elizabethg85•15d agoProlific Poster

Pro tip: Don't use a standard concrete mix for fence posts in heavy clay

I had a job in a new development outside of Charlotte where the soil was pure, dense clay. I used my usual bagged concrete mix for the line posts, thinking it would be fine. After a hard rain a week later, three posts had shifted because the water pooled around the concrete and couldn't drain, basically making a slippery mud bowl. I learned that in clay, you need to use a gravel base for drainage and maybe even a specific fast-setting mix that cures before the water messes it up. Has anyone else run into this and found a better method for wet clay areas?

3 comments

3 Comments

jake98615d ago

My old boss in Raleigh taught me that the hard way.

sarah_patel2515d ago

Yeah Raleigh bosses have a way of doing that. @jake986, best thing you can do is write everything down after those talks. Saved me more than once.

brian_smith614d ago

Oh man, my buddy learned that lesson. His boss promised him a promotion during a one-on-one, then totally denied it later. My friend had dated notes in his phone from right after the talk. He showed them to HR and they had to make it right.