To install fence posts, follow these steps: 1) Plan your layout, 2) Dig holes for posts (usually around 2 feet deep), 3) Pour concrete in each hole, 4) Attach rails between each pair of posts, and 5) Attach boards or pickets horizontally along each section of fencing.
To load the posts, press the door latch (A) and open the door. Swing the magazine cover (B) open and check nail holder position. Simpson Strong-Tie® Pipe-Grip® Ties make it easy to attach wood fence rails to metal fence posts. Galvanized fence posts typically last longer than wood fence rails.
Installation instructions include installing the ShingleLayment LWE-GRE according to ASTM D226, D4869 underlayment requirements, cleaning up the area, and installing new fence posts. To make a straight line, tie string around the end posts or place them first.
To install fence gates, plan your fence size and layout, purchase fence gate tools and materials, construct the fence gate frame, and install the gate. Strong fence posts are crucial as they hold your fence together.
To install fence posts, dig a hole with a diameter three times the width of the post and a depth of 1/3. Measure from the bottom to 2″ less than the post’s target length and set your saw blade at 45. Choose a split post with a triangular cross section that can contain the round post size recommended for the required use.
T-Posts have raised studs on the flat side and a spade at the bottom to help hold the post in the ground. Install fasteners and components to produce a seal around the point of penetration by creating a continuous compression, maintaining the integrity of your fence.
📹 How to install a METPOST/Fence Spike like a pro!
Click below to see metpost prices: https://amzn.to/2KG03hW Installing a metpost into the ground needs a few simple pointers from …
📹 How to Set a Fence Post the Easy Way
Today we are going to be installing some fence posts! I’m going to be using a new product I’ve never used before to set the fence …
I live in NC, USA. The red clay here can get like cement. I have used these before. Now starting a new project that needs 8-of these. To simplify driving, this time I am either going to use an old 1″ x 16″ long masonry bit or a 1.5″ dia. garden auger to drill a pilot hole in the ground first . By trade I’m a machinist & we most always drill pilot holes to start for larger stuff so I figure if it works on steel a pilot hole should help guide the post holder while driving it in. BWY, GREAT vid !
Looks great. Im just about to do this today, wish me luck! ……. Update, sorted! It was a touch tricky to build the fence by myself. I get the bit about the post slightly turning as you hit it, but I think that it doesn’t matter whether you are left or right handed, it will turn clockwise or anticlockworse, regardless of the way you hit it. One of mine is a touch too rotated, unfortunately, but the fence looks pretty good, though. Many thanks for this article.
Thanks for such clear instructions. I’m not quite getting the rotation right on my spikes. Sometimes they seem to twist and sometimes not… I also wondered when the ground is really hard, and it’s difficult to get the spike in, Could I use a “repair spike” instead which is shorter. Or are they harder to drive in the ground?
Hello, thanks for this, really helpful. Do you think I can use these for decking posts too? It’s not a huge area, but it’s raised; about 3 foot from the ground and the side beams would also be attached to two outside walls. Any advice about using these instead of concreting the posts in? Thank you. Niki
I was having a lot of trouble digging holes. I would always hit a root or a stone. Yet somehow these drive in easily. These literally saved me hours of digging post holes by hand. The twisting is annoying. 1 post would always turn the wrong amount. I had to pry the post up and re-drive it 4 or 5 times to get it strainght and it was still much easier than digging.
I hate this things! Next door neighbour has used them many years ago for their DIY bodged fencing, it’s leaning onto my side & when on a windy day looks like it’s going to go over & collapse 😂 good job they have seen my new fencing with concrete posts much more sturdier… So I’m doing theirs soon using the same method! 9ft concrete posts solid…
Hello Building Sherrif, I have a question for you. I’ve already gone and bought a fence post spike with ridges rather than bolts. What’s the difference? I’m guessing it’s just harder as I effectively wil have to hammer the fencepost into the ridges themselves? Or is there something more to it? Thanks for this wonderfully well-explained article!
