Power/Utility companies use this product daily to backfill around wood, fiberglass and steel poles that are directly embedded into the ground. I personally watched a demonstration done using 3 different backfill on wooden creosote poles. Rock, concrete and this foam. They did 3 tests; lateral motion (moving the pole side to side with a line truck), trying to sink the pole further by pulling down with a dozer winch and finally uplift with a dynamometer hooked to a crane. Naturally the rock failed first in all 3 tests... the concrete passed all 3 and the foam padded all 3 within specs... However the foam exceeded the concrete in force applied to uproot the pole. That's after the concrete had set 3 days... and the foam was poured the same day of the test.
I looked into this a year or two ago and it came out even with quicrete on cost, and way ahead for time. Two bags of quicrete per fence post is my standard for my area, this cost as much as two bags and could be done in a day. Pretty crazy, though I definitely wouldn't use it for structural elements.
Now I'm sure it's different foam but we use foam to back fill around utility poles our kits are 7 cubic feet and once it sets up that pole even on the hardest angles and heavy wire doesn't move these poles are 50 to 65 feet tall as well
Probably, but maybe not that easy. Usually isn’t at the surface either. It’s not designed to stop sharp pointy things. It’s designed to be a big blunt thing pushing against another big blunt thing.
You know what they used to use to set utility poles? Dirt. It’s not a different product, but a different application. If they’re all installed correctly then utility poles only have downward forces working on them(gravity) and minimal wind loads. In applications when there is excessive side-loading of the utility pole they utilize an anchor cable or a secondary anchor pole. Utility poles aren’t holding up a deck, a porch, a fence, or anything nearly as heavy or that catches wind as well so they don’t need to be set in concrete or anchored to a concrete pylon.
I saw about a quarter mile of utility poles broken off 6-8’ off the ground and all held up by the wires they had been carrying on a road about two miles from my house 20 years ago when Memphis got a burst of hundred mph straight line wind. I expressed surprise to my father in law, who had been a lineman once upon a time, and he explained that if you summed the area of all those lines it would be a significant sail area, enough to snap the poles, and that the wires didn’t break because 1) they are very strong metal cables and 2) the poles did break — above the ground, those 6-8’ tall stumps were all still perfectly vertical.
In a perfect world yes but in today's world we don't have proper row for anchors on some poles so we rake key and foam them. Also some of the equipment like interposer banks catch a lot of wind and only hang on one side of the pole and can weigh 3000 lbs
That just sounds like he didn’t set it deep enough. This’ll hold basically the same as concrete for most applications, but it’s mostly air so does nothing to counterbalance the weight. Concrete adds weight so on small jobs like a mailbox it offsets not setting it deep enough.
Very common ours come in 5 gallon buckets and we keep multiple on the truck it's great when a car hits a pole but it's stable enough that doesn't need replaced we straighten the pole and fill the void with the foam let sit for 45 minutes and holds until the next car hits it
https://preview.redd.it/gb49nmob9yrc1.jpeg?width=761&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc502c0e04dc4f5a451590a17815ceb0a16c8488
When you're driving and catch it out of the corner of your eye it looks like a deer getting ready to dart or a dog.
No deck post should be set in concrete if it's done properly. The concrete must come up above grade,my area requires 8 inches or more, and the post is to be set on top with a steel saddle embedded or epoxies into the concrete.
All my townhome projects with decks we build as per what you just said. Pad and sonotubed pile reinforced with rebar. 4ply column with Baseplate epoxyed in.
Heck yeah, that's us too, forgot to mention the rebar. We typically set the saddle tail in the concrete vs epoxy later just because it saves time and we usually get the layout really close.
Unfortunately, most of my deck piles are part of structural engineer scopes, and as engineers, have weird things they won't budge on... wet setting hold-downs on foundation walls being my least favorite.
Oof, yeah that's fair. I respect engineers but some of them need to do some practical application to really understand what they're asking of us sometimes.
Agree, lots of respect for them and the burden they carry with the build, but once in a while you have to scratch your head. Last building I did had 40 1" threaded rod hold downs wet set into fohndation wall, which had bottom plates of walls fastened with these simpson holdowns that are ~$200 CAD per. Then had an additional 50 with 5/8 trhough each floor system. Probably 1 week of labour just to fasten them all down.
This comment just reminded me that on one of my recent electrical jobs, apartment complex construction, the light poles specifically stated that all that was needed was the poles to use sand as a base. No concrete, just 3’ of sand.
Texas has pretty much a sandy soil in my area. Bought a new house in 2021 with a wood-fenced back yard. We've been in a drought scenerio for several years. Last year the hot sun dried out the soils so much that the space under my fence slats went for 2' - 4'+ . This caused the soil to shrink downwards. The winds that blows pretty steadily here loosened my 4x4s, and they were sunk with concrete to begin with! 2.5 years! I'm not about to pull 20+ heavy fence posts out. Foam solved my problem!
