Today I’m comparing four different ways to anchor a fence or deck post. Cheers!
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hey guys today we are taking a look at four different ways to set a post in your backyard and for a deck or a fence build okay first of all we got regular concrete mix then we’ve got the new siup HST fix it’s a expansion foam then we’ve got dry po concrete rapid post and then we got this one this is a DIY helicop pile we’re going to install all four of these and then we’re going to perform a variety of crazy tests including using my truck to try to see how strong they are and which one might be the best fit for you so first of all I’ve got to do this helico pile now I actually built a deck with these helicop piles many years ago and uh it worked out great just takes a while the secret is to get that blade underneath the grass ah there we go once you get going it gets a little bit easier you just stick the 2×4 out here and you just walk it around kind of reminds you of like the 12th century and they got the horse running in circles to grind the mill flower all right this is going to take about 10 minutes to post while I’m busy driving in circles that’s going to mix a couple bags of concrete over here remember you want on you get an augur and dig about 4 feet down 8 in wide hole for a 4×4 post takes about two bags of concrete for every post you want to set that requires 5 and A2 liters of water so make sure you got a paale that has the measurements on it a helicop pile is a great option when you’re needeing structure but if you don’t have the ability to get the helicop pile machine in your backyard this is the only option you got left got to hold this somewhat straight up here for you go ahead nice you’re good okay I’m halfway through my Heap pile now M’s already pouring concrete here we go guys now the sick of foam it’s a two-part foam so what you do is you start the top and you roll down the bag to create pressure and the seam that’s in between the the two components will break open and the mixture will mix together you got about 15 to 20 seconds on a warm day to then cut your bag and pour all the foam out before it starts to expand and the bag gets really hot yep so now you know roll explode mix over the leg cut pour Lightning Fast here we go and there it goes that’s all you need you got it there we are now on a colder day you have a little bit more time here we go nice and loow we don’t want it all over the post and there’s the goo all righty one bag per hole so that’s 25 bucks two bags of concrete runs you around 15 keep an idea here we go I’m just going to hold this still it starts to activate and foam up now this will satisfy the rating for The Point load for almost any deck structure Point load post here we are I’m liking this now rapid post they have instructions and I don’t follow them I cheat I always put a little water in the hole first okay cuz it’s trying to absorb the water and until it’s cured right so if you throw a little down there to get started then it’s can Harden from the bottom up and the top down smart okay yeah just has an easy open valve pour the whole bag in there that silica dust is dangerous so try not to suck too much of that up the higher you pour from the more dust you’re going to get the whole oh hold on hold on don’t you have to put a post in first oh shoot uh-oh uh-oh we’re wrecking the test uhoh sound like it one in that’s close enough for us that’s having the water in there actually turn that into wet cement it’s pretty handy deal all right so what we’re going to need little um the rest of that water just throw it in okay we could do another half a bag though could we I think we should because we’re probably started a little higher okay so let’s get another uh liter and a half of water and another half a bag the directions state that for this particular product you should cover it in a garbage bag while it’s curing okay so the water doesn’t evaporate not a bad idea because we have the mix perfect because we’re using a measuring bucket right um this stuff after one week the compressive strength is 1,000 lbs and that’s how much load it carries there you go there you go you can stop there we’ll get that water that’ll be really going to use our drinking water you’re going use you going to use three of them yep all right so anyway we got three tests going on here we got another test going on over here this is the camo pedestal you can cut the grass throw this on a little bit of stone this has the same compressive strength as that concrete bag in the ground after a month of curing and you have the same strength right here in about 5 minutes to see more about that we’re building a new shed and we just finished the deck series on it using these blocks they’re amazing they’re Jeff approved all right woo here we go that’s how you do Point load on that now the funny thing is is that’s a/ in hole okay so you can take a drill bit with an an augur and you can go through one hole go half inch and you can put a nut and bolt assembly on there but the strength of this is in tying it together with other structure okay independently it’s not going to have any vertical strength but I just wanted to show you that this is an option if you wanted to get something below the frost line remember in a lot of code scenario is if you have to go below the frost line it’s cuz you’re attaching it to the house and in order to do that now in Ottawa the base of your structure has to be wider than the post so helical pile Works cuz the disc is huge but the rod is small you can’t just dig a hole with an augur for a structural load in Auto anymore because the base has to be wider than the hole and augers make just one size so in order to satisfy code now you’ve got to actually excavate a backyard to put in the Bigfoot so that the base with the concrete is wider than the concrete sleeve right so helal pile is the way to go so we already know um we’re not ripping that out of the ground cuz the Bottom’s wider than the post so this actually wins The Ripping out of the ground contest all right let’s let these cure that’s already set up that’s set up that’s not set up that’s going to take a long time all right we’re going to come back on Thursday and then we’ll film the