The timber fence at the bottom of my garden backs onto a public footpath and
is on its last legs now due to being kicked and pulled apart by passing
swines.

The best solution I can think of that's cheap and vandal-proof and will
provide instant privacy is a concrete fence. It'll only need to be about
20' x 6', and I can grow loads of big shrubs in front to disguise it.

Two questions:

a) I've seen concrete posts/gravelboards at Wickes and other places. But
where can I get the concrete panels?
b) Should this be a reasonably simple DIY job?

Cheers all.

(p.s. just email me if you'd like a gmail invite)

a) I've seen concrete posts/gravelboards at Wickes and other places. But
where can I get the concrete panels?
b) Should this be a reasonably simple DIY job?

Should be a concrete manufacturer somewhere near you. The one here makes the
posts and panels on site. Often have 'seconds' which just means that a bit
of a corner is missing. They make a good sturdy fence. If you didn't have
the vandalism problem, concrete panels at ground level with timber fence
panels resting on top between the slotted concrete posts, looks nicer.
DaveK.

In article ,
"davek" writes:
|
| a) I've seen concrete posts/gravelboards at Wickes and other places. But
| where can I get the concrete panels?
| b) Should this be a reasonably simple DIY job?
|
| Should be a concrete manufacturer somewhere near you. The one here makes the
| posts and panels on site. Often have 'seconds' which just means that a bit
| of a corner is missing. They make a good sturdy fence. If you didn't have
| the vandalism problem, concrete panels at ground level with timber fence
| panels resting on top between the slotted concrete posts, looks nicer.

Watch out for the weight, though. Concrete panels need to be thick
enough to have some strength and concrete weighs about 2300 Kg/m^3.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

concrete gravel boards are used for the fence panels,but I have never seen
them 6 foot high before!
The weight could be a problem on a long run,you can put loads of concrete
around the posts but if the ground around that is soft, the weight/wind will
gradually work the ground loose.I have seen this happen with concrete posts
& close board fence which runs along the boundary of a allotment .The fence
is very ,very long & it has only been in for about 1 year.You can see that
long sections have started to lean over already.
--
Thanks Keith,England,UK.
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"davek" writes:
|
| a) I've seen concrete posts/gravelboards at Wickes and other places.
But
| where can I get the concrete panels?
| b) Should this be a reasonably simple DIY job?
|
| Should be a concrete manufacturer somewhere near you. The one here
makes the
| posts and panels on site. Often have 'seconds' which just means that a
bit
| of a corner is missing. They make a good sturdy fence. If you didn't
have
| the vandalism problem, concrete panels at ground level with timber
fence
| panels resting on top between the slotted concrete posts, looks nicer.

Watch out for the weight, though. Concrete panels need to be thick
enough to have some strength and concrete weighs about 2300 Kg/m^3.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"keith ;-\)" writes:
| concrete gravel boards are used for the fence panels,but I have never seen
| them 6 foot high before!

I have, but I have no idea how thick they were.

| The weight could be a problem on a long run,you can put loads of concrete
| around the posts but if the ground around that is soft, the weight/wind will
| gradually work the ground loose.I have seen this happen with concrete posts
| & close board fence which runs along the boundary of a allotment .The fence
| is very ,very long & it has only been in for about 1 year.You can see that
| long sections have started to lean over already.

Putting loads of concrete around shallowly embedded posts is a
cowboy's trick - it is cheap but doesn't work. The solution is
to embed them deeper.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 18 Jan 2005 18:05:17 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:


Putting loads of concrete around shallowly embedded posts is a
cowboy's trick - it is cheap but doesn't work. The solution is
to embed them deeper.

Yes, if they're deep enough in suitable ground and the soil is rammed
properly a bit at a time as you fill the hole you don't need concrete
at all. I had a tilt-over antenna tower 18 metres high with heavy
antennas on top and that was mounted on a ground post with 1.8 metres
buried in our boulder clay subsoil - it never moved in the several
years it was installed here despite gales that destroyed the antennas
on several occasions..

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

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"keith ;-\)" writes:
| concrete gravel boards are used for the fence panels,but I have never
seen
| them 6 foot high before!

I have, but I have no idea how thick they were.

I assumed the gravelboards were just intended for going along the bottom of
timber fences. The ones from Wickes are 6' long and 6" high and, at 10 quid
each, it'd be 120 quid per 6' square section. I've since found these guys
on the web (http://www.rocfencing.co.uk/concrete.htm) and they look like
really good value. Could do a 6' square section for under 20 quid, although
the weight is a bit scary at 250-400 kilos.

| The weight could be a problem on a long run,you can put loads of
concrete
| around the posts but if the ground around that is soft, the weight/wind
will
| gradually work the ground loose.I have seen this happen with concrete
posts
| & close board fence which runs along the boundary of a allotment .The
fence
| is very ,very long & it has only been in for about 1 year.You can see
that
| long sections have started to lean over already.

Putting loads of concrete around shallowly embedded posts is a
cowboy's trick - it is cheap but doesn't work. The solution is
to embed them deeper.

2 feet underground for an 8 foot post, right? Or, considering we're talking
about heavy concrete, would it be better to go to 2 and a half?

cheers guys,
G.A.

Who mentioned putting concrete around shallow dug holes?

--
Thanks Keith,England,UK.
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"keith ;-\)" writes:
| concrete gravel boards are used for the fence panels,but I have never
seen
| them 6 foot high before!

