The Ultimate Fence Post Foam Face Off! Sika Pro Select vs Postloc vs Concrete
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2021
- Today we're testing out two different brands of post foam, Sika Pro Select and Postloc, to see how they compare to concrete! This video is all about how easy or hard it is to set the posts, how long it takes to cure and set, and what kind of post wobble do you get from foam vs concrete.
In the future we'll be doing more post foam videos, if you want to see them let me know by leaving a comment or liking this video!
►Sika Pro Select Information - bit.ly/3iHWzw4
►PostLoc Information - bit.ly/3pcfVfb
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As a seasoned professional fence builder, you’re content is always right on point!
That shit works great on wood posts. The bond is released from the galvenized metal. Dont play stupid
Except his first video on this 😂
Joe, Thanks for your demonstration. You mentioned not seeing the need for a pull out test. On the farm we experience damage frequently so post replacement is not uncommon.
After more than 60 years of installing and replacing fences, I can see the value of these quick and easy methods of filling around the posts (light weight etc) but my preference (on my own property) is still 5/8" minus crushed rock. Tamp it down solid and it will hold a post like concrete (allow 2-3" around the post) it's cheap, don't need water, no need for disposal if repair/replacement it required, when the damaged post is pulled just re-dig and mostly reuse.
Farmer Lance :)
This is pretty exciting. At the very least very handy for repairs on old fences. As a business owner I’m always thinking/looking for the best way to produce. Great content
Great comparison. And the best I've seen on this subject. Thank you!
I used Sika Pro for a couple Trex Fence posts that supported a gate. I used 2 bags per hole. That did not hold up well; but the good news was I could dig it out with a spade shovel and pour concrete in its place. FWIW, I have clay soil and I think that contributed to the problem.
Great video brother!
I am planning on building a fence in my back yard and this was very informative!
Based on your first video, I got some Sika and put in posts yesterday. I learned one thing...Foam can and does make the pole move as it expands. I had it braced, but I learned the hard way I had better keep it level by hand for the 5 minutes it is curing. It pushed my pole out of plumb by half an inch. This happened I think because the pole wasn't in the exact center of the hole, so there was more force on one side than the other.
The other thing was something you mentioned, that is, from bag to bag the quality is different. Sometimes it expands a lot, sometimes not so much. So I ended up with teh foam filling some holes and not others.
Thank you for the information very helpful.
Thanks for the good information!
Another great video joe look forward to the live tomm
Thanks for the video!
I've been wanting to set some T-posts in buckets so that I can move them to different locations and set up screens between them. I deal with a bit of wind, so maybe the foam in the bucket would be too light to do the job. On the other hand, just driving some stakes and tying off the posts could be easier than lugging a bucket full of cement. The previous video told me that the Sika probably won't do what I want. Maybe the Postloc would do what I want.
Fair and honest and interesting test can’t say anymore 👍
Happen to live in one of the Hurricane alleys ... have seen local power companies use foam to set some power poles ... my issue is we get a lot of wendy days even without a Hurricane .. could envision the constant post movement crushing foam cells and loosening before it gets hit with really high winds. well.
Great tips!! I would use it for a quick project like a post mailbox or 1 or 2 posts. Not much cleanup versus concrete. Quick and fast.. thank you!!
This product is what I recommend to older or injured people who cant necessarily lift a 50-60-80lb bag of concrete
omg! I repaired a lot of fence with foam. But have never gone back to see how it worked out. I liked the quick set because the fences were on rental property. The renters would test your work after leaving with cement and the nest day the post would be crocked. So I would use foam and quick set cement to top it off. After watching you I am sad I ever used foam. I have never gotten a call back but that doesn't mean they didn't fail.
The pull test may not appear to be a reasonable test at first glance, but a pull test would definitely show the adherence factor between the foams and the surrounding material the foam is attaching to. What I would like to see is a mix of maybe sand or pea gravel mixed in with the sika or post loc to see the bonding difference with solid material the foam can work around and use as a stabilizing agent. Also, with the post themselves, could it be beneficial to put peg-type anchors through some of the holes (say every 4-6 inches) below grade to give the foams a better chance to adhere to the post themselves?
Thank you for the knowledge.
Awesome content thanks Joe. We are going to install about 600 LF of fencing, so about 75 posts all in a straight line. I'm trying to decide between postloc or concrete. After watching, Im leaning towards postloc
In the UK the postloc is $23 per post!! It depends on your budget.
@@hullebikerfishing I'm weighing the cost of about $110 worth of shipping to get ~50 bags of concrete delivered for my modest back yard fence. I'm thinking if I can get the Postlock locally or delivered for much less than that, it may be worth it. The elimination of heavy and messy concrete work is pretty attractive too, since we're doing the labor ourselves.
I would be curious about frost line upheaval with all of those close cell air pockets? Great videos!
