A job in Galveston made me rethink how I set posts in wet ground

We were putting up a 150 foot cedar fence right by the bay last spring, and the ground was pure muck after a rain. I was fighting with the post hole digger, trying to get a clean hole, and this local guy who was watching from his porch just yelled over, 'You're making it hard on yourself, son. Use a pressure washer.' I had never heard of that. He came over with his little electric one, and in about 30 seconds, he had a perfect, deep hole by just blasting the mud out. It was a total lightbulb moment for dealing with soft, sandy, or wet soil. Has anyone else tried this method for setting posts, and what kind of washer do you use?

3 comments

3 Comments

wright.cole1mo ago

Honestly that's the most Texas thing I've ever heard. Tbh I'm just picturing that guy sitting on his porch waiting for someone to do something the hard way.

the_val1mo ago

It's like a universal law that someone always has to watch you struggle.

paige87015d ago

Man, that is the best kind of local advice. I've been that person fighting with a shovel in mud, and it feels so stupid when the easy answer is right there. @wright.cole is dead on, that guy was probably waiting all week for the show. A pressure washer is a genius fix for that kind of slop. I've got a cheap gas one that would probably do the job, but that little electric one sounds perfect for not making a bigger mess.