Consider Frost Heave When Installing Fence Posts

Img:www.Pexels.com

When you have a fence put in on your property, or you attempt to do the job yourself, it’s vital that you consider frost heave and what it can do to your fence over time. Without properly preparing for frost heave, you could see your fence tipping over and failing just one cold season after it’s installed! That’s something that you probably don’t want to deal with, so make sure that the fencing company does the job right the first time. 

Know Your Frost Line

The frost line is the point that soil freezes down to. The colder your climate, the lower the ground will freeze down to. That’s why you have to find out where the frost line lies in your particular area. Once you know this information you can plan the depth of your fence posts accurately. 

Go Under the Frost Line

The most important thing to building a fence properly is ensuring that all the posts are sunk down below the frost line. If the posts are up above that frost line depth, when the soil freezes it will actually push your posts upward and out. This can happen to any type of post, so it’s something that you have to be very careful of. It’s possible for posts to be pushed as far as a foot up out of the original position from frost heave, which can cause significant problems in a variety of fence types. 

Widen the Bottom

After you’re sure that the post is down below the frost line in your area, consider having the contractors create a wider hole at the bottom than at the top. That way, when you fill the hole with gravel, concrete, lime or whatever it is that you’re using for the hole fill, the ground pressure exerted from frost heave will actually force your post down instead of up. This helps keep the posts in place. 

Building a fence is difficult, and it’s best to let local contractors handle the construction if you aren’t sure what to do. Taking the time to educate yourself about frost heave will help you ensure that the job’s done right the first time. 

It is best to contact a professional to ensure that the fence is done right when the time comes. Speak with us here at Premier Fence to find out additional information and to obtain a quote for the fence you'd like to put in around your home.