Featheredge fence problem

rajanm

Bendy_House said:

I presume the posts are also timber? In which case they can simply be trimmed to height in situ. (Following 3 storms, where my panels were simply ripped clean away leaving the bare stalks of the posts behind, I'm fitting replacements which are 1 and 2 feet shorter, and trimming the posts to suit in situ.) 

The gravel boards are an eyesore, but presumably do the intended job? To sort them would require the whole fence taken down and redone from scratch - which is a not-unreasonable expectation, as the job it just 'wrong'. This has simply not been done properly. The folk doing this may well be competent in a practical way, but they don't know how to lay out a fence. Once they work out the correct way to do this, the fence could well end up ok.

Raj, are the posts timber?

Are they set in concrete?

Are they firm and sturdy - no wobble?

Any idea how deep they were planted?

What's the height of the highest part? And the lowest?

Would you be happy with it all being at the lowest height?

Unless both you and the neighbour can disguise the hellish gravel board layout - say with soft planting as suggested by others - then I would personally expect them to redo this fence from scratch, properly this time. I mean, these guys just need to learn... 

Yes the posts are timber and really good quality ones from Jackson's fencing. I think they were set in postcrete. 

That dipped part of the fencing represents about a fifth of all the fencing they installed so I'm thinking that's the only section that needs to be redone. Is that correct?

Do you think they can just dig out the existing posts and reset them to the correct level?  We have quite a few boards left over so those could be used if the existing ones end up being damaged 

rajanm

rajanm said:

Bendy_House said:

I presume the posts are also timber? In which case they can simply be trimmed to height in situ. (Following 3 storms, where my panels were simply ripped clean away leaving the bare stalks of the posts behind, I'm fitting replacements which are 1 and 2 feet shorter, and trimming the posts to suit in situ.) 

The gravel boards are an eyesore, but presumably do the intended job? To sort them would require the whole fence taken down and redone from scratch - which is a not-unreasonable expectation, as the job it just 'wrong'. This has simply not been done properly. The folk doing this may well be competent in a practical way, but they don't know how to lay out a fence. Once they work out the correct way to do this, the fence could well end up ok.

Raj, are the posts timber?

Are they set in concrete?

Are they firm and sturdy - no wobble?

Any idea how deep they were planted?

What's the height of the highest part? And the lowest?

Would you be happy with it all being at the lowest height?

Unless both you and the neighbour can disguise the hellish gravel board layout - say with soft planting as suggested by others - then I would personally expect them to redo this fence from scratch, properly this time. I mean, these guys just need to learn... 

Yes the posts are timber and really good quality ones from Jackson's fencing. I think they were set in postcrete. 

That dipped part of the fencing represents about a fifth of all the fencing they installed so I'm thinking that's the only section that needs to be redone. Is that correct?

Do you think they can just dig out the existing posts and reset them to the correct level?  We have quite a few boards left over so those could be used if the existing ones end up being damaged 

Sorry meant to say the posts seem to have slots where the rails go in. There isn't much plain timber above the first slot so I'm not sure how/if they can be trimmed 

Bendy_House

I can't visualise what you are saying there, but IF an acceptable solution is to run a straight line along the fence top to indicate the best line, AND the fence strips can be trimmed in situ to this height, then I can't see why the posts cannot ALSO be trimmed down - they just get sawn!

My fence is more basic than yours - it's fence posts with pre-made 6'-wide panels between them - but the same applies; my new panels are 1 foot shorter, so I'm cutting one foot off each post.

This has to be your call - what you would find acceptable. These gravel boards are hellish...

If you were to insist they take it all down and redo it correctly, then I don't think that would be unreasonable - what they've done is not acceptable.

You could even call out another fencer to offer their opinion, and quote for doing it correctly. Get a clear description of what they would do, and use this as your guide when approaching the original fencer. (Also ask them to check the quality of the work - that the posts are fully secure, for example.) Do be upfront with the new fencer - tell them you are obliged to give the first guys a chance to sort it, but that you'll call on them if they don't (whilst you sue the first lot...)

rajanm

Bendy_House said:

I can't visualise what you are saying there, but IF an acceptable solution is to run a straight line along the fence top to indicate the best line, AND the fence strips can be trimmed in situ to this height, then I can't see why the posts cannot ALSO be trimmed down - they just get sawn!

My fence is more basic than yours - it's fence posts with pre-made 6'-wide panels between them - but the same applies; my new panels are 1 foot shorter, so I'm cutting one foot off each post.

This has to be your call - what you would find acceptable. These gravel boards are hellish...

If you were to insist they take it all down and redo it correctly, then I don't think that would be unreasonable - what they've done is not acceptable.

You could even call out another fencer to offer their opinion, and quote for doing it correctly. Get a clear description of what they would do, and use this as your guide when approaching the original fencer. (Also ask them to check the quality of the work - that the posts are fully secure, for example.) Do be upfront with the new fencer - tell them you are obliged to give the first guys a chance to sort it, but that you'll call on them if they don't (whilst you sue the first lot...)

The thick piece of wood with the gaps in this photo is a spare post. Presumably the bottom end is what goes into the ground so I'm not sure how the top can be cut off without affecting the top slot?

stuart45

Any chance you can get a photo of the other side of the fence showing the posts and rails?

rajanm

stuart45 said:

Any chance you can get a photo of the other side of the fence showing the posts and rails?

No that's tricky as it's all enclosed now. Are you thinking they may not have used that top slot?

Eldi_Dos

@ rajanm, could you measure the length of spare post and height of posts from were they come out the ground to top, in area were fence is uneven?

stuart45

rajanm said:

stuart45 said:

Any chance you can get a photo of the other side of the fence showing the posts and rails?

No that's tricky as it's all enclosed now. Are you thinking they may not have used that top slot?

Can you stand on something and lean over with the camera?

rajanm

stuart45 said:

rajanm said:

stuart45 said:

Any chance you can get a photo of the other side of the fence showing the posts and rails?

No that's tricky as it's all enclosed now. Are you thinking they may not have used that top slot?

Can you stand on something and lean over with the camera?

Yes I managed to do it. Here's a photo of the post with the slots

stuart45

To put it right that section of fencing will need to come down.