|
Replacing fence post
a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has
rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. |
Replacing fence post
On Fri, 15 May 2020 12:02:30 +0100, JoeJoe wrote:
a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. Something like this in the right size: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Repa...ce-Posts---75- x-75mm/p/542505 or this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/easy-fenc...k-in-concrete- in-and-screw-down-types-inc-vat/171819825708? hash=item2801427a2c:m:mq8S4AUyoM0-qDUGKHAZtBw&var=470755741593 Not tried them though. |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 12:02, JoeJoe wrote:
a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete.Â*Â* Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. Unless you have pre-fab'd fence panels you could divide the run into three rather than two so the new posts are in a different place. If that's not possible then hire a small breaker and attack the concrete. Prevent the need for future repairs by setting a 4' concrete spur in the hole and bolting the old post to the spur. |
Replacing fence post
On Friday, 15 May 2020 12:02:33 UTC+1, JoeJoe wrote:
a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. If the post is well and truly rotten below ground, you could remove that rotten wood. Then you should have a fence-post shaped hole. OK, might not fit perfectly but a little bit of fettling might be enough. If needed use stones, sand, wedges to stabilise the post and make it vertical. |
Replacing fence post
JoeJoe wrote:
a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. That's the problem, setting in concrete does exactly that, the post gets wet around the area where it enters the concrete, stays wet, and rots. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. Ah, my standard method is to put a couple of big coach screws into the 'good' left over part of the post that's still in the ground and pull it out with the three-point hitch on my (little) tractor. You don't have a neighbour with a small tractor do you? -- Chris Green · |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 12:36, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Friday, 15 May 2020 12:02:33 UTC+1, JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. If the post is well and truly rotten below ground, you could remove that rotten wood. Then you should have a fence-post shaped hole. OK, might not fit perfectly but a little bit of fettling might be enough. If needed use stones, sand, wedges to stabilise the post and make it vertical. For 60cm? That's going to be bloody hard work. The usual fix in this case is, after snapping off the post at ground level, to bang in a metpost into the original hole. The rot will be localised relatively close to the surface, you may be surprised how hard it is to get the metpost in to full depth. If it is still not secure, excavate as much wood from the hole as you can, fill it up with postcrete or concrete, and then put the metpost back and let it set. |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 12:36, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Friday, 15 May 2020 12:02:33 UTC+1, JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. If the post is well and truly rotten below ground, you could remove that rotten wood. Then you should have a fence-post shaped hole. OK, might not fit perfectly but a little bit of fettling might be enough. If needed use stones, sand, wedges to stabilise the post and make it vertical. last time I fitted a fence post I did exactly that, had to shape the end of the post, and of course the post still rots in time. |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 12:02, JoeJoe wrote:
a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete.Â*Â* Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. time and a pickaxe and a deep spade its probably too deep for a concrete saw. Expect it to take all day, get in plenty of beer and just keep at it. -- Labour - a bunch of rich people convincing poor people to vote for rich people by telling poor people that "other" rich people are the reason they are poor. Peter Thompson |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 12:40, Chris Green wrote:
JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. That's the problem, setting in concrete does exactly that, the post gets wet around the area where it enters the concrete, stays wet, and rots. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. Ah, my standard method is to put a couple of big coach screws into the 'good' left over part of the post that's still in the ground and pull it out with the three-point hitch on my (little) tractor. You don't have a neighbour with a small tractor do you? Or a prop on one side of the hole, a beam over to attach to your pull rope/whatever, and a car jack on the other. So you can jack the beam up and pull out whatever its attached to. (or more likely pull out the fixing in the remaining bit of post!) -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 13:04, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 15/05/2020 12:02, JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete.Â*Â* Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. time and a pickaxe and a deep spade its probably too deep for a concrete saw. Expect it to take all day, get in plenty of beer and just keep at it. :-) That's the original plan - I came here in the hope of an easier route (don't think I got one unfortunately). No worries, I'll dig it out - cheaper than going to the (closed anyway) gym... There are around 30 such posts that I put in altogether. All are fine except for this one. Problem was that I put up the fence right after we had had a very large extension added to the house. Since the kids started to learn to wonder a quick solution was needed, and I didn't want to wait until the builders would level the ground properly as it would have been a few more weeks. I tried my best to work out the required heights for the posts, and succeeded in 29/30 cases, but the coccrete for this posts ended up around 5-6cm below ground level, which I suspect is the reason it rotted. Thanks all for your input! |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 12:02, JoeJoe wrote:
