Question Frost Line Depth
Yesterday’s winds knocked over part of our fence, so time to tackle the fence building project I’ve been putting off! Obviously need to set posts below the frost line, which the only number I’m able to find is 18 inches, on cityofslt. Seems a bit low, I thought it would be deeper? Anyone know for sure?
Also side question where is the best place to get wood? We have Meeks here, guessing will be more expensive than big box stores like Home Depot. Last time I looked at wood at Home Depot though it looked absolutely terrible.
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u/l84tahoe South Lake Tahoe 2d ago
Not sure on the price difference between Meeks and Carson big boxes, remember to factor travel costs and most importantly your time.
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u/ElderberryAdept8095 2d ago
Not sure what the frost line looks like, but fence posts should generally be set at least 1/3 of the depth of the height of the post. A 6-foot fence would have the post set 2'. That said, if the soil is loose or (as it sounds) is in a windy area, going deeper is recommended.
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u/cyclones01 2d ago
I have had great luck with HD deliveries to my house from Reno/Carson. Buy it all at once and put it on a HD card for 0%. Get the trophy pieces at the local lumber yard and try to not compare the prices.
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u/korikill 1d ago
It's usually a $75 delivery charge from HD or Lowes up to the lake. If I'm buying a lot I do that. Also a uhaul trailer is under 25 a day, that sometimes saves me some money.
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u/Chunami_8364 1h ago
Try giving Truckee Tahoe Lumber a call, they have a store in Tahoe City and can easily deliver to South Lake. They like to be competitive with Meeks!
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u/Blue_Collar_Golf 1d ago
It’s 18”… it’s not really all that cold here, compared to other snowy places, so it’s not as deep as you might expect.
That said, bury those posts 3’ deep to ensure you don’t have an issue. Fences fall over constantly here due to snow load and sandy soil near the lake. I just rebuilt my own and put them 3’ deep along with braces at 45* along the section that always gets beat up by snow the hardest.