Independent LawnMowing Contractors Of Australia Forum
Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Fixing paling fence posts.

  1. #1
    MEMBER Fred's mowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    bayside melb
    Posts
    3,223

    Default Fixing paling fence posts.

    Ive got to do my own but have heaps of customers that Ive now noticed.
    Seems a pretty straight forward job, just straighten up the posts, drive star pickets next to them(600-800mm, sandy soil), then tek screw them to the post.
    If the posts have a conc footing (it appears mine don't) you could drive the star pickets in a little further away & tek screw them to the rails ?

    Anyone do plenty of this kind of work & have other opinions/suggestions ?
    Wouldn't be a bad sideline & easy to point out to customers.

    Cheers Fred.

  2. #2
    Senior Member seliment's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Mount Dandenong, Vic
    Posts
    632

    Default Re: Fixing paling fence posts.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fred's mowing View Post
    Ive got to do my own but have heaps of customers that Ive now noticed.
    Seems a pretty straight forward job, just straighten up the posts, drive star pickets next to them(600-800mm, sandy soil), then tek screw them to the post.
    If the posts have a conc footing (it appears mine don't) you could drive the star pickets in a little further away & tek screw them to the rails ?

    Anyone do plenty of this kind of work & have other opinions/suggestions ?
    Wouldn't be a bad sideline & easy to point out to customers.

    Cheers Fred.
    When they are in this state, is it due to the posts just moving in the soil or are they rotted off at ground level -- in which case, what are the state of the rails & palings? -- time for a fence rebuild?

    In any case - make sure you are going to get paid --
    You are now tangling in areas of the Fences Act regarding dividing fences and the (joint) owners responsibility for mtce/repairs/replacement where many neighbourly disputes often start .... Over who is to pay & for what .

    But then there is the old (farming) saying -- 'Good fences make for good neighbours.

  3. #3
    MEMBER Fred's mowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    bayside melb
    Posts
    3,223

    Default Re: Fixing paling fence posts.

    Many thanx Joe.
    Wasn't looking to do it on any large scale, just the odd one here & there.
    Def wouldn't be consulting with 2 parties, just advising that its a temporary fix to try & get a little more value out of an ageing fence.

    Funny with my own, palings are fine but, rails are well on the way out.
    I suppose thats caused by the water sitting on rails.

    Also was fishing a bit for any alternatives, rather than just star pickets & tek screws.

    Cheers Fred.

  4. #4
    Senior Member seliment's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Mount Dandenong, Vic
    Posts
    632

    Default Re: Fixing paling fence posts.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fred's mowing View Post

    Funny with my own, palings are fine but, rails are well on the way out.
    I suppose thats caused by the water sitting on rails.

    Also was fishing a bit for any alternatives, rather than just star pickets & tek screws.

    Cheers Fred.
    Fred,
    Interesting observation you make on the way urban fences fail..

    When I used to live in Canberra, standard fence used to be reo concrete posts with hardwood rails and palings - all untreated (new fences are prob different now), but it was a race between the top rails rotting (although the drier climate slowed things a bit) and concrete cancer in the posts - reo rusted and caused posts to split apart.
    Palings tended to hold up ok, except if they got painted by one of the properties on one side - then they cupped like a boomerang.

    You have rightly observed it's the water sitting on the rail doing the damage.
    Treated wood helps, but it's amazing what a good coating with preservative/water repellent compound will do (XJ timber preservative is excellent, but it's not the cheapest - amazing how it makes untreated hardwood here in the stand up to weathering as it leaves a waxy surface coating).
    Another good anti weathering agent is sump oil thinned with a bit of kero or diesel.
    Ok, it's black, but soon 'fades' a bit, but if you can get hands on some old gearbox or hydraulic oil, then it's clean.
    Works well on treated pine as, over time it tends to go 'dry and brittle', probably due to some reaction or leaching of the cca.

    Also have noted, possibly on 'better constructed' fences here in Melb, some have a slope (away from fence) on the top rail to avoid water ponding on the top. Looks like it does help a bit.

    Good luck with temp fence post repairs -- a star post should work ok (yep -- it's what farmers often do for a temp - or not so temp - post repair), but a piece of gal RHS (rectangular section) sledge hammer driven on the property side of post & then tek or coach screwed might provide a bit better bearing force in ground as star posts can be pushed sideways fairly readily (over time).

    Joe

  5. #5
    Member Redeye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Shoalhaven ,NSW
    Posts
    5,548

    Default Re: Fixing paling fence posts.

    my neighbour and l built a new side fence recently, all treated timber concreted in

    IMG_20160817_162708_01.jpg




    http://curraronggardening.com/

    "All sin is washed away in the Holy goodness of Beer"
    Book of Redeye, Psalm 69

  6. #6
    Senior Member AJD Mowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Southerland Shire NSW
    Posts
    2,877

    Default Re: Fixing paling fence posts.

    Quote Originally Posted by Redeye View Post
    my neighbour and l built a new side fence recently, all treated timber concreted in

    IMG_20160817_162708_01.jpg
    Good Job ..............
    AJD Mowing Giving Back Your Life

    http://www.ajdmowing.com.au/

  7. #7
    Member Redeye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Shoalhaven ,NSW
    Posts
    5,548

    Default Re: Fixing paling fence posts.

    phone panorama photo makes it look all wonky lol




    http://curraronggardening.com/

    "All sin is washed away in the Holy goodness of Beer"
    Book of Redeye, Psalm 69

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •