Is Tensioning Necessary for Field Fencing with T-Posts?

[kamilche]

I want to put up fencing to keep neighbor dogs and coyotes off my property, but know little about it. I won't be keeping animals inside

- just protecting my cats and garden from predators.

I bought 4' high woven wire field fencing, and 34 six-foot t-posts. My land is hilly, and the fence will be climbing up and down its entire length. It is soft dirt in spots, hard clay in others, with no rocks anywhere I've seen.

Some places say wooden corner braces are unnecessary, that you can make braces from t-posts using the right widgets. I'm interested in that, because you wouldn't have to dig post holes. However, no site describes how to tension this sort of "t-post only" field fence.

Let's say I did install wooden corner braces, and try to tension the fence. How could I tension that, with the land being as uneven as it is?

Is tensioning even necesary in this situation? Maybe just rounding the corners would work.

[mkirsch1]

You've got to tension it somehow or it will look like crap and wouldn't keep out a retarded tumbleweed.

On the corners, you need a total of 5 t-posts to do the "widget" thing. One in the corner, one about 4' from the corner in each direction to brace against, and one to run at an angle from the bottom of the brace post to the top of the corner post. You can use shorter posts for the brace posts.

Once you construct this structure, you can get a special tool that hooks the wire, or you can make your own with a 4' 2x4 and a few heavy hooks screwed into the edge. It doesn't need to be so tight that you can play a tune; a reasonably strong person can put enough tension on the fence by pulling on the 2x4.

Tension the fence as you go along, at every transition from flat to a hill, or a hill back to flat. Again, just tight, not so much that you can play a chord by dragging your hammer across the wires. You may want longer posts at the transitions so you can drive them into the ground farther to prevent pull-out.

[kamilche]

Thanks for the tips! I went out and bought longer posts, so I could sink them 3 feet into the ground instead of 2 feet, so they won't pull out. I appreciate your input!

[sylvan butler]

Exactly.

I tried the "hooks" approach, didn't work for me. I had better luck with two 2x4's; clamp the wire between them with three bolts thru the assembly to hold it together. I used a comealong between that and my pickup to pull the wire tight.

Yup. It's a pain if you have a lot of grade changes. Especially if they are short and steep (eg, two feet horiz and one vertical). :(

Most woven-wire field fencing has tension indicating bends on the top strand. Generally I pull it until those are about half straightened.

sdb