rest of this experiment okay guys well you know I’m not crazy we’re not going to be ripping these out of the out of the ground with the chain and the truck but we are going to do two things now we’re going to check to see how solid they are in the ground and then we’re going to rip them out of the ground and have a look at the bases I for one am really curious when we get over to the the quick rapid post set right this is called the dry Poe concrete when we get to that and we ripped it out of the ground is it in one piece is it solid at the top from the bottom where we had water and the middle is just powder still I don’t know but I’m really curious to see that but check this out this is the regular concrete and you’ll notice it’s got a little bit of room to wiggle here and a lot of that is because we mixed the concrete and we threw it in with the shovel and we didn’t have a vibrator to get it to sink down in the ground right so there’s probably all kinds of little voids and now here’s the foam man it’s been a couple weeks since we poured this the Clover is already taken over but here we go same thing right right it’s got room in the ground here’s the dry po concrete it’s it’s the most solid of them all like that one because it went in powder there’s no voids so it’s it’s the most solid way to go I’m just curious to see what all this looks like when we rip it out so we just whipped together a quick experiment we’re using some headlock screws couple of 2x4s and we’re going to grab a farmer Jack and rip these things out of the ground all all right ought to be interesting so there’s the answer as to why it’s wiggling around the concrete was thick enough it didn’t get all the way to the bottom of the post huh Nifty eh that’s pretty cool that’s really good to know I didn’t think that was going to work cuz we had a really good size hole that’s an 8 in hole for a 4-in post and the concrete got bogged down before it all the made it all the way to the ground H look at that that’s amazing okay there you go same thing with the foam eh that’s foam right there there’s a couple of mud chunks here but most of that’s foam so it did a much better job of actually filling in at the bottom right mhm that’s fascinating all right we got it yeah oh right that’s work buddy that’s work I wasn’t wrong dude this is really awesome is it I’m loving this something’s going to snap here well I’m I’m not loving where you got grabbed because you’re on the outside of that corner but if I was you I would stand on that 2×8 je stand on the 2×8 while I got to put my body weight behind this thing okay hold on hold on hold on now we’re catching 2×4 again can you come back up okay okay go something is going to snap here man this is crazy keep going can I get out of the way no no no it’s not going to snap at me it’s going snap oh here it comes it’s bringing out like a 3-ft barrel of dirt this is amazing oh God wants to just push it over as well I mean at first here it comes yeah okay okay ladies and gentlemen it is obvious that this is the way to do it keep going it’s not lifting out by itself yet okay now we got it okay now we got it okay all right should I wiggle this thing loose no come on honey that’s rapid post for you right there that is amazing okay rapid post uh the regular concrete was like eight bucks rapid post was like 10 or 12 for the bag so it’s more expensive to go with this road six bucks more per post and then the foam was $25 a bag wow yeah so which was the one that was most loose loose in the hole once before we had pulled them out it was the loosest in the hole yep but at least it got all the way to the bottom wow but uh this is definitely the best way to do it there you go let’s see how well this product sticks together Under Pressure okay here we go guys oo okay three good strikes this will probably just bounce right off oh okay I’m really not seeing the $25 value you here and here comes the uh the dry pour let’s see if I can hold up to a sledgehammer oh there and that’s why folks this is why you don’t use dry pore for concrete slabs for outdoor patios you don’t do dry pore concrete unless you’re putting rebar the stuff is just going to shatter now you might get away with it down in the South but in for season climate that’s what it’s going to look like in the spring after The Long Winter six times to get that one to go well guys there you go now you seen it all you can draw your own conclusions you can decide if you want to put something in quick and dirty like we did we built that whole fence in one day uh because we used the foam and uh it made it possible remember this is a overnight dry this is a one hour dry and this is a two-hour dry until you can build for the extra hour though I’m gonna go rapid pose cheers till next time
39 Comments
The helper is a CLOWN, but good addition
Foam Sucks.
Never thought about doing a helical pile manually
There's a popular channel here in the UK (Proper DIY) where he did the same as you and tested various methods and came up with the exact same results however, he (Stuart) didn't try the last method as I don't think we have those here. We do have fence post spikes where you have to hammer them home but not those exact same things as far as I'm aware.
I've got a massive fence to get put up at some point here and while I'm still researching the best method to use, I think I'll be going the concrete mix (first method) and using one of those massive vibrating rods to settle the concrete. Just looking at ways to maximise the longevity of the posts. So far thinking of tanalised posts, coat the bottom in bitumen, concrete in hold, post in, rest of concrete to the top angling the concrete downwards to take water away.
So, i really want to go with the Rapid Post. I'm only building a t-post fence gate, not a porch, nothing that humans will walk on, just an open/close fence gate for mowers and my dog. I want to hold the t-posts in the ground with rapid post. Would that be an okay move? I do live in the south. All the way in Savannah, GA.
wow this was so informative! thanks so much! my fence recently fell down in some high winds (and it wasnt in very deep to begin with)… need to repair it
Jeff's vibe is somewhere between Tim 'the Toolman' Tailor and Bob Vila and I'm 100% here for it.
