How do I Drive Cedar Posts?
- 1). Mark the location for the posts in the ground using either wooden stakes, metal rebar, or spray paint. Trim away any tall grass or brush with a trimmer or lawnmower to make it easier to mark the area.
- 2). Dig a hole where the posts are needed using a shovel or a post-hole digger. Make each hole approximately 6 inches deep and 8 inches in diameter. Remove any rocks and cut through any roots that obstruct the hole using a handsaw.
- 3). Place the pointed end of a post into a hole, and align it so it is placed as desired. Hold the post in place with one hand and check that it is straight by using a level. Hold a sledg hammer in the other hand and grip it close to the hammer's head. This makes it easier to control the force against the post while hammering and still stay in close.
- 4). Strike the top of the post between three and five times to drive it down into the ground. For harder or more coarse soil, this may require more strokes to get the post into the ground. Remove the hand used to steady the post and check the post again for level. Make any compensating adjustments and move both hands down to the end of the hammer to strike at the post with more force. Continue until the desired post height is reached.
- 5). Position the next post in its hole and hammer it into the hole with the sledge hammer the same as was done for the first post. Be sure that the post is level and straight and that its height is the same as the first.
- 6). Pour crushed gravel into each hole to a height approximately 2 inches below the top of each hole to help support the post. Tamp the gravel down lightly with the end of a 2-by-4, and then fill over the top of the hole with dirt to make it flush with the rest of the surrounding ground.
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