Fence post advice

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Last year I replaced the front side fence between my neighbour’s house and my house, using 3” wooden posts and 4 foot overlap panels. It looks very neat.

Early this year some panels and posts in the rear fence with the same neighbour came down in high winds. So I need to replace them, and I will replace the whole fence. There are ten panels in total, each 6 foot tall and 6 foot wide. Most of the panels were supported by 3” wooden posts. A few had 4” wooden posts. The fence is at least 18 years old, and almost all of the 3” posts are solid, three 4” posts rotted.

I reckon I will have no chance in hell of doing concrete posts on my own, or putting in the panels on my own. So wood it is. I can lift 8 foot 4” posts, and 6 by 6 foot panels on my own. I will buy a two wheel cart to move them. I did the front posts in concrete, exposed to the air at the top and sloped downwards to ensure water drains. I will do the same at the rear.

The general advice I see everywhere is to use 4” posts. Has anyone here used 3” posts, what was the outcome? I am tempted to use 3”, my reasoning is that the posts outlast panels by a few years at best, and replacing a post is easy, and best done when a panel goes. Also, 4” are heavy and not easy to manage.

 

[Diver Fred]

Use Concrete Repair Spurs/Soldiers.

Google Search

several companies in your area.

 

[JohnD]

Absolutely.

You can probably re-use your old wooden posts, which will have rotted just above ground level. Cut off all the rotten material, soak both ends in a bucket of wood preserver (not fence stain) and refit with the wood above ground level so it will not get wet. The spurs are manageable on your own. You can tie nylon webbing to them to carry around.

For economy, you can use 8mm BZP studding, which you can cut to length yourself, with BZP penny washers on each end, and BZP nuts. Paint it.

I am in a coastal area and the salt spray causes severe rust, so I use stainless.

You can paint the concrete spurs with dark brown masonry paint, preferably before installing, to blend in with your woodstain.

Put caps on your wooden posts to prevent rain penetration. The paint will seal the tops of the spurs.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Turns out the rear panels were 5 foot high, hence 3 by 3 inch posts were okay. Over the last two weeks, I’ve put up five 6 by 6 foot panels with 4 by 4 inch posts, an easy job, one more 6 by 6 foot panel with a 4 by 4 inch post, and five 5 by 5 foot panels with 3 by 3 inch posts to go.

I don’t like the look of those spurs, though they might be more convenient in the long run, They greatly increase the cost,

I will cap the posts.

 

[foxhole]

Why can’t you use concrete post?

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Why can’t you use concrete post?

I can’t lift the posts. 100mm by 100mm 2.4m long wooden posts are a struggle.

 

[Phil4433]

Concrete posts everytime.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

Concrete posts everytime.

How do you lift and adjust 45 kg?

 

[foxhole]

I can’t lift the posts. 100mm by 100mm 2.4m long wooden posts are a struggle.

I’ll send the Mrs round she can lift them .

 

[JohnD]

I can’t lift the posts. 100mm by 100mm 2.4m long wooden posts are a struggle.

You only need to lift one end at a time.

 

[Phil4433]

How do you lift and adjust 45 kg?

Like others have said, you don't lift the whole thing, just pivot it.
Biggest mistake people make, is
They mix the concrete with water then try to drop it in the hole where the post is going....that's wrong wrong wrong.

Dig hole
Pivot post into hole
Get dry mix of concrete (sand/cement)
Get a long piece of wood like 2x2
Tamp the dry mix round the post so it's very compact

Let nature take over for the water on the dry mix( water will integrate with the dry mix from the ground) and the concrete will set the post, allowing you time in meantime to fine tune the positioning.
Then place the concrete kicker panel which goes under the wooden fence panel, then you have the right measurement to dig the hole for the next post, you can put a spirit level on the kicker and also measure height, adjusting as required.

So there you go, no need to man handle posts, just lever and pivot them in place

No need to man handle the concrete kicker panel either, just offer them to each post then on 2nd post you offer the post to the kicker panel and so on.

I did mine this way 10 panels all on my own. 30 years ago, and fence still standing, all posts perfect, none of this wooden post garbage.

I dug out the old concrete posts and used them as base for my shed

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

You don’t have to mess around with a post in wet concrete, just do it properly. The clamps and supports ensure that the post is perfectly aligned and at the perfect height:

Notice the gutter round the workshop, and the missing downpipe! I reckon that water flowed down onto the base of the second, third and fourth posts and caused them to rot prematurely. Those posts were only about 17 years old, the others which didn’t rot were much older. Any wonkiness in the photo is the fault of the lens, the fence is very straight and upright.

Here I cut the posts to length afterwards, should have done it before:

Dig the hole, place post in hole, check height, dig out more soil, or pack with stones, to get the height correct. Screw the post to the last panel, if there is one. Then clamp the post in position so it is aligned and upright. Mix and pour concrete. Ready mix concrete costs twice the price, and adding water as you do leads to a weaker concrete. It’s probably okay for a fence post, but I prefer to do it properly.

What is all this ‘pivot’ nonsense? So how do you get concrete posts from the storage area to the hole? A magic carpet? How do you move the concrete post around in the hole to get the alignment? How do you get it back out if the hole is too deep or too shallow? I’m 61, 5 foot 10, 11 stone 8 pounds, and not strong. The last thing I want is an injury, or smashing something e.g. my neighbours wood and glass workshop that is inches from the posts. And panels last 15 to 20 years. How do I replace a rotten or destroyed panel when the new one has to be lifted 6 foot into the air and dropped into place?

The fence at the bottom of my garden is made with concrete posts and wooden panels. It was built by a moron. And organised by a moron (my rear neighbour). The posts are all over the place. I reckon the trade was drunk. Or he’d left his guide dog at home that day.

I recently saw Durapost, galvanised steel posts, like the concrete ones with side slots. I’d have been tempted to use those had I seen them earlier.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

I’ll send the Mrs round she can lift them .

Sorted. I’ll send you my address. A female friend grew up on a dairy farm in west Wales, and I’m sure she could carry a cow under each arm.

 

[Munroast]

what are the props you have used that look like giant hockey sticks ?

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

what are the props you have used that look like giant hockey sticks ?

Ice hockey sticks.