Has your fence post broken off? Here is how to stop it happening again.
Recently I was called to repair a fence, one of the posts had gone, and the extra burden that placed on the post next to it and made that post also break.
There are a few reasons why a fence post can break, but the main reason is seldom addressed.
WHY DO FENCE POSTS BREAK
Nothing lasts forever, and that includes Fence Posts, given the burden of time they will all eventually break.
Bad weather can speed this process up, especially for fences on high ground or other windy areas. When it's windy fence panels act a little bit like sails, they capture the force of the wind and strain against the posts, sometimes breaking them.
Even if you are in an area of low wind if the post is not cemented deeply enough in the ground, or there are not enough posts for your length of fence, you are going to have problems due to the posts being under too much strain.
THE MOST COMMON REASON FENCE POSTS BREAK
The most common place Fence Posts break is at ground level, and the most common reason is damp soil sitting against the wood rotting it away. This can be exacerbated by dead vegetation (like fallen leaves) rotting away, and by various micro parasitic lifeforms attaching themselves to the wood and eating it away.
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FENCE POSTS
If the level where the damp soil meets the wood of the post is causing the problem, then the solution is to keep that damp soil from touching the wood of the post.
There a few different methods of achieving this.
If your fence forms part of the border, then remove the soil and fill in with decorative stone, this means the post will be in concrete, then decorative stone, then fresh air. No soil in sight. Decorative Stone drains far better than soil so you won't have that dampness rotting the wood.
For increased protection wrap part of the post in waterproof plastic, extend the plastic 2 inches above the soil level. This puts a barrier between the damp soil and vegetation, and the post. It is better than nothing but doesn't form a perfect seal, so if yiou have the money I'd go for option 3
Post Savers, or similar product of other brands wrap around the post, like the plastic idea above. But then you heat them with an air gun which release shrinks the product to the post whilst releasing the in built bitumen, forming a perfect seal.
Or I suppose you could just go with concrete posts and be done with it :-)
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