Fence repair & Posts

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Fences are Funny Animals

So really you are only limited by your imagination!

If you have a few rotted posts that you can pull back and forth

or see the bottom of them are on top of the ground instead of in the ground it probably a good idea to replace them. You have many choices of what kind of posts to do that with. You could use wood post and know in 10 years you will do it again or steel that last a lot longer! you can even use removable brackets that attach to the steel poles and to the 2 x 4 rails with screws so they can be pulled out when they need replacing very easily. Pour concrete around them just like the wood ones. Some people just like the look of wood though and that's ok too.

Build it straight

Next string a nylon line and pull it tight between two stakes or sticks that you pound enough into the ground to be able to pull it tight without it falling over, six inches or so. You should know where your property line is by the pins in the street close to the center. It is like a nail head in the middle of a round little metal plate. Sometimes there is a stake at the back of the property or at a telephone pole in the back yard. Maybe you need to fix one that isn't on the property line.

That Old Fence

You know you have one. One of those fences that you lean on to talk to a neighbor.It wiggles or you have a plant hanging off it and it is leaning to the north. If the fence is so badly damaged it is laying on the ground.

Now it could be that it was not built correctly in the first place. Possibly it was just built out of the wrong material or there is water sitting around the fence posts rotting them away. The kids could be constantly jumping or climbing on it. All these conditions are hard on a fence and will eventually cause it have a shortened life.

Well Built Fence

To ensure a well built fence, the material used should be as weather and pest resistant as possible. There should be good drainage around the posts and bottom of the fence boards. Start by checking the ground for problems like big water puddles, large rocks, berry bushes. Clear all the brush and rake the rocks out. Take a shovel and skim the dirt so it is half way flat. If you really want a nice fence, level the area between where the posts will be placed about every eight foot.

It's Post Time Again

So that you have a straight line to follow, take out the flour again and mark every eight feet if it is going to be a new fence and dig a hole with a post hole digger. Dig it about two foot. Put a little gravel in the bottom of the hole for drainage. Put your 4 X 4 post in the hole and open a dry bag of concrete and lay it by the hole. Now fill the hole with water about 1/3 of the way to the top. Put your level on the post and set it against the string line. When it is touching the line and level both ways, start pouring the concrete into the hole to just below the top. Now pour some water on top and take a shovel or pole and pack it into the concrete to kind of semi mix it up. Don't worry you don't have to mix it up and pour it in. This is called Dry packing a post. It allows you to start building the fence the same day. It will harden up either way. Ever left a bag of concrete outside in the rain. It hardens up in a week.

Repairing Posts

If you have those broken fence posts that snapped off at the ground they are the hardest to get out. If you have top and bottom rails connected to them just cut those loose. You can pull the nails or screws or cut the nails with a sawzallwith a metal cutting blade. Now you have to dig out the rest of the post, if there is any left in the concrete. You dig it all out concrete and all or drill out the rest of the post. If there is a foot or more sticking up out of the hole, I sometimes wrap a chain around it and using a high lift jack, jack the post with the concrete on it, out of the hole. This last method leaves a bigger hole and you will have to use a lot more concrete. If it is rotten sometimes you can use a long drill and a chisel to get it out and save the square hole in the concrete in which you can put the new post back in that hole and no concrete is needed. Screw the fence back together and now it won't fall over anymore. Cut the top of the post off so it doesn't stick up above the fence boards!

Simple Fences

There are all kinds of fence materials out there for . They all serve a propose. It depends if you have little bunnies to keep in and need a small wire fence or have an elephant and need something that will keep them in and a little taller would probably be good! You may just need one to section off your yard, cover up an air conditioner or keep people out of your pool. There's lots of fence building magazines out there. Pick some up and see what you can build. Sometime the simple type are the best but you may really want to spend some time with friends and family building something that lasts and is a little fancier!

Fence Materials

You may want some type of wood for your fence. There are many types of wood. If it were me I use redwood, cedar, or steel posts because they have tannin in them that help keep the Bugs away and rot at bay! There is brick and stone like they use in Ireland. Block walls used for fences filled with concrete for strength. Cloth fences for wind blocks but don't block the views. On the coast some times they use glass panels so that you can sit on a deck and still see the ocean. They also block the strong winds! Vinyl fencing come in many fence designs. Check them all out and see what will go good with your home.