Installing Fence Posts In Rocky Soil

Add at least 6 inches of gravel around the post and tamp it down firmly.

Installing fence posts in rocky soil.

Bevel the top of the fence post to a 45º angle to encourage rain runoff or plan on installing a post cap. Drive the blade of the shovel straight down into the soil of the post hole walls with your foot. A jack fence of poles works well where the ground is too rocky to set posts but in windy country this type of fence must be anchored securely so it won t blow over. This saves countless hours in labor especially in rocky or hard soil.

Check out my blog to see what s happening on the homestead. Well i don t have any fence building experience but i wonder if you could anchor the fence posts with guy wires like the power company does on their poles. Measure out the fence line and mark on the rock where each post is to go. A strong gust of wind can sometimes tip over a whole section of fence.

In some terrain where it s not too steep and there are surface rocks you can create an aboveground cage of rocks as a brace to anchor the fence in lieu of brace posts. Drill holes to create a circle twice the diameter of the post and 6 to 10 inches deep. Straighten the walls of the post hole using a round point shovel. Post drivers can make fast work of installing fence lines as well as in making repairs to existing fences.

Gather or stack rocks and secure them with net wire or make a cage and put rocks into it. At each mark use a rock drill to cut a series of holes in a circle and inside the circle. Treat the two ends with a non water based brush on wood preservative such as copper naphthenate. Dig down to the rock use a masonry drill to drill a hole and bolt or pin an anchor right into the rock.

Level the post with a construction level and adjust the post as needed from side. Today with advances in hydraulics and new manufacturing methods posts can be driven into the ground without digging a hole. Installing a post once meant digging a hole. Pull the shovel handle backward.

Wood preservatives are toxic so follow safety recommendations on the label.