Fencing worries

[Danrover82]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of fitting my first ever fencing and tbh I'm having a mare and now I'm worried I may need to rip out where I am and restart.

Basically I'm self employed and whilst off I started the fence 36m or so around 3 sides

1 side and along back. I've been able to bolt my posts to existing concrete posts, but the longest length, I fitted 3 x 3 posts about 500 deep. Each post set about 1800 apart, and had a bag of Postcrete each to set.

The fencing will have 3 battens along the length and was planning on featherboard.

I dropped a stupid mistake in not setting a string line and went for sighting through, so some slight wave along the length.

I was toying with idea of something like a deck board along top. Into posts and top rail to try and sure it up. But really worried the posts won't withstand a strong winter. I still have some headaches to overcome on the longest length too between ours and the neighbours.

So would appreciate some advice going forward?

Thanks in advance

 

[sircerebus666]

How tall are your finished posts going to be?

Ideally there should be a third of the post in the ground

 

[Danrover82]

Planning on 1800. So in theory should have been 600.

I also think the 3 x 3 was a big mistake. Can't say for certain if I got the holes 230 wide as some suggest, and even coverage round all 4 sides as the posts were close to the chainlink fence.

Each post had a full bag of Crete though

 

[HERTS P&D]

Is this your property or are you doing this for a customer?

Andy

 

[Danrover82]

Mine, its a council house. I'm a joiner but wanted to challenge myself before ever doing one fir a customer

I'm trying to think if it fails, why, how and can I overcome it to make or right?

 

[martin hill]

Dan.

I would whip them out and start again for a longer lasting fence. I'd say with kids ( kicking ball against them. running and bumping into them ) and the height you want one bag per post won't hold up to much. For a 6ft solid fence i would at least 2ft with a 1ft wide hole. Do your 2 corner posts at the house wall first with the 6ft height and leave to set. Do you 2 corners at the bottom of the garden making sure you have the 6ft height above ground and run string line top and bottom to each post. Put your bottom and top rails on first as you bed in each post.

Nice little gadget.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/post-lev...gQNfnoi4yDjpVu1DhXxoCNdAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Danrover82]

Cheers Martin,

In process of ripping out now ordered 4in posts and 2 bags of postcrete per post.

I have this section about 7mtrs the gap is 4in wide 2 solid paths between 2 houses. What's your thoughts on this.

I was thinking dig down 4-500 deep and perhaps 8in either side and sandwich the posts in?

 

[martin hill]

If the paths sound and no waste pipe running under pop in these.

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Bolt-Grip-Post-Support-Spike---100-x-100-x-750mm/p/151560

Don't buy the drive in tool. Use a piece of 3 x 3 post 2 inch taller than the fixing hole and put a piece of wood on top of that wider so you don't hit the metal. make a new one when it bust. Pop some veg oil in the hole before hammering in.

 

[Danrover82]

Wish I could but there is a gas pipe under there somewhere.

I have ripped out the 3x3s. 1 snapped at the concrete top 1 was cracking, doest fill me with much hope for the 4 x 4s. As they're incised

 

[martin hill]

With the hot weather the posts will dry very quick if been stored in a sheltered place in the depot. Keep them in a shaded area for a couple of days if they arrive wet/damp.

The post issue with the pipe not worth the risk hammering in. I'd go for the option you said about wedging in. You could sandwich between a dense block each side cemented in. Give all the bottoms of the posts a good soaking with treatment before setting in especially all your end grains.

 

[martin hill]

Hows the fencing going.

 

[Keithmac]

I used packed gravel, 3 foot deep holes and 4" posts, in 10 years time if the post start rotting it's easy job to replace them.

Been up 2 years since doing it and taking all the wind can throw at it..

 

[Danrover82]

Really well, I pulled out 3in posts and dug a little deeper and put 4in in, 3 bags of postcrete each and finished.

Even the section between the houses that I could only dig down 300mm but wedged in with postcrete

Just finished a 7x3m decking too

 

[Keithmac]

Looks great!, after attempting to pull over 40 posts out that were concreted in I went for an alternative method 2nd time round.

To be fair they'd done 13 years.

 

[martin hill]

Looking spot on Dan. Very impressed with the straight line top. Looks like two volunteers for the paint there too lol.