Concrete fence post - quality and hanging gates

[Cellophaneskies]

Hi all.

Hopefully my last questions for a while.

-concrete fence posts. They’re expensive, but I’m seeing cheap ones on Facebook but some look rough. I assume there is differences in quality and longevity. What are the signs of good posts? Lock timber yard sells ‘dry cast’. Is dry cast better then wet cast for posts?

- I need to hang two gates. At the very least I’ll need to have the two gates closing against the concrete posts. Was planning to hang battens on concrete posts so I can add latches etc. I was going to hang the gates themselves from wooden posts. It will break the consistency, but the locations mean it won’t be too obvious.

Or am I fine to hang a gate from a concrete post? My thinking is that concrete has very little flex compared to wood, so repeated slamming etc might make the chunk of concrete loosen in the ground more vs a wood post. Some people say don’t do it, some people say it’s fine.. anyone have any direct experience?

Thanks again

 

[jj4091]

The problem with hanging gates on a concrete post might be that you hit the re-bar inside when drilling hoes for fixings and cause damage by having to drill them repeatedly.

 

[Cellophaneskies]

The problem with hanging gates on a concrete post might be that you hit the re-bar inside when drilling hoes for fixings and cause damage by having to drill them repeatedly.

I’m hoping to avoid the rebar. Some have holes in the middle already so either I can use those, or the holes hopefully suggest that there is no rebar running at that point in the post..

 

[Scally-Ho]

I have a heavy 36" x 6' 6"tall gate hung in a 7ft high fencing run and it is fixed via a timber bolted through from the other side of the fence post and another on the other post to latch to. That has been in place for at least 15yrs and it's still in daily use as it closes off my workshop compound. Both posts have extra concrete with stay bars securing them and then sandstone pavement above ground.

 

[Cellophaneskies]

I have a heavy 36" x 6' 6"tall gate hung in a 7ft high fencing run and it is fixed via a timber bolted through from the other side of the fence post and another on the other post to latch to. That has been in place for at least 15yrs and it's still in daily use as it closes off my workshop compound. Both posts have extra concrete with stay bars securing them and then sandstone pavement above ground.

Thanks. Is it a 9ft post overall?

What do you mean by extra concrete and stay bars? The posts have an additional bar diagonally supporting them from the ground?

It’s probably one of those things that’s fine in most instance and then a pain in another..! More risk.

 

[Scally-Ho]

Yes, 9ft and by stay bars I mean steel driven at an angle into and through the wet concrete into the surrounding hard undisturbed ground. It is my way of ensuring stability from harsh winds and storms.

 

[Cellophaneskies]

Yes, 9ft and by stay bars I mean steel driven at an angle into and through the wet concrete into the surrounding hard undisturbed ground. It is my way of ensuring stability from harsh winds and storms.

Oh wow, had not considered that. That’s going the extra mile. I’m not at the coast and it’s all relatively sheltered so hopefully wouldn’t need that, but I like the idea for the gate fixings at least.

Any risk of them rusting and compromising the concrete?

 

[Scally-Ho]

I used offcuts of stainless steel I had up on my racks, but being away from readily available oxygen, ordinary iron bar should be oakay underground.