How to Fix a Broken Fence Post in Under 30 Minutes
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- Опубліковано 28 лис 2024
- Have a leaning fence or a broken fence post? In this video, you'll learn how to repair a broken wood fence post WITHOUT having to dig up any concrete or having to replace the existing fence post.
I'll show you how to use an EZ-Mender metal fence repair bracket to easily fix the fence in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
This repair would typically be done on a backyard wooden privacy fence, usually constructed from Redwood or Cedar.
This is a common repair, because the wood fence posts tend to rot at the base of the fence where they sit in the concrete footing. Once the fence post is rotted, it will blow over easily in the wind.
Ideally you'll notice your fence post is broken before the fence blows over, and you can tell if it's broken if it is wobbling.
This repair can be completed by any DIYer with common hand tools including:
Sledge hammer
3lb sledge hammer
Framers hammer
Cordless Drill/Screw Gun
Wood Saw
First, you want to remove the fence boards around the post. Then, detach the rails of the fence from the post. Next, hammer the EZ mender directly into the concrete footing and attach the post with screws. Re-assemble the fence and you're all set!
Thanks for the video! Knocked a few of these in the other day--if anything it was easier and quicker than your video made it out to be. But this thing is solid now, not going anywhere. I'm happy to get a number of extra years out of the fence as it is before I opt to do more invasive fence repairs/post replacements or transition to metal posts or something like, but will cross that bridge when I get there. For me in my situation it fit the bill.
I is uui
My neighbours are non-existent right now so it's a great time to do it.
And I took a lot of big branches off that stupid apple tree.
🤣
You can put new posts between the existing ones even on any side of fence
a😅
Good luck doing it in Florida
Had my doubts that it would be sufficient, but after 40+ years doing construction and handyman work, I learned something. Great job!!
same .. I could see that not being a great fix but hey, if it works, it works
Great video! You understand ROI. I watched this last week. I did three fence jobs yesterday on rentals and I tried this with the $8 Menards version on one of them. It worked great and was a lot faster than replacing the post.
I do a lot of work for a property manager with over 400 houses and he would always choose this type of repair on his low cost rentals but never on his high end houses or his own. The renters are happy the fence is fixed so it won’t fall and the dogs don’t get out. When they ask what is the best way I do all cedar with metal hangers and all screws, no nails anywhere. Not everyone wants to pay the $6200 I just got paid by a lady who wanted a beautiful fence made to last.
Customer is always right! Keep making videos and ignore the hater.
This video was very helpful. Part of our fence came down with 2 posts on Saturday January 11th. This was due to high winds and a winter storm in the Chicago area. I used your method to repair one of the posts Saturday. It took longer due to my inexperience and lack of skill, not to mention the darkness, wind and snow. It ended up being a very solid repair. I was impressed how well this worked. Your instructions were great. I deviated slightly in that I secured the 2 supports to the post with a long carriage bolt going through the post and both supports. I used a chisel to make sure I had some space between the concrete (which was at ground level) and the post. Essentially, it seems the support wedges into the wood rather than breaking through the concrete. Thank you very much!
Good idea using a chisel! I'm not skilled enough with a circular saw to pull off that stunt, so... thank you!
@@ltpdogtrainingNJ Actually, he used the chisel to create some space in the concrete footer next to the post so that the EZ Mender could be hammered in. He wasn't using the chisel to shorten the horizontal fence rail to make allowance for the EZ Mender (the circular saw part of the video).
I just bought these for my leaning fence! Now I know exactly how to do the job right. Thanks for posting
no pun intended...
Love these things. I fixed 5 posts with these a few years ago and they're holding up great and saved me a ton of work. Yeah it's a quick and cheap fix, but it works
What store did you buy it at?
@@Dave-um1hl I got mine at Home Depot
We don't have this slim type of fence mender in the UK. I like it! I would give my clients an option to fasten it to a wood post during installation of a new fence to 'future proof' the inevitable underground rot. Fit it as you have in line with the fence to balance the strain. For an extra $10 per post, a sensible choice.
Straightforward explanation and method for a positive fix that will now prevent me digging 'big' holes and poring in new concrete. Many thanks.
