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I am currently building a 6' dog-eared Cedar Fence using 2 3/8" metal posts (about 300 feet total) and hope to finish it Labor Day weekend (it has taken a month of working on it when I can). I ran across this post and then read about the metal posts vs. wood posts. The adjustable "wood to pipe adapter brackets" available at the Depot or Lowes work well and are easy to set-up. I am using all "Deck-Mate" (rust/stain free) screws (I think I have driven about 3 million screws already, one at a time! LOL). This is my first attempt at a fence this big and I have had to learn along the way. Something to consider when using metal chain link type posts with a wooden fence is; you should grout the hollow posts after you get them in the ground and before the wood goes up (I guess you could do it later too). The reason for the grout is... Chain-link fence poles are rolled steel, meaning they have a seam holding them together. The weak spot on the posts is the 4-6 inches just above the post/concrete point. With chain link, air can pass through with ease through the fence, with a paneled wood fence it can't. It does not take much wind to put allot of pressure on the posts. You could use a "scheduled-type" metal pipe (thicker and no seam) instead, but the cost is like triple per post.
Grouting was easy to do, I used a quick-set mortar mix (for basic brick mortar) it’s cheap ($5 for 60lb bag) and easy to use, just mix it real thin (like pancake batter) and add some sand, I mixed it in a 5 gallon bucket. Using a 4/5 cup scoop and a wide mouth funnel, I put one full scoop of P-gravel in each pole, followed by 2 scoops of the mortar mix in each pole; this filled them almost 1/2 way up. 1 bag of mortar mix and 1 bag of P-gravel did 10/12 poles. With the poles being filled, they will be stronger than any wooden post and will last a very long time. The gates for this type of fence are simple as well, adjustable chain-link gate frames can be bought at both Lowes and the Depot, the wood cross runners just bolt to the frames, and you put your cedar slats on and hang them with brackets used for chain-link gates ... too easy! This started out as my 2-cents and turned into about a buck-fifty, sorry!
DC45
curious how that works using metal poles with wood boards. Are metal poles the post? How are the boards attached to the poles?
Forgive my ignorance but I have never seen that done and I was thinking of having a wooden privacy fence put up. Could I use the chainlink fence post I already have?
Actually you can use the poles u have just get some 3/12 inch self tapping metal screws around 5/16th's thick two in a 2x4 let it hang pass a little depending on what width your fence is ( boards 6x8 or 4by's then you can cap it notching the sides and it looks grt, it makes a good neighbor fence where every other 8' the horizontal 2x4 is facing you, but when you notch each end verticallyyou hide the post it looks grt
Last edited by kalaninalo; 05-09-2008 at 12:35 PM..
Cedar posts are not recommended for direct ground contact and some municipalities might prohibit it's use in those applications. I would definitely use the treated for the posts and supports then use Cedar for the fence boards. The are differences in the treatment used in pressure treated wood and all have specific limitations. If your installer is a fence contractor and not a handyman, he should know the appropriate material to use. If not you want pressure treated lumber rated for ground contact or burial grade.
My brther in law has meatl post that were put up in 1957 and this is the coast. He is on his thrid set of board on the same post.One key is to make sure the past are incapsuoled in concrete from what I have seen in removing some of those type fences.A footing is first pore until partially hardened with two pieces of rebar sticking out. The the post and the remaining concrete.Deep to local frost line standards.
We put up a very inexpensive pressure treated privacy fence at our old house. The next summer it looked like hell. It did not fair well over winter. The fence panels became wavy etc. We were selling the house so we didn't invest. My Mother n law put up a cedar fence 15 years ago. It still looks great. My sister put up a white vinyl fence about 5 years ago and hers looks nice as well. I would go with cedar if I were to do a wood fence again. Good luck!
I am considering having a Cedar Fence installed (rails and boards using Cedar), with Pressure Treated posts in packed cement. The fence will be slightly raised 2"-3" above ground, so it will not have any contact with the ground. What type of nails/screws should be used on the Cedar boards, to avoid dark/black stains on the wood where the nails/screws are? What can I use to protect the Cedar boards so they do not turn gray?
I am considering having a Cedar Fence installed, with Pressure Treated posts. What type of nails/screws should be used on the Cedar boards, to avoid dark/black stains on the wood where the nails/screws are?
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metal poles
