Cutting concrete spears

[bullethead123]

Hi all,

I have a white picket fence in the front garden which has blown over for the third time in 10 years. The problem is that the wooden posts only sit about 2" into a concrete base and so it has no strength in a high wind. I've used concrete spears to repair the fence in the back garden to great effect and was thinking of doing the same in the front.

The picket fence is 3ft tall and has four 3"x3" posts & my local builder's yard stocks 1Mtr long 3"x3" concrete spears and so I was thinking of buying 2 of these, cutting them in half and drilling extra fixing holes (I have an angle grinder and an SDS drill) before setting each one 25cm into the ground, leaving about 10" above ground to bolt onto the fenceposts.

Does this sound like a good plan?

Feel free to tell me if not.

Thanks, Chris.

 

[Burnerman]

I can't see anything wrong with your proposal, but the concrete beams will have rebar in them.......cutting to length won't be a particular issue but drilling them could be as the drill would try to veer off. They are as hard as hell!
John

 

[Nige F]

As per burnerman - you won't get holes in those spurs. but you could make a metal strap to go round and screw into post

 

[JohnD]

concrete spears

spurs?

use them full length.

I have tried drilling. an sds will do it but you get a big scab spall off the other side, and risk having started a crack.

 

[bullethead123]

Thanks for all the replies. I can't cut & drill them then.

I guess I'll have to use them full size, though I'd rather not have loads of concrete post visible. It was difficult enough getting the idea past my girlfriend in the first place (she's not a fan of the repair spurs in the back garden).
Lotsa digging for me next week I guess.

I don't suppose any manufacturer makes half metre concrete spurs? I can't find any shorter than one metre online

 

[Tigercubrider]

You generally need 25% of a post in the ground, but maybe 50% if a metre?
I suppose that you don't want met post style sockets? They can be concreted in or bolted to a small post hole filled with concrete.
Only other thing I can think of would be a chunk of rebar style rod sticking up and a hole bored nice and straight in the post centre so that the whole lot slides onto "pins"

 

[JohnD]

You can use masonry paint on concrete spurs.

I use a dark brown to blend in with woodstain, but you could use white if you want

Preferably paint before installing

It also lengthens the life of the concrete by slowing rain penetration (especially the tops)

 

[bullethead123]

Thanks for your input Tiger & John.

I don't think met post style sockets would be suitable as the wooden fence posts are 2"x3". I guess I'll go for the whole spear solution & dig 60 or so cm down leaving and exposed length of concrete about one third of the hight of the fence itself.
Thanks also for the suggestion re. painting the concrete John. I'll do that - I've even got some Sandtex in the shed - and I'll paint up the posts out back too. That should keep 'er indoors happy.

Once again, thanks all for the replies.

 

[scbk]

Hammer in some good quality timber fenceposts, job done