My wood fence posts are rotting off,,,what to do?

[ruffdog]

After at least 20 years my treated fence posts are rotting off. Some are still solid but some are completely rotted. I had a few posts so I thought I would replace 3 of them. Two of them I was able to dig a foot deep, choke a strap around the "plug", and use the hi-lift jack to pull it out. The third one was rotted way deeper and I had to go 2 feet deep to get a hold of it. I'm thinking of my options as I'm getting too old for this type of work. I could cut all the posts off at ground level and remove the fence. There are no animals but fences make good neighbors. Also, no fence would make mowing much easier.

I could start pounding t-posts randomly to hold the fence but that doesn't look near as nice as all wood posts. BTW...the fence is about a 4 foot wire fabric farm fence. Another option would be to drive new posts right where the old one rotted off at. The wife would like to keep the fence but her magic wand isn't helping the fence issue. Please, any opinions would be appreciated.

 

[homesteader13]

I generally use my FEL to pull posts out, wood, T and tube.
If that won't work in your situation, what about cutting them off flush and putting a new post next to the removed post?

Also to eliminate mowing and weed eating along fence lines, I use a 50/50 mixture of sodium glyphosphate and 2-4-D every few months.

 

[ruffdog]

The one neighbor does spray the fence line but no fence would just be easier (good neighbor). I can't pull the post as they are no longer connected to the ground. If I pound a post next to the old one, as the wood rots, it would be a soft area with no support.

 

[homesteader13]

Ahh, so they are not concreted in?
In that case could you put new ones in a foot or two away?

 

[Industrial Toys]

What's sad, is people that don't really need a fence for anything practical and have this problem.

 

[homesteader13]

And if he IS a good neighbor and going to be arou d for awhile, maybe remove the fence and store the wire if its needed later on.

 

[ruffdog]

And if he IS a good neighbor and going to be arou d for awhile, maybe remove the fence and store the wire if its needed later on.

It sounds like he may be selling the business and moving so I hope the next person is as good as he was. The neighbor on the other side has a lot to be desired.

 

[zzvyb6]

10) Do you still have the receipt? Return them as defective.

9) Wait for a railroad to go with welded rail. Then get their short rail segments and pound the steel into a new location exactly 1/2 way between the old posts.

8) JB Weld the remnants back together.

7) Before they break off, remove and invert them. Then get another 20 years out of the same post.

6) Buy a concrete truck and build a real fence, not some cheezy wood and wire waste of time.

5) Drive some re-rod down the centers to keep them co-axial and co-linear so neighbors can't see that the posts are shot.

4) Sell the property and move to a place better suited to fence post longevity.

3) Plant oak trees and use them as "live" fence posts.

2) Beg for help from the Federal Government. In a year or so (be patient, government takes time to get rolling), you'll be poor and disenfranchised and can then apply for Fencing Assistance. He has a Plan.

And the number 1 technique to get a fence fixed:

1) Have your wife do it. They're her goats. Buy her a new tractor, post digger, staple gun, and a wood lathe to make perfectly round wood fence posts that will certainly outlive you !

 

[CobyRupert]

The one neighbor does spray the fence line but no fence would just be easier (good neighbor). I can't pull the post as they are no longer connected to the ground. If I pound a post next to the old one, as the wood rots, it would be a soft area with no support.

Are most of them rotting near ground level, where the moisture and air intersect?
If cut off at, or just below, ground level, then buried and compacted, and a new post placed next to it, will the old post really rot enough to destabilize new post?

....and why does new post have to be right next to old post?

 

[Toyboy]

When I put wood posts in the ground treated or not, I'll measure the hole depth and then spray the in ground section of the post with auto undercoating. I make sure the post bottom is coated well. Never had one rot off since starting to do this.

 

[ruffdog]

Are most of them rotting near ground level, where the moisture and air intersect?
If cut off at, or just below, ground level, then buried and compacted, and a new post placed next to it, will the old post really rot enough to destabilize new post?

....and why does new post have to be right next to old post?

Yes, the rot is mostly at ground level.

 

[deezler]

10) Do you still have the receipt? Return them as defective.
8) JB Weld the remnants back together.
7) Before they break off, remove and invert them. Then get another 20 years out of the same post.
5) Drive some re-rod down the centers to keep them co-axial and co-linear so neighbors can't see that the posts are shot.
4) Sell the property and move to a place better suited to fence post longevity.
3) Plant oak trees and use them as "live" fence posts.

2) Beg for help from the Federal Government. In a year or so (be patient, government takes time to get rolling), you'll be poor and disenfranchised and can then apply for Fencing Assistance. He has a Plan.
And the number 1 technique to get a fence fixed:

1) Have your wife do it. They're her goats. Buy her a new tractor, post digger, staple gun, and a wood lathe to make perfectly round wood fence posts that will certainly outlive you !

Wow, this was a fantastically dramatic list of options. Well crafted, lol.

 

[deezler]

My dad had this same problem with his old wood fences. He did it the hard way, and disassembled the fence, replaced the post with new, painted it, and reassembled. There's really no easy hack to this, gotta limp it along, or repair it correctly.

 

[Snobdds]

Ever since I started using 4x6 posts and 6x6 corner post...I have not had to replace one post.

I know that doesn't help you now, but it could in the future.

 

[ruffdog]

I did use the treated 6x6 for corner posts. Could you imagine what using treated lumber for fence posts would cost now? $$$$$

 

[zzvyb6]

And what the SJW's will say, protest and destroy if they catch you threatening the environment.

 

[Rustyiron]

A high tensile fence can have very limited posts in the ground. After building proper corners, your line posts can be 50' or more spacing. Do some net surfing and research on it. I find a properly built h/t fence to be as attractive and much easier to mow under than a fence like you described.
You just need to build them, particularly the corners and direction changes as they describe, line posts can be a combination of a wood post every 80' or so with T post at whatever intervals in between.
A fence is like a padlock if you're not keeping animals in, your honest neighbors will respect it.

 

[big bubba]

at what life stage are you & how many post regenerations do you anticipate?

 

[ruffdog]

at what life stage are you & how many post regenerations do you anticipate?

If all the posts would be new and I would get 20 years out of them, I'd be happy. I think I may go ahead and un-staple the real bad ones to get them off the fence and see how things go. Yes, looking back I would have done things different but will now try to keep the wire vertical and sturdy the best I can for 20 years more.

 

[LD48750]

10) Do you still have the receipt? Return them as defective.

...........................................

And the number 1 technique to get a fence fixed:

1) Have your wife do it. They're her goats. Buy her a new tractor, post digger, staple gun, and a wood lathe to make perfectly round wood fence posts that will certainly outlive you !

Certainly would out live me if I tried that with MY wife.