fence post question

[reply]

Hello,

I am trying to dog-proof and child-proof the garden. In one corner my neighbour has a small breeze block wall, which is only two blocks high. One option would be to make the wall taller; how high can you go with a single row (half brick?) wall of breeze blocks? I assume they are breeze blocks, these concrete blocks all look the same to me!

I don't think the neighbour would be too keen on my building up their wall, so I think I may put a small fence in front of the wall on my side. It's a paved area. Would I be best to dig a hole a couple of feet deep and insert a fence post in the hole, or could I use these brackets that you bolt to the floor?

I don't actually know what is under the paving, so I could just be bolting them to a paving slab. Would that be enough to hold the post in place in a gale? Or are these designed for bolting into a large block of concrete underneath?

Thanks, Stephen.

[Dave Liquorice]

From getting in or getting out?

Not very for it to be stable without "one brick" square columns every

8' or so.

Er, why don't you talk to your neighbour? Explain what you want achieve, they might want to change things but have never had the tuit. They may even contribute, cash or labour, it is for mutual benefit after all.

Are you sure it's the neighbours wall? Which side are the posts of any fences between properties. It's normal for say the left hand fence/boundary to belong to one property and the righthand one not (or vice versa). Time may erode the regularity so you might need to look at a number of fences to determine the pattern.

Paving slab as in full size 2 x 3' x 2" thick paving slab or a 12" or

18" square. You might get away with a post bolted to a fullsize slab. What is the proposed fence? Panels, alternate side staggered 4 x 1, spaced rails, how high?

[newshound]

+1

+1

The problem with the "flanged" metposts is that two of the fixings will be close to the edge of the paving slab. But provided the fence isn't going to be too high (say 4 feet?) you might get away with bolting down the two "good" holes, and putting a horizontal coachbolt through the fence post into the upper row of blocks (with a suitable spacer). Only recommended if you are used to doing such fixings (risk of cracking the slab or the block).

Not really enough information. How long is the fence? How windy is the area? Do you have something solid to fix to at the ends (like a garage, say). The "proper" method if you can't come to agreement with the neighbour would be to lift slabs where necessary (or make a cut-out), use hammered-in metposts (as long as you are above soil and not hardcore). If the latter, then excavate and concrete in either wooded posts or (better) concrete ones.

[tabbypurr]

depends on the footings

they aren't & are unlikely to be

yup

you would be

no chance

yup

NT

[reply]

From getting out.

I did try but they didn't seem particularly interested; I could try one more time though.

Yes, I definitely own the other side, both neighbours agree on that.

Sorry about the ambiguity; the slabs are 24" by 18"

Thanks, Stephen.

[reply]

Thanks, I had not thought of that shortcoming of the design. The children and dog are small, so I doubt the fence would be 4' high. 2' or 3' would be more than enough.

I haven't measured exactly but I would only need two fence panels, if that.

Thanks, I was wondering about doing it the proper way and cementing in posts.

[Dave Liquorice]

No, single brick wall without "buttress" columns every so often will fall over if you sneeze hard at it. It just opens up the weakest joint and falls.

[tabbypurr]

I guess we'd info from op as to what single block thick means

NT

[reply]

From getting out.

I did try but they didn't seem particularly interested; I could try one more time though.

Yes, I definitely own the other side, both neighbours agree on that.

Sorry about the ambiguity; the slabs are 24" by 18"

Thanks, Stephen.

[reply]

Thanks, I had not thought of that shortcoming of the design. The children and dog are small, so I doubt the fence would be 4' high. 2' or 3' would be more than enough.

I haven't measured exactly but I would only need two fence panels, if that.

Thanks, I was wondering about doing it the proper way and cementing in posts.

[reply]

The wall is a single row of blocks, which I think is called half-brick?

[reply]

My estimate was pretty good; it's 11 ft.

[newshound]

11 feet isn't particularly long, and 4 feet not very high. If the neighbour can be persuaded to let you build it up, then a single pier in the middle (keyed in above the current wall) would probably give reasonable stability (although it would be better to have a pier at each end too).

[Dave Liquorice]

+1 three piers as well.

Would look nicer and if putting up your own fence you can't bolt the posts to the neighbours wall (without permission).

[tabbypurr]

that doesn't tell us how thick it is

NT

[Fredxxx]

I think we can assume either 4" or if very old 4.5".

[Charles Hope]

In one village near here, which used to host a brickworks, many walls were built with the bricks on their sides - so 3"

[Fredxxx]

I have also come across blocks only 3" wide in an internal wall on a RSJ.

The OP did mention "breeze blocks" so their smallest dimension would generally be 4".

[tabbypurr]

I certainly don't.

NT