How to repair front picket fence posts?

[bellhouse]

My wife and I are getting on in years and I am 81 years old. We have a cottage with a front pickett fence and there are two or maybe three posts that are badly rotted at the base and I would like to fix them. We are aged pensioners and aren't able to afford a tradesman to replace or repair these posts. The fence was erected in 2005 as part of our home building contract. The fence was poorly constructed and over the years I have spent a great deal of effort and expense to keep the fence looking nice and in a reasonably good condition. I have been searching the internet looking to find a suggestion to fix the posts that is not to difficult or expensive. Some of the ideas seemed a good way to go but this has not worked out for me due to lack of the right suitable materials being available in Australia or the physical effort being too much for me. The fence posts are 100x100 hardwood and 900mm high above the ground. One idea I saw was for Simpson's EZ 90mm mender but as the post are 100mm this item was to small to fit the posts. One guy on utube didn't think the idea of the EZ mender was a good as the part of the mender was being driven into where the current post was and the concrete could be broken which could reduce the holding power. I thought that I had an answer and purchased two Maximetals 700mm steel sleeper pegs ($24 ea), but this was a mistake as there is no way that I can hammer these into the ground as they are right up agtainst the post and there is nothing for the hammer to hit. There is a number of item advertised on Amazon but the freight cost from the USA on top of the cost of the item is really expensive. There are a few other ideas that are on utube but some of the items used don't seem to be available in Australia and are certainly not stocked by Bunnings. 

   

[TedBear]

Hi @bellhouse have you considered cutting the bottom off the rotting posts and sitting them on stirrups instead of going into the earth, which would cause the rot?

Perhaps something like these

https://www.bunnings.com.au/wesfab-100-x-75-x-450mm-half-stirrup-post-support_p1071074

If they are rotted a long way up you could put new posts (on stirrups) alongside the existing ones and bolt them together where there is still timber to bolt to. But wood posts need to get out of the dirt.

I hope that helps.

[DIYGnome]

Have you considered using a length of angle iron to transfer the force from the hammer to the L shaped end profile of the Maximetal steel sleeper pegs OR alternatively an L shaped bracket held "horizontally" on the leading edge of the sleeper peg to provide a surface to strike? 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @bellhouse. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing fence posts.

It's great to see our members have already been assisting with your project. How rotted are these posts, and how far up them does the rot extend? Can you please also check to see if there are concrete footers, and if so, how flat are their surfaces?

Although enlisting the services of a tradesperson to replace the posts can be prohibitive due to cost, it's likely going to provide the most long-lasting solution. You might like to look towards services like Airtasker or Hipages, where you can advertise the job and have a handyperson complete it instead of a tradesperson. This could help bring costs to an affordable level.

Is there anyone you could reach out to and request assistance with your project? Friends, family or the next-door neighbour? If you could get someone to assist with the manual labour side, removing the posts and digging out the concrete footers, you could oversee the job. You might like to reach out to your local council and see if there are any services they can provide or link you with. Often, programs are in place to put you in touch with tradespeople with reasonable rates for such jobs. It's all about keeping people in their homes for longer. Check out My Aged Care for more details. You'll find a section on assistance with Home and Garden maintenance.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @bellhouse  and fellow ideas people.

Nice fence you did well maintaining it all those years  ( the ground well rot you cant help stop that)

I think your original idea Bellhouse will suit you with some new add on ideas as you post are rotten at the base but the rest of the timber should be  ok for  a bunch of years to come.

All you need is a good peg behind the rotting  post to hold fence up as you already thought of for as a  solution so  A1 thinking.

I know  what it is to get older and so much harder to do  project and it is painfull to have to work at ground level too so I think the to hammer in post support is doable  for you and me too :).   I can work low  thats easy its the part getting up again is questionable bit.

First option Use your Maximetals 700mm steel sleeper pegs ($24 ea),  And yes you are right it would be hard to hammer in against the fence. So a lenght of hardwood timber, 45x 90 pine (Bunnings  timber off cut barging bin)  or length of water pipe (end on) can  be used to sit on top of the Maximetals 700mm steel sleeper pegs  and you hit the timber or water pipe on top of it that is sitting above the fence pushing the maximetals into the ground to your desired depth.  So  now your hammering at a comfortable standing height These  pegs maybe a little short to work down low ,

Second option  buy from Bunnings  longer star pegs from the gardening section (Varying lengths avalable  not  too long as  hammering will be to high up.)  get one 300mm taller approx than the fence post and place that next to the post and take your time and  slowly drive it in to the ground until it is level with the post then use a  solid block of wood to drive it deeper below post height.  This is good option as  star pegs have pre drilled holes in them you can use to put screws through them and into the fence post to hold them straight.