I need to fit 3 posts i the existing holes (it was the only place I could it them due to overspill pipes as my garden backs onto a stream)I’ve already dug them out but I’m considering using spikes with postcrete so I can dismantle and change them if I need to as opposed to having to dig them out again, I’d appreciate any advice? Thanks in advance
one of the BEST How To vids I’ve ever seen. Thank you for the tip on the rotation of the post upon swinging …wouldn’t have realized that! Also, thanks for the great sound…really helps! I do need to drive in my post on a slope and worry just a bit if the bottom of bracket will come all the way down to the level of the soil…but I think this is the solution I’m looking for…just building a kids tree fort/ deck extension. THANK YOU
That made it look very easy (mine are for a big wooden house sign). I think the biggest problem for me wil be London clay as hard as rock an all that looking easy sledgehammering is going to be very hard, never mind that I have a sign which is much shorter wood on one side but at least i now feel there is a chance I can get it into the ground unless it proves too hard and the old ones won’t come out from near by so knowing my luck there will be a load of concrete near there too from the old ones.
The seating of these metposts was very helpful. However,I’m making a short fence where I’ll be using 4 of these metal posts. How do make these posts line up parallel with each other? ie, if I get behind the first post, I want to look down the fence line and see only the first post, as it is so perfectly aligned with the other 3 post, that it hides them. Hope that made sense.
Hi there great tutorial i was going to ask if i use concrete gravel boards and buy the clips that attach them to the posts how does that work if the metal is above ground so obviously it won’t screw to the post ? Or would that only work with digging holes and concreting them in and having the wood exposed to screw the fixtures on?. Im definitely using spikes though so would i have to use wood gravel boards?
Just came across this article. I’ve got some of these that are 75cm/30 inches. I am basically making a screen, by putting some posts in the ground (around 1.5m tall is the goal, possibly 1.8m) and attaching some steel mesh as a trellis. Will also be attaching a pedestrian gate between teo 1.8m posts (as this whole thing is to block off part of the garden for the dog). Will these work do you think? Its a different brand but the same concept. I’m a beginner DIYer and also want the option of removing the screen later on if I want to. Just want to make sure they will be sufficiently sturdy?
So this article is excellent but…..he said he was left-handed and today, a bunch of us “right-handed” people were hitting them into the ground and I turned the stake in the direction stated in this article and it moved the OTHER way…because….we right-handed people were hitting it exactly as he shows in the article. Maybe we’re not properly using the sledge hammer but to all of us it felt normal hitting them “left-handed”; it felt very awkward if we switched hands. I was not building a fence; just 10ft 4×4 posts to hang things from so I wasn’t totally di*k’d but it would have been nice if they were lined up a little better but not a huge deal. So just beware of that rotation AND what hands you are using to drive them in. This time around I used a massive iron wedge/pipe/post/???? to tap into the ground 3 ft to make sure there no big rocks. That massive iron post easily comes out of the ground and that was extremely helpful that we “tested” the desired locations first. I think a piece of rebar would work well too. You just make a little circle with the iron bar and it pops right out.
Did the first of 5 yesterday and had to replace the scrap wood a few times, as it split, splintered and generally got crushed into the box at the top of the spike. Then of course I couldn’t remove it. I was astonished when you pulled yours out at the end and had no real damage. I’m using a 12 pound sledge. What am I doing wrong? (I eventually did get the spike all the way in, so I don’t think I hit an obstruction.)
Great demo, thank you. I was going to drive mine flush with the soil, so, mistake averted. Yeeee Haaa Sheriff! Also, can I ask for further suggestion, as my post (3×3) will not be in the support all the time (will remove occasionally), can you suggest how I would both disguise the top of the support and prevent it from being a tripping hazard? Thanks V much in advance.
This really makes me laugh. Tap-tap and the spike is in. I’ve just spent 3 days trying to get these twatting spikes into the ground and I’m left with countless completely bent out of shape spikes and half the garden done. They are a complete waste of time unless you have some sort of magical perfect garden that has no rocks or clay. Spent double the cost of the fence in these shitty spikes and double the time and effort. Just go with concrete and don’t waste time and money on this shit. I was on a really tight budget and ended up spending 3 times as much to fix it.
The major thing to remember is that the hole needs to be deeper and smaller in diameter than what you would use for quick set concrete otherwise the foam product will not have sufficient compressive strength and thus will move laterally. Also if you have soft soil it might be better to use concrete. The other thing to be careful of is the foam getting under the bottom of the post and lifting it out of the ground as it expands.