Well done, Sir... Good information to know. This was very helpful Thank you.
Thanks Fred, always happy to help!
This foam works best when restricted from all sides....once you've poured the product into the hole, slip a precut plastic sheet the size of the hole over the post and fill halfway with dirt. When the foam expands under pressure it will be much denser and fit the hole tighter.
Makes sense. All the wasted foam bubbling over the top could be redirected to fill the gaps seen in the video.
What about environmental impact of using foam?
Yes i was thinking along the same lines, these foam products must tend to expand in the direction where theres least resistance, eg upwards, so theres not much force against the outside of the hole pressing it into the ground or the post. And for these metal posts with a gap the foam finds it easier to expand upwards rather than tightly in the gap.
But once you start messing with putting something on the top and weighting it down then part of their attraction, ease of use, starts to be lost.
Did I miss something in the first video with Sika brand you came back several days later to find the foam had shrunk. But in this video you did not do that. I know the conditions were different but I'd be curious to know how the Postloc did after several days or longer. Did it shrink? thank for these videos they are very well done and super informative, You are a great teacher.
I built power lines for a living and when I was down in louisiana working hurricanes I learned about polecrete. The water table was so high down there that you couldn't use the dirt you got from the hole. Mainly because it was mud lol. I learned some times when the holes were filled with a lot of water. They would slide a huge garbage bag basically, over the bottom of the pole. Then set the pole and pour polecrete into the garbage bag. That would push all the water to the surface.
PS: Polecrete made a heck of a messy explosion when mixed and sealed in the container 🤣. We of course never did that for fun or anything.
Do you think this product is used for its convenience or because it works well. I'm curious why utility companies are using it for power poles. I believe concrete is a far better way secure a post/pole, but obviously a 5 gallon bucket is easier to transport than a yard or two of concrete.
@@andrewc9790it works better than concrete
A pull test interest me for cattle fencing. They pulled so many fence posts out of the ground with their heads this spring.
Thank you for all the great info.
You’re very welcome, always happy to help!
Great video! You seem to have thought of everything. Also, your audio and video are great
Thanks Al, I appreciate the feedback!
Joe, at Freedom Fencing LLC in North AL we actually have a water tank that we put on the trailer for mixing concrete in remote locations. We have the trailer set up with a generator, electric mixer, water tank with electric pump, pallet of concrete and post and we just tow it down the fence line (when possible) we also use a toro dingo to transport the concrete from trailer to fence line in the event we can’t get the truck close enough to the fence. I hope this helps and we appreciate your videos you post on RUclips. Thanks, Zac
Love it, I really appreciate you sharing your process and experience!
I used the Sika post fix foam to install a mailbox to help a friend who is flipping a house. I also used sika post fix for setting in an umbrella clothes line and a dog waste station and it actually holds up better than concrete. Almost anything that is a post will work with sika post fix not just fence posts. So much more convenient than concrete and more durable though but postloc will still beat sika post fix.
Great video and thanks for the demo...Has anyone on here drove a metal post down into the old wood post footing? No digging, concert just brute driving into the footing of the old post? As the post goes in it may crack the old concert but it's all solid....?????
Well done testing was fair and real world 👍🏻
Thanks Lindsay, I appreciate it!
Great video lots of good information. Been look at a more industrial foam product called "Secure Set", lots of powerline related items. Its seems like Postloc. Wonder what you like of their stuff. Considering some of use can not afford a rhino power driver. thanks again for the video.
One comment would be that the videos from Sika said to wet the post as you pour. Meaning that you should pour onto the post as you fill the hole. This would most likely improve the adhesion to the post. Not sure about the hole itself though. I've never used either product, and plan to use quikcrete for my mailbox, but just thought I would mention this.
I’ve no interest in any of this, but it’s strangely fascinating 👍
Yes, indeed its very “fencinating”! 😉
Foam works well. Just to to use the right product and the right mixture. They use it to level concrete. Mud jacking and lay for long time.
Great info , thank you for the details and honest discussions.
Would these foam products work in clay soil that cracks very wide during the high heats and no rainfall in southern Texas?
Thanks Joe
I wouldn’t think so, once it’s set up it isn’t pliable at all.
I'm getting ready to build a pole building with treated 6x6s. I was wanting to use foam instead of concrete because posts in concrete seem to rot after 20-30 years. Would you recommend it for that application?
Great info
Thanks Marty, I appreciate you watching!
I have to say…Our display at work (lowes) of the sika foam. Did the exact same thing it pulled away from the bucket, and post! It did hold the post well. But it bounced around in the bucket
Good to know, I appreciate you sharing your experience!
Could you possibly pour each sika component into the same style jug and mix like the postloc?
Do any of these foam products say that you should have moisture in the hole first?
thanks for the info.
Very welcome, always happy to help!
