Cement Wooden Fence Posts

Make sure the post is plumb before allowing the concrete to set.

Cement wooden fence posts.

Inspect your posts at least once a year ideally in spring or fall and reapply paint or stain as necessary to protect the wood and keep your fence looking its best. The general rule of thumb when setting a post is that the depth of the post s hole needs to be 1 3 to 1 2 of the actual above ground height of the post. Seal it with a sealant that bonds to concrete and wood such as some silicone sealants or exterior acrylic latex caulk. Purchase a quick setting concrete from your local hardware store.

Two 50 pound bags of fast setting concrete will set a 4 inch by 4 inch or a 4 inch diameter post in a 10 inch diameter hole. This gap will widen with natural expansion and frost allowing water to pool here and cause rot. Put the post in the center of your hole. The diameter of your post hole should be three times the diameter of your post.

Setting the post 1. Apply high quality exterior acrylic caulk or silicone specifically designed to adhere to concrete at the base of the post. Pour the concrete into the hole until it s 2 3 in. Place the form tube into the hole.

Set the end of the post on top of your gravel in the middle of the hole. Soak the bottom of the wooden fence posts in a wood preservative containing copper napthanate such as cuprinol. Seal the gap between post and concrete. Mix fast setting concrete in a wheelbarrow.

Once the initial curing is complete seal the gap around the base of the fence post. Caulk around the fence post base.