My uncle told me to always use a 3-inch auger for corner posts in Georgia clay

I argued that a 2-inch would be fine to save time, but after the first big rain last fall, three of my corners leaned like they were drunk. He was annoyingly right about needing that extra bite. What's the dumbest 'old timer' advice you ignored that came back to bite you?

4 comments

4 Comments

logan5252mo ago

My buddy skipped the pilot hole for deck screws once...

ivanbell2mo ago

Oh man, I've been there. I tried to force a screw near the end of a board and it just split right down the middle, ruined the whole piece. Now I always drill a small pilot hole, especially with treated wood. It takes an extra minute but saves so much headache. What was your buddy trying to build?

gibson.morgan2mo ago

That "extra bite" from the bigger auger is no joke. I thought my uncle was just being fussy about fence posts too, until a whole section washed out. That Georgia clay turns to slick mud soup and a skinny hole just won't hold.

blair_nguyen1mo ago

@logan525 learned that lesson with his deck too, pilot holes save boards every single time.