Many thanks for the video. I’m bracing a 4x6 post that you only want to install in a lifetime due to its location (and now surrounded by pavers). Using the head of another hammer on top of the bracket was a great help. I was not making much progress after 5 min until I started hammering the top of the bracket. Many thanks for the tips!
Good fences make good neighbours
If you have trouble areas in your yard where water collects in the spring, I would even consider installing these on a brand new fence, to pre-emptively take care of the rot that will inevitably form at the ground line
Huh? they aren't going to keep water out on a new post. no way.
Or you could use metal posts. Like a quality fence builder.
Get rid of the 4x4 and put a schedule 20 galvanized 2 3/8 post.
Build the concrete up so water does not sit at the base of the post. Lesson learned
Thanks to the YT algorithm for presenting your video. Have several posts that broke during hurricane Beryl a few months ago. I had been putting off repairing because I thought I was going to have to dig up the concrete. Your solution was PERFECT! Thanks again!
Awesome!
Excellent job son and the tip about positioning the repair plate along the side of the post is something I would not have thought of 👍🏻
That is exactly what's going on with my fence; high winds damage over time. Thank you for the advice.
Water rot more than wind if it’s like my fence
@@hickorydragon8114 Water rots the post, wind blows it over...
This is friggin awesome! I thought i was going to have to replace my whole fence.. (hire someone to ) Thanks bro!
Thanks alot this was very informative and helpful, I do fence repairs and this cam save lots of time and stabilize a wobbly fence easily great tutorial, only thing I would change is using a bigger sledge hammer , I would probably find a more flattened peice of steel but all you showed was great work!!
I just watched your video this morning and within 60 minutes we had repaired two posts. Thank for the tips...
I just watched this video and within an hour and a half I had given up on this method and had repaired zero posts.
Thank you!! I am so happy to find this after digging for ten minutes(going no where), and believed there should be an easier way to fix the broken fence post in our yard!
Thank you so much boss! I have not been able to find a video on how to actually remove the old post from all the panels. Lol love you brother
I just finished 7 of these "fence buddys." They are good if the only problem is the post.
Just did it. Thank you so much! The tip about using two hammers made it a lot easier.
Glad it helped!
Thank you for making this how to Video!! Extremely helpful…Just bought 2 of these at Home Depot and they were about $18 each so the price appears to have gone up. Seems like if they put these in on day 1, even if it they weren’t on every post, fences wouldn’t sag as much as they do
Nice! And yes, inflation is a bummer.
These things in the uk are £150 each, it's cheaper just to replace the whole post.
Used to do the same thing years ago but on decayed electric poles.
Thank you very much just did it yesterday for 2 posts and very happy with the result, thanks for your easy explanation, even for none native English speakers :)
If you place the crowbar in the space where you were originally hammering and then hit the bar with the sledge, it will go down nicely without marring the top at all. That's how I did it.
Nice tip.
Just did mine and worked like a charm. Great video, man!
Thanks! Fixed 2 posts at the end of the fence and it worked great.
Didn't know of this until found this vid. Thanks. I am 60, I could not pound it all the way down... but it did the job! It is nice and secure and my body hurts! Thanks!
This is the way I did mine. Dig out the existing concrete post footing (it's weak concrete mix, commonly used by fence contractors) A heavy bar or small chipping hammer will easily breakup the existing post footing. Cut off the decayed fence post at least 2" above the surrounding ground level. Remove all concrete pieces and other debris and make a clean 12" dia x 24" hole, Put two earthquake straps 2 ½" x 36" long (sink coated) Use galv strap nails on every hole of the strap, 18" up and below the cutoff end of the existing post. Brace the post to plumb. Check the hole in the ground is centered below the post, pour regular premixed concrete and should be at 12" in diameter and 24" deep or at least 4" beyond the end of the anchor strap. Finish the top of the post to a smooth finish at least 1" above the surrounding ground, wait 3 days for concrete to set before testing it for stability and firmness. And you're done!
Sounds like $500 to repair one fence post. Would you pay someone to do that much work to repair one post???
Thank you. Your video was super helpful. I just used three of these to fix a long stretch of fence. It’s stronger than when it was new.
Best tip is to use two sledge hammers, one as a hitting platform and the other to hammer.
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I used a pair of these on a gate post. There was a lot of resistance the second half of the way in and much distortion of the metal, but they worked well and secured a heavy gate.
