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Default 6 foot Redwood Fence replacement questions

Hello

I have a 100 foot long fence that is falling down. My neighbor and I are
going to go 50/50 to replace it.

I had a few fence companies come out to bid the job, some of them seem not
so good.

I asked about putting 6 inches of gravel in the post hole, some said yes
some said that they don't use gravel and just completely cover the post with
cement. This doesn't sound right?

Also asked about post depth. The fence will be 6 feet tall; they said that
they would use 8 foot 4x4 posts, so that means that only 2 feet of the post
will be in the ground. Isn't the standard 1/3rd of the overall length in
the ground, so a 6 ft fence would have three feet in the ground, so a 9ft
post would be used? So the hole would need to be dug 3 1/2 feet for a half
of foot of gravel?

As for nails should I ask them to use HD hot dipped galvanized?

Besides pressure treated, how about grade of wood? Heart Wood? Wood that
will be immersed in the ground or the kickboard touching the ground?

Are 4x4 posts fine, should I get 4x6 or 6x6 posts?

Am I missing anything?

Thanks


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Default 6 foot Redwood Fence replacement questions

On Mar 11, 10:04*am, "Tube Audio" wrote:
Hello

I have a 100 foot long fence that is falling down. *My neighbor and I are
going to go 50/50 to replace it.

I had a few fence companies come out to bid the job, some of them seem not
so good.

I asked about putting 6 inches of gravel in the post hole, some said yes
some said that they don't use gravel and just completely cover the post with
cement. *This doesn't sound right?

Also asked about post depth. *The fence will be 6 feet tall; they said that
they would use 8 foot 4x4 posts, so that means that only 2 feet of the post
will be in the ground. *Isn't the standard 1/3rd of the overall length in
the ground, so a 6 ft fence would have three feet in the ground, so a 9ft
post would be used? *So the hole would need to be dug 3 1/2 feet for a half
of foot of gravel?

As for nails should I ask them to use HD hot dipped galvanized?

Besides pressure treated, how about grade of wood? *Heart Wood? *Wood that
will be immersed in the ground or the kickboard touching the ground?

Are 4x4 posts fine, should I get 4x6 or 6x6 posts?

Am I missing anything?

Thanks


If its in concrete the post will never dry out if the bottom is
covered by concrete, PT lasts longer but new treatments eat many
fasteners that were fine with discontinued CCA.
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Default 6 foot Redwood Fence replacement questions

On Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:04:06 GMT, "Tube Audio"
wrote:

Hello

I have a 100 foot long fence that is falling down. My neighbor and I are
going to go 50/50 to replace it.

I had a few fence companies come out to bid the job, some of them seem not
so good.

I asked about putting 6 inches of gravel in the post hole, some said yes
some said that they don't use gravel and just completely cover the post with
cement. This doesn't sound right?


No.

Also asked about post depth. The fence will be 6 feet tall; they said that
they would use 8 foot 4x4 posts, so that means that only 2 feet of the post
will be in the ground. Isn't the standard 1/3rd of the overall length in
the ground, so a 6 ft fence would have three feet in the ground, so a 9ft
post would be used? So the hole would need to be dug 3 1/2 feet for a half
of foot of gravel?


Depends on your location. Get below the frost line. Digging deeper
holes is obviously more work/money.


As for nails should I ask them to use HD hot dipped galvanized?


It might be better to ask if you have any options about fasteners.
Stainless steel is best, but more $.

Besides pressure treated, how about grade of wood? Heart Wood? Wood that
will be immersed in the ground or the kickboard touching the ground?


PT wood will last 15-25 years, with proper maintenance.

Are 4x4 posts fine, should I get 4x6 or 6x6 posts?

Obviously, the heavier posts will be less likely to lean. If I had to
deal with Santa Ana winds and have a privacy fence, I'd use 6x6.

Am I missing anything?


Guarantee? How long has the fence company been in business? Any
complaints against the company? Will the company use materials you
want?

Thanks

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Default 6 foot Redwood Fence replacement questions

theres a plastic base that goes in the ground, it never rots.

the treated wood post fits on a receiver at the top of the base which
gets concreted in place...... for maximum strength and stability.

use ONLY STAINLESS FASTNERS!

this old house showed the bases should be on their web site
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Default 6 foot Redwood Fence replacement questions

On Mar 11, 7:04 am, "Tube Audio" wrote:
Hello

I have a 100 foot long fence that is falling down. My neighbor and I are
going to go 50/50 to replace it.

I had a few fence companies come out to bid the job, some of them seem not
so good.

I asked about putting 6 inches of gravel in the post hole, some said yes
some said that they don't use gravel and just completely cover the post with
cement. This doesn't sound right?

Depends, do you live in the desert or a very dry climate? If so you
can get away with it. Otherwise you should put gravel down for
drainage.

Also asked about post depth. The fence will be 6 feet tall; they said that
they would use 8 foot 4x4 posts, so that means that only 2 feet of the post
will be in the ground. Isn't the standard 1/3rd of the overall length in
the ground, so a 6 ft fence would have three feet in the ground, so a 9ft
post would be used? So the hole would need to be dug 3 1/2 feet for a half
of foot of gravel?


Unless the ground is unstable or at a good slope, a 8 foot post with 2
ft in the ground should be more than adequate.


As for nails should I ask them to use HD hot dipped galvanized?


If they use the cheaper electroplated nails or worse, then you can
guarantee
it will streak. A lot of fencing places use staple guns, make sure
they are stainless steel or they will streak also.

Besides pressure treated, how about grade of wood? Heart Wood? Wood that
will be immersed in the ground or the kickboard touching the ground?