Tips:  Water the  ground where you are adding the pegs for 2 days  prior to soften the ground. if the  ground still hard just water  some  more around the peg if you run out of steam hammering, no  rush finish it tommorow, or as @MitchellMc suggest get  your neighbours to help.

[DIYGnome]

@Jewelleryrescue I have always coated the ends of fence posts (that will be below ground level) in old automotive sump oil, I haven't had to deal with any rot in those posts going on 12+ years, naturally not all soils are the same so results may vary.  

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @bellhouse 

Welcome to Bunnings Community Page And you have brought such an interesting question with you

The etrnal problem, how do we maintain or fix stuff when our bodies dont agree with what our minds say. Know that feeling.

I was tying toi figure a way around the issue so of course I have ended up with a few questions...

How well attached to the fence rails are those two posts? If they arnt can they be strenthened easily? Can we see a photo from the other side of the gate?

I am think of supporting the rail instead of the posts, so for the left hand post come back along the fence 1 foot, then dig a hole  350mm deep and put a stirrup like this pryda post anchor half stirrup 300mm screw it to the rail on one side and then fill the hole with concrete. Then replicate for the other side of the gate.  Now a 20kg bag of concrete is fairly weighty I know and digging a hole under an existing fence can be a pain. (the concrete can be opened and shifted out to the hole in part batches, the hole can be you sitting on the ground with a prybar and a bucket ) Not sure how energetic you are so thinking outside the square. (you can prob guess I have thought this for myslef down the track already)

A handyman/handywoman may come in handy at this point, especially if you draw up how you see it when its done. I know my mum employs one that she listens to (and thats a long story lol)

Dave

[Jewelleryrescue]

hi @DIYGnome

Thank you DIYGnome you even know or raise the issue of underground project  protection  respect to you,  There are a few  more advance methods of timber rot protection I have used but  sump oil is usefull at a pinch only if the timbers are left to soak in it for a  week or so allowing wood fiber to absorb oil. and thank you most kindly for raising this topic.  Simple old school creosot ( i think that was oil and insectacide mix) very close to sump oil was I used  and my first go to 30 years ago also requiring soaking in a drum ideally for a week on timber fence posts then lasted  twice as long as untreated posts., more modern simple technics I employ may work as well or better and quicker prep time  I like  simply painting post ends  wood or steel or  aluminium with simple acrilic paint as a water sealer, but my  gold standard i use that has never failed todate is painting posts with bitumin paint which forms a thick 1mm rubber like skin (2 coats)over the whole buried post area and 100mm up the post above ground level.  Imagine a  colorbond  fence post with a  ground life span estimated at 20 years +.  Now bitumise the exterior of that metal post.!!!  (be it  steel wood or aluminium in concrete)  you have just increased its nateral life span by at least 20 years plus materials expected life span 20 years nothing will last forever but i am sure my projects will out last me.)  I am super  very happy to recant these statements if they turn out to be untrue but all my earth post works are double protected and I dont expect failure in my life time a least another 20 years plus. I have had  to replace coppers logs ground rot in 23 year at my place unprotected simple wood rot as I relied on there built in resiliance No oil  no creosote If I added the protection it must last even longer. 

Hi  @DIYGnome  lets get back to the project at hand we need to consider and respect these people are 80 years senior and the fence has allready being built and clearly the installer used no protection of any kind I wish they listened to your  solution first hand the  timber will still be strong.   But the  protection horse  has bolted asking them to rebuild the fence is very likly beyond there physical means and possible financial means and they ask us  for there help the timber below ground  has rotted so  the remaining fence above ground is reasonably save possibly another 20 years (if termites not involved.)So simple steel pegging with star pegs  will support the smaller fence to be strong and  upright Notice I didnt mention  rust proofing star pegs as i am aiming at keeping  the solution real for @bellhouse and hammering steel posts may scrape off  any coating? 

Thank you @DIYGnome  for raising this issue is a great thing as Maybe others will read our blogs and think about additional underground protection future proofing there own projects. To recap arcilic paint is ok as a plastic moister layer followed by bitumised paint a  1 mm thick (2 coats) super  moisture layer no science data to back me up but i think you will agree as to the idea merrits of additional shielding of  underground supports must work the question remains for how much longer.