I use this at work frequently. If you drill a few holes through the base of the post your working on, it really bites down hard. It works well on wood, fiberglass, and metal, but it’s really funky with PVC. I think there’s some sort of chemical reaction against a PVC pole to cause the foam to not grab on. We generally sleeve a 2×4 in a PVC pole and lag bolt it with numerous holes to allow the foam to bite down. Just my experience with this product.
I am in the north west of Ontario, in the winter time it gets very cold. Erected some fence posts and poured 2 bags of concrete mix but it concrete line is still below ground level about 4 inches. Talked to Home Hardware guy and he has no solution. How can I fix it? if I use this foam product is it working work or any other solution to resolve it?
Does the thing wrong, goes to get a second thingy, in the middle of doing the second thingy – “WAIT A MINUTE nvm whoops lol maybe it’ll work anyway” Can we get more of the Jeff + Matt in general. Especially awkward small talk while waiting for things to set. This is easily my favorite article, so relatable, I’m dying 🤣 Matt – “should I spin it…?” Jeff – “NO?!?!” Jeff – “ok let’s just leave it alone” Matt – immediately moves to poke it “I’m just poking at it” Jeff – “LOOK MATT IT WORKS!” Matt – after staring off into space for while “…I don’t know why I’m here.” bounces. What happened to “money in the bank”??
Good how to article. Just a comment on your comment on Mike Holmes. He is certainly not a celebrity flogging new product. Mike Holmes is a very well respected contractor carpenter. Companies go to him to ask him to try new products. Once he has proven it for himself that is is a good product he may then allow that company to put his name on it as Holmes approved. Mike is all about doing it right and is always on the side of the consumer
I haven’t used this exact product but a similar more industrial one that came in 2 parts each in 1 gallon jugs. Mixing a few ounces each for each post at a time, I used them on around 100 ft of my fence I built just over 4 years ago. It is still standing strong with no issues. To those who say it isn’t as strong as Cement, you’re right and that’s the appeal. We just had a huge downward slope wind storm here where I live in September, 80+ mph gusts. Guess the only fence still standing in the neighborhood? Yup mine. It did flex and move in the wind where the rigid Cemented posts in the rest of the neighborhood broke right at the cement. Cement will allow water in and rot them. We do live in a place with a lot of snow in the winter and 100°+ in the summer, so freeze and thaw has not been a issue. I’m not saying this exact product is great because I’ve not used it, but this type of product is a great alternative to Cement and better in most cases.
Curious…once a post is fully set in concrete, there is still a slight “give” to the remaining 6′ of post above ground. I’m installing pre-fab 8′ Home Depot fence sections between posts, and if my post isn’t perfectly plumb, there’s still some give to the prefab frame so I can squeeze the section in, and/or pull the upper part of the post to the frame with screws if the separation is a bit too wide. But my question is…can a 4×4×8′ post be permanently bent or reformed after being set to account for unanticipated post warping, or minor mistakes made in plumbing the post?
I hate concrete because it always makes a cup at the base of the post that holds water and the post rots right at the base and breaks off. I wonder if this is going to have the same problem. I personally just use compacted dirt and it lasts for decades. Some people think it takes to long to compact the dirt. I can’t say one way or another. l have never done more than 5 posts at once.
A few additional words of advice for the diy’ers, 1- get a 90 degree fence post level, it will make levelling the post easier . 2- tie a plum string from your house down the line of your intended posts so that you can square them all to the plum string as you set them . 3- use 6×6 posts so that your fence lasts forever, 4×4’s will deteriorate within 25 years. Cheers 🍻
Don’t knw how well this workd — and lasts. I just use 10–lb bags of Ready-Mix concrete from Lowe’s. Be sure it is Ready-Mix, meaning just pour a couple of bags in the hole, around the post after positioning the pole. Just water in — not too much or too little water, based on judgement and experience. It does take longer to “set up” than this stuff on the article — maybe 10 minutes, Just check and set the level after watering — on adjacent sides of the pole. — and brace or just hold it a couple of minute as the mix hardens. Actually seems easier to be easier — and way more rugged — to just use Ready-Mix. .
