# Sinking Fence Posts



## cibula11 (Jan 6, 2007)

We have a really nice four rail white vinyl fence surrounding our pasture. Any place the snow drifted, the posts have sunken and now a perfectly level fence looks a bit funny in places. Any ideas how I can remedy this?


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## Property Medics (Mar 27, 2013)

how old is the fence? Unfortunately, this is not going to be an easy fix..


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## cibula11 (Jan 6, 2007)

Property Medics said:


> how old is the fence? Unfortunately, this is not going to be an easy fix..


We moved in last fall, but it can't be more than 4 or 5 years old. I popped the cap off the posts and there's no wood post, it's just hollow with the rails running through the slots.


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## Property Medics (Mar 27, 2013)

cibula11 said:


> We moved in last fall, but it can't be more than 4 or 5 years old. I popped the cap off the posts and there's no wood post, it's just hollow with the rails running through the slots.


Ok, well that less of an issue to figure out.. but just as labor intensive. No post means the fence has no real support. How set are you on making this a diy project?


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## cibula11 (Jan 6, 2007)

Property Medics said:


> Ok, well that less of an issue to figure out.. but just as labor intensive. No post means the fence has no real support. How set are you on making this a diy project?


Well, I guess im open to doing it. Until I know what is involved, it's hard to say. Just wanted to get a feel on weather there's a fix or not.


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## Property Medics (Mar 27, 2013)

I'm aware of there being vinyl fences that don't need the wooden post and can simply be put 3' in the ground and filled with gravel and concrete. However, the fact that its sinking means a bad install. The original installer obviously didn't know what they were doing. You shouldn't take the gamble, what if the post are not deep enough. It should come out and be redone. 

This link from Lowe's should help you better understand whats involved in a traditional install.


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## cibula11 (Jan 6, 2007)

Property Medics said:


> I'm aware of there being vinyl fences that don't need the wooden post and can simply be put 3' in the ground and filled with gravel and concrete. However, the fact that its sinking means a bad install. The original installer obviously didn't know what they were doing. You shouldn't take the gamble, what if the post are not deep enough. It should come out and be redone.
> 
> This link from Lowe's should help you better understand whats involved in a traditional install.


I'm not looking at installing a new fence... Just to fix my current one. The fence is only about four feet high and the posts are 6x6. I'm guessing the weight of the snow pushed it down, which makes me wonder if it can be raised back up. Obviously I could rip it all out and install a new post but that seems a bit extreme given a few inches of sagging.


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## Property Medics (Mar 27, 2013)

Regardless of height, your going to have to re-set your post, the only thing that changes is the depth in which the post need to be set. A fence shouldn't sink, period. I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you besides doing it right.

Good luck, and have a great day!


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## puttster (Apr 30, 2012)

Did you mean what you said, the posts are 6" x 6" (or 4" x 4"s)? Seems like if they are hollow something could be done to cut them off and than raise them back up.

puttster


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## cibula11 (Jan 6, 2007)

puttster said:


> Did you mean what you said, the posts are 6" x 6" (or 4" x 4"s)? Seems like if they are hollow something could be done to cut them off and than raise them back up.
> 
> puttster


Yes...it's a 6x6 vinyl sleeve. The corner posts and gate posts are filled with concrete, but all of them, in between are hollow, or at least appear that way. I'd like to dig down a ways and find out if they are set in concrete or what, but e ground is a bit too hard yet.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/NTESearch?storeId=6970&Ntt=post+puller

To late now but at least a shovel full of stone in the bottom of the post hole to allow for a firmer base or 2, pieces of rebar placed in holes that were drilled into the sides of the post would have help stoped them from sinking or raising.


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## puttster (Apr 30, 2012)

As a last ditch save you could sawzall the post bottoms, then insert a tight fitting board like a 2x6 and screw it in to the sides of the post. Let it stick out no further than you can separate the post halves. Then use a sleeve the same size as the top cap and some glue to help splice the post back together and cover the gap.

If it didn't work, though, you'd never get the post out with Joe's post puller.

puttster


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## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

Have the posts sunken or have the other heaved up temporarily from the frost?

Snow is a great insulator and minimizes heaving in the winter. Without snow, the frost goes deeper and causes heaving.

I have seen frozen ground with -10F or colder for 2 months and the frost even went down only 6" because the snow came before the real cold. Other bare area (minimal or no snow), the frost went down about 5'. Cleaned plowed roads had about 10'of frost because of the exposure.


Mother nature may even out things after everything thaws and settles.

Dick


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## cibula11 (Jan 6, 2007)

concretemasonry said:


> Have the posts sunken or have the other heaved up temporarily from the frost?
> 
> Snow is a great insulator and minimizes heaving in the winter. Without snow, the frost goes deeper and causes heaving.
> 
> ...


They have definitely sunk. The rails are no longer parallel to the ground. I might price out what the posts (sleeves) cost and think about cutting it off and stabilizing as mentioned above. Other thoughts/ideas welcomed.


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## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

What are you measuring from? Some of the ground could have heaved. This is the time of the year where the maximum heaving is showing up. We just had a section of a county road heave up about 3'for 300' length when the soil moisture went up. Heaving comes from ice lenses that develop in wet soils and very often soil around/under structures and roads is not uniform, especially in the top 1 to 4' of if there are veins of granular soil that can carry water to a point or away from a point.

Just a possibility that I have seen many times.

Dick


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## cibula11 (Jan 6, 2007)

concretemasonry said:


> What are you measuring from? Some of the ground could have heaved. This is the time of the year where the maximum heaving is showing up. We just had a section of a county road heave up about 3'for 300' length when the soil moisture went up. Heaving comes from ice lenses that develop in wet soils and very often soil around/under structures and roads is not uniform, especially in the top 1 to 4' of if there are veins of granular soil that can carry water to a point or away from a point.
> 
> Just a possibility that I have seen many times.
> 
> Dick


No, it's not heaving. Every single post that surrounds the 1 acre pasture is level and then the 3 posts that had snow drifts on top of them are noticeably lower.


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## Glynn (Jul 26, 2013)

I have a similar problem, but it appears that one post has heaved upward only about 1-2 inches. The association where I live is demanding that everyone level their fences (or I'm just being picked on). The fence is about 8 ft long and 4ft high. I tried to dig around the center post, which is just slightly high, water all around it and smash it down with a sledge hammer with no success. There is ~16in of concrete surrounding it, no idea how deep. I just want a simple fix before I move out. I do NOT want to remove the post, concrete, etc, but only to move it down slightly. Is it possible to submerge this post just a tiny bit without a huge hassle or big $$? Please help!


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