a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete.Â*Â* Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. They invariably rot at or near ground level - usually slightly below where it is almost continuously damp and well provided with oxygen. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. How good are you with a pick axe and sledgehammer? You will almost certainly have to smash it to bits to get it out. Use of a scaffold pole as a lever and my most brutal chisels and crow bars is my method of choice. It just takes time. It is really that or a mate with a mini-digger. -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Replacing fence post
John Rumm wrote:
On 15/05/2020 12:40, Chris Green wrote: JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. That's the problem, setting in concrete does exactly that, the post gets wet around the area where it enters the concrete, stays wet, and rots. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. Ah, my standard method is to put a couple of big coach screws into the 'good' left over part of the post that's still in the ground and pull it out with the three-point hitch on my (little) tractor. You don't have a neighbour with a small tractor do you? Or a prop on one side of the hole, a beam over to attach to your pull rope/whatever, and a car jack on the other. So you can jack the beam up and pull out whatever its attached to. (or more likely pull out the fixing in the remaining bit of post!) I'm always surprised how well it works actually, there is nearly always sound wood down in the ground. The first time I tried it I really didn't expect it to work but it just about always does (well, I've had one failure in a dozen or more). -- Chris Green · |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 15:56, Martin Brown wrote:
On 15/05/2020 12:02, JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete.Â*Â* Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. They invariably rot at or near ground level - usually slightly below where it is almost continuously damp and well provided with oxygen. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. How good are you with a pick axe and sledgehammer? You will almost certainly have to smash it to bits to get it out. Use of a scaffold pole as a lever and my most brutal chisels and crow bars is my method of choice. It just takes time. It is really that or a mate with a mini-digger. Once I finish digging around I plan to use my SDS to break it down a bit before trying to remove/ |
Replacing fence post
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote: On 15/05/2020 12:02, JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. They invariably rot at or near ground level - usually slightly below where it is almost continuously damp and well provided with oxygen. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. How good are you with a pick axe and sledgehammer? You will almost certainly have to smash it to bits to get it out. Use of a scaffold pole as a lever and my most brutal chisels and crow bars is my method of choice. It just takes time. It is really that or a mate with a mini-digger. We inherited some gateposts sunk into concrete. I was able to get all the timber out of the holes and drop new posts in. This was 30 years ago and I can't remember how I did it. The holes were 4"x4", so probably was able to get my hand in. -- from KT24 in Surrey, England "I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle |
Replacing fence post
newshound wrote:
If the post is well and truly rotten below ground, you could : remove that rotten wood. Then you should have a fence-post : shaped hole. OK, might not fit perfectly but a little bit of : fettling might be enough. If needed use stones, sand, wedges : to stabilise the post and make it vertical. For 60cm? That's going to be bloody hard work. Let me just rp this -- I have done the "chisel out" thing for one post hole - it was hard work & took a few hours. I used a sturdy metal tube I had lying around (I think an old curtain pole or similar) and hammered it as far as possible (typically ~ 5cm) into the trapped wood, then pulled the pole out, so removing a cylinder of wood; then repeated. One it was mostly clear, I chiselled the remains stuck to the inside of the concrete. This was also hard, owing to the confined space inside the concrete (if I'd had a really long chisel-like tool, this step would have been less hard). The wood wasn't rotten all the way down, only maybe 5cm at most, even though it had rotted through at ground level; making it much harder to do than it at first seemed. If I had to do another one, I'd probably do it faster - though I'd guess it'd take at least an hour, even with practise. A larger diameter tube would have helped, but you wouldn't want it to break and get stuck. #Paul |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 17:57, #Paul wrote:
newshound wrote: If the post is well and truly rotten below ground, you could : remove that rotten wood. Then you should have a fence-post : shaped hole. OK, might not fit perfectly but a little bit of : fettling might be enough. If needed use stones, sand, wedges : to stabilise the post and make it vertical. For 60cm? That's going to be bloody hard work. Let me just rp this -- I have done the "chisel out" thing for one post hole - it was hard work & took a few hours. I used a sturdy metal tube I had lying around (I think an old curtain pole or similar) and hammered it as far as possible (typically ~ 5cm) into the trapped wood, then pulled the pole out, so removing a cylinder of wood; then repeated. One it was mostly clear, I chiselled the remains stuck to the inside of the concrete. This was also hard, owing to the confined space inside the concrete (if I'd had a really long chisel-like tool, this step would have been less hard). The wood wasn't rotten all the way down, only maybe 5cm at most, even though it had rotted through at ground level; making it much harder to do than it at first seemed. If I had to do another one, I'd probably do it faster - though I'd guess it'd take at least an hour, even with practise. A larger diameter tube would have helped, but you wouldn't want it to break and get stuck. #Paul Are you saying you managed to get 60 cm down a 4 inch square hole (sorry for mixing units)? Not saying it can't be done, just that it is not easy. Given the best part of a day, with a 4 kg SDS chisel you could break up and dig up the concrete "ball". I'd say if you have nearly 60 cm of relatively solid wood then I would try to drill as far down the centre as possible with a long 1 inch auger. Then bash in a metpost, after putting "cutting edges" on the tip with an angle grinder. |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 16:56, JoeJoe wrote:
Once I finish digging around I plan to use my SDS to break it down a bit before trying to remove/ That should work. Expose by digging, crack bits off with the SDS and remove in (relatively) small pieces. |
Replacing fence post
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Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 21:36, newshound wrote:
On 15/05/2020 16:56, JoeJoe wrote: Once I finish digging around I plan to use my SDS to break it down a bit before trying to remove/ That should work. Expose by digging, crack bits off with the SDS and remove in (relatively) small pieces. Thanks, that's the plan. I may even get to use the angle grinder, which is always a bonus ;-) |
Replacing fence post
newshound wrote:
On 15/05/2020 17:57, #Paul wrote: I have done the "chisel out" thing for one post hole - it was hard [...] Are you saying you managed to get 60 cm down a 4 inch square hole (sorry for mixing units)? Sorry, I forgot the add that I don't think it was 60cm, but I think was at least 40cm. It was quite frustrating trying to clear the last bits, since the thing I was using as an improvised chisel wasn't long enough. I'd hate to have to do 60cm. #Paul |
Replacing fence post
On 15/05/2020 15:32, JoeJoe wrote:
On 15/05/2020 13:04, The Natural Philosopher wrote: On 15/05/2020 12:02, JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete.Â*Â* Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. time and a pickaxe and a deep spade its probably too deep for a concrete saw. Expect it to take all day, get in plenty of beer and just keep at it. :-) That's the original plan - I came here in the hope of an easier route (don't think I got one unfortunately).Â*Â* No worries, I'll dig it out - cheaper than going to the (closed anyway) gym... There are around 30 such posts that I put in altogether. All are fine except for this one. Problem was that I put up the fence right after we had had a very large extension added to the house.Â* Since the kids started to learn to wonder a quick solution was needed, and I didn't want to wait until the builders would level the ground properly as it would have been a few more weeks. I tried my best to work out the required heights for the posts, and succeeded in 29/30 cases, but the coccrete for this posts ended up around 5-6cm below ground level, which I suspect is the reason it rotted. Thanks all for your input! If you can extract the stub of wood from the hole, then you could shutter up the top and add some extra concrete to raise the level of the base before fitting the new post. -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
Replacing fence post
On 17/05/2020 15:42, John Rumm wrote:
If you can extract the stub of wood from the hole, then you could shutter up the top and add some extra concrete to raise the level of the base before fitting the new post. Probably just further evidence that I'm a slob but I've raised the level by cutting the bottoms out of old plastic paint containers and dropping them over posts in situ. I have some standards though as I did remove the containers after it was set - eventually. -- Robin reply-to address is (intended to be) valid |
Replacing fence post
One of our local hire firms has a hydraulic post puller. Although the link shows it pulling an intact post with chains I recall an attachment that enables posts broken near their concrete base to be pulled
https://www.frank-key.co.uk/hydraulic-post-puller The machine is capable of pulling the whole concrete lump out. I was contemplating using one but a post I need to get out is near the edge of the tarmac drive and I suspect the concrete extends under the edge, so it looks like I will have to do it the hard way. Richard |
Replacing fence post
On Friday, May 15, 2020 at 12:36:57 PM UTC+1, polygonum_on_google wrote:
On Friday, 15 May 2020 12:02:33 UTC+1, JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. If the post is well and truly rotten below ground, you could remove that rotten wood. Then you should have a fence-post shaped hole. OK, might not fit perfectly but a little bit of fettling might be enough. If needed use stones, sand, wedges to stabilise the post and make it vertical. Fence posts generally rot at surface level as the process requires oxygen ISTR |
Replacing fence post
On Friday, May 15, 2020 at 12:02:33 PM UTC+1, JoeJoe wrote:
a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. The original mistake was setting the post in concrete. Totally unnecessary. Use an. augur or post hole borer and back fill with some gravel and soil. I've installed about 300 yards of fencing like that and never had a problem |
Replacing fence post
On 19/05/2020 08:40, fred wrote:
On Friday, May 15, 2020 at 12:02:33 PM UTC+1, JoeJoe wrote: a 4 x 4 treated wood post that was in place for around 15 years has rotted and needs replacing. It is a 2.4m one - 60cm under ground, set using a couple of bags of postcrete. Unfortunately the post has rotted right at the ground level. Once I free the post from the rest of the fence I am certain that I will be able to simply snap it at the point where it meets the concrete. Is there an easy way to remove the lump of concrete so that a new post can be easily set in its place without having to dig a very large hole around it and pull it out? Any suggestions will be appreciated. PS: I do not have access to any heavy machinery. The original mistake was setting the post in concrete. Totally unnecessary. Use an. augur or post hole borer and back fill with some gravel and soil. I've installed about 300 yards of fencing like that and never had a problem I have with some poorly treated timber -- A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. |
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