I’m too slow for that stuff. Tried it for one post and it set so fast I couldn’t get it straight without making a mess. One of the advantages of concrete is it’s a little more forgiving that way. I have time to level and hammer stabilizing boards onto it and make it nice and plumb. The foam post was in solid though. Ugly, but solid. ;p
I mean if you think this is an educational article on how to set a fence post you are sadly mistaken that foam might be quick and easy but it will sponge up moisture your post is going to rot out twice as fast. the other thing is is if you live in a climate where the wind blows and the soil gets wet having 40 lb of quikrete around the bottom of that post tends to keep the fence upright .
yeah… that wiggle doesn’t feel like concrete solid. and I’ve tested it in my soil. WIND TOOK IT DOWN once we had other fence posts in with full blind covers. maybe if all you need is a “cow fence ” like fences that prevent cows and humans across. but yeah. doesn’t go well with a solid structure between fences, wind will wiggle them out.
If in desert or in humid climate. Or at and below, above sea level. For a post to last years and years, to outlast you. Its all about wicking. Dig a hole at least 6 inches below the bottom of post. The width of a post hole digger plus a little more is fine but deeper is better. Pour in wet cement just a little higher then the bottom of post. Place post, wiggle, tap hard with hammer, sink it into cement. Now fill hole 1-2 inches obove ground level and tamper downwards. As the years past and as the post dry out it cannot wick water up through its center! Were the rotting begins. I see these stupid tutorial about putting in gravel fisrt then placing post on top of gravel then filling with cement. A hole is a well! It will collect water. Water will eventually wick up through the center, rotting from the inside out. Even on ground contact wood… I have post thats still as hard as nails goimg back 50 years. They have not rotted from the inside out like i see from post being installed just ten years ago. The DIY article are made by those who has never done a dam thing. But wants to, not with knowledge based on experience but wirh info they heard of.. After a few years the cement and the ground will become one. You wont be able to just go and pull it up unless you take a bunch of ground with it. The post will maybe hold up.. .a fence company will dig, place poles and for for awhile all will be well. Till it rots from the inside out. Beware…these guys no not of what there talking about
Not sold on that product because if I have to hold the post for 10 minutes might as well have poured concrete in it and set another post. And they do make a quick setting concrete. Plus how well did that stuff finally set up ? This is just some sort of foam epoxy. Not to mention what do you do with the stuff sticking out of the ground? If you can easily cut that then it isn’t holding that post well at all.
I need to know, year later after the crazy wind storms in the winter how did the expanding foam hold up? I have to redo my fence, 50 ft long, cause the wind was absolutely hammering it and it fell forward. I have to dig deeper holes with a better auger for a fact, but I’m worried the quikrete will just fall apart again.
The level is only chscking one side, thats not going to be plum. Also, this costs MORE than concrete?? Im niasig the appeal, especially when the quickrete can plve poured and left kust as fast. As a contractor, I beg you, don’t set your fence into expanding foam 😵💫 pour the quickrete in dry and hose, its worth it and only 6 bucks.
After a quick peak at the data sheet and the safety warnings, it looks like it’s a Petroleum-based urethane with what appears to be polyacrylic elements that produce various forms carbon-based gases as it expands, leading me to conclude it’s probably your traditional gap-filling expansion foam with some kind of 2-part epoxy resin fixer, creating the rigid lattice structure that gives it strength.
LOL. That was nowhere near 20seconds for mixing. In the demos they do in stores, they break the seal and the guy sort of knelt down with one knee up and rubbed the bag side to side across his knee very quickly to get the stuff to mix. I saw another article: if you don’t get it mixed properly, the foam will shrink again and pull away from the sides of the hole and from the post after a few days. Did the Sika shrink on yours a few days later or did it stay expanded? Have you ever seen the keyway fence post installation? (using 2x4s or 2x6s underground to reinforce the post)?
