# Fence Post Holes



## Bay (Oct 11, 2009)

I am attempting to put up a good neighbor fence using 6x6 in cedar post and ran into a water problem. . When I dug my post holes to the frost level they filled with water to about 10 inches below the ground level. Incidently, I run into clay type soil after 2 feet (I believe that it is at the 2 foot level where the water seeps down into the post hole). I understand that I could fill it with dry quickmix cement that would eventually displace the water. Am I wrong in thinking that putting a layer of gravel down does nothing for drainage. If so, what should my concerns be with wicking and wood rot? Also should I use Sonatubes?

(sorry...I wrongly posted this to intro...I'm new member and still learning)


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## travelover (Oct 11, 2009)

The level of the water in your holes is the ground water level. If you dug a pond there, that would be the height of the water in the pond after it stabilized. So, if you put posts below this ground water level, they will have wet feet and will rot over time. Gravel won't help as there is nowhere for the surface water to drain to, unless the ground water level is below the gravel.


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## funetical (Oct 13, 2009)

I've always put gravel at the bottom of post holes. Never had your problem though. What's a good neighbor fence?


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## Buster (Jan 13, 2010)

A good neighbor fence usually looks the same from both sides.  There are several different styles; board on board, shadow box, board on batten, etc.


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## CraigFL (Jan 13, 2010)

The other option would be to fill with concrete(tubes) and put a post connector on top so the wood is all above ground


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## GBR (Jan 13, 2010)

SULIS - Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series: U of MN.

http://www.ulteig.com/uploads/Ulteig_Frost_Heave.pdf

http://www.waltersforensic.com/articles/civil_engineering/vol1-no11.htm

Be safe, Gary


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