I'm starting my new project, a 6 foot vinyl privacy fence. a lot of
online resources recommend putting gravel into the holes (6 inches
worth). Is this really necessary? i figured with a wood fence it would
be to prevent rotting. But was wondering if placing them directly in
the concrete was bad... seeing as how they're vinyl. i'm in norfolk,
va. if climate is a factor.

I don't plan on putting 4x4s down the center of the posts, only at the
gate.

also, any tips? I was planning on putting the corners in first, then
tying a string corner to corner - then staking out where the posts
should go. I was going to do dig all the holes, but do 2 posts/panel
at a time to reduce the risk of error. (instead of all the posts at
once, which i'm sure i'd screw up).

Thanks for the help everyone!

"RedDwarf" wrote

I'm starting my new project, a 6 foot vinyl privacy fence. a lot of
online resources recommend putting gravel into the holes (6 inches
worth). Is this really necessary? i figured with a wood fence it would
be to prevent rotting. But was wondering if placing them directly in
the concrete was bad... seeing as how they're vinyl. i'm in norfolk,
va. if climate is a factor.

I'm in same area. Welcome Neighbor!

Yes, you can just concrete them for the vinyl parts. Any wood posts will
need the gravel though.

also, any tips? I was planning on putting the corners in first, then
tying a string corner to corner - then staking out where the posts
should go. I was going to do dig all the holes, but do 2 posts/panel
at a time to reduce the risk of error. (instead of all the posts at
once, which i'm sure i'd screw up).

Get a few simple metal stakes. Mark the post positions by just laying them
on the ground where you want them, then put a stake marker. Run your string
along that (so you get it all in evenly). Start at one corner then work
panel by panel. This allows for a little 'sloppage' in measuring if at the
end of the run, you have a few extra inches, or are short a few. I wouldnt
actually put all corners in, til you get to that section. It's real easy to
mis-measure by 2 inches and real hard to fix with vinyl fencing.

On Dec 8, 12:15*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
"RedDwarf" wrote

I'm starting my new project, a 6 foot vinyl privacy fence. a lot of
online resources recommend putting gravel into the holes (6 inches
worth). Is this really necessary? i figured with a wood fence it would
be to prevent rotting. But was wondering if placing them directly in
the concrete was bad... seeing as how they're vinyl. i'm in norfolk,
va. if climate is a factor.

I'm in same area. *Welcome Neighbor!

Yes, you can just concrete them for the vinyl parts. *Any wood posts will
need the gravel though.

also, any tips? I was planning on putting the corners in first, then
tying a string corner to corner - then staking out where the posts
should go. I was going to do dig all the holes, but do 2 posts/panel
at a time to reduce the risk of error. (instead of all the posts at
once, which i'm sure i'd screw up).

Get a few simple metal stakes. *Mark the post positions by just laying them
on the ground where you want them, then put a stake marker. *Run your string
along that (so you get it all in evenly). *Start at one corner then work
panel by panel. *This allows for a little 'sloppage' in measuring if at the
end of the run, you have a few extra inches, or are short a few. * I wouldnt
actually put all corners in, til you get to that section. *It's real easy to
mis-measure by 2 inches and real hard to fix with vinyl fencing.

Cool, this helps out a lot. Thanks for everyone's help!

On Dec 8, 10:45*am, RedDwarf wrote:
I'm starting my new project, a 6 foot vinyl privacy fence. a lot of
online resources recommend putting gravel into the holes (6 inches
worth). Is this really necessary? i figured with a wood fence it would
be to prevent rotting. But was wondering if placing them directly in
the concrete was bad... seeing as how they're vinyl. i'm in norfolk,
va. if climate is a factor.

I don't plan on putting 4x4s down the center of the posts, only at the
gate.

also, any tips? I was planning on putting the corners in first, then
tying a string corner to corner - then staking out where the posts
should go. I was going to do dig all the holes, but do 2 posts/panel
at a time to reduce the risk of error. (instead of all the posts at
once, which i'm sure i'd screw up).

Thanks for the help everyone!

Something that happens to some cemented hollow posts, metal or
plastic, in the midwest north is ground water fills enough of the post
to cause splitting in a hard freeze. Over the years I have noted this
most often in chain link fence posts. The concrete around the base
doesn't appear to prevent this. In fact, most line posts just driven
into the soil in the same installations are intact. There doesn't
appear to be any obvious reason for this phenomenon. Perhaps new
ground water forces a frozen plug upward which then will burst the
post above ground. Whatever, embedding well in fresh concrete may be
the technique of choice.

Joe

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 8 Dec 2008 08:45:03 -0800 (PST), RedDwarf
wrote:

I'm starting my new project, a 6 foot vinyl privacy fence. a lot of
online resources recommend putting gravel into the holes (6 inches
worth). Is this really necessary? i figured with a wood fence it
would
be to prevent rotting. But was wondering if placing them directly in
the concrete was bad... seeing as how they're vinyl. i'm in norfolk,
va. if climate is a factor.

I don't plan on putting 4x4s down the center of the posts, only at
the
gate.

also, any tips? I was planning on putting the corners in first, then
tying a string corner to corner - then staking out where the posts
should go. I was going to do dig all the holes, but do 2 posts/panel
at a time to reduce the risk of error. (instead of all the posts at
once, which i'm sure i'd screw up).

Thanks for the help everyone!

Gravel will give you a solid lock on the posts pretty quick if you
tamp it in as you go. Dirt probably will to, depending on what you
have for dirt. Just tamp it in tight while you backfill with a 2x2.

Sand works much better and moves to reseat during and after rains.