Re-setting wooden fence posts.

[Brian Kent]

Mending Fences - literally…



I have about 25 feet of wooden fence - 6' high that needs to be more securely anchored. It tips up to a foot each direction and hampers the action of the gate. I will use galvanized post bases set into concrete, bolted to the wooden posts.

I am trying to figure what would be the least work - Jacking up the whole fence and leaving it in tact. Cut the posts, set the bases, and raise the fence back into position.

OR

Taking every board off, basically rebuilding the fence from old materials, but from scratch.

Has anyone done this before?

[John K Jordan]

Mending Fences - literally…
I have about 25 feet of wooden fence - 6' high that needs to be more securely anchored. It tips up to a foot each direction and hampers the action of the gate. I will use galvanized post bases set into concrete, bolted to the wooden posts.
I am trying to figure what would be the least work - Jacking up the whole fence and leaving it in tact. Cut the posts, set the bases, and raise the fence back into position.
OR
Taking every board off, basically rebuilding the fence from old materials, but from scratch.
Has anyone done this before?

I don't understand why the wooden posts tip at all. How were they originally installed - placed in larger holes then dirt added? Gravel? Concrete? Is the soil poor, constantly wet, loose sand? Did the posts rot away at the bottom? Do you know how deep the posts are set into the ground? How many posts are loose, all of them or just the gate posts?

For just 25' of fence I would be inclined to tear it own completely and rebuild with new PT posts, maybe reuse the other wood if it is in good condition.

I've put in a lot of wooden fence posts here at the farm, everything from 4x4 square PT posts to 7-8" PT posts. (The easiest way is pound them 3' into the ground with the hydraulic fence post driver!)

For structural posts I usually make a concrete punch pad, set the post, fill with gravel and tamp, then make a concrete collar near the top. For posts in dirt I drill or dig a post hole and either fill with the dirt that came out or use some gravel at least at the top and bottom. Just this week I set ten 7.5" posts for the horse pasture at the corners and gates, pounding in metal posts between. I didn't get out the post driver for just a few posts but drilled a 12" diameter hole nearly 3' deep and tamped dirt aggressively around the post. However, our soil is mostly clay which tamps very well. My experience is once the posts are set like that in this soil they never loosen. The soil was pretty dry - I'll tamp the top bit again after a good rain or two.

If your posts are in good soil and wobbly because the dirt is loose you might be able to fix things just by tamping around each post. I use a tamping/digging bar available from a farm store, some hardware stores, and even Amazon.com.

365306

The chisel end is for digging and prying rocks and the end with the flat puck is for tamping. IF your post is set in dirt and the soil is not sand, you might first try positioning the post exactly where you want it and driving the tamping bar repeatedly into the soil all the way around the post. This will compact it tightly and will probably lower the surface of the soil. This void could be filled with some gravel, compact that, and/or concrete.

If your soil is poor, you might ask a local fence contractor how they set wooden posts.

If there are other factors, you might mention them.

JKJ

[Steve Peterson]

I see a lot of wooden fences around here with a galvanized post clamped to each wooden post. The original wooden post possibly rotted at the ground and a 2" diameter post appear to have been hammered in.

Another option is to dig another deep hole next to the original post and sink a pressure treated 4x4 post. Bolt it to the post to hold up the fence.

Either of these options could be done while leaving the original fence in place, assuming that it is not leaning over as you are working on it.

Steve

[Bob Coates]

Brian,
You might want to dig around the post to see if they are rotten, if so I would replace. If not then John or Steve solution is good. Another not so good looking would be to drive a metal wire fence post and lag bolt it to the wooden post.

Bob

[Frederick Skelly]

Is the post just wobbling in the hole? If so, can you dig out the loose dirt at the base and fill around it with concrete? This works whether the post is set in dirt or concrete.
Fred

[Stephen Tashiro]

I will use galvanized post bases set into concrete, bolted to the wooden posts.


Galvanized post bases aren't designed to support a post that isn't attached to something at the other end. You might be able to set several feet of angle iron in concrete and have it attached to the side of the post.



The heavy type of post base that has a metal spike on the bottom and is designed to be driven into the ground might do to support one or two tippy fence posts in a fence, but I doubt it would work for 25' of fence. I use that type of post base to support posts for bird feeders, but I can tolerate those posts being a little tippy.

[Brian Kent]

Thanks everyone. These are posts surrounded by concrete. It was not poured well for the application and there is a lot of play. I am also assuming wood rot because I just replaced a nearby porch post set in concrete that had completely rotted apart. I have already tried different kind of shims in the loose concrete hole but that was just a temporary fix.

I took some flash pictures that are pretty fuzzy. A couple of them look like dirt but are actually set in concrete with a little dirt on the top.

[Bob Coates]

Brian,
Looks like total replacement time.:mad:

Bob

[John K Jordan]

Brian,
Looks like total replacement time.:mad:

Bob

Yes, I'd definitely replace those posts. Depending on your energy level and the estimated long term use of the fence, 4" square steel tubing set in concrete makes wonderfully permanent posts.

JKJ

[Brian Kent]

Bob and John, I have several days set aside for this, so I can do whatever is needed. I have treated 4x4's already. If I use these I will still use a post base in concrete. Around here wood in the ground = rot and termites.

But I am curious - what is it about the photo that says, "replace"? Is it the weathered wood?

If I use metal posts, that seems like a whole lot of drilling to attach all of the wooden cross-members.

[Stephen Tashiro]

These are posts surrounded by concrete. It was not poured well for the application

How much work would be involved in breaking up the old concrete? Is it weak?

One thought emphasizing "the least amount of work" is to set new posts or anchors a few feet back from the old posts and brace the old posts to them - something like: https://helpfulcolin.com/2014/06/supporting-broken-timber-fence-posts/

- or brace the fence with new posts that are in line with the old fence but at different locations than the old posts.

[Brian Kent]

Daytime photo shows me these were originally dug into dirt. The previous owners were concrete pourers and they would ofter find a use for whatever was leftover in the cement truck. It looks like I will have to dig away and find out how they are set near the bottom of the posts and work from there.

The posts are treated lumber. The rest is untreated - probably pine. 7 years old.

[Pat Barry]

Good luck with that project. I hope there is not a concrete slab on both sides of the fence.

[Brian Kent]

Good luck with that project. I hope there is not a concrete slab on both sides of the fence.

Yes, there is a concrete slab on both sides of the fence.

[John K Jordan]

Yes, there is a concrete slab on both sides of the fence.

If the bottoms of the posts are set in dirt and the tops are bounded by concrete slabs I would consider cutting away the slabs with a concrete saw, then remove the posts, then dig a new hole and reset with a new post if appropriate. The type and condition of soil would suggest how deep to set the posts and the method of securing them.

JKJ