gate/fence post anchoring

[Fred]

Hi,

Further to my earlier thread about gates (thanks for all your help), I need to figure out how to anchor my gate post. The post would be next to the wall of my neighbour's house. I have heard you should not dig right up against a house, something about disturbing foundations. How true is this? Surely a small hole for a post won't bring the house down?

Is a drive-in post, which avoids any digging the answer? Something like this:

see there is this, which is concreted in. Is it any more secure? big should the lump of concrete be to fix it in?

And finally there is this one:

when you already have the concrete. What bolts would you use to screw the shoe down? Wouldn't I need security bolts or otherwise isn't there a risk that someone could simply unbolt them? OTOH I suppose with a wooden gate, it would be quicker to saw through the gate than mess about with bolts.

Thanks in advance.

[Jonathan]

Will your neighbour let you attach it to the wall of his house?

Jonathan

[sm_jamieson]

this:

> I see there is this, which is concreted in. Is it any more secure?> How big should the lump of concrete be to fix it in?

one:

> For when you already have the concrete. What bolts would you use to

Agree all with neighbour if possible. We had shared rear access entry gates fitted by local residents (before I moved there), and the chap who lived next to one of the posts was angry and resentful for years, complaining that his foundations had been damaged. No idea if there was any truth to this. Not sure what happened in the end. The gates are still there.

A small hole through the edge of the foundations would not matter providing it was done properly. Best to dig carefully, cut and concrete in instead of just thrashing around with a demolition hammer I guess !

Also, some stops or restraint to prevent the gate banging into the house wall may be a good idea. A timber gate is not too bad, but I would not be happy about big metal gates sending bangs and squeeks into my living room.

Simon.

[PeterC]

Which might encounter foundations when hammered in.

[zaax]

It's still Criminal damage, but no harm in asking. It would help their security as well.

[zaax]

It's still Criminal damage, but no harm in asking. It would help their security as well.

[cynic]

this:

> I see there is this, which is concreted in. Is it any more secure?> How big should the lump of concrete be to fix it in?

one:

> For when you already have the concrete. What bolts would you use to

You may well find the foundations are quite deep and would not be disturbed by concreting in your post on top of them.

[Cicero]

=====================================================================

You can make a welded steel cranked post like this. The lower vertical and the horizontal can be buried / concreted and the top vertical makes a very solid gate post. Made from

6mm thick steel and 100 x 100 mm square it will last forever.

The length of the horizontal allows you to dig the main fixing hole at any desired distance from the wall.

| | | | | | | |_______ |________ | | | | | | | | |

Cic.

[Fred]

I could ask if we could fix direct to his house but I would rather not because even if he is happy now, there is always the possibility it could be grounds for a complaint later, e.g. if a crack appeared in his plaster he might say we caused it when we hammered in the post, or if a new neighbour moved in who was not happy about it, or if our relations soured with them, etc.

There is a metal gate and gatepost there already but they are rusting, particularly the post at ground level, so I think no-one could complain about a like fro like replacement (well, wooden for metal replacement).

We would take measures to prevent the open gate banging against his property.

Sorry for the dumb question but what are foundations and why are they so easily damaged? I just assumed the walls continued underground for x feet and that perhaps they rested on something solid, e.g. a concrete slab? Am I far off the mark? If so, what's the problem with digging near the house since we wouldn't be digging deeper than the foundations?

Thanks.

[Phil L]

Except you don't know how deep his concrete slab is - it could be two feet down or it could be six inches.

[Fred]

Does the slab extend beyond the walls then? Surely it must be pretty thick? I wouldn't have thought a six inch slab would be easily broken by nearby digging? What are the potential problems: that you break the slab and the wall subsides?

[Rick Hughes]

I found that drive in posts no good on stony or hard ground ... they don't keep upright, and often bend at transition from spike to square.

The ground they will go into is often too soft to hold the posts.

For a gate either build a brick pillar and build in hinges (best) .... or concrete in a post.

You could use a non-concrete-in post i.e. a 4x4 wood post... and backfill with gravel for at least 2/3 or depth, don't concrete in wood or it will rot ..... but remember you need around 1/3rd of post to be buried to take a gate.

[Fred]

Thanks, it is a pedestrian gate but it is an important point you make, I had not thought about the forces involved before. Thanks.