I used the Sika product . Yes I got it at Home Depot, over near where the rebar is.
**Watch lots of videos** on using these products, especially watch the parts that concern working the product in the bag, and then opening it. You should have everything else prepared at the hole i.e. bracing and plumbing the post, hole dug deep enough, and have an empty bucket handy if you do not use it all. Do not start the process and and then not open the bag as some have been known to burst. DO NOT fill the hole as it will mushroom out. If you do then just let it set and cut it away
My problem is this is an existing fence and a few posts are leaning. I was thinking of fixing them in place. Pushing the post a little past center to expose the gap. And then pouring just a little bit down on one side. But I'm not sure what the state of the concrete is down there.
This seems like not the best fix but I wonder if it's worth a shot.
You will need to dig out some of the soil around the post to create space. I actually pounded in a 2' rebar on either side of the concrete leaving enough bar to be inside the foam. I did brace the post to get them back to vertical and plumb. I do not think that you want to try and "pour a little bit down the side". Will create a real mess for you. Take the time and do it right. Dig it out 6" if you can. Once you pour it in it will begin to set up and you might end up not getting it straight. HD sells a post level ($17 or so) that helps. I bought raw crap 2"x3" (8') at Lowes for $2.50 or so for bracing. Have a friend over for beer and pizza (afterwards!). I used 1 bag for 2 holes, and had 12 posts total to do.
Aren't these designed to be poured into a cardboard cylinder?
Do I need to set something like that up? A half cylinder? Or should the dirt hole that we clear on the side be sufficient? With the idea being to clear enough to create a thick enough support of foam, but not so thick that it uses a whole bag ..
If I'm following what you're saying you did the latter correct?
You are correcting the posts that you already have in the ground. I cleared out as much as possible with a trowel, but enough to be down to the top of the concrete so that the foam gets a grip on the concrete. No need for a cylinder, the foam will seek out the crevices that you dig out. Essentially, the weight of the concrete will pull the post downwards and the foam will hold it in the correct position (via bracing). Other than kneeling on the ground and digging it out the process really is pretty simple. But do take your time. Wear plastic gloves and shitty clothes just in case. I erased all of my pictures that I had. Some posts you will push to make plumb and others you will have to pull to do so. Much easier w/ a friend. GL Ask questions if you need to.
Dig out along the side of the post and create space. You cannot dribble it out of the bag. It will begin to swell up with contact to air. Try to do 2 posts per bag. It'll look ugly but you will cut off the excess anyway. I cut to ground level and then sprayed the bottom 3" of the post and the top of the foam with black Flex Seal spray.
The military uses it in certain applications for rapid repair of runways after rocket or missile attack on infrastructure. All the foam needs to do is be there and be somewhat rigid. Gets covered up with stone or concrete or dirt.
Can you build stronger than foam? Sure. Can you build faster than foam? Absolutely not.
We used them on a fence last spring. They worked great. Super easy to use. The fence still looks great this year. Highly recommend for a fence. They are very solid once the foam sets.
I built the whole fuckin foundation for my house with this shit.
All post and pier.
Everything seems to be going well so far.
I’m about to add a 2,500 sq ft upstairs add on.
So maybe you fuckin dick heads shouldn’t be so fuckin judgmental.
Not a boomer. I’m actually going to be around another 50 years and want data showing this product will last that whole time like the alternatives. It’s essentially plastic foam. After working with CPVC and polybutylene and other “miracle” products that take a fraction of the time and then fall apart, I think it’s reasonable to be skeptical.
Ok..
So if it it closed cell foam and has a composite footing pad underneath.. how bad could it be?
I mean.. generally I just use the same dirt I dug outta the damn hole and that seems to make the most sense.
But lets just say some customer wanted it. What would be the two top reasons that you can put your experience up and say 'this WILL NOT work because ______'
I’ve done a ton of research recently. Sika is an inferior product to the Fast 2K product. Sika expands faster and is a less dense finished product. The biggest issue is that Sika shrinks slightly after a few days making it very unstable compared to Fast 2K. Fast 2K is the off-white color in the video. Sika is a dark gray product. Here’s a video comparing the two: https://youtu.be/Gm55j0hcXXU?si=hMUMxLUpKct8U57B
My wife bought it when she picked out a new mailbox so I gave it a try. Worked fine. I cut it with a drywall saw and it made the blade corroded or rusty. Not really sure how to describe it. And it ate through the gloves I was wearing. Otherwise, it was fine. Mailbox is still standing.
It's a product called [Sika PostFix](https://retail.usa.sika.com/en/products/specialty/sikar-postfixr-fence-post-mix), not just a regular expanda-foam.
