Showerthought: My neighbor's fence project made me rethink my whole approach

Last week, I saw my neighbor Dave in Phoenix start his new fence by setting all the posts at once with quick-set concrete. Three years ago, I did mine one post per weekend, letting each cure fully. His whole line was up in two days, and it looks just as solid as mine. Has anyone else switched to doing all the big prep work in one go instead of spreading it out?

3 comments

3 Comments

nora_chen2mo ago

Honestly, this is how most home projects go. We overthink the "right" way and end up making extra work for ourselves. Sometimes just getting it done is the better method.

stellas562mo agoMost Upvoted

My dad spent three weeks researching deck sealants before just painting it.

ivanlewis10d ago

Hang on a second, I gotta push back a little here. Are we really gonna call one method "better" just because it was faster? I've learned the hard way that quick-set concrete can be a gamble, especially if you're not in perfect conditions. @stellas56 mentioned her dad's deck sealant research, and honestly that's way more important than a fence post. A fence that took two days but starts leaning in a year is way more work than one that took you three weekends and is still straight. Your mileage may vary, but I'd rather be a little slower and not have to redo the whole thing later.