So the pull test would be great as it would show how well it bonds with the ground
And to think that we used to set fence posts by dumping the dry concrete in the hole and then putting some water in with it, using a hunk of rebar to poke holes to let the water all the way down, and then cover it up... in fact around here this method has a name "ranch set". Some of the people who use it don't even put water in. (this is with 8-10" cedar posts for wire fencing)
Interesting thing, the chemical compound stuff you guys using over there reacts similar that i use for timber gluing - D4. it's hell of a glue, nasty if spills but bonds nicley, also expands, but when expanding on larger scale it has similar effect after longer period.
I appreciate you sharing your experience!
The pull test would be good for when you have to take down the old fence before replacement
Sika worked fine on my split rail fence
Can you dig them out & see how it looks at the bottom & sides?
I'm glad it worked somewhat. It cost a little more, but it's much lighter than 80lb bags of fast set cement.
🤔 Seems that pouring the fresh foam mix down the side of the post as you dump the mix down the hole may assist in better post foam contact?
thanks for sharing
You’re very welcome, always happy to help!
I wonder if the Sika requires a round metal post or wood post rather than a thin metal post?
Watched both videos Great stuff !...the video lol
Recently found you. Are the follow ups
Coming?
My Sika fence posts survived a recent texas storm. I have faith!
Excellent! Out of curiosity, were they wood posts?
@@JoeEverest yes #2 prime wood posts
@@thisisudax that’s really interesting, most of the comments I’ve seen that had positive results were using wood. I’d say that even though it lists steel as an approved use, wood posts are the best case scenario!
Good video but I wish you had discussed more than difference in type of foam between the Sika and Postloc. You mentioned the Postloc was closed cell, so presumably the Sika was open cell? What about the density of the two foams? 2 lb per cubic foot or 4 lb per cubic foot? 4 lb is stronger than 2 lb. Do the containers even state this?
I agree that pulling a post straight up proves nothing. What counts is horizontal/sideways strength to resist wind and animals.
I am thinking of buying a PVC or Azek fence but am nervous about foam eating into the fence posts if they are PVC.
I've found if u let it run down the post from grade down it does a little better about bonding to it. But the sika still shrink back down jus a little
I think I used the one in a bag and it seemed like it only filled a little over half my hole but it was a while ago so I might be mis remembering
Would it be worth having a smaller diameter hole and however deeper to squeeze the product firmly around the post more. Because it expands, it just seemed the hole is to wide and that's why there is space between post and product. Please keep in mind I have zero knowledge of fence building, just an observation, I guess you would need a longer post to get right height also, more cost would turn most off what I've suggested, but it would be interesting too see it done and what experts think.
I bought an empty lot and am thinking about putting up a fence and traditionally I've always done wood fencing and never thought about metal for the posts. Where can I find the posts in this video? Had a hurricane not too long ago and snapped 6 of my posts in the ground which was kind of a pain so I wouldn't mind doing metal posts can someone tell where what those posts are and where to buy? Only have lowe's and home depot near me as well as a Cash and Carry
Can't wait to see how the foam stands up to the test of time, and the weight of the fence.
@@JoeEverestAre you kidding both? Foam is foam. This is shit! Only concrete! I can come and pull it easily with my hand! there is many missed products which market rejected after they did not pass test of storm, wind and sun.
@@tlumaczy1507 I have installed a mast for a 1 meter satellite dish using this style epoxy foam and had no problems with it was there for 3 years till they pulled it out to move it
@@donagnew8481 epoxy foam a different animal would be 90% of the cost of the whole thing. It's good stuff though
@@glennimmortal still less than the cost of sackcreet
Postloc is the little brother to the system called polecrete. Used by utilities in new and storm construction
I wonder if the foam products contracted after a day or so like they did before. Any word on that?
How does it work on a wood post though?
I’ve used Secure Set with success with wood post.
Good to know, I appreciate you sharing your experience!
Doubt that would work well with chain link fencing that has more tension than wood fencing.
How well does a dry concrete method work?
looking for the easiest way to remove a post set with Sika. Maybe you can cover that in a future video.
I've used a farm jack and some chains to pull it up before.
Any long term review video?
I have had very good luck with the foam
Good to know, I appreciate you weighing in!
My guess foam contraction problem will return in one year making post wobbly, concrete and soil probably have closer characteristics w/r expansion and contraction that foam and soil. Beside that you really want post in ground to form a heavy bulge for stability with light foam I doubt that can beat a concrete bulge.
Living in the frozen north I could never get over the cost of 2-3 bags per hole without understanding much benefit other than maybe an easier install. Doesn't seem worth it considering I have doubts it would hold up as well.
Pull test would be a good test due to foam floats under alot of water aka heavy rain the posts will try to float foam blocks are used to make docks and such.
Great points, I appreciate you weighing in!
How about useing a plastic water bottle cut it gonna post can fit inside?