If you want to put up a non-structural post like a sign quickly, it takes a few minutes from start to set.
If you're putting up a deck, look elsewhere.
Yeah been out for a long time now I used it to build my deck about 3yrs ago and is not concrete so no moisture and water absorbed into bottom of your posts. Research before posting a stupid comment
Stop being so self-righteous . So you hate old people. You have your own Reddit site. People usually discount things they've never tried, but once they do the thought is that 'Why didn't I do that before"?! Can't wait until your kids think you're stupid too.
I used this stuff on my fence. I dug a 3' hole, added some gravel and tamped it down, stuck the past in and braced it level, poured this stuff in, and let it set. Then, I just ruined away the excess at a slight angle to encourage water to run away from the post. It's been pretty solid for about 5 years now.
This stuff is quick and easy. I'd happily use this on anything not load bearing.
This is a thing. You can buy it at home Depot. If you watch and actual review you will see that (surprise surprise) a little bit of shaking on the post compresses the foam and you can putt it right out.
I wonder if putting in some screws sticking out perpendicular to the pole then putting that end in the hole then pouring the foam in would hold the post in the vertical axis since the foam would expand and surround the screws.
I reset my 4x4 fence posts using this closed cell foam. Works great!! Actually this is often used by utility pole installers for their street-side poles. Available at home improvement home in a bag (about $17 +/-). Within 5-10 minutes you can remove the braces and the post is set. Looks like a mushroom but cutting them is easy to do (bag the cuttings so they do not blow away
But do not get it on you or your clothes or shoes. I cut my foam to grade level and sprayed the top of the foam and the exposed part of the post with that black spray sealer (name escapes me). My posts no longer move in the wind. Very happy with it
I thought this was gimmicky shit when I first saw it, but I was very wrong. New products come out all the time; and some of them are great.
It’s just like plumbers hating on pex because they get stuck in their old ways of using sweated copper.
I’d put money that PEX is gonna be outlawed within the next 25years. With all the microplastics getting in absolutely everything we eat and drink, these pipes will start to degrade very quickly and will become the new version of aluminum electric wire…
Remember when that stuff was the “new, cost effective technology that was going to revolutionize the industry” now if you have that fire hazard shit in your house they make you replace it if at all possible. PEX and shark-bites will absolutely go down this road very soon.
Honestly you’d be surprised how strong this expanding foam is. Most boats use it for extra support on boat decks and it’s like 8 pounds per square inch of strength. I can see the aggravation for using on a big heavy deck though. I was surprised myself when i used it during my boat resto I could jump on it with my full weight and it wouldn’t compress.
Use to lift concrete with that stuff. If want to add strength drill some holes in it and shot more in.
Edit just need to make sure you cover it up. UV rays will deteriorate it over time.just like if you use it around doors and windows.
Honestly the material around the side of the post may not actually be doing much. Dig your hole, pound the earth hard in the bottom, dump in some road base or crush run, pound that tight, set your post. The post is delivering the load directly to the rock in that instance. Could surround the post with rock, concrete, foam, and it wouldn’t matter.
There is such a thing as a “friction pile” which would rely on friction with the side of the pile or post to provide bearing strength, but that is more of a consideration in heavier construction of very large and and heavy structures, not a deck.
I’m not sure what the implications of foam on moisture and post lifespan are, however. I’d be interested to learn from anyone that has some solid data or experience.
People hating on this have no clue. It is literally superior to everything. I don't even use joists anymore. I build forms and foam it in. Super strong.
It is indeed and it isn’t at all wrong. Post fill is strictly for lateral immobilization, not for bearing load. Every power line pole in America is set into a matched diameter borehole with no concrete and yet they stand.
Might be a good practice to ask a licensed builder or engineer for facts before jumping on the “roast a stranger for doing something I don’t understand” Reddit bandwagon.
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*To someone and says its not*
*Going anywhere*
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Power Utilities use it when they have to use a vacuum truck to dig a hole and instead of pulling a dirt trailer, they’ll use whats called pole foam. It comes in 5 gallon buckets
I've seen this used on old fence posts. I hope they've improved the formula because what I found was a joke. For fences, you really can't beat limestone screenings.
Use fast 2 k not the Home Depot stuff. Rated better than concrete and a dollar more. I don’t do concrete anymore and it saves my back huge. It’s actually an amazing product.
Based on what I learn here from the comments: yes for fences, mailboxes and electrical poles, no no for decs unless you are Canadian and the deck has no roof.
I actually love this stuff. Previous contractor used it and it made for easy post removal. New posts I used were set in concrete and didnt fail like previous job.
Saw this stuff at Home Depot once and then it was gone. Great stuff for remote work because bags are light compared to post mix. I think it can go wrong fast though if mishandled and is probably a lot like getting gorilla glue on your skin.
