I keep seeing people set posts in concrete without checking for frost lines.

Back when I started in the 90s, my boss in Grand Rapids would make us dig down 36 inches for every post, no matter what. Now I see crews just going 18 inches deep, even up north. That's a big deal because a shallow post will heave after one hard winter and wreck the whole fence line. How do you guys handle frost depth specs for different areas?

4 comments

4 Comments

jackson.max29d ago

You mentioning Grand Rapids and that 36 inch rule really hits home. I used to think that was overkill for some jobs, especially with how long it takes. But then I saw a whole section of fence I helped with pop up like a zipper after a bad freeze. Now I just look up the local code and add a few extra inches, no questions asked. It's not worth the call back.

sean4812d ago

Respectfully, I see it a little different than that. Going deeper than code just because you're worried about a bad freeze isn't always the smart move. Codes are usually written by people who've seen every type of soil and weather condition in your area, so they know what works. Adding extra inches can actually cause problems if you hit groundwater or a different soil layer that holds moisture and causes more heave than the frost would have. I've seen posts set too deep that ended up rotting out faster because they sat in wet ground year round. I'd rather trust the local standard and make sure the concrete mix is right and drainage is good, than just dig deeper and hope for the best.

victor65129d ago

Yep, that frost heave'll teach you real quick.

kevinallen29d ago

But what if the frost line is already deeper than code?