I hope theres a way to fix this.....

[texasjohn]

whistlepig... sorry to report that I can show you about half of my concreted in posts that completely rotted out.... I used penta treated posts.... they are useless... I also have numerous neighbors with the same experience...time in ground to rot off = 8 to 15 years

I also have a number of creosote power poles that the power company has removed because of beginning rot problems

conclusion... depends on numerous factors... drainage in the area...amount of preservative that soaked into the post. ... years in the ground.... there is no absolute fool proof wood fence post method.

This is why I have moved completely to concrete corner posts, T-post metal line posts.

 

[California]

I did a little research and found some examples of recommended corner designs, putting 'fence corner' into Google Images.

This drawing is titled 'Corner Panels - Fence corner bracing details'. It's a USDA design. There are several more fence details on that page.

And a couple more Google Images hits that might suggest something:

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4799741/FenceCornerColoredLabel-main_Full.jpg


Google Image Result for http://www.fencingsolutions.com/CornerlgOZ.jpg

It looks to me that what these designs all have in common is that the stress of stretching wire is dissipated by a 'push' upper bar or diagonal that sends the stress back in a straight line where the pull is coming from, so the force tending to tilt the corner post is minimal.

 

[whistlepig]

whistlepig... sorry to report that I can show you about half of my concreted in posts that completely rotted out.... I used penta treated posts.... they are useless... I also have numerous neighbors with the same experience...time in ground to rot off = 8 to 15 years

I also have a number of creosote power poles that the power company has removed because of beginning rot problems

conclusion... depends on numerous factors... drainage in the area...amount of preservative that soaked into the post. ... years in the ground.... there is no absolute fool proof wood fence post method.

This is why I have moved completely to concrete corner posts, T-post metal line posts.

I have read several of your posts on concreted posts rotting out. I don't understand this at all. Perhaps it is the difference in the country we live in. In Ohio we wouldn't even think of setting a corner post or line brace without dumping an 80# bag of concrete in the hole and five gallons of water on top of it. It is just the way we do things here. And for the thirty years we have been doing this I know of no rotting problems. To not be able to concrete the poles in would be a terrible disadvantage. It would make fencing ten times more difficult. I guess as you well know.

 

[warhammer]

Yup its is primarily blackland on my farm. It has all been row cropped for many decades.
On one of the corners any brace on the outside will go over the property line and on both corners would run into row cropped field.
I have permanent ratchets on each wire, the staples are not driven in so far they bind the wire and the wire goes around the post but is not wrapped.
On my braces I put the cross post towards the top with metal pins to hold them. I used two wraps of high tensile and tightened it down 9-10 twists with a twitch stick.
I did not set the corners in concrete as the reference book I was using said the posts would quickly rot out.

Sounds like the options are concrete, an inside brace or an additional pair of braces at each corner.

Warhammer

Warhammer, depends on the soil you are putting the posts into.

Looks to me, from the aerial photo, you are putting things down into black soil..or at least tillable soil.

I've tried the inside post technique... physics says it should work... just get the angles right. Nope, practical experience says that after some years things will be out of kilter.

Now, if you can sink a deadman away from the pull... on the "outside" of the fence and install a wire from the top of the post to the deadman, that WILL work for a large number of years.

My experience with lots of fencing in Central Texas says you will be best suited to do the following... if questions, PM me.

You mention high tensile wire... install ratchets from Tractor Supply on each wire stretch .. leave in permanently.. allows for retensioning in future years. Works with both smooth and barbed wire... just don't drive staples all the way down to the wire.

Make each segment a straight line... don't wrap wire around the post.

Each end needs to have 3 posts... the end post and two brace posts. I know you have a huge corner post and sank it well... that's a good start...but I've learned the hard way that for a corner to hold for years you need 2 brace posts plus the corner post. Brace posts should be about 7 feet in length, many people make them too short. In addition, DON'T make it a H brace with the brace in the middle... move the brace bar almost to the top of the posts... and use a ratchet, permanently installed, as the wire brace... again, easy to tension and adjust as necessary. Use high tensile smooth wire. Learn the special knot for tying smooth wire... trust me, it's worth it...for the brace wire, make a cut in the post for the wire to lie in... a staple will NOT stay in the wood over time... will come loose and brace wire will need to be redone.

