PHD advice?

[Henro]

I may be repeating but I'll say it anyway.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Auger size needed is dependent on how good you are. If you are good a 9" auger would work fine for your posts...I'm not that good, so I used a 14" auger for my 6x6 posts... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

If you are like me, you will get some hole that go in on a bit of an angle...having a larger hole is good in that case. Remember it is easier to put back in than to dig out with a manual post hole digger and digging bar!

The other reason I used a 14" auger was I wanted to put a 12 inch round cement stone in the bottom of the hole to rest my post on...

Water is not a problem with wood, contrary to common belief. It is moisture that is the problem. Where do posts that hold docks up rot? At the water line. Wood saturated with water will last a VERY long time. It is the damp wood that is condusive to rotting...so the worry with concrete is in my opinion not one of attracting water, but rather one of the concrete keeping the water away...and allowing the wood to dry out and stay in a damp condition...similar to the water line on a dock post...that being said, I concreted my posts at the bottom...and manually tamped in the dirt above. I wanted the posts to be set firmly when I did my framing...no shifting please... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Err on the large size for the auger. Your back will thank you when you don't have to manually correct minor errors in hole placement.

Or should I say, when you don't have to correct too many errors...

Or course one who is Good can get by with a six inch auger for a six inch post I suppose...whoops...I think I put one too many "o's" in Good... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[johnk]

I use a 9" auger and it's mainly in rocky soil. Works great tough if you think how a 2 man auger would be to try to hold back from the torque. Bust a lot of shear pins but thats better than bustin the tractor.

more pics. http://users.adelphia.net/~gizmo/

 

[Rick Jay]

Hi,

Use the 12" auger. A 4" x 6" post has about a 6.5" diagonal measurement (assuming the post actually measures 3.5" x 5.5"). With a 9" auger, that leaves less than 1.25"" on each corner for error. In my limited experience, that's not much. If your ground is hard and/or you've got a good assortment of rocks, it's hard to drill an accurate hole. I think you'll save yourself a lot of time and aggravation by using the larger auger.

~Rick

 

[v8dave]

Lots of comments about posts and concrete. The way I was told to concrete posts is to make sure the concrete does not form a bucket to hold the post in a pool of water.

A concrete bucket would make the conditions Henro points out where the post breaks off at the surface of the water. And, since the concrete top is usually at the soil level it looks like the concrete is the problem. Well. . . it is, but with a few preventative measures it won't be.

Make sure the bottom of the post can drain. Jamb it into the ground at the bottom of the hole, throw in a few inches of dirt then the concrete. Or, better yet, as I was told, throw some gravel in the bottom of the hole, place the post on the gravel, put a few inches of gravel around the post, then put in the concrete. Either way any water soaking into the post has a way to drain out the bottom.

Dave

 

[johnbilt]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
Water is not a problem with wood, contrary to common belief. It is moisture that is the problem. Where do posts that hold docks up rot? At the water line. )</font>

Henro

You always seem to have a way with words. I love it !!! Great picture with the beers. Cheers !!

Ditto on the advice. I drilled many a post hole with our old Massey Ferguson growing up. A helper keeping an eye on the auger angle is a big benefit.

John

 

[dixiedrifter]

If your worried bout moisture, then take a couple sheets of plastic sheeting and put on the end of the post, then sink it into concrete.

 

[markct]

i think ya missed the idea, plastic sheets on the end of the post would do exactly what we dont want, hold water and moisture around the post like a bucket.

 

[Kevin_in_VA]

I paint my posts (using an oil based paint) from the bottom to about 8 inches above the ground level to prevent moisture retention before I put them in the hole.

The paint is cheap if you buy "oops" paint from the local Lowes, Home Depot, etc... I painted a 12' x 12' shed using two gallons of matching Behr "oops" from Home Depot that cost me a little over 5 bucks.