Fixing A Fence Post Without Concrete 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.
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: First, Relieve Pressure From The Post
- In order to straighten your post, you’re going to need to free it from the rest of the fence structure. With a chain-link fence, this is usually as simple as removing the retaining clips and the post cap to free it from the fence panel. For a wooden fence, you’re going to need a few spare 2x4x8s to create some bracing for your fence panels first.
- Stake your braces into the ground and fasten them to the fence on both sides. You can now pry your horizontal stringers away from the concerned fence post.
- It might be simpler to remove the fence pickets from both sides of the post and use your 2x4s to build a temporary post on either side if you don't have access to the other side of the fence or if you're working in a small space.
Step 3: Excavate Around Your Post
- The challenging phase is about to start. If your post was properly installed from the start, there will probably be a sizable amount of concrete surrounding its base. Your objective is to simply excavate a circle around an ancient piece of stone, measuring about 18 inches in diameter and going down about two feet.
- The objective is to remove just enough material to enable you to raise the post back up to a perfectly vertical position and secure it. To ensure your verticality and that your fence panel will go back into place correctly, use a level to check your position.
Step 4: Backfill The Hole
- You now have a few alternatives for repairing the hole so that your work is preserved. You can backfill your hole with a 50/50 mixture of wet sand and small gravel and pack it on forcefully and tightly into place if you have very dry, rocky soil.
- After a few days, you should be able to reinstall your fence panel after leaving your post braces in place. Pour a bag of quick-setting concrete into your newly created hole and all around the post's base for a more durable option.
- After that, slowly pour a gallon of water into the hole, soaking through the dry concrete completely. You should be able to reattach your fence panel within four to six hours after it has been set, which should take between 40 to an hour.