FENCING HELP

[bearcat]

Our barnyard needs some new fencing. The old one is failing mostly because it's old but the posts are leaning outward quite a bit. In trying to figure out why, I discovered that the previous owner had not sunk the posts deep enough (we need to go about 4 feet up here in Wisconsin). Doing some diging, I discovered why. This part of our land sits on some rock shelf that is about 2-3 feet down. I need a method of setting posts that will keep them stable even in a hole that is not as deep as it should be. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

concrete?will it not work dont know enough about your soil to really coment but a barn lot needs to be there strongest part of there suroundings.

 

[dun]

In the areas that we can only get maybe a foot to 18" deep I use a hole about 2' in diameter and extend the cement 6" to a foot above the soil line.

dun

 

[dj]

Try making the bottom of the hole larger than the top. Making a bell/triangle shaped hole. If you really want to anchor it. Dig to the rock. Rent a heavy drill and 1/2 inch rock bit. Drill tap holes at least 3 inchs away from the outside of the post. Drive 1/2 inch rebar pins into tap holes in the rock add post and fill with concrete. It should be anchored to the rock then.

 

[cypressfarms]

bearcat,

you could use concrete and a strand of electric around the top. You didn't say what the fence was made from (barbed wire, wire mesh,etc), but a cow can do a lot of damage leaning on a fence.

 

[EIEIO]

If you can't get the post down deep enough to make it sturdy a bag of Quick-Crete added to the hole might do the trick.

I once watched a dairy farmer friend who had a bunch of posts he felt were loose take 4 cinder blocks and make a square around each post and then fill in the square with cement. He did that along a fence line so I don't know how well it would work in a corral area. He also may have dug down a bit as well before putting in the cement for added strength. I never went up to one of the posts when he had finished to check and see how sturdy they were but the concept anyway looked like it might have worked.

FWIW, I've always been told that by using concrete that your posts won't last as long in the ground, don't know if it's true or not but whenever I set a post even if it is with concrete I'll mound up around the post just to make sure no water sits there at the hole the post is in to hopefully keep it lasting longer by not being in contact with water for long periods of time.

J

 

[hillbilly]

Here in the Ozarks we stack old car and refrigerators...
no hole necessary.
You probably think I'm joking...

hillbilly

 

[dun]

Here in the Ozarks we stack old car and refrigerators...
no hole necessary.
You probably think I'm joking...

hillbilly

Those are the fences I alluded to in the post about cleaning up the storm debris

dun

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Here in the Ozarks we stack old car and refrigerators...
no hole necessary.
You probably think I'm joking... Unfortunately no i believe every word :cboy:

hillbilly

 

[badroute]

I would probably quikcrete them in and it also wouldn't hurt to put a few more in a little closer together. The more posts you have the less stress your fenceline puts on each post.