Another Fence Question

[Matt Barrow]

The next time you go to Hooters, that's when.

[Lawrence]

16 ft 4x4's are available at any lumber yard.

[RicodJour]

Have you personally ever heard of anyone burying a 4x4 fence post 10' deep? Me neither. How about this, as a little experiment, why not call up the largest, most experienced fence installer in your area and ask them if they've ever buried a fence post 10' deep. When the laughing dies down, post back and let us know what they said.

R

[Steve Barker]

Not any in the kansas city area. Maybe a 12'

[Michael Bulatovich]

It's not the post availability that's ridiculous, or expensive. It's the holes.

[Steve B]

"Michael Bulatovich" wrote

I would imagine that it would take some special drilling rig to make a true vertical hole ten feet deep. Last post hole digger I saw was less than six feet, and the longest spoon shovel I have seen is about eight. (a spoon shovel is a special shovel designed to reach and retrieve the dirt that falls to the bottom of a drilled hole) Such drill rigs are expensive to rent, and take up a lot of space. Not something you can just get in and out of your back yard unless it's new construction and there's nothing there yet.

Steve

[RicodJour]

The 16' post availability is questionable but possible, digging ten foot deep holes is extremely difficult but possible, but the real absurdity is _why_ dig such deep holes? There is _no_ structural or stability benefits, and there would be _greatly_ increased cost. Like the fence would cost at least twice what anyone else was charging.

Like I said before, the OP is either mistaking what the contractor said - mistaking 10' _long_ posts for posts sunk 10' _deep_, - or the contractor is taking him for a complete fool who won't be around to watch the holes being dug.

R

[Michael Bulatovich]

I confess to not having check the local yard of 16-footers, but the hole thing is just silly.

[Dennis]

It's possible that what the contractor was talking about wasn't actually installing the posts 10 ft. into the ground, rather using longer posts to make a level fence.

Fence contractors can install a fence two ways, the first uses the same depth posts and the top of the fence follows the terrian.

The second way requires that the contractor digs a trench in the low places and uses longer posts in the high places to make the top of the fence level across the yard. It's possible that he may be required to actually use 10 ft. posts in certain places to heel the top level. While this cost more, it makes for a nicer looking fence.

In both cases (or thereabouts), the posts will actually be in the ground about three ft. or so, but longer posts and more fencing is required for the second method.