How deep does a post have to be when putting up a fence?
Question:How much cement are you to use?
Answers:
Depends on what part of the country you live in.
In the upper north it can be 48 to 72 inches to get to the frost line. You always want to dig at bare minimum 4 to 6 inches below that to avoid frost heave. You also have to consider soil makeup in the equation too.
Best bet, contact the local building inspector, he or she can give you the most accurate information for your specific area.
As far as anchoring the post. I always dig a bell shaped hole with a post hole digger. I fill the bottom of the hole with about 4 inches of gravel and I use one bag of concrete mix per hole. That post wont move for nothing, there are some preserved posts I put in about 20 years ago that are still solid.
18 inches deep and 9 to 12 inches diameter of concrete - depending on how high and if you are in a windy area.
In my location I use a post hole digger (which is sufficient for the width of the hole) but dig about two feet deep for a 6 foot fence using an 8 foot post. Put in enough cement around each side of the post and tamp in using a solid bar or stick to get the air pockets out. Then continue to put cement in/around until you can form a small footing at the base and slope it off.
What kind of fencing are you talking about? My experience is with pasture fencing and 6 foot posts, so if that's your question, read on and I hope this helps. Dig the hole at least 18 inches. And a trick I use is to measure out 18 inches on a post-hole digger (or plain shovel). From the tip, going up the handle, measure 18 inches, and mark it with black tape. This way, when you're digging, you can just stick the shovel in the hole and based on where your tape mark is, you'll be able to figure out how deep the hole is and how far you have to go. You'll need at least one bag of post hole mix (or cement). Make sure when you put the post in and as you're putting in the cement, you shake or wiggle the post to ensure the mix gets in there, and have a level handy to make sure it's completely level, especially as you add water.
42" deep is standard for most things, depends on what you're doing .It's however much cement it takes . If you mean diameter , at least 3" around the post .
Two feet in soil with fifty pounds of cement, minimum, if you want it to be around after the first wind storm.
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