In California, it is common to have houses separated by a concrete walkway with a wooden fence in the middle.
Our fence is showing quite a bit of rot.
Does anyone know of an easy way to remove the old fence posts and replace them? The issue is that the posts go under the walkway and are (presumably) embedded in concrete below the ground. Is there a way to do this without breaking up the sidewalk?
We've been living with steel fence stabilizers that get shoved between the post and the sidewalk, but there is not a lot of viable post left above ground.
If it was me, I would mount plates over the holes held in place to the concrete by four Red Heads. The plates are available at any wrought iron supply place, and are different sizes. Though, depending on the load on the fence, you may want to have some custom sheared and holes punched in all four corners. Then, have new posts welded on to the plates, making sure they are plumb, and straight, and even along the top. Leave a gap in the welding of the plate at the lowest point for water drainage. You may be able to use some of the old fence sections between them.
IF
you want to use the fence sections and removing the posts and some wood causes the spacing of the sections not to match the hole pattern, drill out about four to six inches of the post's wood, and fill the hole with PourCrete, and mount your plates wherever it matches your fence sections. Or, it may be time for a totally new fence, posts and fence sections and all.
Hard to say without seeing it, just trying to give ideas. I used to be a wrought iron contractor, and it doesn't sound like a big deal.
You could even have the new plates and metal posts put over the old holes, make some new horizontals out of tubular metal, then drill and attach dog ear 1 bys to the horizontal for a nice looking wood and metal fence. Painting would be a bear, though, if you are in a moist location, as it would rust a lot. Making the horizontals out of wood would make it easier. Put caps on all posts.
I've removed the wood and put steel fence posts in. I use mortar mix and then use the type of clamps that hold electrical conduit to a wall to mount the wood fence. To get the wood out I just break it in small pieces and get it out. Most of the ones I removed were fairly rotten. I used a long crow bar, a short piece of pipe and a digging bar. Hammer the pipe down on the wood, pull it out and knock the wood out of the pipe and do it again. After it's broke up put a bar in and just wiggle it around. BTW: Home Depot wood fence is crap.
It sounds like the people in California have. I know a lot of people just pay to rip things out and do over, but surely there are thousands who don't. If your neighborhood is not new, haven't some already dealt with this. Find the ones that have been redone, and knock on their doors. It's a great way to meet your neighbors. I found that people in my n'hood would open the door up to 9PM even not in the middle of the summer, so it was dark out for quite a while. (they might open later than that, but I figure some people go to bed by 9. I won't even call a stranger on the phone after 9.)
But daylight would be better because you want to be able to see what he shows you.
If your own block doesn't have, go to the next block or the next n'hood.
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