We moved from the city to a farm a couple of years ago. The wildfires in Idaho took out a lot of our fencing. I plan to replace the gate posts with railroad ties, but the perimeter fences are a mixture of cedar and steel T-posts with a few wire stays twisted in. One fence in very rocky ground was mostly cedar posts, in another area every fifth post is cedar. Is there a good reason to replace cedar with cedar? Do I really need the stays? I may not be able to drive steel into the rocky area and may have to use cedar there. Any advice would be appreciated.
Fencing, cedar or steel
- Thread starter Learner
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coachg
Well-known member
Would it be easier to dig the hole for the cedar post or drive the metal post into the rocky soil ? I dig my holes by hand so I choosing the metal posts !
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
I've been burnt out. Lost all fence, 3 barns etc. Wild fire started a good ways from me. Wood burns. That's my opinion.
As far as the stays go, if you have barbed wire and the cows don't have enough grass, they'll stick their heads through the wire. Without stays the wire will get loose. Best thing for me is six strands of quality wire stretched as tight as I can get it without breaking. T posts on tight intervals. I used OK 4 point barbed wire and it works great. Have not put a stay in that fence yet. No need.
As far as the stays go, if you have barbed wire and the cows don't have enough grass, they'll stick their heads through the wire. Without stays the wire will get loose. Best thing for me is six strands of quality wire stretched as tight as I can get it without breaking. T posts on tight intervals. I used OK 4 point barbed wire and it works great. Have not put a stay in that fence yet. No need.
John SD
Well-known member
IMO, not many things are more aggravating to me than stays in a fence 
Install good braces and put your line posts no further than a rod apart.
Typical new fences built "here" across the flat are alternating 1 wood/1 steel or 1 wood/2 steel. Sometimes up to 1 wood/4 steel on good going where the fence is not apt to lean in time.
In very uneven terrain and in places where snow will bury the fence and push posts down, go with all wood. If necessary, use cornerpost size for line posts through the worst of it.
Save the stays for the gates. :idea:
Install good braces and put your line posts no further than a rod apart. Typical new fences built "here" across the flat are alternating 1 wood/1 steel or 1 wood/2 steel. Sometimes up to 1 wood/4 steel on good going where the fence is not apt to lean in time.
In very uneven terrain and in places where snow will bury the fence and push posts down, go with all wood. If necessary, use cornerpost size for line posts through the worst of it.
Save the stays for the gates. :idea:
fenceman
Well-known member
Use steel for everything. Except the stays. Pipe braces. Tpost every 12 feet. A pipe stiffener post every 8 tpost.make sure you put all the pipe in the ground deep enough. Pull your wire near the breaking point. I don't like twist in stays. They get bent and either hold the top wire down or the bottom wire up. If you want stays (and they definitely serve a purpose) use cedar for that. Rent a driver and a rock drill if needed you will be glad you did.
Driving post fenceman: http://youtu.be/ECI7eRAT8PQPost driver.
Solid rock: http://youtu.be/HWNuTD8Qv8g
Driving post fenceman: http://youtu.be/ECI7eRAT8PQPost driver.
Solid rock: http://youtu.be/HWNuTD8Qv8g
cow pollinater
Well-known member
I've never built fence in Idaho but here in CA during our wet winters the weight of the wire will push steel posts into the ground and you wind up with short fences so putting a wood post in every few posts will keep the wire up off of the ground.
NolanCountyAG
Well-known member
All steel as fenceman suggested.
