# Leaning Fence Reinforcement



## Thunder Chicken (May 22, 2011)

What kind of fence is it? Sometimes a picture is better than a "beautifully made diagram". :thumbup:

If it is a wooden post and rail fence, you can drive a tall angle iron into the ground on your side next to the post, vertically, and then screw the post to it.

If it is a post and rail from a box store, know that the posts are generally much shorter and flimsier than fencing from dedicated fencing retailers. You might look around for better posts that you can sink to the proper depth.


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## isp_of_doom (Aug 15, 2012)

lol, here we go:

http://imgur.com/0k47P


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## Thunder Chicken (May 22, 2011)

Thanks for the photo. I stand by my previous advice. Go get some 7' steel fence posts, put them right next to the existing fence posts, and pound them vertically in as far as you can get them to go. Then pull the fence to the steel post and fasten with some screws. $20 fix.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Why? that fence was clearly was not installed right.
The post were not installed deep enough and looks like there was never any concrete used or not enough to set the post.
Looks like a do over to me.


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## Thunder Chicken (May 22, 2011)

Agreed, but I thought all that was wanted was a cheap fix. 

If you do want to go through all the effort of putting in new posts, I'd recommend pulling out that old fence and doing it right. It is not a long length of fence.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

joecaption said:


> Looks like a do over to me.


I agree...There really is no other worthy option imo.

isp_of_doom... I see no reason why the fencing and rails can't be reused.

Carefully disassemble whats there, install new post in concrete and re-assemble the fence. 

Is it your fence, or the neighbors?


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## notmrjohn (Aug 20, 2012)

Hold on... Does that first diagram show existing 82 inch deep post holes? ah speck of dust on screen, 32. Had me there for a minute.
Is it really a 32" deep hole with that 16" vertical grade diff right there? Re-use all you can like kwik sez, isp.
Whose idea was it that a fence could hold back that grade in the first place? I don't think angle iron posts are gonna hold it for long. You might wanta go deeper and use longer post with as much in the ground as possible. Use pressure treated posts graded for in ground use, throw a couple of inches of coarse drainage rock in the bottom of the hole B4 setting post and pouring concrete to help prevent end rot. Using some long bolts, some thick all-thread with big washers and nuts, muscles and maybe a come along, you mite can pull the fence back to new posts. Then use bolts with thick fender washers instead of screws as much as you can, bolts thru new and old post and the fence panel, at least thru new post and fence especially up at top. And is the fence itself PT certified for ground contact? I dunno where you are but the termites might know.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

Yeah, I agree with the suggestion to disassemble the bad part, put in a new one and put the panels back up.


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## Larryh86GT (Feb 2, 2013)

19 years ago I put up a 6' pressure treated privacy fence around my back yard with 40 posts set in concrete. Over the years 6 or 7 of the posts started leaning outward like yours but not quite as bad. This past summer I spent 2 days digging down around the concrete then pulling/pushing the post straight, and then filling the gap created in the ground outside the fence with sand. It's a lot of work but my fence looks straight again. I will post some photos I took shortly.


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## Larryh86GT (Feb 2, 2013)

This is one post behind my shed that was straightened with before and after pictures. It was very tough digging because I did this in June and it was very dry here and most of my digging was in clay. The soil was pounded back into place around the concrete after I had the post pushed straight. Right now all my restraightened posts are still standing straight.


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## puttster (Apr 30, 2012)

If the posts are set in concrete it is going to be tough straightening them and tough digging holes next to them. Impossible, I think!

You might try installing secondary posts one foot downhill from existing posts Then saw all the posts off and slide the whole fence downhill one foot. 

I say "might" because a.) I can't see the bottom of the fence and b.) I'm not sure how enthusiastic your wife will be when you ask her for help...

puttster


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

Most posts set in concrete only have a 1' wide by 2' deep chunk down there. It's really very simple to just dig out one side next to the chunk and push the post over that way. I've done it and it wasn't very hard.

It would seem like an astoundingly bad idea to cut the posts and move it. That's just a terrible idea. It'd leave posts looking like hell and they'd lose use of the space left behind. Dumb, all around.


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## puttster (Apr 30, 2012)

I disagree. "Only" 1' wide concrete? Even if you could dig down on one side it doesn't mean you can straighten the concrete-encased post unless you are willing to give up a foot of property. 

Best to get the sawszall out and cut your losses.

puttster


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

What's so hard to understand? 

A post hole gets dug, typically about 12"-18" wide and a few feet deep. Gravel gets dumped at the bottom. The post gets put into the hole and concrete is poured in around it. This leaves the post sticking up out of a plug of concrete. So when the post leans (for whatever reasons) you just dig down on the opposite side of the lean and push the post back toward it's original upright position. Presumably you might have to remove a fence panel between the posts to make this easier. But once it's back upright you'd then fill and compact the soil back in around it. 

How is this so hard for you to understand? And how on earth does moving the fence make better sense?


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

Wk, search for some of puttsters threads. Then you'll understand where cutting the fence makes sense.


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

djlandkpl said:


> Wk, search for some of puttsters threads.


I hesitate to peep under that rock, for fear of what nonsense might lie underneath.


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## puttster (Apr 30, 2012)

wkearney99 said:


> What's so hard to understand?
> 
> A post hole gets dug, typically about 12"-18" wide and a few feet deep. Gravel gets dumped at the bottom. The post gets put into the hole and concrete is poured in around it. This leaves the post sticking up out of a plug of concrete. So when the post leans (for whatever reasons) you just dig down on the opposite side of the lean and push the post back toward it's original upright position. Presumably you might have to remove a fence panel between the posts to make this easier. But once it's back upright you'd then fill and compact the soil back in around it.
> 
> How is this so hard for you to understand? And how on earth does moving the fence make better sense?


 
I said I disagree, which is not the same as not understanding. I disagreed with the proposals of straightening the posts and tying them to new, adjacent posts. But at least those plans had the good sense of using a new post instead of fill dirt to keep the fence from falling over again - which of course it would! 

It was my opinion that any new posts will be too far from the old posts to look nice. New posts in new post holes will 1.) be more stable and 2.) look better snugged up to the old. Additionally, by sliding the whole fence, OP can avoid dismantling and remantling the fence panels (though of course he could do either).

Puttster


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## Domero (11 mo ago)

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to solve a problem that the March winds have introduced to me for the first ever in our home. How can I actually keep that fence from leaning over from the top? I am wondering Is there some type of brackets or braces?


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