Curious if that was just a closed cell foam and if you could use a froth pak type product if that might be cheaper. And will that type of product rot your post more quickly than just well tamped stone… I used that companies driveway large crack filler and it was incredibly hard to break that seal in the middle of the bag. The second compartment held an aggregate and cement mix and it was super hard to mix up – i ended up wasting at least half of it so in my mind that product was a fail.
takes to much time adds to unneeded labor and time when it comes to fencing its about setting footage. lets say you have a job up for 1 week only a 3 man with this and given the shit you run into like old plugs roots undergrounds ect adds time or takes away the time you took to set one post i would have had 3-6 up dry packing 2–5 mixing as we add cement and water to the hole and mix as it fills make sure to get a good mix so it cure correctly add rocks or if you have broken parts of old plugs or if you need to pull them brake them up and add parts to your mix just a good way to reuse and keep time and labor down also i noticed in a lot of fencing youtubers vids no one says anything about tamping or using a spud to lock in the post from leaning out of level both N E S W also not really needed but if you want something really nice or are a newer or have not installed a fence before run a top string and bottom string level to level them make sure you are center with your centers. center will change and can be shorter but not longer then the length of you runners/rail/2×4. at 8 foot center you would want the 3 top bottom and mid 2×4 to end in the mid of your 2×4. other will change centered ft count ect depends on what your installing ask your manufacturer about installing procedures every style of fence is a difference in price install method ect. i also have to point out you can set post level and in the right space in a timely matter by yourself you do not need 2 ppl setting one post time is depending on the grade or terrain of the land you may or may not need 2 ppl shit digging nice to have 3 ppl on the site at min 2 will install the helper will supply and filll the holes with any other request the installers need.
Interesting but am not sure this is really easier or faster than using tamped down crusher run and dry concrete. If you are not in an area subject to frost heave you can set a post with crusher run in less time than this and you don’t have to worry about bracing the post. I used crusher run topped with dry concrete on 60 posts 6 years ago and none of them has rotted or budged. The dry concrete wicks in enough water to set hard by itself. Tamping the bottom several inches of the post with crusher run gives water an out so no rot. It also sets the post so it does not move, no bracing required. I also use about 2 inches of crusher run in the bottom before putting the post in. Of course the stuff you show has it’s advantage that you don’t have to haul and shovel something heavy.
It won’t work wait till the wind load hits the fence. It will become loose real fast. This is why fences over 6 feet need to have at least 6 foot centers on the posts and be at least 3 feet in the ground. That area looks like it is ripe for higher wind loads. Over time that will loosen up and will have to be replaced. Plus what happened to sealing the wood that is below grade with a marine sealer like copper green???? Really weird. It will rot in no time at all even if it is cedar.
I’ve used it and wasn’t impressed. I like the idea it’s easy to use and fast and has no mess. I used it for a flag pole. Worked well for about a month then the wind worked it loose. the foam never broke or failed but the issue I found was it doesn’t adhere to the ground so there’s no bond and since it’s foam, it doesn’t have the weight concrete does to hold it down. the whole foam ball worked loose and I could pull the whole thing out of the ground in one piece….. If one flag on a pole blew it loose after a month how is this stuff supposed to hold an entire fence row with 20 eight-foot panels in a wind storm which in essence is a giant wind sail.
That was interesting. Going to look to see if they sell this in the UK. Jeff do you think this would work for putting a washing line peg in ground? Mine has tilted twice & driving me bonkers! Though haven’t tried concrete either. Always enjoy perusal your DIY skills. Going to also use this one to put up posts to make a fence around our garden waste bins👍
You can cut it with a knife. What percentage of this finished product is air? What could be easier and cheaper than filling the hole with dry cement and adding water? This guy is the most successful YT DIY BS artist. He watches a few DIY articles, puts on a tool belt and acts like he knows what he’s doing.
This is Canada, 3 foot deep that post will pop up with frost in no time, or fall over from the wind. You want to put in a solid 4 x 4 post you need to go down 6 feet and drill at least an 8 inch hole in case the hole wasn’t drilled perfectly true. 90% of the fences we see with wood posts are falling over because the frost pushes them up a little every winter.
I’ve had my fence posts rot out at the top of the cement and get blown over by a strong wind storm. I pulled the concrete anchors out, and used this as a replacement. One recommendation I do have is that if you DO go this route, fill it back in, packing it and re-dig your holes smaller and ideally deeper than what was used for the concrete. I’ve replaced about 6 posts so far, and I have two more left. So far, they have lasted two seasons and still going through some heavy windstorms also. Definitely mix the entire bag, you should use your leg as support for the middle as you mix it back and forth.