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I was setting post concrete wrong for years and didn't know it
I was doing a big cedar fence job in Gilbert last month, about 40 posts total. My helper pointed out that the concrete mix looked way too dry. I'd always just mixed it until it felt right, no measuring. We did a slump test with a coffee can and it failed hard. Turns out I was using almost half the water I should have been for a solid set. The whole crew had to chip out and reset six posts we'd already done that morning. Has anyone else had a wake-up call about their concrete mix?
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jennifer3587mo ago
My uncle swore by the "dry mix" method for fence posts too, until a whole section leaned after one storm. Ever try that coffee can test on a bigger pour?
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mark_anderson7mo ago
Remember my neighbor who tried that coffee can trick for his shed base. He ended up with these weird weak spots because the mix didn't settle right in the big form. Honestly, watching him chip away at that lumpy slab later convinced me to just rent a mixer for anything bigger than a post hole. The extra time mixing wet is nothing compared to fixing a bad pour.
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jamie_clark6mo ago
Yeah, I learned that lesson the hard way too, trying to mix a whole patio slab by hand. My arms were dead for a week and the finish looked like the surface of the moon. @mark_anderson is right, renting a mixer is the only sane move for anything bigger than a bag or two.
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