How to Build Steel Posts for Fences
When building a fence, one of the first steps is installing the fence posts. If the fence posts are not installed properly, the fence can fall. Steel is used for posts in chain-link fences and steel cable fences. Steel is an extremely tough, durable material, which means that your fence can last for decades if it is installed correctly and properly maintained. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Spray paint
- Tape measure
- Post hole digger
- Shovel
- Gravel
- 2-by-4 board
- Level
- Terminal posts for ends and corners
- Line posts
- Concrete mix
- Water
Instructions
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1
Mark the outline of the fence. You can do this by driving wooden stakes into the ground or by spray painting the path of the fence. Avoid large, immovable objects, such as tree stumps or boulders.
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2
Dig holes for the posts every 10 feet. Dig deep enough that at least one-third of the fence post will be in the ground, and dig the lower portion of the hole at a wider angle than the top, so the hole resembles an upside-down martini glass.
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3
Pour 4 inches of gravel into each hole and tamp it down with a 2-by-4 board.
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4
Mix a batch of concrete, following the instructions on the packaging.
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5
Pour 6 inches of concrete into the first hole. Place the end, or terminal, post into the hole and check that it is plumb, or vertically straight. Fill the rest of the hole with concrete and check it for plumb again.
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Slope the concrete around the fence post away from the post with a trowel. This helps with drainage.
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7
Install the rest of the posts with this method. Allow the concrete to cure for at least three days.
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Tips & Warnings
Contact your local zoning officials before constructing the fence to obtain any needed permits.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
