Seeing a cedar fence topple has me questioning how we set posts in soggy yards

Last week, I saw a beautiful cedar fence collapse after a big rain. The posts were set in concrete, but the ground was so wet that the whole thing shifted. Some old-timers say to skip concrete and use packed dirt with gravel so water can get out. They argue it stops wood from rotting and lets the fence move with the soil. But many installers always pour concrete, saying it's the only way to keep posts straight in soft dirt. I'm stuck between these methods for my next project in a marshy area. What's your take on this?

3 comments

3 Comments

robin_craig8d ago

Honestly, being stuck between methods seems like it's not that big of a deal.

claire_moore8d ago

Oh, not that big of a deal? Tell that to my brain, which has been spinning in circles for an hour like a laptop fan trying to run a video game it can't handle. It's the mental equivalent of being stuck in a doorway, not sure whether to go in or out, and just freezing there forever. Super fun way to spend an afternoon.

samflores6d ago

My brain does that exact doorway freeze at least twice a week. It's a real kind of stuck.