One comment: hitting a sledge hammer head with another hammer could end badly if they both are hardened steel - one can drive off a chip that will fly like a bullet, striking ones face (or worse, privates) of course. Would ruin a good hammer, too.
This video looks great! And you answered my question as I was thinking it! (whether or not I could just attach it onto the outside of the fence post, or if it is best to go perpendicular to it - makes sense that it is best the way you said)
I watched this five years after you posted it - and ordered one of these just now from home depot for only $15 - wow!
Yeah these things are amazing.
Thanks man it worked for me , even tho it broke the concrete around the post. Real sturdy.
Thanks for the video! Worked perfect. The post I fixed if probably the most stable in my yard now.
Nice work!
That is why I used metal posts ($26 each) for my back yard. so, I do not have to worry about the damaged posts in the future.
This is the best answer by far!
Metal post rust off at the ground too. May take longer if they are galvanized.
Wow fantastic ! Thank you for sharing I have to fix my fence myself because my husband passed away two years ago . This isa cheap fix love it I hope that I can do this I’m going to Lowe’s or Home Depot to see if they have these . Thank you again great fix and video
No doubt this would be a less expensive and much less labor cost than digging up a post with concrete at the bottom and replacing the whole post. Great tip! Thanks
Did you see how long he hammered on it?
Not at $18 for two it isn't. And NOTHING will stop the post from rotting. Now it will just rot in another place. There's no free lunch here.
This man is on point . Absolutely right ! Miss this guy KS
Thank you for this video! I just used it to repair one of our fence posts!!!!
The placement of the mender can go any way. There’s more than one right way. Great video!
I as wondering why he removed the fencing and 2x4 cross support vs installing the metal channel on the open side of the 4x4 post (not removing fence boards, cutting cross support, etc., etc.) ? Curious ... ?
@@GravityRoller If you think about it fences tend to fall outward or inward. If you were to try and "bend" the fence mender it would be far more difficult to bend it against 4 inches of steel than at 90 degrees with far less steel. The open side would "help" but not near as strong as the way he did it.
@@jerrybenson Yes, I would agree with your thoughts on this. Appreciate your taking the time to reply.
I was thinking a couple lag bolts or carriage bolts (instead of nails) along with all the labor saved not removing and cutting existing wood to fit in-line would make more sense.
This means I have to go into my neighbors’ yard...which means I have to talk to them 😬
People! (Neighbors) :(
I would pay someone to do it so that I don't have to speak to anyone
Just text them
I can't comprehend this mindset. I'm pushing 70 and from the time I was a kid always knew my neighbors and could count on them when I needed anything and vice versa. I get that you don't want someone knowing all your business or becoming a part of the family. To worry over interacting on a fence that may very well be a shared fence that they may kick in on is pathetic.
@@JohnJohn-wr1jo . Johnnie, Johnnie...Sorry to disagree with you but you are 180 degrees off course in your thinking. You may have THOUGHT that your neighbors were, in fact, “neighbors” but $100.00 says that they cussed you behind your back.
Best fence repair video.
Ive been building fence professionally for almost 18 years. This E-Z Mender looks like it takes more time and effort then digging out the old post and replacing it with a new one. Btw, never hit a hammer with another hammer. They are both hardened surfaces and can shatter
Agreed, I cringed when I saw that! You absolutely do NOT want to that without eye protection... but even WITH eye protection, it's still a bad idea. You could still catch some flying steel elsewhere on your body. Shake hands with danger!!!
Agreed. Far more trouble than it's worth. The cost of a new post and small bag of concrete would be negligible.
I'm not a skilled DYI guy but I repaired a fence but doing just that....I dug another hole about 2 ft over, added quickcrete, and nailed the boards to the new post. In hindsight, probably should have used screws. So far so good
That's because you are wrong. I've replaced dozens of posts and do not lack experience.
If you can remove the old post, set a new post in concrete, and then rebuild the fence around it in less than 30 minutes by yourself then PLEASE share your methods with me. Until then, all of you armchair quarterbacks should find something better to do than discount methods that make your services irrelevant.
Thank you 🤗 just add decay often occurs at the wind and water line so add protection on first fix .
Very helpful!
Looks like a lot less work than replacing the whole post.
