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That criticism from a homeowner about my post holes changed how I set my line
Last month a guy watched me dig a post hole and said 'your string line is bowing in the middle, you're gonna have crooked posts'. I was using a single mason line like always. He showed me how to use two lines pulled tight and a spacer block. Now I check every hole before I set concrete. Anyone else had a homeowner teach you something obvious you missed?
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eva_hayes22h ago
Barbara_kim, I get where you're coming from, but sometimes it takes seeing someone else's trick to realize the little stuff you've been missing. I had a similar moment when a customer showed me using a level across the top of the concrete to check plumb before it sets - felt like a dummy for not thinking of it myself. It's not about complicating things, just learning a fresh way to avoid mistakes.
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barbara_kim1d ago
Why would you complicate something so simple with extra steps and tools you probably have to make or buy? If your line is bowing, you're either not pulling it tight enough or your stakes are too far apart, not that you need a whole new system. I've been setting posts for years with one line and a tight pull, never had a crooked result, so maybe the issue is more about your technique than the method.
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