Fence panel brackets

[Jim K..]

What about the existing fence panel & or its slot in the concrete post??

[Jim K..]

MILE threaded rod?

[Jim K..]

The same size that would support the same panel in wooden posts shurely?

[Jim K..]

6mm /7mm holes? 1" deep?

Can't imagine breaking a concrete fence post carefully drilling a couple of those...

Test drilling time (again)....

[Jim K..]

Shurely the op would have noticed if his had holes already there?

[Jim K..]

If you've never had to try doing this why is it "bad luck" for the op?

[Jim K..]

Rebar in the post in the path of the holes?

Time for a test drill.....

[Simon T]

I have a fence made up of slotted concrete posts, with wooden fence panels fitted into them.

The last panel has an end post, which is slotted on one side but plain on the other.

However I wish to extend the fence.

Ideally, I would like to replace the post with an intermediate one (slots on both sides). But this isn't really possible (long story).

I was therefore wondering if it was feasable to fix the panels to this post using galvanised fence brackets screwed into them? I know these are really made for wooden posts, but is there any reason they wouldn't work here?

Thanks in advance.

[Steve Walker]

Look online for advice on drilling such posts - they have steel reinforcing rods in them and can be difficult to drill without cracking the post. I'd be tempted to bend a couple of metal strips to hook into slot one side of the post and run right around the post to hook into it again. Screw two vertical rails to the strips (or screw or weld two steel angles) and drop them on from the top of the post, forming a new, wooden (or metal) slot on the opposite side.

SteveW

[Brian Reay]

I don't see why not. The previous owner of our house had several things screwed (with raw type plugs) into concrete fence posts. The posts eventually broke but no where near the screws etc. Some posts (perhaps all?) have steel rods in the middle but, provided you miss those, just drill with a suitable drill, stick in a rawplug (or similar), and off you go.

[TimW]

I would think about glueing timber battens to the concrete posts to form a slot. polyeurothane adhesive,g-cramps or the modern equvalent.

TW

[Davidm]

If you're thinking of the U shaped brackets that the panels just slide down into, you should be able to drill, plug and screw into the posts. The screws don't need to be very long, as there's very little "pull" force on them, so you probably don't need to go deep enough to hit the steel rebar inside the posts.

You could try drilling a few test holes (near the top of the post so as not to weaken it) to find out where the rebar is, then position the bracket fixing holes to miss the rebar.

[newshound]

Good advice, but from looking at broken posts a common rebar layout is (sort of) a single bar bent into a U, then bent again in the middle so that there are four bars towards the corner of the post. That being the case, standard plastic plug fixings in the middle of the face should be OK. Test drilling time?

[Robin]

Bad luck. Our slotted concrete posts (and some others I've seen) have holes through them to allow them to be used for panels with wire above, and the holes do nicely for setting threaded rod on which one can fix wooden posts.

[Brian Gaff]

Somewhere I've seen a kind of upvc u shaped thing that is mounted through non slotted posts via low profile bolts and this allows fence panels to slide in, but although I have slide in fences, its really incredibly easy to slide them out and then the nasty lot can just walk in and nick stuff.

I'd have thought that provided spacing are correct then brackets could be used but the small slots left might need blocking up. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Many posts have holes already though hence my comments. Brian

[Steve Walker]

I can see why it might be. Firstly, it involves extra work to drill holes and secondly, I have seen some posts that have cracked while drilling as the drill has first hit metal and then been deflected sideways - sometimes that metal can be in odd positions, bent before or during manufacture of the posts.

SteveW

[Robin]

If his posts came with holes there would be no need to drill them with the concomitant risks. And MILE threaded rod also makes it easier to remove the posts/panels for repair or replacement.

What size plugs and screws are you proposing he should use so just 2 of them will support what for all we know may be a 6x6' panel in an exposed position?

[Andrew]

Fit a 2x4 treated batten to the end-post (which may hjave some soles already), or clamp it to the concrete with some stainless-steel jubilee clips (or steel band it if you have the machine).