lee18•25d ago

I was wrong about using a 3-inch auger for all my post holes

For years I used a 3-inch bit for every 4x4 post, thinking it was fine. Then I did a job in Springfield last month where the soil was pure clay, and half the posts had a slight wobble after a week. My buddy convinced me to switch to a 6-inch bit for the bottom foot and fill it with concrete, and the difference in stability is night and day. Has anyone else found that a wider base is needed for certain soils?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly_patel25d ago

Pure clay needs that wider base, yeah.

barbara_jenkins6624d ago

Remember that whole trend of making those wonky pinch pots in high school art class? I was so focused on the fancy shape I always forgot the base, ended up with a whole shelf of wobbly little disasters. The teacher just kept pointing at the wheel and saying "foundation first" in this tired voice.

taylor.william24d ago

Read this thing about old pottery methods where they'd spend days just getting the bottom slab right before even thinking about the sides. They'd pack the clay, let it dry a bit, pack it more. Makes sense now, a wonky base throws off the whole balance. Your teacher was onto something, even if she sounded done with it.