CONCRETE QUESTIONS / RELIANT FENCE, INC.

The question often comes up about concrete on fence post footers.  Does a company concrete their posts, what type of concrete is used and how much concrete is on each post?  These are all questions that a consumer has the right to know. 

In Florida, many companies do not concrete wooden fence posts.  The rationale is that the concrete will eat away the wood.  We at Reliant Fence have not found that to be true.  However, wooden fences are the only type of fencing that we sometimes do not concrete.  Normally, on these types of fences, we give the customer the final say.  On all other types of fencing, we thoroughly concrete all posts.

How much concrete should you use.  A good rule of thumb for an aluminum fence is half of an 80 pound bag of concrete.  When installing a pvc privacy fence (plastic) the ideal amount is concrete is going to be around 70 to 80 pounds (one full bag).  These are just guide lines, you might find that a little less or a little more works fine for you.  Reliant Fence takes the stance that it is better to use a little more in order to make sure that the post footers are secure for a long time.

Some companies mix their own concrete.  They might use sand, rock and portland cement.  Others use a type of crushed rock material that is then mixed with portland cement.  Another option is the pre-bagged concrete that is available at a Lowe's or Home Depot stores.  What is important here is to make sure the concrete has a rating of at least 3000 psi.  Pre packaged bags from Sakrete or Quikrete all meet this standard and that is why we use them.

Another big question in the central Florida market is, should the concrete be mixed or can it be dry poured?  The fact is that both scenarios work well.  An advantage to dry pour is that there is more time to tweek a fence line in.  You must thoroughly wet the concrete once the fence line is set.

When a fence is installed by Reliant Fence, you can be sure that the footers (one of the most important structural parts  of a fence) are set securely in plenty of concrete.  Our labor warranties are for 2 years and most footer problems would be evident by that time.

Give us a call for your next fence project!  866-851-3465