What type of posts for this type of fence?

[TheKeymeister]

The old fence at my house is about knackered, the posts are starting to snap at the base as they have all rotted. They are concreted in. It has done it's time by the looks of it though. It's getting worse and worse and my temporary bodge has been to hammer in metal rods and cable tie the post to it, but I know it won't last very long like that!

On a job at work where we had to move out of a site, I was asked to take down a load of fencing and dispose of it so I brought it home as it was much better than my current fence and had only been up a couple of years. We had to do it quickly so it was just done with the reciprocating saw either side of the posts to make it into bite size chunks. It is this type of fence about 6ft high,

My question now is, how can I try and stop the posts snapping at ground level again, I did somewhere see online a concrete fence post with V notches in, where the rest of the fence then bolts through it, but I have never seen it since. If these don't really exist, how can I stop history repeating itself and my wooden posts snapping at ground level? If the concrete ones do exist, any ideas where I can get them, and any problems with this type.

I have built a fence before at my old house with slotted concrete posts so I've got a small idea about what I'm doing but that's all

Many thanks in advance

 

[r896neo]

That is a closeboard fence and the rails when triangular like that are called arris rails.

I have never seen concrete posts with arris cut outs but they may well exist.

There is no need to use arris rails though an you can use a normal post and rail arrangement with concrete posts with holes in them and standard splayed rails or sometimes called cant rails depending on region.

Put your posts in about 6-7 foot centres and you then span a rail across three posts and bolt it to the concrete posts using the pre-made holes.

There is quite a lot of terminology in fencing and it can vary region to region.

 

[ntb]

Simplest way would be to use 5*3 wooden posts and attach your existing chunks to it with arris rail brackets. Proper pressure treated posts last plenty long enough.

Arris rail brackets
http://www.screwfix.com/p/arris-rail-brackets-300mm-pack-of-10/48243

 

[TheKeymeister]

Simplest way would be to use 5*3 wooden posts and attach your existing chunks to it with arris rail brackets. Proper pressure treated posts last plenty long enough.

Arris rail brackets
http://www.screwfix.com/p/arris-rail-brackets-300mm-pack-of-10/48243

That sounds good, and having done my nosey neighbour bit, I can see that someone down the road has done something similar.

What do you recommend for anchoring the posts, I've read about putting a bit of gravel in the bottom of the hole before putting the post in, then concreting it in up to slightly higher than ground level and sloping away from the post. It sounds like a good way of doing it, but open to opinions. Also should I use proper concrete or is postcrete OK?

Banged a few more rods in so hopefully the old one will see me until the new year!

 

[ntb]

That's spot on for the posts. You can use concrete or postcrete, both will be fine.

Postcrete will be more expensive to use but it lets you work faster and is less effort. Harder to make a nice domed top to it though.

Concrete is fine, just be aware that you need to protect it from freezing conditions to stop any ice forming in it as it cures. You will be wishing for a mixer by the third post if you are mixing by hand though.

 

[TheKeymeister]

I've been pricing up all the bits that I need (and finally found a good excuse to buy that new drill and reciprocating saw) , and thought about the gravel board. Currently the wooden gravel boards just sit on grass and look fairly knackered. In the interests of set it and forget it, it seems like a good idea to replace it with actual gravel, to hopefully help drainage and prevent more rotting trouble, but any ideas as to what depth I should go with the gravel? Trying to work out quantities before I go and spend some more money.

I'm starting to think I might need to borrow a mini digger from work I've got a new shed base to lay on the strength of all this as well

 

[ntb]

You don't necessarily need gravel if you can prevent the soil from being in contact with the board by scraping it away. Personally, I wouldn't bother but if you do, you only need about 3 inches depth. The gravel will quickly fill with soil unless you use a membrane to keep it back. The gravel boards are meant to be sacrificial.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have never seen concrete posts with arris cut outs but they may well exist.

http://images.google.com/images?q=concrete+post+(arris+OR+mortice)

 

[TheKeymeister]

Well I've ordered all the stuff today, delivery Thursday, so hopefully it'll be done by the weekend. Fenced it off with some harris fencing today and going to cut the old stuff down quick before it falls down Pics to follow later on...

 

[TheKeymeister]

This has taken some time to do, work has been hectic lately, but finally took down most of the heras fencing to make the neighbours happy again...

Didn't take any pics before the event unfortunately, but you can see how crap it was in this pic...during...

And pretty much how it looks now...graffiti came with the fence, need to something with it!

For the last bit, I want to put a pair of gates in so I can get the caravan in and out. I have got some gates, that came with the fence, but the bit that is confusing me is the post configuration in the corner, as the side fence follows the curve round. Do I put the corner post in line with the fence, in line with the gate, or do both and have a short section of fence between the corner and the gate?