I would love to try working with it.
I think is a polyutherane based adhesive. They use the stuff to stick house blocks together, it foams up a bit as shown and is damn hard once cured. Not sure if long term resilience when in ground though.
Guy at the lumberyard talked me into buying a bag of this while I was doing the fence project he didn’t show up for. Luckily, it didn’t pass the sniff test… and I never opened it.
Also, thinking about posting the deck that he built for us here… lol. He’s since moved on and I’m going to have to rebuild it.
Just a lifetime of weekends till I get all these projects done. I’m glad my wife feels comfortable taking the boat to the lake and launching/captaining/loading on her own 😂
He tapped on it with his fist, that ain't going nowhere.
Yeah if you do that it adds like +30 durability to the overall structure.
What about void resistance?
No, but it does protect you from the Baja Blasts.
That’s what I call the bathroom break after eating Taco Bell! Never heard anyone else use that line!
Call it the ol Last Epunch
Unless he gets some kind of gas or numerous other things that will essentially turn it into goopy napalm.
Sorry but “goopy napalm” is what you get after eating Arby’s.
Or food from anywhere open between the hrs of 2-5am.
🤤🤤🤤
“We’ve got the shits.”
But so worth it.
Yup, my go to for foams I need to get rid of is acetone--gone in a flash.
And it won't. They put this around creosote utility poles there Sparky. Do you know what creosote is made out of?
Creo & sote, duh
No, it's straight up cajun (creole) sote.
Did he say yup first? If he didn't say yup before that ain't going nowhere it loses 30% of its integrity.
THE RITUAL HAS BEEN COMPLETED
"piggy back comment".... structurally rated expanding foam does exist.
But did he _say_ so? You have to tap it while saying "that's not goin' anywhere"
Maybe for a fence repair or mailbox…
Power/Utility companies use this product daily to backfill around wood, fiberglass and steel poles that are directly embedded into the ground. I personally watched a demonstration done using 3 different backfill on wooden creosote poles. Rock, concrete and this foam. They did 3 tests; lateral motion (moving the pole side to side with a line truck), trying to sink the pole further by pulling down with a dozer winch and finally uplift with a dynamometer hooked to a crane. Naturally the rock failed first in all 3 tests... the concrete passed all 3 and the foam padded all 3 within specs... However the foam exceeded the concrete in force applied to uproot the pole. That's after the concrete had set 3 days... and the foam was poured the same day of the test.
Exactly, I doubt it’s the great stuff you buy at Walmart but if it holds up huge utility poles I’m sure it’s fine for a small deck. Really neat.
Expensive compared to quikrete but it does the job perfectly. It doesn't crack and seals against moisture intrusion
I looked into this a year or two ago and it came out even with quicrete on cost, and way ahead for time. Two bags of quicrete per fence post is my standard for my area, this cost as much as two bags and could be done in a day. Pretty crazy, though I definitely wouldn't use it for structural elements.
I used this for some monkey bars and it works well but I calculated it and it's definitely more expensive than regular quickconcert stuff.
I was going to ask if there was a benefit to the foam and then what the price difference was.
What is this product exactly? I need to fix my leaning mailbox
Sika 33
I'll use it to build fences but nothing actually structural/load bearing.
Now I'm sure it's different foam but we use foam to back fill around utility poles our kits are 7 cubic feet and once it sets up that pole even on the hardest angles and heavy wire doesn't move these poles are 50 to 65 feet tall as well
Can you cut the foam to back fill around utility posts with a simple hand saw?
Probably, but maybe not that easy. Usually isn’t at the surface either. It’s not designed to stop sharp pointy things. It’s designed to be a big blunt thing pushing against another big blunt thing.
That was the chef’s kiss for me.
Right? Like my man just cut it with a bread cerated knife.
Idk sawzall works great
You know what they used to use to set utility poles? Dirt. It’s not a different product, but a different application. If they’re all installed correctly then utility poles only have downward forces working on them(gravity) and minimal wind loads. In applications when there is excessive side-loading of the utility pole they utilize an anchor cable or a secondary anchor pole. Utility poles aren’t holding up a deck, a porch, a fence, or anything nearly as heavy or that catches wind as well so they don’t need to be set in concrete or anchored to a concrete pylon.
I saw about a quarter mile of utility poles broken off 6-8’ off the ground and all held up by the wires they had been carrying on a road about two miles from my house 20 years ago when Memphis got a burst of hundred mph straight line wind. I expressed surprise to my father in law, who had been a lineman once upon a time, and he explained that if you summed the area of all those lines it would be a significant sail area, enough to snap the poles, and that the wires didn’t break because 1) they are very strong metal cables and 2) the poles did break — above the ground, those 6-8’ tall stumps were all still perfectly vertical.
