# Setting fence posts with mortar/stucco mix?



## bvac (Jan 5, 2015)

I'm having a landscaper put in a small chainlink fence in my backyard. Got home today and found that he set the posts with Sakrete mortar/stucco mix (type S). That doesn't seem right to me, but I've never done either fencing or any kind of concrete work. Is it as bad as I think it is? Do I tell him to start over tomorrow?


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

If it were mine i'd want them set in concrete.


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

I would question his capability to finish the project unless he was just using up old stock, i.e. did it on purpose, but the reality is that Type S mortar sets to 1800-2200 PSI in that application which is plenty strong for a normal fence. All the concrete is doing is acting as a "shim" between the post and the undisturbed dirt, the limiting factor is the dirt which probably has a compressive strength of 2-300 PSI dry.


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## bvac (Jan 5, 2015)

To conclude this thread, I didn't say anything about it and let the guy finish the fence. None of the posts are very sturdy, but one of them was extremely loose. I believe what happened is he tried to tension up the chain link and found that it pulled the post from the mortar, so he left it and every other section of chain link un-stretched.

Since it was bugging me, I asked him why he used mortar mix and he got pretty defensive right away, saying that he DID pour concrete and just topped it off with mortar. I've never heard of this before, so if anyone wants to chime in with why you'd pour concrete 3/4 of the way then top it off with mortar, feel free. I told the guy I wasn't very happy with the work and that I'd send him his check and be done with it.

Then sometime during the week he came by unannounced, dug around the post, and poured concrete around it.


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

Case closed!!


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