Quote:
Originally Posted by wooohooo
So I'm looking at building a fence... heard it was pretty easy so I decided to try it myself.
We have an old fence that collapsed from the wind and crazy weather. Now I just want a cheapo fence right now so nothing too extravagant.
To set the fence posts to my understanding... please correct me if I'm wrong
-Make holes 4 feet deep and 12 inches wide. Pour a few shovels of gravel in, insert fence post and pour concrete to the very top. Rinse and repeat.
-Make another fence post 8 feet from either side (middle) then put posts in the middle and so forth.
Q:For the railings how do I attach these on? Do I attach these directly onto the posts?
Q: Is that the proper way of doing fence posts? How do I make sure they are all sitting at the same height?
Q: What kind of wood should I be using? Pressure treated? Cedar? I just want to use the cheapest but best wood available. Not looking for aesthetics
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A: There are little hanger boxes that screw into the post at the correct height, and then you slot in your cross-members, and screw them into the box as well. They look like something you’d see in electrical wiring. Very simple, very cheap.
A: You buy posts longer than the hole depth + desired height, and then cut them down. (ie. If you have 4 foot holes, and want a 6 foot fence, buy 12 foot posts)
A: Pressure treated. Buy the correct type of screws for working with PT lumber to avoid corrosion or discolouration issues
And you will thank yourself later if you buy 2 of those strap-on levels that are available at any hardware store - they let you check the straightness in both dimensions (fore-aft, and left to right). Get two so you can work on multiple posts at once.
12” holes consume an enormous amount of concrete, I think 8” holes are sufficient at 4 foot depth, and only used 12” holes where rocks meant I couldn’t hit a 4 foot depth.