Awesome needful detailed information. Grateful!
Great job only hammer on hammer could get ugly quickly when the shrapnel sparks up.
Works great as long as your posts are 3-1/2" x 3-1/2". Where I live many fence posts are 4-1/8" x 4-1/8".
Hey dan, teach people to use metal posts , then you will never have a problem. The metal post on my fence are almost 60 years old. 👍
@tgmforum tgmforum -- It's possible to hide the metal posts by making a box that fits over them so that they look like a regular post. Some HOAs (Nazis) have rules against metal posts though, even if they can't be seen.
@@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire ah.. fuck HOAs. I can't believe they are even permitted to exist.
Your metal posts have never seen hurricane force wind. 4x4s will handle it. Metal posts bend right over.
@@dontblameme6328 Ok how bout this: If hurricane winds do not apply to you (aka the majority of the world), then this is a good idea. But yes, otherwise, smart to take into consideration.
Fast and easy.. I’ve really enjoyed the Handyman Startup podcast, wish there were more episodes.
Hey Dustin! Glad to hear you like it. No episodes planned right now, but you never know for the future. Right now I'm enjoying putting together DIY videos, though.
I think I can do this now thanks for the video, I moved into a home that has an aging wooden fence line and the fence is now leaning what if your post is not cemented into the ground I still use this technique?
That fence would be easier to straighten up! The dirt rotted the post.
Great video, just for everyone else wood is going to rot don’t matter what kind it is, 3 5/8 metal track can be used to fix all kinds of framing problems. I have 32 years of experience! Most people only have blisters on their asses!
I will try this on some of my fence posts THANK YOU! I hope to let other know if this will work. Worth trying.
Interesting reading all the post from naysayers and the like saying why not just put in new post/concrete.
WELL maybe you're like me.... Moved into a new house that has a 2.5 foot concrete footing wall ALL the way around yard with posts sunk into it. And it's not as easy to 'just rip out old concrete post' - If that were possible I'd be doing that.
Glad to see you are one of the rational people watching this video.
Yeah I have done it. And I am a 125 pound female…Trust me it totally sucks. It took me days to chip all that old concrete out and it made such a mess as it rained during my excavation.
Fence buddies? Never seen one here in the uk but Google says they are sold here. Looks like a smart idea.
A lot of these people commenting just don't get it, there are a lot of rental propertys out there that want to fix things the cheapest way possible , and it's not as easy as you people are making it sound, like just dig out a post, there's a couple of feet of concrete around that post so a lot of these property managers that I work for would gladly use this method if the fence is standing and it's sturdy
agree - I will do the same thing again - thanks for the video
Seriously. And some fences have more than one rotten post. So this is a nice solution for when one is saving to replace the entire fence one day. I'm trying this.
Only an IDIOT puts a "couple feet" of concrete around a post. Standard fence posts SHOULD NOT EVEN HAVE CONCRETE: it's COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY.
I live in Saint Petersburg, FL - a DOUBLE WHAMMY of hurricanes AND sandy soil. The standard here, TO CODE, is no concrete required. My 6' Fence has stood 20 years with standard 8' posts set 30", no concrete other than on a gate post.
Yea, I used these (same brand) in March. Now, in August, the posts are floppy and loose again, so now it's a full post replacement. Works well for a temporary "fix." Also, they're more than $10 each.
I typically replace about 1 broken 4x4 post a year in my old fence. The old concrete is brittle. I think there is a good chance it would crack and split if I tried using one of these fence-menders. Plus, the posts I end up replacing are pretty far gone (very soft).
Ironically the easy mender looks anything but easy to hammer in.
@assassinlexx The water needs somewhere to drain to; digging a hole and filling it with gravel just creates a bathtub unless you have granular surrounding soils.
Well done Young Man. Wish you worked in England!!
Here's a tip for driving heavy stakes: Wet the ground first, and let it set for a few minutes.
