Replacing Fence Posts Quickly and Easily Using Existing Cement

We had a very strong wind storm a few weeks back and it blew over my short front fence lining the property.

I share the fence with a couple that are renting. I asked for help digging up the cement when I noticed it had blown over as I know that the posts were rotting and I have been here 23 years and have never replaced any of the front posts so I knew they were due as I have replaced many in the back yard. 

I bought the stuff I needed and started to dig out the cement and within about 20 minutes, I was so overheated I thought I was going to suffer heat stroke. I had to go into the house and rest for a few minutes eating ice cubes and ended up sticking in the swamp cooler as I was so hot. With my thyroid being bad, I can't regulate heat well. When I get hot, I stay hot and can't cool down and when I am cold, it takes me hours to warm up even in a heated blanket. 

I went out for a few days in the evening and dug all the posts and was going to haul out the large chunks of cement that the posts were buried in. I forgot just how much cement they used when making the fence. At one point, I had three adult men trying to get one of the large cement blocks out of the ground using a rope and a steel rod and tied one end of the rope around someone's waist etc.


I then remembered that I have, in the past, just dug out the rotten wood from the cement and cleaned it out really well and then hammered in a new 4 x 4 into the existing hole. 

Since I had four to do and my neighbors weren't offering to help since they don't own the house, I figured that would be the best bet. I did have to cut some tree roots out of the way in order to get to some of the post and cement as well. I am so grateful for the reciprocating saw.... It makes so many jobs easier.....

By using the old cement, it would save me on cost of new cement. It would save me on disposal fees for the large blocks of cement, it would save me trying to measure where to put the new posts as the old ones were right where they needed to be, and I didn't have to dig as much as I wasn't taking the cement out. I just had to dig down to the top of the cement and dig out the rotted wood. 

Only one proved to be difficult and using a drill hole bit, you can dig out the existing wood quite quickly. My wood was really rotten so I was able to dig three of the four out fairly easily. 

It did take me a few days to get it all done but it feels wonderful to have it all cleaned up and done now! I also had to pour a bit of cement into one of the holes as when they originally poured it, the cement was only on three sides of the post as maybe the post was more to one side of the hole rather than in the center. 

I haven't cut off the front post yet. I am not sure what I want to do there. I have a tree / vine that is growing right there and I think it looks somewhat cute being higher but the girls informed me this weekend that it looked stupid with the white on it and the wood being natural color. I told them that the rain and sprinklers will take care of the wood color soon enough.

I think I may leave the front post taller than the others but not as tall as I have it now. Hopefully the video and pictures will explain how I did it but feel free to ask any questions you may have. 
It feels good to be getting little things off my "to do" list even thought I still have plenty on the list, it is nice to check something off.

Have a Blessed Day!