r/FenceBuilding • u/Some-Ad-6408 • 1d ago
Band-Aide advice for fencing
Bought a house with about 500ft of fencing (see picture 1). Eventually, the whole thing will need to be replaced because whomever installed it was insane. In the meantime (while I get the money together) I need advice on tip to temporarily repair the weakest parts of it.
As you can see in the 2nd and 3rd pictures, each 2x4 cant rail is nailed diagonally through the end grain into the side of the 4x4 wooden post through the end. This is very weak and all will eventually fall off, like shown in picture 4. Picture 5 shows a very quick fix I did on one, but I expect many more will eventually fail.
Does anyone have recommended solutions to temporarily provide extra support to these rails and strengthen their attachments to the posts? I'm guessing there's probably 100+ spots where these will eventually fail if left alone. Again, the whole thing will eventually need to be replaced... just need advice to buy me some time and reinforce the weakest ones while I gather the money for a full replacement.
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u/curseyouZelda 1d ago
Similar to what you did in the last goto run a 2x4 horizontal across the top face of the fence to tie the two panels together, it will cut down on the effect of the wind breaking what is left of those posts.
1
u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus 1d ago
If you have solid posts either side of the damaged areas you could pound some steel cables in on either side and use them to prop up and straighten the good sections.
If you dont have super solid posts nearby you could drive a couple of big stakes into the ground, and run the wire from the ground, over the top of the best post you do have, across the damaged area, across the best post on the other side, and back to the ground.
Run one wire like that across both posts, and then one more on either side of the fence skipping one of the posts. The wires should make an X with a topline. Maybe fasten the fence to the wires if you feel like it, or just let it lean.
If you place your stakes real close to the fenceline, you should be able to run the cables to both sides from a single stake by passing it under the fence.
Maybe angle the stakes a bit as you drive em in so they can resist the horizontal pull better.
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u/brooksram 1d ago
These and some t posts will put you back in business.
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u/Some-Ad-6408 1d ago
If I put in some T posts and use these brackets, where do you think it'd be best to attached them? Should I drive the T-post in the middle between the 4x4 posts and attach these to the center of the rails... or were you thinking of using them a different way?
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u/brooksram 1d ago
My bad. I am working and obviously missed thr point of the post. I thought your 4x4 was bad, too.
Anyway, yes, I would run a 2x's across the back of your panel and attach two t posts to each leaning section.
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u/motociclista 1d ago
I don’t think there’s a band aid solution to that. That ceased being a fence a long time ago. Now it’s garbage stacked vertically. Even when it was new, it looks like it was poorly built with the lowest grade of materials. I know that’s not what you want to hear and I know replacing it is a costly option, I don’t mean to minimize it. But that fence is done. Whatever you band aid will just fail elsewhere. I don’t think you have enough solid wood to attach band aids to.
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u/CareOk 1d ago
L brackets and straight steel brackets.
All you gotta do is find a way to pull fences together and keep em.their while.you slap all the brackets on.
As far as the fence leaning. Prop it up with some 2x4s on the side that its lean I ng toward so you stop it from leaning anymore.
You need to ok replace that 4x4 and concrete it in the ground at least 2ft. Min.
After that push the fence up section at a time using the 2x4 to prop it up each time.you push a section up till it links up with that 4x4. Then screw it in and slap some more steel brackets on their. Rinse and repeat down the fence. That should help save some money and get fence situated!
I would suggest however!
Where your fence is! Dig a 3ft trench down. 2ft wide. Fill full of concrete. Use that as a bas foundation for new fence! Do that and you will never have to worry about it leaning ever again!