Tried setting posts in gravel vs concrete on a 200ft run last month

I had a 200 foot run for a horse pasture and decided to try crushed gravel on half of it to save money and time. The gravel side already has two posts leaning after two weeks while the concrete side is solid as a rock. Anyone else ever have gravel work out for them or am I just wasting my time with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

morganl7117d ago

Tried gravel for a fence line years back on a buddy's property and watched half the posts wobble after a single rainstorm. Concrete is definitely the way to go unless you're just setting temporary stuff that doesn't need to hold up long term. Learned that lesson the hard way too.

anthony_jackson3117d ago

Oh man, I had the exact same thing happen with gravel. I tried it on a corner post for a shed one time and after the first good rain that thing was wiggling like a loose tooth. That's the thing people don't talk about enough, gravel just doesn't lock in the same way concrete does, especially if you get any kind of clay or soft soil underneath. I see what @thomas.river is saying about moisture with concrete though, that's a real concern for sure, but I've had way better luck just painting the bottoms of my posts with some cheap tar and setting them in concrete. Hasn't rotted on me yet after a few years so far. For anything that's gonna take wind or weight, I'm sticking with concrete every time, gravel feels like a gamble to me.

thomas.river17d ago

Gotta disagree with you a bit here @morganl71 lol. Gravel can work great if you do it right, I've got a fence line that's been solid for 6 years now with just crushed stone tamped down in layers. The trick is using the right size gravel and packing it super tight every few inches, not just dumping it in loose. Concrete has its place but it can trap moisture against the wood and rot posts faster in wet climates too. For permanent stuff on solid ground I'm team gravel all the way, just takes a little more effort upfront.