Installing Fence Posts In Rocky Soil

Treat the two ends with a non water based brush on wood preservative such as copper naphthenate.

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. Gather or stack rocks and secure them with net wire or make a cage and put rocks into it. Level the post with a construction level and adjust the post as needed from side. Pull the shovel handle backward.

How i dug post holes for my fence in rocky ground. Check out my blog to see what s happening on the homestead. At each mark use a rock drill to cut a series of holes in a circle and inside the circle. 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.

Straighten the walls of the post hole using a round point shovel. This saves countless hours in labor especially in rocky or hard soil. Place the post in the center of the hole. Today with advances in hydraulics and new manufacturing methods posts can be driven into the ground without digging a hole.

Add at least 6 inches of gravel around the post and tamp it down firmly. A strong gust of wind can sometimes tip over a whole section of fence. Wood preservatives are toxic so follow safety recommendations on the label. Measure out the fence line and mark on the rock where each post is to go.

Installing a post once meant digging a hole. A jack fence is probably the easiest above ground fence to build thomas says. Dig down to the rock use a masonry drill to drill a hole and bolt or pin an anchor right into the rock. 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.

Drive the blade of the shovel straight down into the soil of the post hole walls with your foot.