WE have to build a 6ft tall wood fence down 80ft withe a little hill in the middle. I want to use metal poles and attached the wood fence to them. We have a rather large dog and the neighbors wont leave her alone. So we need something strong and so the dog cant see through it.
Will it make a difference in the size pole for the post, 2 3/8 or 1 3/8?
Any links to helpfull hints or directions.
Thanks
Matt
If you would use a 1-3/8 pipe for the use of a post to support a 6' high wood fence the post would bend over like a flower stem on a 95 degree day.
In that , No. you should not consider using that smaller diameter rail to use for a post to support that or any other fence.
1-3/8 pipe is intended for being a top and bottom rail for chainlink fencing.
2-3/8 is much more suitable for hanging 6' high sections of stockade or most any other wood fence.
You could also use a 2 post to hang your sections on, but doing so you would not be able to purchase that material in a big box store. That size you would typically have to purchase in a fence supply store or warehouse.
At the same time it highly likely if you compare quality to price you would find out that your purchase would be better made in a fence supply store over the big box supply stores.
Shop around... feel the difference in weight for yourself. I am sure if you plan to install the fencing yourself you would be able to see for yourself the difference in thickness of one pipe sold in one store verses the other.
Sometimes you can purchase used piping from fencing supply stores. If that is doable in your area I would suggest doing so. You could save a significant amount of money.
Installing a fence with this application you must use cement for the posts. And do not be skimpy on the cement. If you use steel posts, install them correctly from day one, the posts will definitely last longer than the rest of the fence.
Good Luck.
If you need any other hints on how to, feel free to come back.
Greg~
Ok after a lot of thinking and planning, i dont see how i will be able to use the pre-made panels because of the hill and the slope.
So im going to use the 4x4 post and build the fence myself. using 6 slates, seems like it would cost a bit more, but the hill makes me nervous. I plan to cement the posts about 7-8 feet apart and build 3 rails and screw the slates onto them.
Any tips? suggestions?
Matt
If you purchased your fencing in full , pre made sections you could inquire about having the sections fabricated up with the use of only one nail per picket. With that you would be able to easily rack the section if you choose to go with the grade.
(This is not an option with a Board on Board style of fencing. Nor would it end up looking good even if you did manage to rack it.)
Doing it that way you could always go back and add on screws fairly easy and at your own convenience.
Or if you choose you can always step the fence with the grade. Step jobs look really nice if they are on a constant upward or downward grade.
By stepping the fence there are pro's and con's.
For the most part the pro is the look of being uniform, level and straight.
The major con is the bottom of the fence where it does not meet the ground on one end of the section.
But sometimes people weight it all out, and prefer the top looking better than the bottom.
Opps , almost forgot....
If you are planning to use Metal posts in place of wood posts you could not use the L bracket that attaches to the steel post.
You would be able to use Tension bands (with lag bolts) for whatever size post you buy.
If you have a true 2x3 rail on the fence I would suggest buying a 1-1/4-----1-1/2 galvanized lag bolt.
Install 3 tension bands per section. That for clarity is 6 bands per post.
Keep in mind that if the lag bolts are not galvanized they are likely to rust.
Good luck !
Would it be smarter to put the rails on our side and fill it in with the fence boards on the neighbors side? or rails on the neighbors side with the planks attached to them? I plan to sink the 4x4 wood posts 2.5 feet in the ground and have 5.5 ft to put the 6ft fence boards on. When i place the fence boards on the slop i plan to keep the straight like the flat areas.
We have a large dog 50lb so we the fence strong so she cant ram through it.
If you are in fact building the fence from scratch, you should first check with your town codes to see whether or not you need to give them a drawing of what you plan to build. They may require that .
At the same time , based on just the idea of the dog, the neighbor and which side would look better to you and them, I would say that putting the rails on your side and putting the pickets on the neighbors side sounds like the better way for your application.
Doing this you should leave the posts higher, thus creating a custom post in line verses a standard post behind.
If the post is higher than the rest of the fence or the nearest picket on each side by about 3 inches you can buy a post cap and put it on top to give the entire fence the finished look.
You could also buy custom made posts in most fence supply yard. You could also buy them in lumber yards, but your selection is cut down from about 15 different post tops to about 2 maybe 3.
Also , keep in mind if your fence is being constructed of Cedar rails and pickets it is not neccesary to use cedar posts. It sure would look better the whole fence being more uniform but it is certainly not neccesary. This is especially the case if you are planning to stain the fence with a solid color.
Again, take your time, check all measurements 2x before cutting. If in doubt always cut the board longer than you may expect. It can always be cut again, but dead wood can not grow.
And of course, work safely.
Gregs Fence ~
Thanks again for the help. I will be using 8ft posts that im sinking about 2.5 feet into the ground. So the actaul pickets will be taller then the top of the post. The 10ft posts would be an additionally $8 per post, we need 10. So we are going with the 8ft. So the pickets will stick up about 6inches taller then the post, but i found some gothic type post tops that are 7inches that should bring it about even in the top.
We live in ct so i think 2 feet in the ground might not be enough, what do you think? We plan to use a gravel base with cement for the posts.
Thanks
MAtt
but i found some gothic type post tops that are 7inches that should bring it about even in the top.
Ok , so now, this is just an assumption from that line above....
You have decided to use wood posts verses the steel?
I need to know before I can respond to your questions properly.
Greg~
I went with wood 4x4 post and it came out really well, here are a few pictures, length is about 70 feet. Cost $495. Quotes
were in the 1350-2100. Took 2 days.
Thanks for the help.
Tags: tall, wood, fence, metal, poles, wood fence, would able, about feet, cement posts, could also, fence boards, fence supply, neighbors side, post tops
