Fixing wooden fence posts to wooden fence rails.

[DoogyDawg]

Hi, first post.
I have a feather-edge fence, the wooden posts are 4"x 4". Eighteen in total.
I need to replace these, but I need to attach the posts to the rails, from the rails side, as I can't get to the other side because of heavy brambles etc.
I need some sort of bracket, similar to the image, but obviously, to fit a 4"x 4" wooden post and then into the wooden rails.
Also, a photo of my fence
Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for any replies.

 

[scbk]

If you wanted a bracket like that, you could easily make them out of builders metalwork. Take a flat strap, cut to length, couple bends in a vice. That would answer your question - but probably not the best way to repair your fence?
Have you looked at post repair spurs?

 

[Why Not Indeed]

Having vegetation pushing against a fence will cause it to fall over sooner than it would otherwise, so you should bear that in mind when sorting your fence.
If you can use concrete repair spurs "in situ" without taking the fence down, that would be ideal, but getting a fixing in might be tricky with access to only one side.

 

[DoogyDawg]

If you wanted a bracket like that, you could easily make them out of builders metalwork. Take a flat strap, cut to length, couple bends in a vice. That would answer your question - but probably not the best way to repair your fence?
Have you looked at post repair spurs?

Yes. I'm thinking of using concrete spurs now... 18 of them.

 

[DoogyDawg]

Having vegetation pushing against a fence will cause it to fall over sooner than it would otherwise, so you should bear that in mind when sorting your fence.
If you can use concrete repair spurs "in situ" without taking the fence down, that would be ideal, but getting a fixing in might be tricky with access to only one side.

They have done pretty good.
Ours was a new build house, so we've had them just coming up to 24 years.

 

[JohnD]

Hi, first post.
I have a feather-edge fence, the wooden posts are 4"x 4". Eighteen in total.
I need to replace these, but I need to attach the posts to the rails, from the rails side, as I can't get to the other side because of heavy brambles etc.
I need some sort of bracket, similar to the image, but obviously, to fit a 4"x 4" wooden post and then into the wooden rails.
Also, a photo of my fence
Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for any replies.

It's not clear what you're replacing.

Are you fitting new posts and attaching the old rails to them?

Will the new posts be in the same place as the old? (This will be very very hard if they were set in a big lump of concrete)

From what I can see the old rails are not mortised into the posts, but fixed to the face, probably with screws. This is easy to do (but preferably using bolts, washers and nuts, or studding which is much cheaper.

You have probably noticed that wood dug into or touching the ground goes rotten and breaks. Concrete doesn't.

 

[foxhole]

If you want timber post use slotted variety , easier to install panels to them.

 

[JohnD]

...if you want panels.

I now prefer close-board on rails

though my latest effort has horizontal boards spanning wooden posts. It's the strongest fence I've ever seen, short of railway sleepers

 

[DoogyDawg]

It's not clear what you're replacing.

Are you fitting new posts and attaching the old rails to them?

Will the new posts be in the same place as the old? (This will be very very hard if they were set in a big lump of concrete)

From what I can see the old rails are not mortised into the posts, but fixed to the face, probably with screws. This is easy to do (but preferably using bolts, washers and nuts, or studding which is much cheaper.

You have probably noticed that wood dug into or touching the ground goes rotten and breaks. Concrete doesn't.

Fitting new posts next to the old rotting ones (save digging out the old ones) need to fix the the rails to these posts.
I can't get to the other side of the fence to nail/screw the rails to the new posts, as it usually done. I have decided to go halfway of the difficult side of things, and put in concrete, like the photos spurs.
It saves having the fence looking ugly to have a new post two feet away from each old one.
You saw the bottom of the post just above the rot.
The remainder of the posts above the rot are solid.
Anyway, I've decided to go that way.

 

[DoogyDawg]

If you want timber post use slotted variety , easier to install panels to them.

I've decided to go the concrete spur's way, so I can keep the fence as is.

 

[DoogyDawg]

...if you want panels.

I now prefer close-board on rails

though my latest effort has horizontal boards spanning wooden posts. It's the strongest fence I've ever seen, short of railway sleepers

I can't afford to replace the whole lot.... I wish I could.
I'm just saving the old ones now, using concrete spurs. (see reply and images elsewhere on this thread)

 

[JohnD]

Concrete spurs are fine. You can cut the rotten bottoms off your old wooden posts and bolt them to the spurs, not touching the ground.
Leave the concrete several days to harden. A week is better.

If you can rig up a dish to soak the cut post ends in wood preserver it will help

But you will find it hard work getting the stumps and the old concrete out if you want to use the same position.

8mm zinc plated studding is cheaper than huge screws or bolts. Use penny washers under the nuts, and grease the threads.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

8mm zinc plated studding is cheaper than huge screws or bolts.

Going to be a struggle with access only to one side.
The only way I think the OP can do this with access only to one side would be to drill through the spurs and use timber fixings through into the posts.

 

[DoogyDawg]

Concrete spurs are fine. You can cut the rotten bottoms off your old wooden posts and bolt them to the spurs, not touching the ground.
Leave the concrete several days to harden. A week is better.

If you can rig up a dish to soak the cut post ends in wood preserver it will help

But you will find it hard work getting the stumps and the old concrete out if you want to use the same position.

8mm zinc plated studding is cheaper than huge screws or bolts. Use penny washers under the nuts, and grease the threads.

I think I'm going to hire a small breaker, problem is, it means i will have to do them all, 18 as quick as I can, otherwise it will cost be a bomb in hire fees.

 

[DoogyDawg]

Going to be a struggle with access only to one side.
The only way I think the OP can do this with access only to one side would be to drill through the spurs and use timber fixings through into the posts.

When I had one contractor out to have a look (who I never saw again!) said it wouldn't be a problem.
The only way I can think of would be to but some right angle brackets.
Anyway, I have decided to bite half a bullet and go for concrete spurs on the original posts.