The most difficult part of installing a stylish arbor is setting the posts. Whether you are setting a post directly in concrete or soil, it is vital that they are strong enough to support the weight of the arbor for many years. This article specifically focuses on the best tools and techniques for setting a post directly in the soil.
Concrete Footing
In general, you have two options when it comes to installing an arbor post in the soil. You can either dig a hole and pour concrete footing that the post will be attached to. Or, you can set the post directly in the soil. Obviously, pouring concrete footing is an extra step, and is going to cost a little bit of extra money to the project. However, it is often necessary. If your soil is extremely loose and shifty, a concrete footing is often needed to shore it up. However, if you have solid soil, and you are able to dig your hole deep enough, you can probably forgo pouring a concrete footing and set your post directly in the soil.
Digging a Deep Hole
The most important thing you need to do this job is a post digging shovel. A posting and shovel will enable you to dig your hole deep without making it too wide. But, how deep does your hole need to be? There is no real precise answer to this question. Of course, it mostly depends on how big, tall, and heavy your fence is going to be. So, a good general rule to follow is to make sure that your post is at least 1/3 the depth of its height. So, if you want a 10' arbor post, you will need to have at least 3' in the soil. Of course, if it seems very easy to dig through your soil, and you can dig it deeper, it isn't going to hurt have 4' or more in the soil. Of course, if it seems very easy to dig through your soil, and you can dig deeper without any issue.
The key to setting a post directly into the soil is to pack it down very tightly as you pour the soil in around the post. Pour in a few inches of soil, tamp it down, and then add some more soil around it. This is obviously going to take some time but is the best way to make sure your arbor is stable. For more information on arbors, contact your local general contractor.
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