Use PT posts and rails and anything that will touch the ground,
although it is easy to replace a kick board. Make sure that the fence
boards have at least a couple inches clearance. If they don't touch
the ground, practically any wood will out last the posts, but cedar is
usually pretty good. Any wood that is stained will last longer than
unstained cedar or redwood, although you may have to redo it every few
years.



Are 4x4 posts fine, should I get 4x6 or 6x6 posts?

Unless there is bad footing, 4x4 post shuld be fine. Use larger posts
for the corners.

Am I missing anything?


Almost always the first thing to go on a fence is the posts. Use PT
posts, gravel, and make sure the cement is angled up some to cause a
runoff and doesn't let debris build up around it. A few years of pine
needles or leaves packed around a post will rot any post no matter
how it's installed.



Thanks




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Default 6 foot Redwood Fence replacement questions

On Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:04:06 GMT, "Tube Audio"
wrote:

Hello

I have a 100 foot long fence that is falling down. My neighbor and I are
going to go 50/50 to replace it.


Please don't put the question or the essential facts in the subject
line. A lot of people don't even read the sujbect line. So it will
be your loss. Would you write a paper and put essential facts only on
the cover page and not in the paper.

That said, is the fence going to be real redwood or something else
stained redwood? Is each bidder bidding on the same thing?

I had a few fence companies come out to bid the job, some of them seem not
so good.

I asked about putting 6 inches of gravel in the post hole, some said yes
some said that they don't use gravel and just completely cover the post with
cement. This doesn't sound right?

Also asked about post depth. The fence will be 6 feet tall; they said that
they would use 8 foot 4x4 posts,


By "they" you mean the companies that seem not so good, I hope. What
did the others say.

so that means that only 2 feet of the post
will be in the ground. Isn't the standard 1/3rd of the overall length in
the ground,


I don't think that is a rule of thumb. My fence is 40 or 42 inches
high and I'm sure there's a lot more than 21 inches the ground. But
for an 8 foot fence I don't know.

so a 6 ft fence would have three feet in the ground, so a 9ft
post would be used? So the hole would need to be dug 3 1/2 feet for a half
of foot of gravel?

As for nails should I ask them to use HD hot dipped galvanized?


My neigbhor had a fence put in and they actually used ungalvanized
nails that left rust stains running down 2 inches under each one!!
Plus it was a stockade fence (which I hate) and they used wood that
hadn't dried, and when it did dry it left a crack big enough to see
through between every pair of pickets. (I have a picket but not a
stockade fence so this doesn't matter to me, and when I called them to
see if they had pickets I could use, they were out of busines.
Surprise!!!)

Besides pressure treated, how about grade of wood? Heart Wood? Wood that
will be immersed in the ground or the kickboard touching the ground?


My fence is not redwood, but the posts must be treated, because after
28 years they are all fine (except the ones that don't get enough
sunlight have rotted maybe an inch down in the middle. Not a serious
problem. Might get caps if they were available for 4" round.)

Some of the rails are good too, but none are like new. Many of the
pickets that reached to the ground or to the uncut grass got termites,
but the ones that the grass didn't cover never got termites. I talked
to a termite person who did it for a living, who said treating for
termites to save a fence is a bad idea, because termite poison is
poisonous. He said to keep it an inch above the grass. I don't know
if there are termites where you live.

The new rails for sale at HD are treated, but I'm not sure my old ones
were, and I know the pickets weren't. So bit about needing
stainless steel nails would it seems to me not be needed at all if the
rails were not treated. Many of my pickets are 28 years old in
Maryland, and almost good as new, and the nails in them are good as
new.

Are 4x4 posts fine, should I get 4x6 or 6x6 posts?

Am I missing anything?

Thanks


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Default 6 foot Redwood Fence replacement questions



The new rails for sale at HD are treated, but I'm not sure my old ones
were, and I know the pickets weren't. � �So bit about needing
stainless steel nails would it seems to me not be needed at all if the
rails were not treated. � Many of my pickets are 28 years old in
Maryland, and almost good as new, and the nails in them are good as
new.



the cost of stainless hardware, by percentage in the cost of the
entire fence project isnt much........

but cant do any harm. and hardware will last forever.

personally i prefer chainlink....... the open look suits me fine
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Default 6 foot Redwood Fence replacement questions

Tube Audio wrote:
Hello

I have a 100 foot long fence that is falling down. My neighbor and I
are going to go 50/50 to replace it.

I had a few fence companies come out to bid the job, some of them
seem not so good.

I asked about putting 6 inches of gravel in the post hole, some said
yes some said that they don't use gravel and just completely cover
the post with cement. This doesn't sound right?

Also asked about post depth. The fence will be 6 feet tall; they
said that they would use 8 foot 4x4 posts, so that means that only 2
feet of the post will be in the ground. Isn't the standard 1/3rd of
the overall length in the ground, so a 6 ft fence would have three
feet in the ground, so a 9ft post would be used? So the hole would
need to be dug 3 1/2 feet for a half of foot of gravel?

As for nails should I ask them to use HD hot dipped galvanized?

Besides pressure treated, how about grade of wood? Heart Wood? Wood
that will be immersed in the ground or the kickboard touching the
ground?
Are 4x4 posts fine, should I get 4x6 or 6x6 posts?

Am I missing anything?

Thanks


1. Consider metal posts set in concrete. They'll never rot.
2. Insist the builder use well-dried wood, else when it does dry - and
shrink - you'll have gaps up to 3/8".
3. Use stainless nails or screws.


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