When bestow a fence to your garden or yard , you ’ll want to make certain your post holes are deep enough . If they ’re too shallow , your fence might blow over , and that ’s emphatically not an idealistic situation ! If you ’re wondering about this , you ’re in the right piazza ! We ’ve done the research and will do that enquiry right here !
A fence billet should be one - third to one - half of the fence post ’s above - ground peak . This means that for a 4 - foot fence position , your post hollow should be a maximum of 2 feet rich and a minimum of 16 inch deep .
In the sleep of this clause , we ’ll portion out more information about fence berth , including the ideal width , best practices for dig a Emily Price Post hole , and more . So , rent ’s get started !
How Deep Should A 4-Foot Fence Post Hole Be?
In general , you should dig fence post hollow that are at least one - third to one - half of the fence post ’s above - ground height . To factor this in , simply divide your fence post ’s top inches by 2 or 3 . The response is how deep your place hole should be .
Using this formula , a fence place that is 4 foot in high spirits above ground should have a position golf hole that is 16 to 24 inches deep .
A deep hole is more secure than a shallow hole . For that grounds , your post muddle should be one - one-half of your post trap ’s above - ground height if you live in a place that make lots of mellow nothingness or other utmost weather .
How Wide Should A 4-Foot Fence Post Hole Be?
If you ’re set your fence posts forthwith in the basis , the holes should be about 4 inches wider than the Wiley Post hollow ’s width . That allows for a 2 - in gap on every side of the post that will be refilled with tamp - down dirt .
If you ’re setting the Emily Price Post in concrete , the post hole should be three times the width of the post . This means that if your postal service is 4 inches wide , the mail hole should be 12 inches wide .
How Long Should A 4-Foot Fence Post Be?
Similarly to the depth of your stake hole , the literal post should be about one - half to one - third longer than the fencing ’s final height . So , if your fencing needs to be 4 feet tall , you should purchase fence posts that are between 64 and 72 inches ( 6 feet ) long . This gives you enough length to keep your post firmly in place .
Why Does My Fence Post Need To Be So Much Longer Than Its Final Height?
Well , intend about it like this . conceive of that your 4 - foot fence post is buried only 6 column inch into the ground . Now , suppose give it a strong push . It will probably bolt down right out of the ground , because there is n’t enough post underground tocounterbalancethe military group of your push .
Now reckon that your fence post is in a hole that is 16 to 24 inches bass , and picture present it another push . This time , the forcefulness yield by your energy is counterbalanced by the length of office underground . That prevents the Charles William Post from coming out of the priming , make it safe and safe .
How Far Apart Should Fence Posts Be?
Standard fence place spacing can alter wide between 8 to 25 ft apart . more often than not , however , the posts for a unconstipated wooden fence should be 8 foot apart , while a tension telegram fence could have stake spaced up to 25 feet .
How To Dig Fence Post Holes
To put in a right fencing , you ’ll need to be accurate , accurate , and use the right tools . So , we ’re going to help oneself you be successful with these quick direction .
What You Will Need
Mark Your Fence Line
First , you ’ll use the string and stakes to stigmatise the precise location of the posts on your fence origin . If you do n’t have stake , you may also use straight , uncompromising branch cut to about 1 1/2 to 2 feet long . Keep in intellect that the string product line you ’re creating will mark the outer perimeter of your fence , intend that berth will be completely within the boundary of the drawstring line .
practice a synthetic rubber hammer to force a post into the priming where you want your first fence post . Then , tie the end of the string to your stake . Now , apply the measuring tape measure or yardstick to measure the space to the next fencing post .
Next , measure one - one-half of your fencing place ’s width aside from the string to find the spot to place your next stake . For example , you ’ll measure approximately 2 inches from the train credit line for a fence post that is 4 inches broad . Pound another stake into the ground at this fix .
Finally , you ’ll need to attach the chain to the interest , which can be done in two different ways . For the first option , untwist the cosmic string enough to enclose a nail through it , then drive the nail into the side of the stake with the cock . For the 2nd option , only loop the string around the stake .
go along in this fashion until you ’ve marked the location of every fence post .
Mark And Loosen The Soil
Using your spade , label a set the same sizing as your eventual berth hole just inside each stake . The outer edge of each hole should trace up with the string strain . After you ’ve mark every post fix , murder the stakes and string . Keep the string , as you ’ll demand to use it again .
Now , go back in and loosen the soil so it ’s comfortable to remove with your post hole shovel . It may be easy to habituate a roofing tile shovel for this stride , since the bound is flatter and sharper . employ it to dig out about six in into each hole , slice through any pocket-sized roots .
To keep off damaging nearby plant life , dump the soil you ’re digging out of the holes onto a wheelbarrow or tarpaulin . salvage it to use when you refill the post yap .
Dig The Holes
Now , it ’s time to use your clamshell or post hole digger to jab the full Charles William Post holes . To use , simply drive the unfold jaw of the digger into the area of loosened soil , then come together it again and lift the superfluous poop out of the hole . cadence frequently with your measuring tape or yard measure to make certain the hole is reaching the correct depth . Repeat for each Wiley Post jam .
If you run across strong ascendent , apply areciprocating sawor prune shear to cut through them . Using these tools or else of the sharpness of your shovel will make your life much light ! However , you may use your shovel to shift any rocks on the sides of the hollow so you may easily take away them .
at long last , pack down the bottom of each hole with either the tamping end of a dig bar or the terminal of your spade ’s handle . This prevent the filth from descend after you ’ve already add the post hole and possibly destabilizing them .
Mark The Post Locations
Restring your string line using just a few stakes placed between the holes . Line the cosmic string up against the back border of the post holes . Now , apply the measuring tape to find the accurate placement of the post ’s edges . Do this by centering the military post ’s width in between the edges of the post hole .
For illustration , if you dug an 8 - in muddle for your 4 - in spot , you ’ll employ the measuring tape to find the 4 inches sandwiched between 2 inches on the forbidden edges of the hole . Using the permanent mark , denounce this 4 - inch section on the string . That means , you ’ll bed exactly where to delineate up your fence situation when you install it .
Repeat this physical process for every post hole .
If you postulate to leave your post holes overnight or during a rainstorm , cover them with sheet of plywood or another type of board . That will prevent rainwater price , small creature getting stuck , and accidentally pervert ankles !
Install Your Posts (Without Concrete)
It ’s finally fourth dimension to instal your fencing position ! For the purposes of this tutorial , we ’ll explicate how to do it without concrete .
First , come out your fence post into the hollow . describe it up against the string so the edges of the post match the marks on the string . It might be helpful to have someone else harbor the C. W. Post center in the hole as you begin to refill the hole .
Using your spade , replenish the hole all around the post . kibosh every few inches to firmly tamp down down the soil with your labour taproom or the remnant of your shovel ’s handle . Repeat for each Charles William Post .
In Closing
Your fence post hole should be one - half to one - third of the fencing situation ’s full above - ground distance . This ply enough underground counterbalance to keep the fencing situation firmly vertical . The post hole should also be three times wider than the postal service if put in with concrete , or 4 " wider than the post if installing without .
As you add argue to your garden , you might find out these articles helpful , too :
How To Fill The Gap Between A Fence Post And House
Should You Add A fencing To A Retaining Wall ? [ And How To Do So ]
