Hello,
I'd like to replace our fence as it is old and rotten. Its the wooden type slotted between concrete posts.
At the one end of the garden the fence is only three foot high and I'd like to replace it with something a bit taller, say five foot. To do this I'll need to take out the old concrete posts and bury new, taller, ones.
How easy is this? Is it just a matter of digging around the old posts and lifting them out? I'm worried that once they are in, they are there to stay!
Thanks.
It's not a trivial undertaking! The old posts are almost certainly concreted in - possibly to a depth of 18" or more. You will end up with a hole somewhat larger than the original, which will have to be filled with new concrete - and possibily made deeper - to hold the new posts.
Could you offset the fence slightly, and bolt new posts to the side of the existing ones?
depends how well they were fitted! Some of the work done in my garden has been so shoddily done that it has been easy to remove and do properly! They might not be set in much concrete!
Could you cut the old posts off so they are flat at the top and bolt some additional length onto the top of them using some wooden or metal bracing bolted right through it? Might be easier and look tidier?
I had thought of that. I'll have to get digging first to see what I am up against.
Just to follow up: are there any mechanical tools I could hire to make the digging easier? I see HSS do petrol powered post diggers. If I dig all around the existing posts, would that help free them?
Post hole diggers - even manual ones - are fine for digging *new* holes - but totally useless for removing concrete from existing holes.
If you rock the post violently, you *might* be able to enlarge the hole enough to lift the whole lot out - but unlikely since a post surrounded by a big lump of concrete is bl**dy heavy. You need to disturb the surrounding ground as little as possible - otherwise you'll have difficulty getting the new post firm, and you'll need a *lot* of concrete. If you want to hire a tool, a Kango hammer is probably the thing. Try to break up the existing concrete and lift it out in pieces without making the hole any bigger than necessary.
A clue as to what bloody heavy is that my concrete posts used 3-4 bags of
25kg ballast in each hole and then there is the weight of the post as well. I doubt two of me could lift a post and the concrete even if it was not set in a hole.You need to disturb the surrounding
A Kango is about your only option. Keep the hole as small as possible.
Adam
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