How to Use Sand to Set a Corner Post

Setting a Corner Post with Sand

• 1

  Hold up the fence post in the corner position where your in-line posts intersect in a straight line and mark the position of the fence post. Use a small hand spade to dig out a shallow profile of the fence post bottom. It can be approximate since you will adjust the post once you place it in the hole.

• 2

  Measure the total length of the fence post with a tape measure. The hole will bury approximately 1/3 the length of the post, or you must dig the hole to a minimum depth of 3 feet. Dig the hole with a post digger and add another four inches of depth to your original depth estimate since you will need a 4-inch layer of sand at the bottom of the hole for the post to sit on.

• 3

  Dig the hole approximately 8 inches wide on all sides until you reach the proper depth. You can use a gas or electric powered auger to drill the hole faster and with more accuracy. Once you have reached the proper depth, use a hand spade to dig out a bell-shaped cavity at the bottom sides of the hole. Make the hole 10 inches wide at the bottom. For larger posts, dig a 10-inch hole at the top and a 12-inch cavity at the bottom.

• 4

  Pour 4 inches of coarse sand into the bottom of the hole. Measure the depth with a tape measure. Tamp down the sand with the fence post end and remeasure the sand depth. You need four inches of compacted sand. Position the pole in the hole and align it with your fence line. Square the ends even with the in-line fence posts.

• 5

  Have an assistant use a level to hold the post in a vertical position. Use two pieces of lumber on opposite ends of the post to brace it. Wedge each piece of lumber into the ground and angle them toward the fence post. Hammer a nail into the top pieces of wood to hold the fence post still. Twist the post or tap it with a hammer until you achieve the correct profile and vertical adjustment.

• 6

  Mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow, according to directions. Use a shovel to pour 2 or 3 inches of concrete into the hole and check it for vertical adjustment. Finish filling up the hole, but check it two or three more times after adding concrete. Overfill the hole with 3 inches of concrete and use a trowel to flatten down the sides of the concrete, forming a drainage fan. Let the concrete dry and cure, according to directions.