Suggested procedure: Undo wire on ends, sink post holes for 2 brace posts at about 7 foot distance, install braces high on the posts with metal pins so they stay in place, install a brace wire with ratchet so pull is against pull of the fence wire, reattach wires for each run of fence using ratchets nearest the end which you will pass most frequently... so you can retension as needed. If at all possible, install a deadman tension wire which pulls against the post which wants to lean in... cattle will not get tangled in the brace wire. Talk to your neighbor, bet they will agree with the plan. Else, install a post on the inside of the lean, about 7 feet in, install a slanted post (or pipe) so it is under compression pressure and prevents the post from leaning inward.

Good luck!

 

[warhammer]

My corners are like the top picture.

I did a little research and found some examples of recommended corner designs, putting 'fence corner' into Google Images.

This drawing is titled 'Corner Panels - Fence corner bracing details'. It's a USDA design. There are several more fence details on that page.

And a couple more Google Images hits that might suggest something:

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4799741/FenceCornerColoredLabel-main_Full.jpg


Google Image Result for http://www.fencingsolutions.com/CornerlgOZ.jpg

It looks to me that what these designs all have in common is that the stress of stretching wire is dissipated by a 'push' upper bar or diagonal that sends the stress back in a straight line where the pull is coming from, so the force tending to tilt the corner post is minimal.

 

[whistlepig]

Yup its is primarily blackland on my farm. It has all been row cropped for many decades.
On one of the corners any brace on the outside will go over the property line and on both corners would run into row cropped field.
I have permanent ratchets on each wire, the staples are not driven in so far they bind the wire and the wire goes around the post but is not wrapped.
On my braces I put the cross post towards the top with metal pins to hold them. I used two wraps of high tensile and tightened it down 9-10 twists with a twitch stick.
I did not set the corners in concrete as the reference book I was using said the posts would quickly rot out.

Sounds like the options are concrete, an inside brace or an additional pair of braces at each corner.

Warhammer

Can someone please explain the difference? In Ohio it is recommended that the posts be set in concrete. In Texas the posts rot out if set in concrete.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Can someone please explain the difference? In Ohio it is recommended that the posts be set in concrete. In Texas the posts rot out if set in concrete.

Depends which part of Texas you're in, depends on the soil. In my part of East Texas we tend to use concrete on gate posts and that's about it but the top 3' or so is relatively sandy and well drained before you hit clay. If you pull one of those old line posts or stretcher braces out of the ground you'll find that the first 3' is just fine and you may never see the last one foot because it is rotted out.

 

[KennyV]

I am just about to place a gate in a fence that my older brother and I put in 50 years ago.
The posts are hedge. They are hand tamped with as much time spent tamping them in as was spent digging the hole (all by hand).
This run is just over 1300 foot long. At around the middle we placed an H brace with a pair of posts.
Each corner has a brace similar to the top 3 post picture. except we placed the angle brace more like 45 degrees, from the top of the corner to the bottom of the other post. One side looks like N the other looks like s Z turned 90 degrees. All the braces are tied tight together like the picture illustrates.
This fence is still in good shape and only a few line posts have needed replacing. NO cement was used on any, I have noted a LOT of in town privacy fences that are set with cement rot off... I have never seen a post in cement last.
So I guess the question is how often do you want to replace posts. I remember how hard it was to do back then, I would not want to think about doing it over and over and over...
KennyV

 

[Dave5264]

Each corner has a brace similar to the top 3 post picture. except we placed the angle brace more like 45 degrees, from the top of the corner to the bottom of the other post. One side looks like N the other looks like s Z turned 90 degrees. All the braces are tied tight together like the picture illustrates.

I did mine similar, 45 degree braces, to put the posts in I used a post pounder, no digging, no tamping, no concrete...amazing results, solid as a rock in 6 minutes. I too have got high tensile wire with wratchet tensioners, so far so good.

 

[texasjohn]

Warhammer, don't know where you are exactly, but feel free to PM me and you can come by and visit some time... we'll visit all my fence... you can see all the variations I've tried, and what has worked and what has not worked... results are 15 to 25 years old, so time has made its mark... black land similar to yours ...

Glad to hear you are on almost the same page re rachets, braces, etc....

I can't recommend the concrete option... you can see the results I had using concrete if you wish... inside brace and additional end posts are the way I'd go if I were now putting in wood corners.

since you are in Central Texas, you can consider using posts made of the local ashe juniper (cedar trees).... if you get 5 inch or larger tops, then those posts will last 50 plus years... in any soil