fencing info please

[sweetalkingdevil]

Hello, Just needing a bit of advice regarding fencing my back garden. Firstly, along the side of the house is laid to concrete with existing rotten fencing posts concreted in, i intend to replace these by chopping them out then breaking the old concrete out around the old hole and re-concreting the new ones in place, question 1, what would be the correct mix to use for this and are any of the specialist fence post cements suitable for this application? secondly how much should i chop out around the old posts for back filling with the new concrete and will the replacement concrete bond to the old concreted patio?
any help greatly appreciated.
kind regards.

 

[sweetalkingdevil]

As the first post in this line of fencing is also the supprting post for what is a rather wide gate, should i dig this post in further than the rest to allow for the extra weight of the timber gate? and also for part of the fence that runs down the garden which is all laid to lawn, there are the old existing four foot concrete posts which would obviously have been used as the posts for an old wire fence i assume, these all seem to be quite sound and to save digging these out and replaceing then i was hoping to perhaps to dig out to about a foot right next to the concrete posts or so and sink in the new timber posts using galvanised coach bolts to secure the timbet post to the old concrete posts, a good idea? thought appreciated please.
Kind regards.

 

[mildmanneredjanitor]

(Post Reply)



4 to 1 should be about right, use 20mm ballast (sand and stone chippings mixed together)

Don't be stingy with removing the concrete as it will make it much harder to dig out for the new post.

Before you backfill the hole and new post with concrete, wash off with a hose the surrounding concrete - this will help the new bond with old.

Yes use a slightly deeper hole/longer post for the post the gate is hung from.

Shape the concrete at the top so that water drains away from the post - this will help prevent rot.

Before fitting the posts (if the height wont need adjusting) cut the post at an angle at the top (this will make the water run off instead of soaking through the end grain of the post - or you could use post caps of course!)

Cut a length of batten the length of a fence post (+ a fraction for clips if you are using them - which are very good).

Use this when concreting in posts to ensure the correct gap. Make sure you check the post for 'plumb' in both planes.

You could use the old concrete posts in the manner you descibed (if location is ok?)

Hope that's of some use.

 

[leaky]

My own experience tells me that trying to use the existing posts means they will not be in the correct place. I even used a measured batten to mark out and check out and they still ended up too far or to close and the panels did not fit correctly . I Wasted to much time trying to save time and should have taken the advice I was given. Start from one end and work along fitting the post as you go. Just fenced the whole garden in my latest house and it was a doddle.

 

[trowelhead]

i agree with leaky! unless your fence run is exactly at 6 foot multiples and your posts fitted at exact spacings (i doubt it ) why not start at the "opposite" end and work your way back! you then only have to dig the hole for the new post and cut off the existing post at or below ground level,thus you will not have to remove the original concrete/posts!