If you do this often, then you might build an installer. Measure the distance between the pushed out part where you hammer and the top of the EZ Mender. Bend a piece of steel ( 18 ga 4 inches x by the measured distance plus 4 inches and bend the ends at right angle so 2 inches stick out at each end. Then cut a piece of southern yellow pine 2 x 4 so it fits into the steel piece. Using the EZ Mender as a guide, drill a 3/8" hole in the new piece to align with a corresponding existing hole in the EZ Mender. Carefully cut a 3/4" dado in the 2x4 just above the hole. Drill a 1/4" hole in the 2x4 to match. Bolt the EZ Mender to the 2x4 with a 2" machine screw and draw tight. Put the combo in place just as you normally do and hammer on the top of the 2x4 until the EZ Member is installed. With a Sawzall or equivalent, cut the head off the bolt, remove the reinforced 2x4 and finish the installation. This would give a big ledge to pound on with the sledge hammer and make it easier to install. Hope the explanation is clear enough.
you shouldn't use a big hammer to cushion a small hammer, because much of the hammering force will be lost due to overcoming inertia at strike moment. switch the hammers around and the same force disbursement will be happening, but the momentum/inertia balance will be greatly in your favor. thanks for showing these things...wonder if home depot has them?
One problem with that idea is that you can't swing a large sledge with only one hand. I tried tonight with a 16 lb sledge I bought several years ago for just this purpose and...no way I could swing that even once with a single hand. however I was able to swing the little two pound sledge.
Dang, wished I would'a seen your video before replace'n my whole fence. Thanks fer the tip for the future repairs!!
Oh that’s a bummer.
I made these outa 3mm plate but exactly the same width as post about 30 Yr ago, they are still there today.
Where did you buy 3mm plate 30 years ago?????
@@thequietkiwi it wa 30 yr ago not 300 why do you ask?
@@6lr6ak6 I thought it mighta been 300 or USA, which is the same :P
You should link to the easy mender so you get a cut when people click link!!! I’ve never heard of this and will be buying one asap. Wish it supported you!
i can feel the shocks from hitting the easy mender on my arms...
Thank you so much, doing what you did is a lot better than changing out the post!
That's a mickey moused 1/2 assed solution.. Just replace the post and pour in a new bag of concrete. Do it the right way, don't just put a bandaid on the problem.
If speed is the issue I believe there sell some type of foam agent instead of concrete mix that dries very solid. I saw someone use it on a video on here once.
You'll never really know that until you try it. It works surprisingly well.
mixwell1983 how is this Mickey Mouse half ass? It’s no different than having metal brackets for raises decking or using concrete block floating deck. So sending down a steel piece 2ft down with it bolted down and in the ground is half assed Mickey Mouse :-/? Huh?
@@REVerbtalk whats up with all of that looney tunes? Hahaha..
Just came to the comments forthe trolls👆
Great video, thank you Dan! from England
Just dig the post up and do it right You could just bang a concrete form stake the same way
Dang i need to fix a post to but got no ear plugs
I just replaced about half a doxen 4x4 posts set in concrete. I bought some of these menders, but was afraid they would break up the concrete. I wound up digging the rotted wood out of the old concrete. It wasn't real easy, and some of them I only got about a foot down, but it was doable. A lot cheaper than the $20K I was quoted for a new vinyl fence. All the new posts seemed to have a larger and smaller end, and all were not symetrical. Find the smaller end, then keep turning it until it fits best. Most needed to be hammered in.
NEVER hit a hammer with another hammer. The steel sleeve will most likely be stopped by the concrete in the ground. I have never seen this type of repair done.
I wish you were my neighbor. I appreciated this video. Thanks!
Just a word of caution. You should never hit a hammer on hammer. Shards can fracture off of either of the hammers and cause serious damage to your body.
That myth has been shattered. Look it up.
I had a wheel-bearing race chip and wentdeep in my arm where it still resides. The doctor took Xray and said won't do any harm where it sits. Must be like 30 years ago it happened and the Doc was right.
It's fine
Sledgehammers are MADE to smack metal and other sledgehammers.
@@remodz6385 As of last week I now know of 2 friends that used ball pean hammer on ball pean hammer to remove a bearing race and both had a small shard break of the hammer. One was hit in the neck with a good cut, no stitches. The other just a month ago hit him in the leg. They found it in an x-ray and attempted to remove it 2 weeks later but they could not locate it so it will stay in his leg. I know they did the hammer test on Myth Busters and I found it very interesting but it can happen. In the first case I didn't see the hammer. In the second case I did and there was a piece missing.
thank you for the video . where did you buy that fence post support ?
