[GardenShed]

Hi, I've been given a small wooden gate that I want to make use of and therefore, need to put 2 posts in the ground, to which the gate can then be secured.

I was thinking of using wood that's about 3 inches by 3 inches for the posts - does that sound ok?  Will also submerge them about 45cm into the ground.  But other than that I don't know the best way to go about it.

Id prefer not to use concrete - is it possible to do so and still make sure the gate and 2 posts are fairly stable?  If so, what's the best method - should I just dig a hole then stick the post in, then fill in the hole around the post, compacting the soil.  Are there any other ways of stopping the fence from wobbling once its in the ground?!

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[cadalot]

I normally tread the posts to some more preservative that the treatment they have already had. make sure you have treated timber. Dig a whole and use post mix concrete - follow the instructions as they differ depending on who's it is some say part fill the hole with water and pour the mix in - You have to make sure your post is plumb before you do this as this stuff goes off really quickly.

The stiff in the ground is usually OK they trend to rot at the end of the concrete at ground level so I now try and brick up some concrete around and a little higher and strike off so that any rain that runs down the post drains away and does not pond around the bas of the post. Make them last a little longer.

[GardenShed]

Thanks for the advice.  But I would like to know if I can insert fence posts for the gate without using any type of concrete and still make sure the gate and 2 posts are fairly stable?  Are there ways of stopping the fence from wobbling once its in the ground?

[Steveharford]

You could dig them in about 3ft deep then backfill in layers, ramming each layer tight. You might stand a chance then. Concrete would be easier and more reliable though.

[Welsh Merf]

It depends how heavy the gate is: the heavier it is, the deeper the hanging post needs to go into the ground for stability.

For example, if the gate is about 3-foot wide and made of wood, then I'd ram the post into the ground about 2-feet (or 3-feet if you want to make absolutely sure).

If it's a wooden post you're using, and don't want to use concrete, then make sure it's long enough, with a pointed end, and then don't dig a hole but ram it straight into the ground with a fence-post slammer (it's better to use one of those than a sledgehammer - it does less damage to the post).

[GardenShed]

Its not a heavy gate.  I was thinking of digging the hole rather than hammering it in, so that I could add gravel to the hole.  Wonder which is better - post forced into the ground or hole dug and filled with gravel...

[Welsh Merf]

If you dig a hole and put a post in it, whether you fill it with gravel or not, you'll have already made the post weak purely by digging the hole in the first place. The post will be far more sturdy having been rammed in.

[Lardman]

I've got a wooden gate hanging off a 3x3" post attached to a metpost No digging , concrete or rotting at ground level. If it was a heavier gate or 6' high I'd look at using 4x4".

[Welsh Merf]

I've got a wooden gate hanging off a 3x3" post attached to a metpost No digging , concrete or rotting at ground level. If it was a heavier gate or 6' high I'd look at using 4x4".

Totally agree with the above (but I forgot what metposts were called, so I didn't mention them for fear of confusion!) 

[Trillium]

I would use treated wood for the posts because they'll rot fast otherwise. I didn't want to use  concrete for a mason bee house post so I dug the hole, centred the post and packed in larger rocks to really wedge it in. It worked for my needs. But I suspect the opening and closing of the gate will eventually wobble the posts loose.

Would it work for you if you got what we over here call Sonotubes, special wide cardboard tubes that go into the ground which you then fill with concrete mix? You can later dig it out when not needed.

[barley]

I've used round wooden posts in the past and find there good for about 5 years

you can get these concrete spurs which can repair rotten posts or give a stable fixing for new posts

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=concrete+spurs&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=yw5cU6HZOYXx0gWkxYGQCQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1301&bih=610

[GardenShed]

Thanks for all the advice - I'm going to consider the metposts, just need to find out a bit more about them.

Failing that I will use long 3 x 3 posts, create a point at the end of them, dig a little hole to make the job a bit easier then drive them down using a rubber mallet, deep into the ground.  Once in place, I may attach a small length of wood, across the post horizontally at the bottom of the small hole before filling it up, which may provide a bit of extra strength.

[GardenShed]

Just looked up the price of the met posts and Ill think Ill give them a miss and just cut a point into the end of each piece of wood.