Post Solution

grantor

Hello everyone.

I'm a new forumite here. I've posted a brief introduction in the intros forum for your perusal.

I've been wondering about a 'green' solution for sinking deck posts into the ground. After reading about this Greenkrete stuff I started thinking that my boardwalk project might be able to be done greener.

I would like to skip the concrete in the postholes altogether, but the ground is very wet from fall through spring, so maybe this isn't possible or advisable?? Yes? No?

Any thoughts? Already the project is using a no-nail joinery style, and I'm using locally harvested timber. Any other ideas on how to lessen the impact, short of build nothing and sit in a corner and consume nothing but air...slowly?

Cheers,
Grant

Green_Handyman

well you could cantaliever the deck off the house by running the Joices along side the home joices (sic). if being green is your primary concern, then sinking posts in concrete is green. concrete is recyclable. using fasteners doesnt make a project not green, that sound right? your first choice should be the structural integrity of the deck. i hope this helps

neolitic

And so....
non sequitur follows nonsense,
over a period of 21 months.
Stay tuned.

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sawyerEd

Concrete must never be in contact with a wooden post, treated or cedar/redwood. doing so will ensure it will rot away very quickly. Nevertheless, otherwise sensible people do this all the time. Concrete can be placed under a post if separated from the wood by metal clips made for this purpose. but one must remember that the soil supports the post, the concrete is there just to transfer the load to the surrounding soil. As always good drainage down to excavated depth is essential around wooden posts. Use a good grade of crush to tamp posts plumb and tamp from the base to grade level. If you want a good job you should check out the variety of steel deck spikes that are available. Most are advertized as "pound-in" but of course they cannot usually be pounded in except under ideal conditions, no rocks. The best type are screw in type that were designed for heavy clay or silt soils. They come in different sizes engineered for specific loads and can used instead of strip footings where drainage is poor. Metal post foundation units are high on 3 R's, They reduce the amount of high embedded energy concrete required, they can be reused and they are recyclable. Take that neolitic!!

FENCETECHS

Like one ofthe posters stated, use what we call crush and run, ad pack it from bottom in levels of about 3-4 inches pack all way to top.

neolitic

My point was, the original post about
a "boardwalk" is dated March, 12, 2007.
Post #2 dated 21 months later offers
advice to cantilever "joices" off "the
house"?????

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Green_Handyman

my bad, i miss understood