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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: redelitev6 on 28 January 2016, 17:17:33

Title: Concrete fence posts
Post by: redelitev6 on 28 January 2016, 17:17:33
Our garden fence has taken a real battering of late and is starting to look very shabby , I fancy replacing it with a concrete post and gravel board system , has anyone tried this and how did it work out price wise ?
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: Jimbob on 28 January 2016, 17:24:15
It's the way to go. Keeps the wood off the ground and lasts a long long time. And quick and easy to change a panel if you need to.
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: Crazycarzowner on 28 January 2016, 17:28:58
I did ours about 6 years ago, bloody hard work at the time lifting the 8ft posts into place but once cemented in using that quick setting stuff, they won't blow away  :y and as Jimbob says keeps the wood off the ground so stops rotting prematurely and easy to slot in new panels when needed.
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: 2boxerdogs on 28 January 2016, 17:30:56
Did ours probably around 15 years ago no problems definitely the best option.
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: STEMO on 28 January 2016, 18:05:13
We did ours in Wakefield about five years back. Someone nicked two panels on the first night so I had to put metal retainers on them.  :(
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: biggriffin on 28 January 2016, 19:36:02
Had ours done 18mths ago. Well worth it...fit and forget,  ;D
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: kevinp58 on 28 January 2016, 20:12:49
Just make sure you get strong panels the vertical feather edge with wood frame are good or the cheaper ones will just bow in the wind and fly out.  :o
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: Gaffers on 28 January 2016, 20:13:36
We did ours in Wakefield about five years back. Someone nicked two panels on the first night so I had to put metal retainers on them.  :(

Surely as a scouser you just nicked someone else's  ;D
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: flyer 0712 on 28 January 2016, 20:19:55
25 years ago i replaced my brother in laws 14 fence post and panels with concrete kick boards.....three years ago we replaced the panels...2nd lot in the 22 years so not bad....the concrete posts had not moved an inch and were still in great condition...and needed no attention....the concrete kick boards had sunk and we lifted them out and reset them and only 3 showed signs of frost damage but again ok to re-use... I remember well the weight of those 8ft posts and could not lift them now..but would say it is definatly the way to go if you dont mind hard work and you sink them in deep enough with plenty of cement around them ...they also will last for years  :y :y
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: redelitev6 on 28 January 2016, 20:49:26
 ::) Looks like I've got a job coming up soon then !
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: STEMO on 28 January 2016, 21:12:33
We did ours in Wakefield about five years back. Someone nicked two panels on the first night so I had to put metal retainers on them.  :(

Surely as a scouser you just nicked someone else's  ;D
I'd have needed help to get them up and over but the wife wasn't up for it.  :(
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: pscocoa on 28 January 2016, 21:16:11
25 years ago i replaced my brother in laws 14 fence post and panels with concrete kick boards.....three years ago we replaced the panels...2nd lot in the 22 years so not bad....the concrete posts had not moved an inch and were still in great condition...and needed no attention....the concrete kick boards had sunk and we lifted them out and reset them and only 3 showed signs of frost damage but again ok to re-use... I remember well the weight of those 8ft posts and could not lift them now..but would say it is definatly the way to go if you dont mind hard work and you sink them in deep enough with plenty of cement around them ...they also will last for years  :y :y

Same here. Erected in 1999 just starting to replace panels now. Gravel boards haven't moved.
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: Kevin Wood on 29 January 2016, 00:04:06
Got ours replaced last year. Concrete posts and gravel boards. It came to about £80-90 A panel fitted if memory serves.
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: Jimbob on 29 January 2016, 05:36:19
Got ours replaced last year. Concrete posts and gravel boards. It came to about £80-90 A panel fitted if memory serves.

Think ours was about £60 a 'bay'.  Not worth doing it yourself at that price, by the time youve bought everything!
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: Phil on 29 January 2016, 06:42:59
8ft concrete posts are around £15-20 each, 6ft long 300mm gravel boards are around £10-15, 5ft*6ft fence panels go from around £10 for a cheapy to £25 for an expensive one, bags of cement £2.50 each, bags of all in one ballast £2.00 each - premixed post concrete around £4 a bag.

Remember you need to bury the post at least 600mm (2ft) in the ground so you need to match panel and gravel board size to post lengths - i.e. 5ft panel + 300m gravel board + 600mm in ground = 8ft post

In the better quality posts the panel groove stops about 450mm short at the bottom end, meaning where the most stress is its solid. They are also generally a smother face so higher resistance to frost attack

As for building it, line and level your first post concrete it in with a very dry mix (moisture in the ground this time of year will be enough for the mix), drop in the gravel board and set your next post with it on place then you know it fits and don't look a dick when you cant get the panels and boards in later because its moved  :D

Tip tip:- If you are replacing an old fence, make the first panel of your new fence 3ft wide (or a different width to the old fence) instead of the same width then, when you dig the holes for your new posts its not on top of the old ones and you don't have to dig all the old concrete out
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: biggriffin on 29 January 2016, 07:14:21
As others have said, got ours done by a local company. Neighbours paid half,
The fence company cleared old fence, fitted new, all we did was paid, not worth getting dirty for once you've priced up all materials, and time, Fencing company did it in 1 day. Sooo much easier  :y
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: Lagondanet on 29 January 2016, 07:27:01
As others have said, got ours done by a local company. Neighbours paid half,
The fence company cleared old fence, fitted new, all we did was paid, not worth getting dirty for once you've priced up all materials, and time, Fencing company did it in 1 day. Sooo much easier  :y

About to do the same.  :y
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: Kevin Wood on 29 January 2016, 09:17:07
Got ours replaced last year. Concrete posts and gravel boards. It came to about £80-90 A panel fitted if memory serves.

Think ours was about £60 a 'bay'.  Not worth doing it yourself at that price, by the time youve bought everything!

That'll be the "southern ripoff tax", then. ;)

Yes, that was my view. Would have taken me weeks of evenings and weekends to do what 4 lads did in about 5 or 6 hours, and I'd never have got it looking as smart.

My only regret is not getting them to leave all the old fence posts, as the couple I did end up with burn a treat in the log stove!
Title: Re: Concrete fence posts
Post by: redelitev6 on 29 January 2016, 17:12:56
 :y Thanks for all the replies gents , I'm off work for 6 days soon , so it looks like a leisurely bit of fencing work !