When you are putting up a fence one of the most important things to get right is the fence posts.  If your posts are not in the ground securely than your fence will blow over, or in climates like mine, get knocked over by snow drifts in the winter.  Most people use wooden fence posts for their their garden fencing projects, but you can also use concrete and metal as well.

Setting wooden fence posts.

Getting fence posts into the ground is called setting your fence post. To do this follow these steps.

Dig your hole.  Be sure that your hole is at least three sizes the diameter of the post, so for a 6 inch post you need an 18 inch hole.  Your hole needs to be dug below the frost line or 1/3 the diameter of the post whichever is greater.  Check with your local codes to see what the frost line is.

The next step is to get your post plumb - or level straight up and down.  You will want to use a level to make sure that your post is plumb.  To get your post plumb and level you will need to use temporary bracing.  You will want to use some scrap wood that you can nail into the top of your post and secure the other end of the brace into the ground.   That way you can adjust your post until it is plumb.

Finally once your post is plumb and braced you will want to pout the concret around your fence posts and let it set.  Then you can remove the temporary braces and start putting up your fence.

About concrete fence posts.

Usually concrete fence posts and fence components are best installed by professionals.   Concrete is a very durable material, but very heavy and difficult to work with.  It needs to be installed correctly to last.

Concrete fence posts are just what they sound like -  fence posts made out of concrete.    There are three basic ways to use concrete components in your garden fencing project.  You can buy precast concrete components such as fence posts and bases.  You can cast fence posts on site, or you can add decorative concrete veneers to an existing retaining wall.

About metal fence posts.

Metal fence posts can be installed directly into the ground, but are often installed in the same manner as woodden fence posts - with a concrete base to give them extra strength.

When you are buying a metal fence post, you should take into consideration the thickness of the post.  Many times homeowners will go with a less expensive fence post because it is cheaper, but then are dissapointed when it doesn't hold up.  You should go with a thicker guage post, especially if you have dogs that may run into your fence posts.

Whatever type of yard or garden fencing you decide to install, knowing how to do it yourself can save you a ton of time and money.  Good luck and have fun!

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: concrete fence posts, fence posts, garden fencing, metal fence posts, wooden fence posts