A homeowner in Tacoma insisted I set his cedar posts directly on the ground, no concrete.

He said his granddad built fences that way in the 70s and they're still standing, but I've always dug a hole and used a gravel base with concrete. I set them his way on that one section just to see, and now I'm curious if anyone has done a long-term comparison of methods.

3 comments

3 Comments

williams.kim1mo ago

That granddad in the 70s got lucky with his soil and climate. Cedar is rot resistant, not rot proof. Putting it right on dirt traps moisture against the wood, which is asking for trouble. A gravel base for drainage is the bare minimum to give it a fighting chance. Concrete in the hole just locks it in place after the gravel does its job.

allen.charlie19d ago

So you're saying concrete just locks the post in place while the gravel does all the real work? That makes sense if you think about how water sits on top of concrete but drains away through gravel. But doesn't the concrete also help keep the post from shifting around in the wind? Seems like a decent compromise to me, even if the drainage isn't perfect.

skylerp311mo ago

My uncle's cedar deck rotted out in just five years.