What about hammering those posts in place?. I have been a closed cylinder "hammer" used for hammering down those posts.
If the hole not completely full could you use a second bag to fill the hole?
can you compare packed sub-base without concrete?
I’ll add it to the suggestions board!
Great content. I'm going to be installing an outdoor shower in cape cod. The location is fairly sandy. What would you suggest for cedar posts in that scenario? (btw, i'm a homeowner, but handy, can build most things well as in most of fam is in the trades.)
@@JoeEverest I meant as far as the right material for setting the posts? Cement or post loc (sandy base) Thanks
@@JoeEverest Thank you man, I really appreciate it. concrete it is
Wonder how well the Pistloc product would work with wood posts for horse pasture fencing.
The comments section makes me think that these products really do better with wood posts.
If you're looking for clear buckets, find food prep buckets. I've seen them at Costco, Wal-Mart. Should be at restaurant supply shops.
@@JoeEverest On the flip side, clear food-grade buckets appear to be in short supply as well, which likely accounts for not being able to find them at the Big Box Store...
Joe, I didn't see your two videos on this until late today AFTER I used Sika to set my mailbox post. However, it's been 7-8 hours since I poured the foam and I see no signs yet of the foam contracting or gaps around the edges. The post is really tight. I will certainly be curious now to see if that holds up over the next two days as I also just cut the excess overspill off and the foam made a crackling sound as the exposed portion was now exposed to air again. I also wonder if soil type has anything to do with this and as you alluded to, ground saturation being the biggest factor? Here in Georgia we have clay soil and the ground right now is pretty saturated. Of course, concrete also contracts as it cures over time so there's no perfect solution to bond to steel or wood and also expand as the containing soil contracts. I suppose non-shrink grout may be the best option and perhaps a wide skirt footing. Thanks for the great video profile. I enjoyed watching it and learning about alternate fence posts.
Well, it's been 2 years, how has your mail box held up?
I live in Florida and what is Florida, a big sandbox!! How do these products work in sand?
this gave me the confidence to use foam for a fence along side my house, was dreading hauling bags and bags of concrete
same here! im waiting 12 years to carry those bags up! foam it is!!!
Buck up and carry that shit. You need like 2/3 bags per hole. Nothin
What kind of foam do utility companies use. Most in the northeast have been using foam for a couple years. Those are 25 feet high and need to support sway.
Polecrete
What happened the 1st and the 5th post are leaning to his left your right about 7-10 degrees. I know it's just a test set up but was it caused by the foam or just a bit off in the setup?
Most likely lens distortion from the wide angle cuts they used.
How does it fair on wet ground? I suppose no issues in States like Nevada but what about Louisiana etc?
Great question, soil with a high water table would likely have problems with the product due to its buoyancy.
I'm seeing HUGE cost differences between postloc and sika. Usually, there's a reason for cost differences.
We were using it to cement pvc pipe in the ground. It says it is good for pvc. it is so hot that it melted the pipe and now we have a bigger project! Very upset..
Any updates?
i have noticed on the sika packaging it says that 7-8 inch wide holes going down more than 10" i think requires 2 bags...maybe it's just not enough material being put in the post holes....idk
@@JoeEverest so they're trying to tell you, you better live in florida like I do where it's hot as sh*t all the time haha, well played sika
I've used Secure Set, and it is also a good foam product. Its user ratings are much higher than Sika. Like Postloc, it is also kind of hard to find.
Would either of these products work better with forming tubes placed in the holes?
Hmm, not sure. We’ll have to try it!
I wonder what happens if you spill oil based stain or the like on that foam.
I’d guess that it stains the foam, but it’s worth a test!
What if you just used a closed cell SPF (sprayed polyurethane foam) waterproof and durable??? Would that be more cost effective and efficient!
Farther in-law owns a spray foam trailer. So far I haven’t found anything saying it deteriorates.. so idk
IS POSTLIC ENVIRONMENTAL SAFE?
Being a liquid from a bottle does that enable you to get it closer to the post?
You can, but you have to be careful not to get it on the post above grade or you could have a real mess on your hands!
all the foam we used on our fence had to be replaced a month later... all the foam broke down and the fence would move. replaced all the foam with crete and its perfect now.
Wow, I appreciate you sharing your experience!
@@JoeEverest wasnt fun at all.. spent more time trying to remove the foam then anything else..
It's been 5 months, at the time I watched this, have you gone back to see how they have been holding up yet?
Question: sika...let's say you're setting 5 posts as an example. After filling with sika foam, and once cured, would it help if another mixture of sika was poured into the void that contracted in the hole? Use an extra bag to split amongst all the posts to fill any gaps. Just curious...
You certainly could, we did a followup video on just the thing, but the cost would really rack up.
This post is fairly firm
Cost I'll stay with with cement
thought it only works on wood post