PSA: Don't trust a string line on a windy day

I was setting posts for a vinyl fence in Lincoln last spring, and a gust caught my line just as I was checking the last post. It looked perfect, but after the concrete set, the whole 40-foot section was off by almost an inch and a half. I had to pull two posts, which wasted a full bag of mix and half a day. Now I double-check with a laser level on anything over a breeze. What's your go-to for keeping things straight when the weather turns?

2 comments

2 Comments

wells.amy3d ago

Ugh, wind is the worst for that. I feel your pain, that inch and a half is such a sneaky mistake until it's too late. I've been burned before too, so now I just skip the string if there's any real breeze. The laser level is the only way to go, it cuts right through the wind. Saves so much headache and wasted concrete.

markl753d ago

That laser level advice from @wells.amy is solid, but they can drift too if it's REALLY gusty. Saw a guy on a site once fighting a cheap one that kept losing its dot in a crosswind. My crew's old-school trick is to wet the string line. Adds enough weight that it doesn't jump around as much. Still use a level to check the posts, but a damp line gives you a much better fighting chance.