How to remove/replace these for fence posts?

[Mattatooi]

So I am almost 99% sure that the fence beside my driveway is actually mine. I presume it was neighbours because the good side was on their side. But looking at it more, I realise that it is actually on my land. Anyway I need to remove it and put better one in.

Here is the fence in question;

Dont have a great wide shot of it, but it is here on right side



and here on the left




So the fence posts are small and I will be wanting to put a 2m high section on side of house and then 1m down side at front of house. So wanting to ideally use 4x4". These look like 3x3". They are in these;






And a few of them are covered in concrete;




How am I removing these?

 

[Burnerman]

These are Metpost sockets, or the same by another make.
Either undo the rawlbolts with a socket spanner or grind the heads off with an angle grinder.
John

 

[JohnD]

If refitting similar, I used stainless bolts on my carport, and gave the sockets a good treatment with preservative paint. You can find a colour to blend in with the concrete, or with the fence stain (I used dark brown). You have to do it before fixing.

You might find the old bolts snap when they see a spanner.

If you have a gas torch, warm the heads and let them cool, it should break the rust bond.

 

[Mattatooi]

How is the wood posts held in place? I don't see any screws or anything and they are solid, not moving. Some of them have concrete around them.

Replacing these with something similar for 4x4s for a 4m long ish section at 2m H - would that be good or would they fail pretty easily?

 

[JohnD]

mine have a "pinch screw" in one corner that squeezes the socket tighter so it grips the post.

Others have slots down the sides, where a flap of metal projects and wedges itself into the side of the post when you knock it into the socket.

They do not hold the posts very securely. The posts will not move longitudinally because they are braced by the fence, but they tend to move sideways in strong winds. A 6ft fence post exerts tremendous leverage, and a boarded or panelled fence is a big sail.

 

[r896neo]

You can not expect a metpost holder to be suitable for a proper solid fence never mind a 6'' high fence It is no where near strong enough.

You must concrete in new posts. In your original post i commented that you need to put the new posts in away from the wall. If you dug post holes and put the posts in tight behind the wall it could pull the top of the wall over. You ideally want the wall and fence to be seperate entities.

 

[Mattatooi]

Hi reno,

Yes original plan was to dig holes into the tarmac and concrete posts in. That still is the plan, just wanting to know how to remove these. I may keep existing posts for the 1m high section if too difficult to remove, and put rail inbetween posts and put vertical boards down the driveway to footpath at 1m high.