"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
news
David WE Roberts wrote:
I need to dig and fill holes for 12 concrete fence posts - slotted
ones to take fence panels.

General guidance is they should be 2' deep.
Homebase 'how to' brochure suggests 1' * 1' by 2' hole for a 4" post.
This seems generally O.K. apart from the issue that if the concrete
post is on the boundary then the concrete filling will go 4" into the
neighbouring garden. Please tell me if I am barking up the wrong tree.

Whoa there!

Far too complicated. 12 posts, do yourself a big favour & invest £20 in
one of these http://www.wickes.co.uk/Post-Hole-Digger/invt/501584 sell it
on FleaBay afterwards or hire it out to neighbours.

Nice neat round hole about 8" diameter x however deep - I'd agree on 2'.

I bag of Postcrete/Postfix per post generally, if the hole goes a bit
bigger due to lumps of rock, roots then 1.5 bags per post.

Couple of tips. Never assume fence panels are actually 1.8m wide - they
vary +/- as much as 3/4". Concrete fence posts are 'kin heavy, get them
in the right place first time - you need a helper.

O.K. - round holes are probably easier than square ones and I am already
eyeing up a couple of similar hole diggers.

I am a bit concerned about the amount of concrete around the post - the soil
here is quite sandy and I want this fence to be rock solid and to last for
50 years+ (working from the fence at our previous house which was still
going strong in the concrete post department after over 20 years, with just
the occasional fence panel replacement).

One of the concrete posts for our existing fence (bolt through, not slotted)
is leaning over but it seems to have 4" of concrete on one side only. This
suggests that 2" of concrete all round might do better. Question is, would
3" or 4" be even better or just overkill?
Perhaps 9" or 10" diameter holes?

I think I will have to go for regular 1.8m spacing as I need to be able to
replace fence panels as required - I think I will have to select the panels
to fit, or if not possible then pad narrow ones out with an extra strip of
wood.

Postfix is £3.99 a bag this Friday and Saturday at HomeBase if you 'bulk
buy' 4 or more bags (just read the 15% off flyer) so I may go for that.

Reduced my plan to 11 posts and a 'U' bracket for the panel which meets the
house rear wall (no space between the soil pipes for a concrete post). 20
bags of Postfix might be about right. I will also check with Travis Perkins
as they seem to do 2 sizes of bag.

I was planning to pick the posts up with one hand and toss them into the
hole, but you are probably right ;-)
Will have a test lift with my good lady and see if we can shift one together
or if I need to start waving beer tokens about.

Thanks very much for the advice.

Dave R