Concrete or Postcrete

bretts

Hi

I am in process of putting 15 concrete fence posts, I am doing it on my own and was wondering if someone can help me decide whether postcrete is cheaper or making your own concrete. I dont have a mixer so I have to factor in the cost of hiring one of those. If i do hire what would be the ratios, I am not too good with them so I think I would need ballast and cement. Really very tight on budget so worst come I could buy a big bucket and mix it individually with a spade or something and then add water.

I am also planning to make a 1 meter wide concrete path at some time in the garden which is about 25 meters long, what would be the ratio for that as well please.

Silver-Surfer_2

Have a look here.

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/mixing_concrete.htm

For the path I'd consider ready mix and plenty of help.

spadoosh

Just use postcrete. You could make it a couple of quid cheaper in materials by making it yourself but the time messing around working out what ratiops you want to use. Sorting out something to mix it etc etc.

Just put the post in add water then postcrete.

http://assets.jewson.co.uk/product-docs/8386/8386.pdf


Sorry missed the concrete path bit. Would wait until your doing that and do both at the same time.

bretts

The thing is that the patch is going to run just across the posts so I have to do the posts first as the holes for posts are all in already.

glasgowdan

Don't forget, 2 bags postcrete per hole! And if you've any rubbly material, jam a little of that around the post first before pouring the crete in.

gamston

we use postcrete when putting in new goal posts, it great as it goes off quickly
if you are doing a path as well, think about getting a cement mixer, there only a £160,or hire one, maybe see if someone can lend one to you

N9eav

Depends on your resources and time. I can get free rough sand from a local mining company. I mix it with cement in a barrow and pour it in dry and add water. Cheap for me. But Postcrete is simpler.


The path. You are talking 5 cubic meters of concrete at 20cm thick. Pretty much a lorry load...
Get your friends over with their wheel barrows and offer them a beer and BBQ after

bretts

Hi

Thank you so much for all the replies. Actually this work in my garden has been going on for very long time as I am the only one doing it and mostly is one or two days a week on the weekends only. We had about a meter tall concrete posts with wire mesh so i removed those concrete posts first. Then when I was digging for the concrete path I realised that there are more concrete posts that were just cut from the top to the bottom and the base left as it is, so I took them out too, so in all i took out about 30 concrete bases with and without a fence post attached to them, now when I started measuring out for the fence I will be putting, they come next to the massive holes that I have already dug to take the old concrete stumps out. I am filling as much as possible with the soil coming out from digging, but some holes have just merged and converted to a massive hole, is there a way to reduce those massive holes to avoid loosing too much concrete. That part of garden was all massive different kinds of trees shrubs and all which I had to cut and throw and that has left some holes too. I have done all this alone as my friends are all professionals who do not like to get there hands dirty except me, they cant even bother to mow there own grass, that for them is an effort and looking me do all this make them feel like what the hell have I got myself into but I like doing things on my own so whatever will be done will be done by me only, could be hard job and I am sure it is but I am alone and will tackle it slowly, when I asked about taking out so many concrete stumps out earlier, everyone did warn me its not going to be easy and it was not but I have managed to do it all slowly and steadily.

beaker141

POstcrete is pretty dear - but I used it to do my posts - I found Wickes to be a fairly keen price on it with some offer on when buying 5+

Its very satisfying to do things yourself - keep going at it.

bretts

Hi

Yes I saw that too that wickes does good deals, I will get it from there, but the size of those holes make me feel it will take up too much of postcrete. Thanks for the encouragement, I am going on to do it and hopefully finish it before winters start, after which another project is loft insulation and then boarding and plan to start it before we get to proper winters.

ian103

Why not change the post centres, then you can dig a tighter hole, use less concreteand it will be more robust if dug in virgin ground rather than a filled with rubble over size hole, that or dig all 15 work out how much concrere you need and get a ready mix load