/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.2576391]

Building a DIY fence for the first time, what's the best way for a 1st timer?

From my research I'm between concrete/gravel, anchor spikes and concrete/EZ post.

Anchor spikes look like the easiest and cheaper.

[Anonymous No.2576398]

Wood fences don't last anyway. Look into precast concrete fencing.

[Anonymous No.2576400]

>>2576391
how long are you going to be living there? those posts will rot and wear at the base, where the top of the spike is holding them. also thats gonna look bad, what are you using the fence for and why are you looking at a wood fence?

[Anonymous No.2576407]

>>2576400

The plan is to raise kids and stuff here, I figured that yeah in 10 years it will rot at the base but since it isn't embedded in concrete it will be easier to replace when I have to.
And I'm looking at wood instead of vinyl since I plan to do individual pickets for a privacy fence and I have a hill in the backyard that makes the sheets look like shit and wont keep the foxes out

[Anonymous No.2576408]

>>2576391
hand auger
decent level
post fix add water
and paint your posts in engine oil but dont tell anyone

[Anonymous No.2576411]

>>2576407
>it isn't embedded in concrete it will be easier to replace when I have to.

if you did it properly you wouldnt have to replace it in 10 years. just do it right with postmasters embedded in concrete for the posts

[Anonymous No.2576422]

>>2576398
No no no, Americans shun durable materials. Ideally you should change fences, tile and roof every time the house is flipped so maybe every 5 years.

[Anonymous No.2576435]

>>2576408
Post fix was something I was thinking about too, but idk who I feel about foam holding it in place

>>2576411
I doubt I'll have to replace it in 10 years, while the post masters aren't bad it's the same at using the spikes at the end of the day since you can argue you'll have to replace the wood around the post as you're arguing I'll have to replace the wood around the metal spike. With the added annoyance of digging up my yard and pouring concrete.

[Anonymous No.2576436]

>>2576435
foam?

[Anonymous No.2576439]

>>2576436
>>2576435
oh fucking hell no, as in the concrete and aggregate stuff

[Anonymous No.2576440]

>>2576435
if you used postmasters, pic related, you wouldnt have to worry about them rotting, since theyre steel. if the wood goes bad enough a decade or so down the line that you need to replace it (which isnt likely if you buy a good fence wood like cedar, or anything treated, etc), then its much easier to replace the wood here than if you were using wood posts with stakes, and it looks better and it's more stable

[Anonymous No.2576445]

>>2576391
concrete + H anchor

[Anonymous No.2576447]

>>2576435
and im not just saying youll have to replace the wood around the spike, i meant the post itself thats holding the fence up might need replaced, which is gonna be a pain in the ass. might as well do it right the first time and not have to worry about it.

also as someone who builds fences for a living right now, i dont trust those spikes. how long are they/how deep into the ground do they go?

[Anonymous No.2576478]

>>2576439
Ohh that I havent looked into yet, how it it particularly different from concrete

>>2576440
It seemed to be about the same to me, in terms of if it takes 20 years to start rotting I'll have to replace the wood but I'll still have a base to work with, as it's still the metal that's touching the ground with the only real difference being aesthetic

>>2576445
Basically the same with as the spikes but with a long spike instead of concrete

>>2576447
They do down 2.5 feet and in more inclined to trust them as they're made by simpsons and are similar to h anchors which I was considering until I found these. And as I said already in this post I'll still have a base to start with when I have to replace portions of the fence and that was the main thing I was looking for, as replacing the post and it not being set in concrete will be fairly easy, and I dont have to bother renting an auger with this method

[Anonymous No.2576485]

>>2576391
just spike doesnt last, id strongly advise u to use concrete. source : rebuilt a fence built like that went to shit.
For the new one we put the spike in a big plastic plant pot (buried in the dirt) filled with concrete. Looks solid for now but its only been like two years. Def is miles better than just spike in dirt tho

[Anonymous No.2576495]

Don’t mess with those spike things. They will move around more than you want I don’t care how many fasteners you put in them. If you’re using pressure treated or cedar the posts will take decades to rot. Just dig a hole, embed in concrete.

