Ready concrete for fence posts: what is worth knowing about it?

Are you planning to build a fence and want to use ready-made concrete in bags for posts? This is a good solution if you care about time and obtaining specific properties of the mixture, such as: frost resistance or resistance to significant loads. Read this article to learn more about quick-setting mortars for fence posts and dry concrete post installation.

What concrete to choose for fence posts?

In order for the fence to stand evenly and stably for many years, its supports should be properly anchored. Which mortar for fence posts will work best? If you plan to make a fence from mesh or system panels and want to get high strength parameters of the posts, bet on ready-made concrete for pouring posts with the content of the right proportions of ingredients.

You do not know what concrete to choose for pouring fence posts? Consider 3 things:

• the number of posts you want to concrete (if there are only a few of them, you can use B20 concrete or so-called express mixtures under the fence posts),

• the specificity of your plot – do you have access to electricity and water to be able to use your own concrete mixer or electric agitator? If you have a large property and want to save on material, you can prepare the mixture yourself, using a concrete mixer or wheelbarrow, depending on the conditions,

• the budget you have (the cheapest method of preparing concrete for fence posts is to make it by hand in a wheelbarrow or a larger container of cement, sand and water, ready-made instant mixtures are less economical, and one bag of dry concrete per fence is enough for an average of 1 hole).

How to make mortar for fence posts?

Are you planning to apply high-speed concrete to the posts? Manufacturers of this type of mixtures have developed them in such a way as to simplify the anchoring process as much as possible and improve the pace of assembly. How to make concrete for fence posts? You pour the finished product in stages and sprinkle with water, accurately looking at the next layers. Many manufacturers also recommend pouring water over the walls of the trench in order to better connect the mortar with the ground. The binding process occurs already within a quarter of an hour. Fast-setting concrete in post bags does not require mixing.

Instead of ready-made mortar for concreting fence posts , you can also make concrete yourself – all you have to do is combine cement (preferably Portland, class I), sand, aggregate and water. For a 25-kilogram bag of cement, prepare 12 l of water and 6 buckets of sand. If you plan to build a fence in the cold months, then add a special winter protective admixture to the mixture. Do you want to get a tight layer and the desired consistency of concrete and concrete screed for posts? Additionally apply plasticizers, i.e. special preparations that improve the parameters of plasticity and strength of the material.

Ready concrete for posts – water proportions

What should you know about the proportion of concrete per post and how many bags of concrete per post to buy? The packaging of the finished product (20-25 kg) will be used to anchor 1 post, with a hole diameter of 20 cm and a depth of 30-40 cm. How much water will you use to make concrete for the fence? On the Polish market you will find 3 types of mixtures:

• dry, not requiring water,

• pre-prepared outside the well (for such products you need about 2.5 l of water per bag),

• poured directly into the hole and combined with water in stages, preferably using a watering can or other sprinkler (on average 2-4 l of water).

Manufacturers always put on the packaging a detailed instruction and guidelines on how much concrete under the post must be poured and how much water to use to properly anchor the metal structure. Do not change the recommended proportions, thanks to which you will avoid problems with crushing the material, cracking the foundation and rusting of the posts in the future. Remember that the finished concrete mortar for anchoring fence posts also absorbs natural moisture from the ground, so during sprinkling, dose the liquid carefully and control the consistency of the mass.

Advantages of ready-made mortars for fence posts

Are you considering installing fence posts on dry concrete and want to buy a ready-made mixture in a bag? This is a good solution if you want to quickly and efficiently put up a fence. Most of the ready-made concretes available in stores for embedding posts are characterized by: express setting rate (10-15 minutes), resistance to loads and mechanical damage and resistance to frost or moisture. The mixture tightly fills each gap in the hole and creates a stable, durable base for vertical elements.

By using quick-tiing concrete for posts, you will avoid many technical errors, which often occur when preparing a concrete mix from scratch. You do not have to wonder what proportions of cement, sand and water to keep. You will get high-quality, ready-made concrete mortar for anchoring fence posts without having to reach for expensive power tools or rent a concrete mixer.