, 2 sand and 1 cement.
It's also important to ensure that concrete is well 'tamped' when poured into the hole. Tamping refers to the process of vibrating the mixture within the hole using a suitable flat implement, i.e. The end of a length of timber. This ensures that any air pockets are removed from the mix providing a secure fix. When using a relatively dry mix it also allows you to compress the mix around the post, giving the firmest possible support whilst you work on your installation. A handy tip when installing a post is to dig your hole slightly deeper than required, sit the post on a thin bed of fairly dry concrete and start to fill the hole round the post with a similar slightly wet mix, tamping all round the post as you go. Once you have filled approx. ½ the depth of the hole with this mix you should find that the post is sturdy without the need for support. At this point it is best to wet enough mix to fill the remainder of the hole to a sloppy consistency. This can be poured directly on top of the dry mix, remembering to tamp as you go. If you have dug your hole too big and are using masses of concrete then you can throw any old rubble, bricks etc. into the hole to pad it out as you add the wet mix, finishing a couple of inches below ground level. It may also be useful to drive a half brick or a brick on edge tight up against the post at the top of your hole to provide extra stability in windy conditions. Use your tamp to knock this down below ground level. |
