"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
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David WE Roberts wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in
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Are you using concrete gravel boards?

Yes - and I was wondering last night if we would be able to get these in
after the posts had been set, or if they needed to be fitted before the next
post was concreted in.
If I go for 9' posts (to allow the 6" gravel board and 6' fence panel to sit
below the top of the post) then unless you can wiggle them in we would have
to lift this gravel board 7' in the air.
[O.K. for me at 6' tall, but perhaps not for my beautiful assistant.]
On the other hand if we lay down the gravel board before finally concreting
in the post we have the issue of getting the concrete in past the gravel
board on one side.
We could raise the gravel board a bit on bricks or wood, then lower it when
the concrete is in.
Won't really know what works until we fit the second post!
At least the gravel board will help with the spacing.

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I think I will have to go for regular 1.8m spacing as I need to be
able to replace fence panels as required - I think I will have to
select the panels to fit, or if not possible then pad narrow ones out
with an extra strip of wood.

No, what I'm saying is don't space the post at exactly 1.8m. If you
space at exactly 1.8 & have a 1.82 panel its a problem. Measure all the
panels & space for the widest one, you can then pad any narrow ones. Oh -
and never assume a panel is square.

I may just space for slightly over 1.8m and measure any panels we buy to
make sure we don't get any that are vastly outside spec.
If I space out too much I may end up having to pad out most panels.
In my previous place I suspect they spaced the posts to fit the original
panels as they were not consistent and the undersize panels were a b*gger to
replace.
I will need a little 'wiggle room' to allow for expansion of the wood when
wet.



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Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk


Thanks again for your advice.

Dave R