[Anonymous No.2576498]

>>2576478
how tall is the fence going to be? whatever is going into the ground should be atleast half the height of the fence above ground (6 foot fence? 3 foot deep. 9 foot post, etc), a 2.5ft spike that tapers to a point and has what looks like a 8-12 inch sleeve above ground for a 6 foot post? i dunno man i wouldnt trust that compared to a traditional metal postmaster set in concrete.

where do you live anyways? if that spike isn't deep enough to go past the frost line you're gonna have frostheave

[Anonymous No.2576569]

Concrete is fine but the footing should extend like 6 inches above ground so water doesn't seep into the gap that will inevitably form between the wood and concrete. And use pressure treated of course... There are better options, but even my 5 inch round posts I drive into the ground are rated to last like 30 years. Some of the big fat 8 inchers that are installed around the farm have been here since my grandpa installed them back in like the 40s and they are still solid. And they are just poked in the earth.

[Anonymous No.2576571]

>>2576569
>Concrete is fine but the footing should extend like 6 inches above ground so water doesn't seep into the gap that will inevitably form between the wood and concrete

do not do this, it's ugly and theres no reason for it, the water will get in there regardless. the solution is do not put wooden posts in concrete. buy steel postmasters, youll be fine i promise

[Anonymous No.2576575]

>>2576571
Logically not as much water will get in there since the gap will be above the ground level where rain water/run off accumulates. I don't have experience with post masters but the concept looks fine. Wood exposed to ground will always rot eventually

[Anonymous No.2576578]

i use the round galvanized poles, they are cheap and light. They dont require a gigantic fucking hole in the ground and if they do rot out you dump some concrete into it.

[Anonymous No.2576858]

Farming method: Use post hole digger, 3' down, put soil in a wheelbarrow, mix in 50% cement, insert pole, fill with dirt cement mix, tamp, water. Do not use concrete, it traps water between post and concrete. Cement mix is porous and allows water to pass through. Will last forever (I've done this for years), cheap, but hard physically.

[Anonymous No.2576864]

>>2576422
There's tar painted wood at the bottom of Roskilde Fjord that's survived fully submerged for over 1000 years.

[Anonymous No.2576886]

i have about 2.5-3 acres to fence in - want to keep my dogs in and coyotes/deer/bear out.
post & wire field fencing seems to be the only feasible solution but it's gonna be a pain in the ass. land is sloped and i'll definitely be dealing with rocks.

[Anonymous No.2576908]

>>2576864
>survived fully submerged for over 1000 years.
Sounds just like American construction.

[Anonymous No.2576922]

>>2576569
put this into concrete an inch above ground, fasten wood in it.

[Anonymous No.2576923]

>>2576922

[Anonymous No.2576949]

>>2576923
>>2576922
>concrete above ground
>no lateral support on metal piece

sir

[Anonymous No.2579519]

>>2576440
I'm going to use something similar to this for my fence. Does the rule of thumb of the hole size being triple the post size (so 12 in diameter for these) apply? I'll be setting them in concrete

[Anonymous No.2579522]

>>2576949
these are great

[Anonymous No.2579532]

>>2576398
Fences last for decades. Except the part that goes into the soil

[Anonymous No.2579579]

>>2579532
Or the ponits where moisture can sit without draining away creating localised rotting.

[Anonymous No.2579582]

>>2576398
Wood fence goes well with a roof on top, concrete is brutalist ugly.

Best fence is made from concrete columns and some kind of galvanized wire fence. Then plant some plants along. If you care about defense, then spine plants.

Orr if you want more expensive one, then build it from rocks glued with concrete.

[Anonymous No.2579605]

>>2576439
that is just rapidset.

[Anonymous No.2579607]

>>2576391
just get some this and glu gun them to some rebar in concrete.

[Anonymous No.2579614]

>>2576408
>paint your posts in engine oil
why

[Anonymous No.2579631]

>>2576391
you need a permit for that goy. don't forget

[Anonymous No.2579684]

>>2576408
>>2579614
*well used engine oil
It keeps some water out but most importantly it kills anything it touches so no mold or moss will eat your posts. Once again though, unused motor oil is near useless for this especially if it's synthetic

[Anonymous No.2579687]

These seem to be all over eastern Europe. How are they made?

[Anonymous No.2579956]

>>2576422
You can't even afford the land to get a loicense for a wood fence and you're talking shit about the US?
Peak clown activity

[Anonymous No.2580044]

>>2579687
They have few wires of steel in them. More or less cheap and durable in time.