If the concrete extended above ground, the post would not be soaked in water and not rot!
Now you tell me!
@Dave Micolichek What if you put the messy side on your neighbour? Doesn't matter then!
go ahead and do that in a frost zone...
@Dave Micolichek you have a crappy city code there buddy. Mine only says the nice side has to face the street.
HUH? methinks you don't understand ROT.
Rot occurs due most often due to WET / DRY cycling of wood, which places the wood frequently in the 30-60% moisture range where ROT THRIVES.
Always DRY: no rot. Always WET: no rot.
Alternate between wet and dry: *ROT*
"WHERE" the top of the post is doesn't change this: EVERY RAIN, SHOWER or SPRINKLE with an irrigation system, WILL wet the bottom of the post where FIRST EXPOSED, and it will soak in either down below the top of the SOIL, or the top of the CONCRETE just the same. *THAT* will be where it rots.
That's why, whether you use concrete or not, the TOP and BOTTOM of a wood fence will ALWAYS be the first places to rot: The TOP gets it because even a LIGHT SPRINKLE moistens THAT wood enough to encourage the SPORES, and the SAME THING is happening more often at the bottom.
The ONLY way to change this is via CHEMICALS.
Excellent Dan!!!
I love how the people that didn’t make the video nor have a UA-cam channel are ALWAYS the experts and “could’ve done it better”. But where’s their videos? Oh that’s right, they only comment on other people’s videos instead of making their own. It’s pathetic how much human beings have to criticize others to prop themselves up.
I find it funny how you are criticizing others for criticizing others.
Yea so you must feel good too criticizing people who comment on how this is a bad idea and doing it the right way is better. Your arm must hurt patting yourself on the back. Get real his is just selling a service. Or maybe you did not watch the entire video. Shame on you lil hypocrite.
@@stephenshelton4267 I find it interesting that you are criticizing other for criticizing other for criticizing others and I'm sure someone else will find it funny that I'm criticizing others for criticizing others for criticizing others for criticizing others.
Lol
@@jquiznos2283 Not funny. Just gay.
The ability to make videos is not the same as the ability to build and repair fences.
Great video, I'll have to see if that will work with my wood fence.
Good luck!
This is a perfect solution if you're not ready to pony up for a new fence or doing the job from scratch. If the nugget holds you're good to go for years. Replace it the next time around. If the nugget breaks in the process then replace the post. As a matter of fact why even pay an "expert" at this point? You can do this yourself. Ignore all the butt-hurt "experts" who seem to be taking this personally for some reason. It's just a freaking fence folks.
Put crowbar into pounding hole in mender. Then pound on crowbar. No need to pound on upper leap. Just wrap crowbar with some cloth to easy vibration on hands.
What's the use......my wife is just going to back into it with the Subaru anyway.
Just get her a Yugo.
If she has a Subaru, she probably has a girlfriend.
Wow, she must be a looker.... ;)
What she doing driving she should be in the kitchen 😁😁😁
😆😆😆
Excellent video.
Thank you very much!
Wow he made hard work of that and not a great repair, also it’s very dangerous to hit a hammer with another hammer, both are hardened surfaces and can shatter and the shards fly like bullets.
Wow, they have really gone up in price in five years,WHAT A SURPRISE. But they still work !
Heck yeah!
Shouldn’t hit a hammer with a hammer. Tempered steel shatters! I’ve heard of a guy having it explode and actually need to have shrapnel removed surgically.
Happened to me many years ago. Chip came off my "new" hammer (at that time it was new), penetrated my chin. Still there to this day!
Jason Starr Guy at work did the same. Had to have a metal shard surgically removed from his cheekbone.
NICE JOB FELLA, i WILL USE YOUR EXPERTISE ON MY WOBBLY FENCE!!! TY :)
Great!
Never ever ever hit hammers against one another
I made that mistake once as a kid. A shard went through my shirt and into my skin. Glad it didn't explode.... The things you learn.....
Not a good idea hitting hammers. Had a co-worker do this, a shard went into his arm and hit a vein. Squirt,squirt and a fast trip to the emergency room.
Andrew Allison I used to hit hammers for so many years removing pieces of 2x4 wood, top and bottom metal track... thanks to let me know .
