Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Fence Building, Spring Contruction...research now.

Hi guys...wow, I'm new here and I'm up to my third post in the last 30 minutes...

I'm building a fence to enclose my back yard in the spring...it will have two spans of 15' long and one span of 42' long. I am getting mixed views on what to mount my 4x4 pressure treated posts with...a hole with 'sonotube' and concrete or the post spikes. Some say the tubes and concrete, some say the spikes...some say a combination of both...needles to say, I'm confused.

By the way, I live on the east coast of Canada...so frost is an issue with anything in the ground. The fence will be constructed out of 4x4 post, 2x4 frame, 1x6x6 boards all butted together, fastened with screws. Each one of the 15' spans will have a gate in them.

Any thoughts?

Jason :cool:

Jason,

My first prejudice is to NOT stick wood in the ground, or in concrete. Use steel posts. They can't rot.

Dig the footings deep -- below the frost line.Sono tubes aren't needed -- just fill the hole with concrete.

15' wide gates need special attention. The weight of a 7-1/2' gate panel is going to bend the posts. WHY 15' wide??? (I back my trailer thru a 10' wide opening pretty much daily.)

Hi Jason,
I would not suggest mixing concrete and wood together in the ground. I had a Cedar fence put into my back yard. Cedar last about 15 to 20 years. The holes were dug 3 1/2 feet down. Post were put into the ground and pack with earth. Even with PT wood if you set them in concrete they will deteriorate faster. Concrete maintains the moisture. What I would do is to dig your hole below frost then add about an inch or two of gravel. That will help the water drain away from your post.

If I had the money I would go vinyl looks great and less maintenance

I found this video on Bob Vila site it might help you some:

http://www.bobvila.com/BVTV/HomeAgain/Video-1317-01-0.html



Iceman
http://decks.hemmingsjones.com

Lefty & Iceman
EVERY home improvement store around here told me to use concrete on my posts (Home Depot, Home Hardware, Kent Building Supplies). Steel post's? With a 'wood' fence?

It's not 15' gates...it's a 15' "span" with a 3-4' gate in each one. ;)


Jason

PS> I just realized that there is a "fence" spot on here...but didn't see it until now...should this be moved?

Jason,

You are dealing with GATE posts -- I wouldn't use a wood post for that. STEEL. I understand you aren't talking ONE 15' wide panel for the gate -- you want 2 7-1/2' wide panels so that the OPENING is 15'. What -- you want 3 or 4 panels across this opening?? OK, but WHY??? You'll have a couple of VERY permanent posts in the middle of the opening! If you aren't planning on driving through it, then just fence up to the opening and make it 3' or 6' wide. (3' is one gate, 6' is two.)

I understand where Iceman is coming from with the concrete retaining moisture, thereby rotting wood posts. And that is precisely why I'm suggesting STEEL posts for a gate post. A gate has A LOT of leverage -- you want a decent footing to support it. There are millions of 3' wide gates that have wood posts, and they have done well for years. (They die about the same time that the rest of the fence does!) But much wider than that, that the leverage of the gate will start pulling the posts over.

The gate will be about 3' wide (entrance into the back yard) with 6' of fence on either side of the gate...15' :)

So with the 'steel' post's...how does that work...dig a hole, stick it in and backfill and you're done?

Jason