I would like to have some feedback from those with more experience than I do at DIY building projects…. how best to set deck posts … deck is 13′ x 16′ and just slightly above the ground about 12″….I have had some suggest simply augering approx. 4′ foot holes….placing quikrete in each as a footing for the loose 4×4 post and to then plum and backfill….footing below frost line is fine and not necessary to fill the hole surrounding the posts entirely with concrete
Open to constructive feedback…what is the best way to back fill and with What? small stone, standard dirt from the hole itself? I know it must be tapered at the base of the pole where it meets the ground to keep water away…
I already poured the footing….of course after I completed this I see on line several different methods…questioning my decision now…
note: my 2×8 joists will be 12″ OC and I installed 9 post holes…each hole is about half filled with concrete…as mentioned this deck just slightly above ground…
Thanks
Replies
You probably overfilled. With this technique you really just want to fill the holes with 8-12 inches of concrete, so that there's a longer piece of post in the ground, to provide better horizontal stability.
Thanks for the feedback. To clarify, the holes are all approx. 4' deep and about 1/2 filled with sakrete. I was advised that it would provide a good footing and to place the post in the hole on the concrete and back fill the remainder with the same dirt from the dig or small granular stone....then square and align all to the level posts...from your experience, will this be sufficient?
To add...The posts will be approx. 3' in total when in the hole with approx. 1 ft out of ground using 2x8 joists
As long as the bottom of footing is below frost line, on solid subsoil, eight inches thick, at least 16" in diameter and your posts will rest more or less in the center, you're good to go. When you place the concrete, smooth it out so you can shift the posts an inch or two this way or that as needed while you build the deck. Once you're done, back fill the post holes with dirt, gravel, whatever - anything but concrete, so water won't be trapped next to the posts.
What you're doing will work fine. It's not my favorite method, but I overthink things. One thing you should do though is treat the cut ends that go in the ground. Cutting treated lumber, particularly in the West where the treatment doesn't go as deep into the wood because of the species used, can expose untreated wood. Here's a tip from the magazine that gives a bit more information on that. https://www.finehomebuilding.com/2013/12/05/pressure-treated-wood-preservative-tip