5 Silt Fence Mistakes That Fail Inspection

Silt fence is one of the most widely used sediment-control measures on construction sites — and one of the most commonly installed incorrectly. Here are five mistakes to avoid.

1. Not trenching the fabric. The bottom of the fabric must be buried in a trench, not laid on the surface. Water simply runs underneath a fence that isn’t keyed in.
2. Posts spaced too far apart. Without wire backing, posts should typically be no more than 6 feet apart to prevent sagging and blowouts.
3. Installing along the slope instead of across it. Silt fence must follow the contour so it ponds water and drops sediment.
4. Skipping the wire backing on high-flow areas. Wire-backed silt fence holds up far better where runoff volume is high.
5. No maintenance plan. Sediment must be removed before it reaches half the fence height, or the fence will fail.

Need wire-back or high-flow silt fence fabric in volume? Talk to our team.