How to Make a Concrete Post
- 1). Measure how big you want the post to be using a yardstick or tape measure. This will depend on the reason you are making the post. If it is for a mailbox, you have to take into account the local regulations governing mailbox heights. If it is for a gate, you need to include the height of the gate in your calculations.
- 2). Dig a hole around 3 feet below the surface of the area that you want to make your post. It should be at least 2 inches wider than your post will be. You can use a hole digger or shovel to make the hole.
- 3). In a container such as a wheelbarrow, mix 1 part cement to 2 parts sand to 3 parts gravel. Slowly add water with a garden hose to the concrete mix until you get a texture that is moist but not runny. You can use a premixed concrete mixture if you want. The bag will have instructions on mixing with water.
- 4). Pour about 2 inches of gravel into the bottom of the hole for drainage. Fill the hole with concrete. Level it with a shovel edge or a rake.
- 5). Shape the rebar into an "S" shape that is about 6 feet long. Place the rebar into the wet concrete so that half of it is fully submerged in the concrete filled hole and make sure that it is fairly centered so that there will be at least 2 inches all around to hold concrete around it.
- 6). Build a box that is the shape and size you want your post to be. You should use concrete form wood to make your pattern box because when you pour the concrete, it will exert a great deal of pressure. Secure the sides of the box by nailing the wood sides together.
- 7). Place the wooden box over the area where the post is going to be. Brace the box by nailing 2-by-4s to the top of each side of the box, angled 45 degrees into the ground. Each brace should be about 5 feet long.
- 8). Slowly pour in the concrete through the top of the box. Stir the concrete after each fill and prod the concrete in the box after it is poured to remove the air bubbles. Do this until the form is completely filled. Level the top of the post with a shovel or rake.
- 9). Let the concrete settle and dry for at least seven days. Slowly and carefully take the nails out of the wood and remove the box. Your post should be standing regally.
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