Fence Post to create Support for Climbers Plan (with Pic) 6 March 2021 at 5:23PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 16 replies 528 views

united4ever

Also, the bamboo you can see in that picture is a clumping (non invasive type) however, I cut some of those stalks today but was surprised they were getting closer to that wall. Should I be worried. Would hate for them to spread under the wall or into neighbours garden. Is it likely to advance further away from the main plant? I planted it about 5 years ago.

Davesnave

Ah, the effectiveness of bolt-down is very dependent on what it's being bolted to and 2.7 m is longer than I would risk on 150mm of metal myself.

As a guide, I set my longer posts in concrete at a depth of 600mm. No messing with Metpost things, which I hate. If you were going to use the foundations of the wall for your Metpost, the concrete you'd need as a base for it would need to be bonded very well to them at depth. Not impossible, but tricky.

united4ever

Hmmm, will be difficult to get 600mm depth but I can try. I was just lining it up earlier and the met plate has these grooves on the inside that prevent the wood from fitting. Why is that? Are you supposed to force it by hammering from the top and the grooves provide a tighter fit?

Davesnave

Yes, you are supposed to force the wood into the Metpost to get a tight fit, but I used to find it tricky to do that and keep it straight. Mine were always the ones with a spike on the end to drive into the ground, but that never worked well for me either, hence dispensing with them and just using concrete so I could fix them truly upright. Here's some I did a week or two ago:

I don't think I could have got that accuracy with Metposts. It's bad enough that some of the posts bent, despite storing them flat!

If you can't get down a full 600mm, don't worry, so long as you get your concrete well tied to the wall's foundation.

united4ever

Nice work in that picture! Does the wood not rot in the soil directly? I thought that was the point of the metpost. Anyway, by 'tied to the foundation' you mean bonded with the postcrete then? I shall expose as much of the foundation as possible before I pour to help with that bonding. Also, the wood is treated right? No need to put some ronseal on it is there? Thanks again

Davesnave

Fence posts vary...a lot. I go 100 miles for mine and buy them when visiting relatives. They come from this company and are guaranteed 25 years:

https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/

There are still fences in existence that I put up in the early 1990s using those posts.

If concrete is finished proud of the surface that helps avoid rotting to some extent, as this always occurs at the soil/air junction. I haven't bothered about this because I trust the posts, and anyway I'm 72!

Yes expose the foundation and get it as clean as you can to bond to new concrete. I paint with a rubber solution called SBR, but that isn't strictly necessary.