which fixings

[Advice please]

I am putting up a small section of fence and a gate in my garden.

My garden has two levels, a patio on the top level so to speak with a retaining wall holding the patio up and concrete steps in the middle of the retaining wall leading down to a lawn on the bottom level.

I want to put a small section of fence on the patio either side of the steps and a gate across the steps. I plan to fix the fence posts and gate post to the retainig wall, with the posts runiing up the wall (the wall is about 3 foot high) and then protruding above the wall about 4 feet which is the height the fence is going to be.

My question is what size fence posts and gate post (gate is about 2 feet by 4 feet) should i use, i was thinking 3x3 or 3x2.
Also what size and type of fixings should i use to fix the posts to the wall (the wall is a block wall).

thanks in advance

 

[Deluks]

3x3 will be adequate, 4x4 will be stronger but might look too imposing.

You wanna be drilling into the wall and fixing through the post. Anyone leaning on the fence from patio side will be exerting forces on the fixing, so normal screws/plugs might not last long. I'd go with an expanding bolt (rawlbolt) about 6 inches long I reckon. Or use the chemfix method with studs.

 

[Thermo]

thrubolts/rawlbolts will be fine.

 

[Advice please]

Thanks for your advice, could you also tell me what size fixigs to use (is there a rule of thumb for decideing what size fixings you should use).

Thanks in advance

 

[masona]

Generally speaking to give you some rough idea, 1/3 for material and 2/3 into fixing, so a 25mm timber will need 75mm length although you could reduce the length by contersunk in the post.