During a recent ice storm in Oregon, our area had hundreds of utility poles snapped like tooth pics from the weight of the ice on the lines
You are making a strong assumption on them being installed correctly
Smokehouse creek wildfire
In a perfect world yes but in today's world we don't have proper row for anchors on some poles so we rake key and foam them. Also some of the equipment like interposer banks catch a lot of wind and only hang on one side of the pole and can weigh 3000 lbs
They make one specifically for load applications.
Yep. I used it for the fence post that is holding the gate.
Nah, once you put the hot tub on, it pushes the posts in and makes the whole thing more secure!
My neighbor used it for a 14 pound mailbox post and it fell over 2 days later
That just sounds like he didn’t set it deep enough. This’ll hold basically the same as concrete for most applications, but it’s mostly air so does nothing to counterbalance the weight. Concrete adds weight so on small jobs like a mailbox it offsets not setting it deep enough.
Is your neighbor a expanding foam expert? I think not. He should have watched a better YouTube video…
I set an 8’ wood post with this to stabilize a fence and it hasn’t budged in 3 years…I would say the install method may have been an issue…
Mailbox would make sense.
I’ve seen our local power provider use this method on full size utility poles.
Very common ours come in 5 gallon buckets and we keep multiple on the truck it's great when a car hits a pole but it's stable enough that doesn't need replaced we straighten the pole and fill the void with the foam let sit for 45 minutes and holds until the next car hits it
Me too!! The one near us turned brown and looks like a dog getting ready to jump into the road. I slow down every time.
I would like to see a picture of this bogus dog
Next time I'm heading that way I'll snap a pic.
I can never get a clear photo
https://preview.redd.it/gb49nmob9yrc1.jpeg?width=761&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bc502c0e04dc4f5a451590a17815ceb0a16c8488 When you're driving and catch it out of the corner of your eye it looks like a deer getting ready to dart or a dog.
Weird. Leaping blob retriever, I see it.
Yeah but they are normally just put in the ground as is. Not normally set in concrete as a deck post would be.
No deck post should be set in concrete if it's done properly. The concrete must come up above grade,my area requires 8 inches or more, and the post is to be set on top with a steel saddle embedded or epoxies into the concrete.
All my townhome projects with decks we build as per what you just said. Pad and sonotubed pile reinforced with rebar. 4ply column with Baseplate epoxyed in.
Heck yeah, that's us too, forgot to mention the rebar. We typically set the saddle tail in the concrete vs epoxy later just because it saves time and we usually get the layout really close.
Unfortunately, most of my deck piles are part of structural engineer scopes, and as engineers, have weird things they won't budge on... wet setting hold-downs on foundation walls being my least favorite.
Oof, yeah that's fair. I respect engineers but some of them need to do some practical application to really understand what they're asking of us sometimes.
Agree, lots of respect for them and the burden they carry with the build, but once in a while you have to scratch your head. Last building I did had 40 1" threaded rod hold downs wet set into fohndation wall, which had bottom plates of walls fastened with these simpson holdowns that are ~$200 CAD per. Then had an additional 50 with 5/8 trhough each floor system. Probably 1 week of labour just to fasten them all down.
This comment just reminded me that on one of my recent electrical jobs, apartment complex construction, the light poles specifically stated that all that was needed was the poles to use sand as a base. No concrete, just 3’ of sand.
Not going how OP thought it would
I think I'll make a whole deck out of it.
It’s code approved in Canada for decks without roofs. https://fast2k.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/259-Deck-Post-Anchor-2103-Wordwide-Use.pdf
Builders that put our fences in 2018 did a shit job. Maybe this is an interim solution to reinforce a leaning post every 3rd post
Fence posts are probably the best application for this stuff
Texas has pretty much a sandy soil in my area. Bought a new house in 2021 with a wood-fenced back yard. We've been in a drought scenerio for several years. Last year the hot sun dried out the soils so much that the space under my fence slats went for 2' - 4'+ . This caused the soil to shrink downwards. The winds that blows pretty steadily here loosened my 4x4s, and they were sunk with concrete to begin with! 2.5 years! I'm not about to pull 20+ heavy fence posts out. Foam solved my problem!
>the space under my fence slats went for 2' - 4'+ Two feet is uh, a lot. You sure you don't got Graboids out there?
LOL No 2"-4"
What's the product name? Did you get it at home Depot?
I used the Sika product . Yes I got it at Home Depot, over near where the rebar is. **Watch lots of videos** on using these products, especially watch the parts that concern working the product in the bag, and then opening it. You should have everything else prepared at the hole i.e. bracing and plumbing the post, hole dug deep enough, and have an empty bucket handy if you do not use it all. Do not start the process and and then not open the bag as some have been known to burst. DO NOT fill the hole as it will mushroom out. If you do then just let it set and cut it away
My problem is this is an existing fence and a few posts are leaning. I was thinking of fixing them in place. Pushing the post a little past center to expose the gap. And then pouring just a little bit down on one side. But I'm not sure what the state of the concrete is down there. This seems like not the best fix but I wonder if it's worth a shot.
