fencing with metposts

[danlightbulb]

Hi all,

I am fitting a wooden fence. 10 2.1 metre posts in total with 9 6x6 foot lap panels. I am using 6" wooden gravel boards also, the reason being is that I wanted a fence higher than 6ft (hence the 2.1 m posts).

I intended to use 750mm long spiked metposts. What I would like to know is whether these are any good, and also how I attach gravel boards as the metposts have a metal slot sticking out don't they.

Any help would be great.

Cheers

 

[bikerm4]

met posts are rubbish.they either rot away where the top joins the spike or snap with the wind catching the fence and causing movement in the posts. dig a hole 600mm deep by about a 300mm square and sit your post in and fill it with concrete.

 

[nstreet]

Agree with Bikerm4, at least a third of the post need to be below ground level to be effective. You only have a few inches of metapost holding the wooden one and after time they tend to work loose in the ground.

 

[Dewy]

met posts are rubbish.they either rot away where the top joins the spike or snap with the wind catching the fence and causing movement in the posts. dig a hole 600mm deep by about a 300mm square and sit your post in and fill it with concrete.

I have used metposts and had problems fixing a gravel board although I managed to fit them with a bit of messing about.

Better than filling the hole with concrete.
Put some rubble followed by some gravel in the hole then set the posts on top of the gravel before filling with concrete.
This will allow any rain do drain away and the post will last a lot longer than just using all concrete.
Posts will last longer with just soil than if fully enclosed in concrete which would allow the water to run down inside the posts but wont let it escape.

 

[loublou]

have to agree that they are not all that good and are really bad value for money, they add a lot to the cost of a simple fence without great benefit.

 

[Thermo]

they do have their uses eg small width of earth against existing concrete where there just is no way of digging a hole. But i have to agree they are another quick fix