Ultimate Guide Of Fixing A Wooden Fence Post That Is Leaning
Any fence may experience leaning posts due to ageing or environmental causes like erosion or persistent rain. Most often, wooden garden fence posts decay below or at ground level, or the base is just insufficiently robust because no concrete was utilized. Only fence posts without post spikes or strong concrete pours around them will be supported by this technique. The method and supplies needed to repair a leaning fence vary on the type of fence. Trowel, drill, level, 24-inch board, sniper shovel, rounded shovel, hoe, sledgehammer, hose, drainage gravel, no-mix concrete mix, screws, fencing posts for stakes, and support members are the tools required for this operation. Here is an illustration of this kind of post and how we fixed our fence:
Step 1: Assess The Situation
- Finding out the precise cause of a leaning post is the first step in correcting it. Is it leaning because the base's wood has rotted? Or perhaps it's because the ground beneath has collapsed, causing the post to sway in its hole? Make sure the metal posts on your fence are not actually bent as a result of a collision if the fence includes metal posts.
- Having a firm grasp of whether your post can just be straightened or if it needs to be completely replaced is what you're after. Both rotted wood posts and bent metal posts will probably need to be replaced.
Step 2: Dig Out The Base To Enable Leveling The Post
- Remove as much of the surrounding soil as you can until you can see the post's bottom. The fence post will become more pliable as a result, making it easier to level it vertically.
Step 3: Straightening/leveling The Fence Post
- A support can be wedged against the fence post to maintain it level by screwing a tiny piece of wood about two thirds of the way up the post. Take a spirit level, preferably one that is at least one meter long, and use it as a guide to help you make the post straight.
- When you are satisfied with the post's alignment, wedge a piece of wood (preferably at least 2 inches by 2 inches and 2 meters long) against the piece of wood you fastened to the post earlier to hold the level in place.
Step 4: Fitting Steel Angles
- You need at least 0.5m of space above and below ground, as long as the placement of the current "u" clamps on the post is allowed.
- These angles are typically sold in DIY stores. Use a steel drill bit to make holes through the steel angles on either side so that screws can be fastened. Add enough screws to the post to securely fasten the steel angles.
Step 5: Pour Quick Set Postcrete (concrete)
- It's time to pour in the postcrete once you're satisfied with the post's level and the angles are fixed. Please adhere to the directions printed on the bag. The majority of manufacturers advise you to carefully pour the concrete mix into the hole after filling it up to 1/3 with water.
- To guarantee that the concrete fills all the gaps and makes the greatest possible contact with angles, mix it all together using a pry bar or other metal rod. Making the concrete slant away from the post would help rainwater readily drain away from the post, which is another smart move. This can be done using a brick trowel, but you must do it within the first five minutes of pouring the concrete because postcrete sets up rather quickly.
- You only need to wait for 30 minutes or so. To hide the concrete from view, you could always add extra grass or plant flowers near the post.