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Shoutout to the crew in Tampa that showed me a better way to set posts
I used to mix concrete for post holes by hand, which took forever and was never quite right. Last year, I worked with a team in Florida who just used pre-mix bags and a bucket of water. They'd drop the bag in the hole, pour water over it, and stir with a piece of rebar. It cut my setting time in half and the consistency is perfect every time. I've been doing it this way for about eight months now and I won't go back. Has anyone else tried this method with the quick-set mixes?
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karenc202mo ago
Wow, that's a game changer.
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finleym374d ago
Jumping in because I've been there. @grace_kelly45, you're not wrong about that lumpy paper mess if you don't do it right. I had the same problem the first couple of times, ended up with a half-set post that wobbled when you leaned on it. But once I switched to the quick-set bags and stabbed the bag with the rebar a bunch before adding water, it finally worked. You gotta poke holes all through the bag so water can get in everywhere, then really churn it up good at the bottom. It's not for everybody, but I've had tight posts ever since.
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evan_grant702mo ago
That method with the bag in the hole can be really messy in my experience. You get dry pockets and it's hard to mix fully around the post base. I still prefer mixing in a wheelbarrow first for a solid, even set. It takes a few more minutes but I've had posts fail from that pour-over trick. Sorry @karenc20, I don't see it as a game changer.
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grace_kelly452mo ago
Wait, you just drop the whole bag in the hole dry? How does the concrete in the middle of the sack even get wet? I tried something like that once and ended up with a rock hard lump wrapped in paper surrounded by mud. You really get a solid post doing it that way?
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