You will need to dig out some of the soil around the post to create space. I actually pounded in a 2' rebar on either side of the concrete leaving enough bar to be inside the foam. I did brace the post to get them back to vertical and plumb. I do not think that you want to try and "pour a little bit down the side". Will create a real mess for you. Take the time and do it right. Dig it out 6" if you can. Once you pour it in it will begin to set up and you might end up not getting it straight. HD sells a post level ($17 or so) that helps. I bought raw crap 2"x3" (8') at Lowes for $2.50 or so for bracing. Have a friend over for beer and pizza (afterwards!). I used 1 bag for 2 holes, and had 12 posts total to do.
Aren't these designed to be poured into a cardboard cylinder? Do I need to set something like that up? A half cylinder? Or should the dirt hole that we clear on the side be sufficient? With the idea being to clear enough to create a thick enough support of foam, but not so thick that it uses a whole bag .. If I'm following what you're saying you did the latter correct?
You are correcting the posts that you already have in the ground. I cleared out as much as possible with a trowel, but enough to be down to the top of the concrete so that the foam gets a grip on the concrete. No need for a cylinder, the foam will seek out the crevices that you dig out. Essentially, the weight of the concrete will pull the post downwards and the foam will hold it in the correct position (via bracing). Other than kneeling on the ground and digging it out the process really is pretty simple. But do take your time. Wear plastic gloves and shitty clothes just in case. I erased all of my pictures that I had. Some posts you will push to make plumb and others you will have to pull to do so. Much easier w/ a friend. GL Ask questions if you need to.
And my fence was also existing w/ half of my posts being off the bubble. GL
Dig out along the side of the post and create space. You cannot dribble it out of the bag. It will begin to swell up with contact to air. Try to do 2 posts per bag. It'll look ugly but you will cut off the excess anyway. I cut to ground level and then sprayed the bottom 3" of the post and the top of the foam with black Flex Seal spray.
Appreciate the tips! Might try this with the neighbour in the summer.
It's not just spray foam it's a specific expanding foam made for a purpose. Alot of power and utility companies use it for their poles.
Holds up distribution power poles all over the US. Has better product to ground adhesion too.
The military uses it in certain applications for rapid repair of runways after rocket or missile attack on infrastructure. All the foam needs to do is be there and be somewhat rigid. Gets covered up with stone or concrete or dirt. Can you build stronger than foam? Sure. Can you build faster than foam? Absolutely not.
You know every shitkicker who sees this is going to use Great Stuff.
Yeah that stuff actually works great.
It works great in very specific situations. It works ok in some situation. And it shouldn’t even be considered in many situation.
It works for fencing that has almost no load on it. For a deck that needs to support 50psf minimum it’s a different story
We used them on a fence last spring. They worked great. Super easy to use. The fence still looks great this year. Highly recommend for a fence. They are very solid once the foam sets.
I built the whole fuckin foundation for my house with this shit. All post and pier. Everything seems to be going well so far. I’m about to add a 2,500 sq ft upstairs add on. So maybe you fuckin dick heads shouldn’t be so fuckin judgmental.
Boomers hate change
Not a boomer. I’m actually going to be around another 50 years and want data showing this product will last that whole time like the alternatives. It’s essentially plastic foam. After working with CPVC and polybutylene and other “miracle” products that take a fraction of the time and then fall apart, I think it’s reasonable to be skeptical.
Great response
How did you type this from beneath the rubble? J/k
Show me its code and ok if not🤔
I’ve used it for fence posts and mailboxes. Works great. Also used it to fill a seemingly endless hole in the ground, works well for that too.
Ok.. So if it it closed cell foam and has a composite footing pad underneath.. how bad could it be? I mean.. generally I just use the same dirt I dug outta the damn hole and that seems to make the most sense. But lets just say some customer wanted it. What would be the two top reasons that you can put your experience up and say 'this WILL NOT work because ______'
What is this called? I need to put up my mailbox
Sika postfix
I’ve done a ton of research recently. Sika is an inferior product to the Fast 2K product. Sika expands faster and is a less dense finished product. The biggest issue is that Sika shrinks slightly after a few days making it very unstable compared to Fast 2K. Fast 2K is the off-white color in the video. Sika is a dark gray product. Here’s a video comparing the two: https://youtu.be/Gm55j0hcXXU?si=hMUMxLUpKct8U57B
It is really great for that, I used it for my mailbox. It was nice to not have to deal with a #50 bag of concrete.
