Is it better to paint new fences?

[eastender3]

Hello folks,

Getting couple of new fences for the garden, people tell me that fences need to be protected from the elements so better to paint them? I would be getting them from Selco.

Can someone advise if these is true?

Also our concrete pillars are small in one side, was thinking of replacing them with taller pillars for the fence, as the new fence would be higher, but replacing the pillars would be a big task, as there any alternative?

Thanks

 

[Newboy]

Also our concrete pillars are small in one side, was thinking of replacing them with taller pillars for the fence, as the new fence would be higher, but replacing the pillars would be a big task, as there any alternative?

No -if you want taller fence posts then dig out the existing and set new ones in.


New fencing should have already been treated - usually treat them once a year with a suitable wood treatment

 

[eastender3]

No -if you want taller fence posts then dig out the existing and set new ones in.


New fencing should have already been treated - usually treat them once a year with a suitable wood treatment

Hello and many thanks for your reply.
Now understood about the new fence. The concrete pillars, is there truly no alternative, apart from digging the short pillars and installing taller pillars for higher new fences? This will be expensive. One of our friends suggested putting a wooden strip along the new fence?

 

[Newboy]

The only way to do it properly is to dig out and put the correct length of fence post in - everything else will be & will look like a botch-job

 

[r896neo]

You can bolt timber posts to the side of the existing concrete posts. It doesn't look great and often concrete posts were put up as wire fences so never designed or installed in such as a way as to withstand the wind loading of a large 6 ft fence. Hence they may not be strong enough (or rather they may not be concreted in deep enough)

Treated timber has been treated to prevent fungal attack and some rot. It will however dry out and get bleached and degraded by the sun. This is where stains etc can help by adding some protection.

 

[eastender3]

You can bolt timber posts to the side of the existing concrete posts. It doesn't look great and often concrete posts were put up as wire fences so never designed or installed in such as a way as to withstand the wind loading of a large 6 ft fence. Hence they may not be strong enough (or rather they may not be concreted in deep enough)

Treated timber has been treated to prevent fungal attack and some rot. It will however dry out and get bleached and degraded by the sun. This is where stains etc can help by adding some protection.

Thanks for the reply. Do you have a picture bolting timber post attached on to concrete post?

I don't quite understand your message. Are you saying attaching timber onto existing short concrete post, will be better than installing a new higher concrete post, regardless of the cost?

 

[Nige F]

No point in painting fences - particularly if the other side faces a neighbour - they will see all the dribbles where the colour runs through. Same applies to painting your side of a fence that is a neighbours property.

 

[r896neo]

No installing a new concrete post at the correct height is better.

You can bolt timber posts to the existing concrete one but it may over load it. A post is designed to not lean when pressure is put on it, so if you make the post longer and fence higher you significantly increase the force exerted on it by the wind. If your original post was put in cheaply and quickly because it was only for a 3 foot wire fence then changing it to now support a 6 foot high timber fence may make it rock/ lean.

You may however be lucky and the original post was put in well and so will happily handle the extra load. Point is there is no way to know so you either risk it or do it right do it once.