[Anonymous No.2580078]

>>2579687
>not knowing about concrete posts
ngmi

[Anonymous No.2580085]

>>2576391
Here you go op
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BsfDSrMio8

[Anonymous No.2580087]

>>2576478
>Ohh that I havent looked into yet, how it it particularly different from concrete
you don't need to mix it before pouring. You fill the hole with the dry mix and spray it with the hose. great for lazy people like me, not so great cause it costs 2 or 3 times as much as normal cement bags.

[Anonymous No.2580192]

>>2580087
It literally takes 15 seconds to mix concrete in a wheelbarrow

[Anonymous No.2580211]

>>2580192
>It literally takes 15 seconds to mix concrete in a wheelbarrow

post a video you lying liar

[Anonymous No.2580237]

>>2580192
>It literally takes 15 seconds to mix concrete in a wheelbarrow
lolno

[Anonymous No.2580449]

>>2579582
>best fence is concrete columns and some kind of galvanized wire fence.
>posting from prison

gb2genpop

[Anonymous No.2580460]

>>2580192
>i have literally never worked with concrete

[Anonymous No.2580468]

>>2580192
Mixing a bag in a wheelbarrow with hand tools like a shovel takes several minutes and you definitly cant do that all day long.

[Anonymous No.2580529]

>>2576391

Depends a lot on your soil and wind conditions. If you get strong winds, even rarely, anything you anchor at the surface you'll have to seriously consider shear strength. If by any chance you live in a tornado risk, you're supplying a fresh load of ballista bolts with those spikes.

What I did and recommend is gravel and quikrete. The quikrete mix is fluid but stable enough to hold the post stable as you're plumbing it, brace as you prefer and just add water.

Do not use the expansion foam products. I tried it out on a couple posts hoping to save some wear and tear on my back and the results were unacceptable.

[Anonymous No.2580548]

>>2576398
Concrete posts, wooden panels

[Anonymous No.2580552]

>>2576391
it's a wood fence, just pound the dirt back in around the post lmao
people have been building these things for thousands of years, it's not hard

[Anonymous No.2580918]

>>2576440
I didn't know these existed. I have a small fence to do and the poles have to be pulled. A few bent in some heavy wind last year and I've been dragging my feet. They will still have to be buried but I can place them closer together for wind resistance and still not be out too much money. Easier to mount boards to as well.

[Anonymous No.2582087]

>>2579607
Grandpa was annoyed his fence post was driven over by the farmer that owns the field next to the garden.

took sqr tubing and in a large concrete foundation, then filled the inside with concrete and painted it bright pink.

[Anonymous No.2582088]

>>2580085
only a American would but a wooden post directly in the concrete.

but if the house only lasts 25years before it has to be torn down there is no point in making the fence last longer.

[Anonymous No.2582260]

What soil are you building on? Over here it's sand so a meter (3ft) of tarred hardwood in the ground will do for a fence that is 2m (6ft) high. Lasts over 25 years.
I tried steel anchors but they rotted at the point where they got above ground, my fence fell over within 3 years.

[Anonymous No.2582271]

>>2576864
no shit. Wood that stays fully submerged is exposed to almost no oxygen, so it doesn't deteriorate nearly as fast.
Rot happens where water and air meet.

[Anonymous No.2582625]

>>2580548
amazing that this isn't more common. panels just slot in you don't *need* nails or screws or anything. replace broken panels in seconds. really cool system.

[Anonymous No.2583407]

>>2579614
old farmers trick,
mix really black old engine oil with diesel 50/50 and let the posts soak a few weeks in it.

[Anonymous No.2583447]

>>2576398
>concrete fencing.
alternatively, if you don't want your yard to look like a prison look into aluminum or vinyl

[Anonymous No.2585336]

>>2576391
>Anchor spikes look like the easiest and cheapest
before you choose anchor spikes you should verify that you have 6~8 feet of soil you can drive it into; e.g. anchor spikes would never work in Austin TX because there's only 1 or 2 feet of dirt before you hit limestone

>>2576398
>wood doesn't last; use concrete
a decent wood fence lasts 20+ years; you'll have to replace it maybe twice before you die of old age assuming you never move out. Also most cities in the USA have fence ordinances that prohibit metal and concrete fences because they're ugly.

