Soggy ground taught me a new trick with post setting

I always packed dirt real tight around posts thinking it was best. Had a job last spring where the soil was pure mud and nothing stayed put. Watching how water pooled made me try leaving a small gap for drainage. Now I do that on wet sites and the fences don't shift as much. Simple fix I wish I knew years ago.

3 comments

3 Comments

hunt.quinn1mo ago

How big of a gap do you leave? I wonder if it changes for clay versus sandy mud. Seen guys use a handful of gravel in the bottom of the hole too, acts like a little French drain. Your trick with the gap probably works the same way, just lets the water move instead of turning into a concrete block. Makes the post sit on something solid instead of floating in soup.

the_gavin1mo ago

But what happens when that gap just fills with silt over time? I've pulled up posts where the space became a mud pocket that never drained, especially in heavy clay. Gravel helps water move, but it doesn't stop the post from rocking if it's not packed solid. Leaving a gap seems like inviting movement right under the post. I set mine with no space and firm soil all around. It might not drain like a French drain, but the post doesn't go anywhere.

the_grace1mo ago

Wow, nobody mentioned if the POST MATERIAL itself rots faster with that gap keeping it wet.