# Forum Home Renovation Fences & Screens  Loose fence post after installing with quickset?

## berntd

Hello
I installed a round steel fence post yesterday by using quickset concrete from bunnings. 
Today, the post is loose. It is almost like the concrete shrunk away from the steel a tiny bit.
Feels like a loose tooth. 
Why is this happening and how do I fix it? 
It is for a pool gate so I need it tight. 
I dug the hole, wetted it, chucked a bucket of water in and then the whole bag of quickset. 
Any help is greatly appreciated. 
Regards
Bernt

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## METRIX

Did you brace the post while it dried ? did someone touch the post while it was drying ? it is easy to fracture the concrete and cause it to become loose. 
Did you mix the concrete to a thick porridge type consistency in the hole ? 
I don't like quickset, but if I have to use it, I will mix it in a barrow first then pour it in this way the entire mix is even and sets better. 
Also was the post made from Aluminum or Steel you used ?

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## berntd

Thanks for replying. 
Yes, it was attachef to the fence end and also had a piece of timber from the side for bracing. 
It is a galvanised steel post. 
Nobody touched it 'till today.
I poured it yesterday avo. 
Do I need to chisel it out again and restart? 
Use normal concrete instead? 
I did 2 more eatlier today and now I am really worried.

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## METRIX

If it's loose, then it probably wont do the job, you can remove it easily if only done yesterday,  post hole diggers or crowbar will get it out easily.
Then use Regular concrete, mix it first then put in the hole, Cant explain why it failed. 
Asked for Aluminium post as Quickset accelerator reacts with the Aluminium and corrodes it, only regular concrete for Aluminum.

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## Whitey66

Quickset is rubbish. I'd pull it out and bust off the quickset before it sets even harder, then mix up some proper concrete.
If you have a welder you can weld bolts or similar to the post at 90 degrees to the post down the bottom where the concrete will be.
If you don't have a welder or if the post is aluminium, you can drill holes through the post and put some threaded rod and nuts on it.
This will help to secure the post in the concrete, especially if it's round. 
Edit: Just noticed you replied that it was a steel post, I opened this thread then went and got lunch before replying  :Smilie:  .

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## berntd

Ok. I pullwd it out. It came right out!
I dug all the quickset out with the post shovel. It had not set at all! It was like moist half cured renderind cement/ sand. 
What rubbish is that then? 
I just sent wifey out to buy normal concrete.
Hopefully I can still finish this today.

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## pharmaboy2

Please note metrix' advice above, properly premix the concrete.  You hadn't properly mixed the quickset in the hole. 
so change product and also technique

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## sol381

Just dont see the need to use it.. What do you need to set in half an hour..Even if i used rapid set id still  wait until the next day anyway. Use postcrete instead or mix your own. Bloody scotty cam and the backyard blitz mob advertising rubbish.

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## NRB

Plenty of replies,don't use that C---- for fence posts, or in fact why use it at all ,I did some years ago and learnt the hard way,all my posts were loose or the quickset just crumbled
Had to dig out and redo every post

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## METRIX

If I have had to use it I use Blue Circle Brand and never had an issue with it not setting, but as said above you really cant do anything with it in 15 minutes like the bag says, because you will loosen it. 
Quickset has it's use, you just need to know how to use it properly, it cannot be used for anything structural. 
If I have had to use the Bunnings stuff I always get the Bastion High Strength version, that way if you mix a little too much water it will still harden to a strong result, high strength is 32MPa Vs around 20 for regular quickset.
The worst enemy to a good strong concrete mix is water, too much and you weaken the final result.

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## sol381

Exactly and rapid set is used by filling the hole with water then emptying the bag..How do you tell how good the mix is when its in the hole?

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## berntd

Ok. It is now back in with normal concrete mixed old school. Such a waste of time.

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## pharmaboy2

Look on the bright side, it will still be there in 5 years - the rapid set would have no doubt fallen down in that period and you'd have to rebuild the whole blinkin lot  - small loss of time right now for big gain down the track.  :Wink:  
(lynch mob heads down to backyard blitz offices........)

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## berntd

I don't watch much of Backyard Blitz but the bits I have seen do make me wonder how long some of that rapid blitzing will last or stay level... 
Anyway
Cheers!
Bernt

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## METRIX

> Ok. It is now back in with normal concrete mixed old school. Such a waste of time.

  
Don;t look at is as a waste of time, rather a lesson for next time  :Biggrin: , we all make mistakes that's how you learn what's right and wrong.

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## Whitey66

One of the issues that I have with quickset is that the water gets full of dirt and crap before adding the quickset.
When making strong concrete you should use clean water.

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## NZC

> If I have had to use it I use Blue Circle Brand and never had an issue with it not setting, but as said above you really cant do anything with it in 15 minutes like the bag says, because you will loosen it. 
> Quickset has it's use, you just need to know how to use it properly, it cannot be used for anything structural. 
> If I have had to use the Bunnings stuff I always get the Bastion High Strength version, that way if you mix a little too much water it will still harden to a strong result, high strength is 32MPa Vs around* 20 for regular quickset.*
> The worst enemy to a good strong concrete mix is water, too much and you weaken the final result.

  I don't think its even that, it might only be around 15. Its basically useless.

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