[Anonymous No.2585343]

>>2583407
lol small towns used to spray used motor oil on either side of the road to prevent weeds from growing

the places where they did it are EPA superfund sites now

one town became so polluted the EPA bought the entire town and burned down all the buildings

you should probably stop putting used motor oil in the ground, especially considering you live right next to it. Unless you enjoy dioxin toxicity

[Anonymous No.2585716]

the last fence I rebuilt, I just dug out the post holes to about 1' diameter, set the posts in there, made sure they were lined up and leveled right, then added a rock/concrete mix that I mixed up in an electric mixer. the original fence was the victim of a hurricane, the new one didn't even budge when another storm came through. the original sections that I didn't replace all fell down though

[Anonymous No.2585725]

>>2585343
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Beach,_Missouri
It's a bit more nuanced than that.

[Anonymous No.2585746]

>>2585343
Return to the earth used to be standard for used motor oil. They'd tell you in magazines, on oils cans, or on displays at the gas stations.
>Don't pour motor oil down the drain! Motor oil belongs in the dirt.
>Do you regularly maintain multiple vehicles? Use a post hole digger to make a hole beside your garage and fill it back up with gravel. You've now got a convenient place to dispose of oil without it pooling in your yard!

[Anonymous No.2585763]

>>2576398
Ugly as fuck. It's a yard, not a prison camp.

[Anonymous No.2585768]

>>2585763
Clearly you've never been in a prison camp, I'd have given a nut to have those fences.
Truly the worst part of the Briarpatch, hell I still ram slivers of bamboo under my fingernails for fun, but god damn that chainlink fence was awful.
I'd probably have stayed willingly if they had gone with cast concrete instead.

[Anonymous No.2585834]

>>2585746
>in the 1960s pouring used motor oil into the ground was standard practice
so was giving pregnant mothers thalidomide, which caused their babies to be born without arms or legs

also lobotomies were considered a cutting-edge treatment for kids with ADHD

and cigarette companies openly advertised cigarettes as being good for you

you shouldn't base your health decisions on prevailing wisdom from 60 years ago

[Anonymous No.2585836]

>>2585834
the national guard was there to protect negros from whitey

[Anonymous No.2585843]

>>2585834
Ah the good ol' days.
Used motor oil is just a free dust suppressant and weed killer for the dirt driveway.
Wife getting her noise to sandwich ratio out of whack? Make her retarded.
Cigarettes are healthy AF, doctor pats you on the back and says "Lucky Strikes, smart choice!"

Thalidomide was the late 50s, the whole scandal was over by 1961, less than 4 full years after reaching the market.
It also never reach the United States, I'm really not concerned with anything Europeans were doing prior to real plumbing.
>The 1967 House Conditions Survey found that 25 percent of homes in England and Wales still lacked a bath or shower, an indoor WC, a sink and hot and cold water taps.

[Anonymous No.2585936]

>>2585843
>Used motor oil is just a free dust suppressant and weed killer for the dirt driveway.
it's also a pregnancy suppressor. why spend money on condoms when you can just sterilize your entire family?

[Anonymous No.2585941]

>>2576398
This, concrete fence in my babushka dacha is something like 50 years old by now and still stands strong

[Anonymous No.2585952]

>>2585336
>a decent wood fence lasts 20+ years; you'll have to replace it maybe twice before you die of old age assuming you never move out

Depends where you live, I'm in PNW and treated lumber posts in concrete usually only last about 10-12 years before they rot. Galvanized fence posts in concrete are the only thing I've found that hold up worth a shit.

[Anonymous No.2585953]

>>2576571
To add to this my grandad concreted a handful of post into the ground in our garden and a few months back I had to spend a good few days with a pickaxe smashing away at it to clear it all out to put posts the dirt which work just fine on their own as long as you fill the ground nice and compact first and let it settle and then hammer them in,.

[Anonymous No.2585954]

>>2585936
Thanks to all these fabulous 1960s herbicides and fertilizers that I use, I haven't actually thought about sex even once in several years, but I'm certain my penis would work perfectly fine if I did!

[Anonymous No.2586406]

>>2585952
it's criminal that anyone is building new fences using wood posts, especially in the PNW where the wood is going to be damp all day, every day

when I say a decent fence will last ~20 years, "decent" is meant to convey that it's built with metal posts