I have been in property management for about 20 years. I get a different look at property improvement because what I do to my properties I get to see 20 years later. I have put many fences up on my properties over the years; when I was just learning, I put fences up with concrete and have since had to do repairs and even replace them. If your fence is wood one thing is certain: it will eventually rot and need repairs or to be replaced. Also it could be damaged by trees falling strong winds or even cars crashing into your fence.
If you use concrete it's still the dirt around the concrete that supports the fence; you have just added 30 pounds of concrete to the bottom of it. If your soil has good percolation and water can settle away quickly (as I do where I am in Wisconsin) I prefer to use sand most of the way up and bout 4 - 6 inches of dirt on top of the sand. I do find that my fences are a slight bit more wobbly for the first year or so but have also found that the fences I put in this way last a bit longer. Then when the time comes to repair or replace the fence you can pull the fence post with a chain and an off-road farm jack. In one instance I had to replace the concrete side walk in my yard I was able to remove two fence panels and jack out the post in between in 10 minutes and let the cement truck into my back yard and then replacing the fence post was just as easy.
If you have soil that does not percolate well like clay, you are better off doing concrete. If you use a material like gravel, sand, or dirt to fill the hole in, every time it rains, water will run into your holes, fill in the voids of your material, stand in there, and accelerate rot.
The change in the way I do my fences was actually taught to me by Norm from This Old House and I would never use concrete again unless the soil required it.
Your fence may be one of your biggest property investments this year, so be sure it’s properly installed by using the correct materials and installation techniques. We can’t stress enough that fencing is only as strong as the fence post it’s secured to. The best fencing product in the world can’t protect your livestock if it can’t withstand animal pressure and the elements.
Corner posts and brace assemblies serve as the foundation for the entire construction process. These elements are critical to the overall stability of a fence. By anchoring the fence at its corners, these posts give the fence its strength. All the extreme tension from the fence structure is held at the corners. Therefore, proper selection, installation and bracing of the corner posts is essential to prevent fence failure.
The principle of bracing a corner post is simple. The greatest tension is along the horizontal wire furthest from the ground. As a result, wire fence will exert tremendous pressure on the corners. With each horizontal wire potentially tensioned to several hundred pounds, the pull on the corner posts can be immense. Other factors adding stress to the corner posts are changes in temperature, which will cause the wire to expand and contract, and animals leaning against or challenging the wire. For these reasons, the importance of the corner brace in the overall durability of your fencing cannot be overstated.
Typically, corner posts are made of treated wood. Never use steel t-posts, as they’re just not strong enough to serve as the foundation for your fence. Select posts of an adequate size and material to withstand stress, and take care to ensure that the corners are well grounded and braced.
Line posts support the material intermittently along the length of each side of the fence. A proper installation will include both wooden and t-posts.
T-posts are a popular alternative to wooden line posts because they are easier to drive into the ground. Additionally, they weigh less than wood and can serve as grounding against lightning when the soil is moist. Red Brand T-Posts are American-made, assuring the same reliable quality as all of our fence products. The combination of red-topped T-Posts with any of our Red Brand fence products creates a professional, finished look that stands out in any field, while providing exceptional durability.
Red Brand fence products are an investment in quality, and posts play a critical role in determining longevity. When properly installed, a Red Brand fence can be expected to last 20-25 years or more. Whether you choose to hire a contractor or prefer to install fencing on your own, we can’t stress correct installation practices enough. Ensure that your fence is installed properly by using correct materials and bracing techniques.
To help walk you through the entire process, Red Brand has created a comprehensive library of instructional videos that demonstrate the steps of fence installation, including Setting Posts and Bracing. For more information on installation techniques, visit redbrand.com or ask your local Red Brand dealer for assistance.
In most instances, you will place your fence on the animal side of the post. This will prevent the staples from being pulled out as the animal puts pressure on the fence. The exception will be on property lines; check local regulations to ensure compliance when placing fencing along boundaries. Check out more Fence Planning FAQs at RedBrand.com.
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