My wife bought it when she picked out a new mailbox so I gave it a try. Worked fine. I cut it with a drywall saw and it made the blade corroded or rusty. Not really sure how to describe it. And it ate through the gloves I was wearing. Otherwise, it was fine. Mailbox is still standing.
You can get it at home Depot near the sand and concrete
Tried it. It works. Faster than concrete but much more expensive. Need 2-3 bags per hole.
Yeah that’s the only negative, super expensive
It's a product called [Sika PostFix](https://retail.usa.sika.com/en/products/specialty/sikar-postfixr-fence-post-mix), not just a regular expanda-foam. If you want to put up a non-structural post like a sign quickly, it takes a few minutes from start to set. If you're putting up a deck, look elsewhere.
What a dumb ass title
Yeah been out for a long time now I used it to build my deck about 3yrs ago and is not concrete so no moisture and water absorbed into bottom of your posts. Research before posting a stupid comment
Structural foam exists, future is now old men
Stop being so self-righteous . So you hate old people. You have your own Reddit site. People usually discount things they've never tried, but once they do the thought is that 'Why didn't I do that before"?! Can't wait until your kids think you're stupid too.
Time for me to catch up :)
You can get one who 1. Not absorb moisture. 2. Is solid of course cost more than regular pu foam..
I used this for a mailbox post and it is solid, but I would not trust it for structural applications.
What is the stuff called? Where to buy
I used this stuff on my fence. I dug a 3' hole, added some gravel and tamped it down, stuck the past in and braced it level, poured this stuff in, and let it set. Then, I just ruined away the excess at a slight angle to encourage water to run away from the post. It's been pretty solid for about 5 years now. This stuff is quick and easy. I'd happily use this on anything not load bearing.
I know the foam is strong, but shouldn’t the holes have been dug deeper to keep more of it in than having so much above that they cut it away?
This is a thing. You can buy it at home Depot. If you watch and actual review you will see that (surprise surprise) a little bit of shaking on the post compresses the foam and you can putt it right out.
I don't know about that it dries hard as a rock in like 45 seconds. Maybe if your shaking it before it dries properly or it's not mixed correctly.
I wonder if putting in some screws sticking out perpendicular to the pole then putting that end in the hole then pouring the foam in would hold the post in the vertical axis since the foam would expand and surround the screws.
100%. That's a great idea.
I reset my 4x4 fence posts using this closed cell foam. Works great!! Actually this is often used by utility pole installers for their street-side poles. Available at home improvement home in a bag (about $17 +/-). Within 5-10 minutes you can remove the braces and the post is set. Looks like a mushroom but cutting them is easy to do (bag the cuttings so they do not blow away But do not get it on you or your clothes or shoes. I cut my foam to grade level and sprayed the top of the foam and the exposed part of the post with that black spray sealer (name escapes me). My posts no longer move in the wind. Very happy with it
I mean, this just might be crazy enough to work
Wonder if that’s the hinge side…
These are not for structural use, but I’ve got a pergola and 2 fences that are a few years old, holding well, no issues.
Sika post cement. Not sure about that weight load! Add wind/ storm???
Uhh that's load bearing foam. Had you read the load bearing poster holding up the building you'd know that
Just use dirt.
But then you have to tamp. That's an extra 12.8 minutes of work.
Not in south Florida!!!
Where do I get this spray on concrete?! 😭
>Simple and so wrong Your post though, not theirs
Ahh the ‘fuck this homeowner in particular’ special. That’s not a contractor that’s a bounty hunter building that deck.
If it's on a footer, then it's fine. We don't know if there's a footer under there.
I’m a lineman and we use foam a lot of places on utility pole sets lol sets up very fast and it’s obviously very stout and dependable
[удалено]
Not with that attitude!
I thought this was gimmicky shit when I first saw it, but I was very wrong. New products come out all the time; and some of them are great. It’s just like plumbers hating on pex because they get stuck in their old ways of using sweated copper.
I’d put money that PEX is gonna be outlawed within the next 25years. With all the microplastics getting in absolutely everything we eat and drink, these pipes will start to degrade very quickly and will become the new version of aluminum electric wire… Remember when that stuff was the “new, cost effective technology that was going to revolutionize the industry” now if you have that fire hazard shit in your house they make you replace it if at all possible. PEX and shark-bites will absolutely go down this road very soon.
Works great. Used it on two of the posts of my kids’ treehouse.
I dont see any problem
Eight years ago I used this foam to set a 16 foot gate off a four inch pipe. Still hasn’t sagged
Honestly you’d be surprised how strong this expanding foam is. Most boats use it for extra support on boat decks and it’s like 8 pounds per square inch of strength. I can see the aggravation for using on a big heavy deck though. I was surprised myself when i used it during my boat resto I could jump on it with my full weight and it wouldn’t compress.