There has to be an attachment you can use from a power tool for that helicoil post
I'm confused.
Jeff was loving the rapid post, but when it broke apart after 3 hits, he said that is why you don't use it and that it is only good with rebar. Then at the end he says it is his preferred method.
That gave Dr. Pimple popper feels there at the end. Good information!
Pretty useless even thinking about the helical pier. We are not worried about compression with a fence post. Useless told us nothing.
I wonder what the GHG carbon intensity for each method.
I would think the helical pile, but I am sure some knows the science between the production and shipping of concrete, foam, and steel???
There's no useful or valid information to be had in this video. Except maybe the results that can be expected if you absolutely half ass everything. Screw piles do absolutely nothing to support a fence, fences require lateral support. Insects and rodents love chewing away at that foam. Dry pour concrete is notorious for being porous and will begin crumbling at the first freeze thaw cycle. Lastly, not having a concrete vibrator is no excuse for not taking 30 seconds to pack the wet pour concrete into the hole with; a shovel, any available piece of lumber, or worst case a friggin' branch. C'mon guys, this is just sad.
Okay?
hi, how is the quick concrete bad again? unless i intend to pull it out and hit it with a sledge hammer…i am not understanding it since it is the sturdiest when underground.
I've been doing fences for many years and we always just pour regular quickcrete dry in the hole add the dirt get the post level tamper it down. Build the fence. Check each post with bottom and top string then add a little water around each post. Idk where ur at but where I live the ground is wet enough for the concrete to get hard already. No need to wait for them to set for a day or brace up. Do the whole fence in one day. Never had a problem or call back
Blueskin flashing tape around the post up to 2 inches above soil line to prevent rot. And really compact the soil around it. You'll never have to worry about boulders under your lawn. And the packed dirt is solid.
I was taught to pack the concrete down with a 2×4, don't just pour in and forget it. You gotta pack it down.
I dry pack my posts, i live in oregon and it raied its ass off for about 10 days before the weather got better so i ran out and dropped my posts in around my canopy frame(because the original frame almost blew away with the canvas attached) so the canvas attaches to thw posts and that concrete set so well that thw hulk would have a hell of a time getting them out
I have had good luck with digging the post a little bit deeper than required, throw post down and when pouring concrete, lift up a tad to allow concrete to flow completely around post and bottom of it. then quickly set/level/plumb post to correct height ect. Along with making concrete a little on the wet side. really fills in the gaps and flows right around the post. with it a bit wetter than normal, it does take a little bit of extra time and focus to keep level. depending on the job, and especially if its for home, I would recommend it. have had great success so far. Always open for new methods and ways.
Putting your face over the jack handle 🤦🏻♂️
This guy is a joke, crazy how people think that he knows what he is doing.
Mr. Jeff, I've learned soooo much from your videos all these years, I feel like you are a family member, so please don't pull and strain 😢 we need you to take care of yourself! ❤
why do you guys put a post directly into concrete? it will rotten over time. never seen this here in germany. we always use H Post Anchors made out of steel and screw the Post into that
Pro tip, wrap the post at ground level before filling g hole.. post will always rot right at ground level, having wrap will add a few yrs to your post..
Great video. Was leaning toward the foam for a new fence install but will probably go with quick-set concrete based on these results.
Also, what was the tool you used to lever the posts back out of the ground? I have some shrub stumps I'd like to pull out in the same manner.
if the pre-mix way was just a tiny bit thinner mix, it likely would have settled better down and all around. Maybe lift the post 2-3 inches and push back down to get it better set.. Foam stuff is not worth considering in my opinion. Stores should remove it from their shelves !!
I dont understand the point of this video. How often are posts facing tear out forces that are perfectly vertical? Wouldnt it make a lot more sense to apply a horizontal force at the very least if you cant do a compressive force straight down? Also, it is common practice to agitate wet concrete as it enters to the hole, you dont need to vibrate it, just jam a rod in up and down for a bit at the halfway and full poor mark, so its kind of silly to say that one was the weakest when you are just doing it wrong to begin with.
Thanks for the video! I’ve been wanting to put up posts for a while now to install a shade sail in our backyard. My issue is, for this application, all posts would be free-standing and not tied into any other structure. Is it even possible to install a free-standing post and not have it pitch and move drastically over time? I was even contemplating helical piles. Not very confident about that option after watching this video. Any recommendations would be appreciated, I’m at a loss for how to proceed. Thanks in advance for any input.
No level?
🤦🏾♂️
Do not listen to this guy if you want a good fence. He suffers from the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Mix the rapid post
Very good video!
I'm curious if the dry pour would have cured more over a longer time from absorbing ground water. Do a test after a year to determine hardness.
The dry pour one will get stronger with time as is absorbs more moisture. It'll be interesting to see if it will break that easily after a couple of months and a few rain pours.
You need a 12 inch hole for a 4 inch post.
Now try some of the cement and the foam poured into the hole before the post goes in.
What about the one you twisted into the ground …..we just didn't do that one ?