The great thing about aluminum posts is that the posts and caps are easily assembled. The hardest part of the job is actually digging and installing the posts. Once the posts are set, putting together the rest of your aluminum fence will be relatively simple. Installing posts into soil can present some unique challenges that you need to navigate past. For instance, you might need to dig around tree roots or underground pipes. Also, you want to fortify the posts by setting them in concrete footings. Here is how to install fence posts using concrete footing.

Digging the Holes

Depending on the hardness and density of your soil, digging the hole will probably be the hardest part of this whole job. The job is much easier if you have a post digging shovel. These allow you to dig deep without digging too wide. Basically, you can create a deep hole with solid sidewalls. You can use a normal shovel, but it will likely mean that you will have larger holes and it will require more concrete to fill the holes. The depth of your hole depends on how tall your fence posts will be. There are no definite rules, but it is a good idea to dig holes that are about 1/3 as deep as the fence is tall. That is, for a 6' tall fence you should dig a 2' deep hole. So, your posts would be a total of 8' long with 2' beneath the soil.

Mixing and Pouring the Concrete

You can use traditional ready-mix concrete to set the post into. The trick is to pour the water and concrete mixture into the hole and then mix them together. This works much better than mixing before pouring. This not only eliminates a step, it also helps the concrete bond with the soils sidewalls. This will ultimately create a strong footing that is less likely to shift around. You should definitely invest in a concrete mixing attachment for your power drill. This will allow you to quickly and fully mix the water and concrete.

You should place the fence post in the concrete as you are mixing around it. Don't worry about trying to make it level until after you are done mixing. Then, you can use lumber (if necessary) to prop up the post so it is perfectly level as the concrete dries.

Once your concrete dries, you can assemble the rest of the fence. For assistance, talk to a professional like Mills Fence.

Share