Concrete vs. Postcrete

[cd]

Hi all,

If I want to set a new wooden post into the ground, what's the difference (FFS)?

[Chris Hogg]

Concrete takes several hours or a day or two to set. Postcrete sets in a few minutes, several tens of seconds, even, so you don't have to support the post for nearly as long as you do with concrete. Don't know if the long-term durability is different though, or even if it matters, as it's only a post not a high-rise building, and the post will probably rot long before what it's set in crumbles.

[cd]

Wow! Cheers, Chris. I'd had nightmares already about holding that damn post perfectly upright for hours on end; cheers.

[dave]

I've used it for a few posts - works fine. I just tip a bag of it in around the post and then pour a bucket of water on top of it. That's it!

[Roger Mills]

Postcrete is also easier to use because you ram it in dry, and then pour water onto it, rather than having to mix it wet.

[cd]

It's twice as good as that even! Where I live with my weather I'll only have to dump it around the post and job done. :-)

[The Medway Handyman]

Truly the answer to a maidens prayer.

Brilliant stuff!

[harryagain]

Don't use either. Use the metal "hammer in" spikes, your posts will last much longer. Quicker too.

[alan_m]

Often the trick is to take the concrete 25mm above soil level and slope it to let water run away from the post. The post will usually start rotting where the soil touches it in the soil/air boundary.

[Tim Watts]

What's being overlooked is Postcrete *is* concrete in convenient ready mixed dry form.

The magic of it holding the post quickly is down to it being ram-packed in slightly damp rather than wet.

If bags are convenient or you only need a couple of posts worth, Postcrete makes sense. if you have a lot to do, mixing by hand might be better - just don't add water (if the sand is wet) or just add a little to help it clump.

[Tim+]

But look like s**te, wobble & rust. Also only take 3x3 posts which are too weak for use anywhere with significant wind. Other than that, just fine.

Tim

[JimK]

/What's being overlooked is Postcrete *is* concrete in convenient ready mixed dry form.

The magic of it holding the post quickly is down to it being ram-packed in slightly damp rather than wet.

If bags are convenient or you only need a couple of posts worth, Postcrete makes sense. if you have a lot to do, mixing by hand might be better - just don't add water (if the sand is wet) or just add a little to help it clump. /q

Nah it's accelerated set, on purpose. Also don't recognise these advices to put in dry and Then add water??? Istr its half fill hole w water, then throw the dry gear in, hold til set as nbecess

[JimK]

Grrrr Nah it's accelerated set, on purpose.

Also don't recognise these advices to put in dry and Then add water??? Istr its half fill hole w water, then throw the dry gear in, prop/ hold til set (enuf to hold) as necessary (10 min)

Jim K

[The Medway Handyman]

And prone to hitting a rock when halfway in and twisting.

[cd]

Look s**te? Possibly. Rust? Yes, even before they've been sold by the retailer, I've noticed! Don't understand why they're not made from galavanized or stainless steel. But there are 4" ones available; less common but definitely available. I've seen various ingenious contraptions people have come up with on Youtube for removing posts, but am resigned to just drilling and digging the damn thing out the hard way with a 600mm long auger and a "texas toothpick" - anything more complicated seems an investment in wasted time followed by doing it the hard way anyway. There ought to be a good few quid in it for anyone who can come up with a compact, reliable and cost- effective method; I don't think one's been devised yet.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Mine are all 4x4, and have been in for 28 years now, which is much longer than any of the neighbours' concreted in fences.

[Tim+]

Yep, that too.

Tim

[Brian Gaff]

Yes its been my experience that wooden posts in concrete tend to root sooner than thouse just put into the ground. I guess the hole fills with water and rots it. Brian

[harryagain]

4"x4" ones are also available. Galvanised and powder coated. I additionally put some waxoyl in the socket. To keep them straight whilst hammering in, you need to make a hole with a bar in the ground first (like a pilot hole) going down full depth of spike.

Wobble factor depends on the depth of the sockets.

[dennis]

If you must use wood then fitting a concrete repair spur at the same time will save a lot of work later.