Do you have to do it on the rail side? Can you do it on the front or back facing side of the post instead?
if the concrete had been poured a little higher 2 to 3 inches out of the ground, the post wouldn't have rotted in the first place. ( wood only rots if it STAYS wet )
WRONG. DEAD WRONG.
Wood *ONLY* rots due to a certain PERECENTAGE OF MOISTURE, most often around 30-60%.
Always DRY: NO ROT Always WET: NO ROT (don't believe it: go to Venice and see St. Marks Cathedral standing 1200 years on wooden pilings driven below the water.)
Wood fences ALWAYS rot at the top and bottom first: it's where the MOST FREQUENT WETTING and DRYING OCCURS.
@@brianmi40 that is correct, a submerged log does not rot. I repaired fences for a living for twenty years, the part of the post that rots is the part that is in contact with the ground (where the moisture is) if there is no contact between wood and dirt (pour the concrete above ground level and sloped away from the post), the life expectancy of that post goes from 8-10 years to 20-30 years I have installed fences this way in the 1980s that are still standing.
@@ArgondtheGrey I've gotten 20 years so far in Florida, simply set in the ground with 70% of them still very solid, so I see no benefit from concrete. And these were never treated after installing.
To me, concrete isn't worth the expense, nor effort to install or add'l PIA to remove them later and doesn't change their life anywhere near the 30% additional cost, to say nothing of labor installing, and removing.
Being in hurricane Florida AND installing in very sandy ground, simply buried 30" has never created any issues through all the windstorms we've had in 2 decades.
However, in looking forward to replacement, I think I will go with Postmaster metal posts: essentially a NEAR LIFETIME mounting system. Their galvanized .120" thick posts should readily last 50 years. I have simple 16 gauge round galvanized posts that are showing little to any wear after 20 years. And the Postmaster skips the need for mounting brackets, and creates the thinnest fence possible in any desired design, easily hiding the metal posts. I also will do a kickboard since it's simple to add on a Postmaster and keeps wear down on the bottom of the pickets, probably going with a 5/4" pressure treated.
They're actually cheaper than std. 2 3/8" round galvanized posts since you have to add the brackets to them at $17 (bulk)(+4 brackets per post with a kickplate), when the Postmaster's are under $20 in bulk buy of 20, and again, the metal is twice the thickness, and NO brackets at all...
Literally ANYONE willing to do concrete, should be doing Postmaster posts.
@@brianmi40 i am in Ontario Canada where the ground freezes solid up to three feet deep every year and 1 to 3 feet of snow on the ground for weeks on end is normal, a post only 30 inches deep will pop up out of the ground a few inches the first year and probably the year after that too. 48 inches deep, in a concrete sonotube is min required to be able to guarantee the post won't move
@@ArgondtheGrey Agreed (grew up in Indiana, so know well about frost heave).
If a post is broken (cracked in half), can this still work? Thinking of adding a metal strap to connect the broken pieces and add this to the post as well.
You should never ever hit two hammer heads together they WILL shatter .
Yeah...just like the ones in the video did...right?
bullshit,,,,proven on Myth Busters
They will shatter? Good thing I’m not strong enough for this to happen or I would have gone through 10,000 hammers already!
If you're a city boy, this crap is fascinating, though my mother has a wood fence and I really should fix it.
Uh how about digging the post up and replacing it?
He doesn't want to do that.
Yeah, I don't get it. Do it right the first time. Example, I feel bad for my next door neighbor. He bought the house next door and unfortunately previous owner was an expert at repairing things half ass or paying someone else on the cheap for a temporary fix. He lived in the house for 30 years. The house has good bones and is structurally sound but every system, appliance, major component in the house is in need of replacement or will be soon. He had the money to do it right and on occasion spent more time and money doing it half ass thinking he was saving money.
Because it's a pain in the ass? And it's 2 to 3 times the cost?
Good video. I had the problem of having concrete on my posts which are rotting
you could've just use a piece of 2x4 block wood to hit the top
Outstanding video and presentation.
You shouldn’t be using gloves with rotating machinery. But good job on the ear and eye protection!
Fantastic video, friend! Thanks for the knowledge...
I think would have been easier to do it the right way
Job well done. Great job
yeah...No I wont be doing it that way!