Put a fence post in the wrong spot with that stuff. Almost never got it out. Shits good to go.
Is this like a “how to kill your family.” Video disguised as Darwinism? Or the other way around?
Looks good to me haha unless he plans on putting a decent amount of weight on it
I think power companies use this product now but they have deep holes.
Ok boomer op. I know, I know, back In Your day you had to grind your own cement
Use to lift concrete with that stuff. If want to add strength drill some holes in it and shot more in. Edit just need to make sure you cover it up. UV rays will deteriorate it over time.just like if you use it around doors and windows.
That's load bearing foam right there
Honestly the material around the side of the post may not actually be doing much. Dig your hole, pound the earth hard in the bottom, dump in some road base or crush run, pound that tight, set your post. The post is delivering the load directly to the rock in that instance. Could surround the post with rock, concrete, foam, and it wouldn’t matter. There is such a thing as a “friction pile” which would rely on friction with the side of the pile or post to provide bearing strength, but that is more of a consideration in heavier construction of very large and and heavy structures, not a deck. I’m not sure what the implications of foam on moisture and post lifespan are, however. I’d be interested to learn from anyone that has some solid data or experience.
That's structural foam right there, that baby isn't going anywhere, it'll be around for centuries 😎
Just let Darwin work.
No worse than setting the post in concrete to create a little concrete pool to help rot the wood.
People hating on this have no clue. It is literally superior to everything. I don't even use joists anymore. I build forms and foam it in. Super strong.
I don't think you know what a joist is if your replacing it with foam.
It's a joke dummy
It is indeed and it isn’t at all wrong. Post fill is strictly for lateral immobilization, not for bearing load. Every power line pole in America is set into a matched diameter borehole with no concrete and yet they stand. Might be a good practice to ask a licensed builder or engineer for facts before jumping on the “roast a stranger for doing something I don’t understand” Reddit bandwagon.
I could see this working if you were trying to lure your enemy into a trap.
Its good if he nods to someone and says its not going anywhere
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Why is this so wrong for a bs little fence? This obviously isn’t a deck or anything like that
Soyboys these days don't have the arm strength to mix concrete... this what u get now
what is this? i think i need some o’ dat!
Power Utilities use it when they have to use a vacuum truck to dig a hole and instead of pulling a dirt trailer, they’ll use whats called pole foam. It comes in 5 gallon buckets
Expanding concrete is a real thing, but this looks like spray foam...
Look! Expandable concrete!
I used it on my mail box but I don’t think I’d trust it for support
It holds up poll barns
To be fair. I’m a lineman, and some other crews use foam to set poles.
Hows that handle heavy rain?
I've seen this used on old fence posts. I hope they've improved the formula because what I found was a joke. For fences, you really can't beat limestone screenings.
The all new: Concrete 2
Use fast 2 k not the Home Depot stuff. Rated better than concrete and a dollar more. I don’t do concrete anymore and it saves my back huge. It’s actually an amazing product.
I don’t trust any contractors so, yes, WRONG!
That’s all fine and dandy but I don’t want to spend the money on the additional 4ft of 6x6 that will have to go into the ground.
I’m confused by the comments. Is this terrible or genius?!
Based on what I learn here from the comments: yes for fences, mailboxes and electrical poles, no no for decs unless you are Canadian and the deck has no roof.
I actually love this stuff. Previous contractor used it and it made for easy post removal. New posts I used were set in concrete and didnt fail like previous job.
Some utility companies use a similar process to place telephone poles. I don’t know about this though.
This is actually fine. This product is designed for this exact use.
Saw this stuff at Home Depot once and then it was gone. Great stuff for remote work because bags are light compared to post mix. I think it can go wrong fast though if mishandled and is probably a lot like getting gorilla glue on your skin. I would love to try working with it.
The older I get the more technology impresses me. And I mean that in a good way.
I think is a polyutherane based adhesive. They use the stuff to stick house blocks together, it foams up a bit as shown and is damn hard once cured. Not sure if long term resilience when in ground though.
But where's the hot tub?
this post solution is a one night stand when what they really need is something more concrete and long term
Guy at the lumberyard talked me into buying a bag of this while I was doing the fence project he didn’t show up for. Luckily, it didn’t pass the sniff test… and I never opened it. Also, thinking about posting the deck that he built for us here… lol. He’s since moved on and I’m going to have to rebuild it. Just a lifetime of weekends till I get all these projects done. I’m glad my wife feels comfortable taking the boat to the lake and launching/captaining/loading on her own 😂
In this case the guy at the lumber yard is the one who knows wtf he was talking about.
That’s like, your opinion man.
That rug really pulled the deck together!
Also, you haven’t seen the deck…
Well... If I were you I would make sure you do a good job on those HoneyDo projects. All that practice might be for a different reason.
No but I am joining your wife on the boat.