Fencing questions

[mathey]

I'm installing a horse/goat fence around the perimeter of 5 acres behind my house. My current plan (changes every other day) is to put wood posts in every 24', with a metal t-post in between. Then putting up a no-climb type wire mesh attached to the posts. Then a strip of electric tape along the top to keep the horses off the wire fence.

I just spoke to a local fencing supplier guy, who recommended 4/5" x 7' wood posts, buried 30" in the ground.

The local TSC has 4" x 8' wood posts for about a buck cheaper per post.

money is a HUGE factor, but I also don't want it to be a hazard, an eyesore, or a maintenence nightmare.

My questions are:

1. does my plan seem OK to the fencing gurus and those who have done fencing or had fencing done?

2. is there significant difference between a 4" and a 4/5" post? Or are they bascially the same? (marginal difference?) the wire won't really be under tension, and basically the posts are just there to hold it up, so perhaps the 4", less $$, TSC posts may be sufficient

3. is the 30" in the ground OK? i was originally going with an 8' post, 36" in the ground.

4. the fence guy recommended a 9" auger for the 4/5 posts, saying the 6" auger won't allow me to tamp the dirt around the post well enough. that sound right? my thought was the less dirt disturbed, the better - but then the post adjustment ability is lost.

5. if i go with the TSC posts, for another $200, i could switch to all wood posts (no t-posts). I've heard horror stories about horses and t-posts.

Thanks!

 

[cowboydoc]

I agree with TSC and then some. A 4" square post would be ok but I would go with 4/5" round posts. For your corners I would use 8" posts. I'm not sure how you put up a good fence without having the wire tight though?

As far as depth of the posts I would go at least 30". We put all of ours 36" in the ground or more. 24' with t-post in between would be fine. They make a round cap to put on the top of the t-posts. I would definitely do that to protect your horses.

I would also go with a 9" auger. 6" won't be enough room. You also have to be able to keep your posts online with your string line. That would be very difficult to do with only a 6" hole. As long as you tamp your posts in tight you will be fine.

 

[GerardC]

mathey

Not an expert... just my opinion:

I'm not sure about the distance of 24' (I'd go 16' max. myself) but the 4x4 posts should work fine. Depending on the type of fence being installed, I was told a minimum of 24" to 36" is usually sufficient. I have a six foot stockade fence, so I went almost 48" deep (high winds here). A 9" auger hole gives you more room to work and pack the post into position. Hope this helps.

 

[mathey]

thanks for the info!

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I agree with TSC and then some. A 4" square post would be ok but I would go with 4/5" round posts. )</font>

- the TSC posts are 4" round, if it makes a difference

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( For your corners I would use 8" posts. )</font>

- I was going to do a 16' radius corner and stick with the same size wood post throughout the corner (each radius consists of 4 wood posts)...good idea or no?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm not sure how you put up a good fence without having the wire tight though? )</font>

- we used the same wire mesh in the current goat pen, made with t-posts 10' apart, the wire is rigid enough to just stand there...i'm planning on using a 3PH field fence puller though to get it relatively taut...

just to clarify, you'd recommend the 4/5 x 7', 30" deep, with the t-posts method?

 

[mathey]

the total max span is 12' feet...kinda like this:

wood <--12 ft--> t-post <--12 ft--> wood

 

[cowboydoc]

I'd recommend 4/5" 8' posts 36" deep. I'd also stretch that wire tight, especially with horses. For corners it would depend on how long they are.

 

[GerardC]

Ok, got it. A diagram does wonders for the brain! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[OkeeDon]

We fenced the perimeter of 7.5 acres -- my 5, and the 2.5 of my daughter, next door. We used hog wire (4" x 4" mesh) rather than no-climb, but we don't have horses. It's primarily to keep my dogs in and the 4-wheelers out until the house is built. Hog wire is only $78 per 330' roll at TSC, so that part was cheap.

We used the 3" roound wood posts from TSC for all the intermediate posts, and made the corners from 7" round. The key is to do the corners strong enough to really crank the fence tight. If you radius the corners, I'm not sure what you're going to be pulling against.


Attached is an early picture of our driveway opening (it will be landscaped) that shows the corners. As you can see, each corner consists of 3 7" posts in an "el" configuration, joined with horizontal 3" posts. What doesn't show up in this picture is the heavy wire diagonal loop, running from the base of the corner post to the top of each outer corner post, and twisted tight (like a turnbuckle) above and below the horizontal. That locks the enitre structure together. Each horizontal is held in place with 12" long spikes, sold by TSC for the purpose, that are driven through the 7" verticals into the ends of the horizontals. TSC also sells a coil of the heavy wire for the diagonals. The wire is held in place on the posts with staples. You stick the handle of your fence pliers (also from TSC) into the loop and twist until the diagonal is stretched really tight.

Once the corners are done, strip back the horizontal wires of your wire mesh fence so you have enough to go around the 7" post and back to itself. Wrap each loose wire around itself and twist tight, like tying a twistee on the end of a garbage bag. Also put a couple of staples on each wire.

With one end of the fence securely fastened to the reinforced corners, unroll the fence, and clamp the other end to a pipe, 4x4, or a special fence puller clamp sold by TSC. Attach to your tractor and pull that baby REALLY tight. We got it so a significant portion of the fence at each end was standing upright by itself from being so tight, and the middle part was like a drumhead -- it was easy to stand up against the intermediate posts and staple. Like you said, the intermediate posts are really just to hold the fence vertical -- the real support is from the corners, which is why they have to be so strong.

When the landscaping is done, I'll trim all of the posts to be a bit higher than the fence. At the driveway, I'm going to use 3 horizontal 1x6 boards between each post for appearance.

 

[OkeeDon]

Here's a shot of a different corner. If you look really, really close, you can see the loop of wire of the diagonal at the top of the right corner post, and can barely see the diagonal from the left corner post going down to the bottom of the center post.

 

[OkeeDon]

Finally, here's a shot of the fence between the driveway and the corner pictured above. We used the wood posts spaced approximately 12' apart, and it makes a nice looking fence.