Help with Big Fence Project--Rookie!

[mstraebel]

We are fencing in 6 acres for horses this summer. It's a big project and we're rookies, so I'm trying to ask advice from those who have done projects like this! We're in northern Michigan with mostly sandy soil. Our plan is to rent a post hole auger for our Ford 3600. Line and corner posts are 5"x5"x8' black locusy. They'll go 3' deep. Gate posts are 6"x6"x10' locust. They'll go 4' deep, I think. Boards are 5/4"x6"x8' white oak. We're going to screw those in.

Anyway, I'm not clear on how to brace the corner posts. I can't seem to find any drawings or advice on how to do this. Also, I did not order bigger 6"x6" posts for the corners, just the 5"x5". Will the 5x5"s suffice for the corners?

Also, I've read conflicting advice on whether or not to put cement in to secure the gate posts. Some folks say this will tend to gather water and rot the posts. Others say you really should cement them. Others say just tamping well will do. I've also heard adding crushed gravel or pea gravel will make a more solid bed for the posts. Any thoughts on this?

Any words of wisdom are welcome! Thank you in advance.

 

[gwjd]

for post with cement you can put in some gravel say 6 in in bottom of hole and around bottom of post then concrete mixed up right

another trick is to make the holes bell shaped so the frost can not push them out

if its a big gate i would go deeper that far north

we put our mail box post in with road base it worked great

no cement at all for line post this would be a good mix of strength / cost


also make the soil / cement mounded at the top so that water will shed away even after it settles

 

[CATMAN]

​

Here's a link to a couple of videos, put out by Redbrand Fencing Company.
I watched them about 6 months ago, and they would probably help a "newguy" like yourself.

We do some things differently, but that's for cattle, on Dad's farm.

This should help you.

How To Install Red Brand Woven Wire Horse Fence - Video

 

[saltbranch]

On our barbed wire fences we go 5' deep on the corners and "H" braces, gate posts are 4' deep, line post 3' deep,"t" posts around 2.5' deep but thats stringing a 4 and 5 wire fence. We have always tamped the posts in. Mesquite posts here last around 20-25 yrs for the most part in a sandy loam soil.
Corners and "H" braces are basically 2 post 5' deep with an 6' or 8' post horizontal between the 2 and a doubled/tripled up wire running from top of one post to bottom of other post, wire twisted up tight as you can get it.
Not sure if that helps or if its done that way on a wood plank fence.

 

[mstraebel]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm thinking I should go with bigger and longer corner posts-maybe 6"x6"x10'. But as I read more, it seems the corner post bracing issue mostly pertains to wire fences where the pressure on the corners increases as the wire is tightened. Is corner bracing less critical with wood post and board type fence?

Molly

 

[MMagis]

But as I read more, it seems the corner post bracing issue mostly pertains to wire fences where the pressure on the corners increases as the wire is tightened. Is corner bracing less critical with wood post and board type fence?

Molly

You're exactly right. With board fence it's not as big of a deal since there's no horizontal pressure on them, except for posts that you'll hang gates on. Personally, I would only brace those posts that will hold gates.

 

[lockhaven]

with a board fence the main problem is at the gates, not the posts pulling in because the boards act just like braces on a wire fence. The gates are heavy and hanging by one end they will sag. I would suggest making the gate posts much longer. Not that they need to be in deeper but so a cable can be run from the top of the post to the gate to prevent the sag.

 

[inveresk]

You don't need to brace corner posts with post and rail fencing. Also none of our gate posts are braced. We have openings up to 12'. We used proprietary metal gates in some places or fir gates I made in a few locations where we needed the gates to be prettier. We milled all our own rails. We haven't experienced any deflection or slump and the fences have been up for a year or more. We fixed the rails into acq treated posts so had to use stainless fasteners. For the most part we used ring shank nails fixed using a Paslode nail gun. As your timber is untreated, galvanized fixings should be all you need.

Our ground Isn't flat and the fences follow the contours. As I worked single handed, I marked height for the top rail using a height rod and fixed this first. I then hung on it a couple of timber jigs I made up which the middle and bottom rails could be slung from. This meant rail spacing was taken care of and I was hands free to work the Paslode.

 

[mstraebel]

Thanks, again, for all your advice. Looks like the bracing of corner posts is not a big issue with post and board fence.

Still brainstorming gate post installation. Leaning towards setting the 6"x6"x10' posts about 4.5' deep and surrounding with tamped crushed gravel vs. concrete. It seems that concrete set posts might have a tendency to heave in the winter more than gravel set posts. And maybe water would drain away from the posts set in gravel? We are pretty far north, so frost is an issue.

Any thoughts on using crushed gravel for gate posts?

M.

 

[inveresk]

My own view is that pounding is the best way to install posts. I had about half of mine pounded but augered holes for the remainder myself. The pounded posts went way quicker and was much more cost effective if I factor in even a modest wage for my own time. The horses have since loosened some of the augered posts but all of the pounded are still secure.

We're into clay. maybe your sandy soil would give different results.