I have, but I have no idea how thick they were.

| The weight could be a problem on a long run,you can put loads of
concrete
| around the posts but if the ground around that is soft, the weight/wind
will
| gradually work the ground loose.I have seen this happen with concrete
posts
| & close board fence which runs along the boundary of a allotment .The
fence
| is very ,very long & it has only been in for about 1 year.You can see
that
| long sections have started to lean over already.

Putting loads of concrete around shallowly embedded posts is a
cowboy's trick - it is cheap but doesn't work. The solution is
to embed them deeper.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"davek" writes:
|
| a) I've seen concrete posts/gravelboards at Wickes and other places.
But
| where can I get the concrete panels?
| b) Should this be a reasonably simple DIY job?
|
| Should be a concrete manufacturer somewhere near you. The one here
makes the
| posts and panels on site. Often have 'seconds' which just means that a
bit
| of a corner is missing. They make a good sturdy fence. If you didn't
have
| the vandalism problem, concrete panels at ground level with timber
fence
| panels resting on top between the slotted concrete posts, looks nicer.

Watch out for the weight, though. Concrete panels need to be thick
enough to have some strength and concrete weighs about 2300 Kg/m^3.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Ones I have seen are a series of T&G concrete planks that slide down slots
in the posts, it would still take a couple of strong bodies to lift them
into situ but at least they wont rot or get broken by people kicking them
(likely to cost a lot more though)
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"davek" writes:
|
| a) I've seen concrete posts/gravelboards at Wickes and other
places.
But
| where can I get the concrete panels?
| b) Should this be a reasonably simple DIY job?
|
| Should be a concrete manufacturer somewhere near you. The one here
makes the
| posts and panels on site. Often have 'seconds' which just means that
a
bit
| of a corner is missing. They make a good sturdy fence. If you didn't
have
| the vandalism problem, concrete panels at ground level with timber
fence
| panels resting on top between the slotted concrete posts, looks
nicer.

Watch out for the weight, though. Concrete panels need to be thick
enough to have some strength and concrete weighs about 2300 Kg/m^3.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Ones I have seen are a series of T&G concrete planks that slide down
slots
in the posts, it would still take a couple of strong bodies to lift them
into situ but at least they wont rot or get broken by people kicking them
(likely to cost a lot more though)

I have seen a person who used to suffer frequent vandalisation damage to
timber panels in his fence (which had grooved concrete posts) simply replace
the timber fence sections with concrete 'gravel boards' slotted in, one
above the other, to the required height. That must have been about four or
five years ago, and no damage has been evident in that time, so it works OK.

You can do it

Get 9' slotted posts and hire an auger to keep the hole as narrow as
possible concrete all the way down and ensure the bottom gravel boards
are supported across their full length by a shallow trench of concrete
as the weight will be considerable.

Gravel boards are availble everywhere 12" wide by 6' long expect to pay
around £8 each

One problem you will then probably have, white concrete will be ideal
for Graffitti, I once had a similar problem

So I bought a couple of acres and a bungalow in the country,
I don't need fences at all now!

Glen Able wrote:
The timber fence at the bottom of my garden backs onto a public footpath and
is on its last legs now due to being kicked and pulled apart by passing
swines.

The best solution I can think of that's cheap and vandal-proof and will
provide instant privacy is a concrete fence. It'll only need to be about
20' x 6', and I can grow loads of big shrubs in front to disguise it.

Two questions:

a) I've seen concrete posts/gravelboards at Wickes and other places. But
where can I get the concrete panels?
b) Should this be a reasonably simple DIY job?

Cheers all.

(p.s. just email me if you'd like a gmail invite)

"Keith" wrote in message
...
You can do it

Your encouragement is much appreciated

Get 9' slotted posts and hire an auger to keep the hole as narrow as
possible concrete all the way down and ensure the bottom gravel boards
are supported across their full length by a shallow trench of concrete
as the weight will be considerable.

Yes, I'm currently contemplating 9' posts with about 3' 4" underground.
Is a concrete trench the best thing to support the boards? I'd worry that
the weight wouldn't be distributed evenly - would a trench packed with
rubble be better?

Gravel boards are availble everywhere 12" wide by 6' long expect to pay
around £8 each

Is it feasible to cut these, so I can cover the 20' properly?



thanks Keith!
G.A.

use rubble or concrete at the base it does not really matter as long as
the subsoil is well compacted if anything settles out of true over time
it is easy enough to remove the boards to correct the problem.

You will probably need two or three people to help slide them in though
as you will need to lift them up to 6'

Gravel boards normally have three or four steel reinforcing bars in them
so they should be cut with an angle grinder, relatively easy to do even
with one of the cheap wickes grinders, same applies to the posts

don't use a hammer and boster they will just shatter

Glen Able wrote:
"Keith" wrote in message
...

You can do it


Your encouragement is much appreciated


Get 9' slotted posts and hire an auger to keep the hole as narrow as
possible concrete all the way down and ensure the bottom gravel boards
are supported across their full length by a shallow trench of concrete
as the weight will be considerable.


Yes, I'm currently contemplating 9' posts with about 3' 4" underground.
Is a concrete trench the best thing to support the boards? I'd worry that
the weight wouldn't be distributed evenly - would a trench packed with
rubble be better?


Gravel boards are availble everywhere 12" wide by 6' long expect to pay
around £8 each


Is it feasible to cut these, so I can cover the 20' properly?



thanks Keith!
G.A.

Have you thought about some kind of bracing at right angles to the line of the fence? This would take care of the leaning problem