When constructing the main structure of the fence, the pillars play an important role, as they serve as support. Their choice depends on the following factors: the material of the fence, the characteristics of the site (relief, soil type), the design, length and height of the structure, and many others.
For the construction of different types of fences, poles have become popular: wooden, metal, concrete, brick. Today we will tell you about wooden posts and their features, advantages and disadvantages, as well as how to make and install wooden fence posts.
Features of wooden fence posts
Wooden poles serve support to support a fence made of any material (metal picket fence, corrugated sheets, metal tiles). Wooden posts must be of high quality, made from dry wood without defects, chips, cracks or other damage. They are not cheap, and their service life with proper treatment is 15-20 years. To ensure durability, their base is impregnated with antiseptics, covered with bitumen, stain, and the lower part is wrapped with waterproofing. For impregnation, a solution of copper sulfate is used.
You should know that the thickness of the post depends on the height of the fence. If the fence is higher than one and a half meters, then column thickness should be at least 15x15 cm. Fence posts are best taken from solid wood, when the bark has simply been removed from them. It is not recommended to use timber fence posts because the fibers are on the outside and cannot be protected. The service life of timber poles is significantly shorter.
Wooden posts should not come into contact with earth. It is necessary to install the post with the thicker side up, which reduces the absorption of moisture into the wood. It is necessary to make a cap on the upper end of the post that will prevent the impregnation from being washed out. Don't forget that wooden posts need to be painted every year.
Advantages and disadvantages of wooden poles
Wooden posts used for fence construction have their advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of wooden poles:
- low price, in comparison with other materials used for their manufacture;
- ease of installation. Wooden poles can be installed independently, without outside help;
- availability this material for making poles yourself;
- environmental friendliness and aesthetics. Wood is an environmentally friendly material, and poles made from it with high quality look quite beautiful.
Disadvantages of wooden poles:
- sensitive to precipitation;
- shorter service life compared to other types;
- limiting the options for fences installed on wooden posts.
How to make wooden fence posts
Of no small importance is breed wood used in the manufacture of wooden posts for the construction of a fence. The most reliable and durable are fence posts made of oak. You can also use wood species such as beech, hazel, birch, and larch. Coniferous and fruit-bearing trees are not used, since coniferous trees are soft and dry quickly, and fruit-bearing trees have a soft core.
For the fence you can make decorative pillars, as well as pillars with threads, which must be treated with special antiseptic agents.
How to install wooden fence posts
Before installing wooden posts for building a fence, you need to handle special antiseptic agents and they must dry well. Installation of wooden poles is carried out in the following order:
- Conduct marking for the future fence, mark the places where the posts will be installed, taking into account the required interval between them (2 - 3 meters).
- Dig a hole with a shovel or drill a post drill to the required depth, which depends on the type of soil.
- Place the post in the dug hole.
- Fasten pillar by backfilling or concreting.
The pillars are installed strictly vertically in a straight line with a certain distance to ensure a straight, strong fence. It is also necessary that the pillars are dug to the same depth. The depth of the hole for pillars 1.2 m high is 50 cm, for taller ones - 90 cm. To fill the base of the pillar with crushed stone, remove a 15 cm layer of soil.
A wooden pole is installed in a dug hole on brick. The vertical installation of the pillar is checked with a building level from all sides and it is fixed with wooden blocks.
Then cooked solution(1 part Portland cement and 4 parts crushed stone) is laid around the pillar and it is also compacted. To prevent rainwater from lingering near the post, the solution is laid out in a cone.
Fixing vertically exposed pillars can be done by backfilling, which can be carried out on heaving lands. Crushed stone, broken brick (red), fine gravel, and sand are used as backfilling. They fall asleep at the bottom of the hole sand, then install the post and secure it with wedges. The space around the pillar is covered with crushed stone and compacted thoroughly. Concreting pillars on such lands Not recommended.
The easiest and most reliable way consolidation wooden fence posts - a piece of metal pipe. Its walls should be 3-4 mm, and its diameter should be slightly less than the diameter of the column or the same. The pipe is buried in the ground, leaving it 15 cm above ground level. The column is adjusted to the diameter of the pipe and installed in it.
Securing wooden fence posts can be done using metal fence posts or concrete spurs that prevent the posts from touching the ground, preventing them from rotting. To protect from bad weather, you need to cut the top of the post obliquely in one direction so that water can drain well, or you need to nail a cap onto the post. It is necessary to treat poles to protect them from moisture and direct sunlight not only before their installation, but throughout their entire service life.
From the above we can conclude that operational The lifespan of wooden posts, as well as a country fence, depends on the material from which it is made, the correct installation and care of them. If the standards for these three points are met, then the wooden poles will last quite a long time.
A fence made of a strong wooden fence is a pleasure for every owner to have on their property. Such canvases look good, and also fulfill their main purpose - protecting your home or cottage from uninvited guests.
Today there are many ways to build, which are used by summer residents and those who want to equip their plot. The post is the basis of the fence frame; crossbars (joists) are attached to it, and then the fence itself. The choice of a wooden base must be approached responsibly.
The construction of the fence consists of the following stages:
- Installation of pillars;
- Lag fastening;
- Installation of boards.
How to build posts for a wooden fence so that they do not rot
There are many master classes on how to make fence posts yourself. It should be noted: you cannot cope here alone. Competent advice on the issue of processing and installation of wooden bases will not be superfluous. The fence support can be complemented with homemade decor. Woodcarving masters have plenty of room to show their creativity.
Unfortunately, insufficient attention to the initial treatment will lead to inevitable consequences in the future - the fence begins to rot. It is very difficult to deal with processes once they occur. It's easier to prevent trouble.
To prevent the base of a wooden fence from rotting, the following rules must be observed:
- Special treatment will not allow the beams to rot. Whatever wood you choose to build your wooden fence from, its base must be kept in a special solution, a septic tank to prevent rot and insects. Protective waterproofing of the lower part must be done before installation. And after the process, treat with sealant.
- The concrete solution will also prevent the posts from rotting. Concrete is poured into the well where the support will stand. Make sure that the solution is poured under the base of the beam. Gravel is usually placed under the concrete solution, on which the pillar is placed.
- It is recommended to burn or treat with resin the part that is in the ground before installing a wooden support. However, if you decide to install the fence on rocky ground or soft ground, this method is not suitable.
- Rot of the underground part of the post at the installation stage is prevented with the help of an iron pipe 50 cm high, 2-3 mm thick. You just need to insert the timber into it. Ideally, it will be the same size as the pipe. It is highly advisable to coat the pipe itself with an anti-corrosion agent.
It should be remembered that the places between the pillar and the ground are most susceptible to rotting, since high humidity remains here. What causes timber to rot at height is that it does not have time to dry and because of this the wooden support deteriorates.
Correct installation of posts. What distance should be between wooden posts
In order for the support to last longer, you must adhere to certain rules. Having decided on the material and height of the wooden base, before starting the construction process, you need to answer the following questions:
- how deep should the post be driven into the ground?
- what material it should be;
- how to process the support.
The type of wood is important. It is believed that a wooden pole made of oak will last the longest. Larch, pine, ash are also famous for their good reviews. Coniferous and fruit-bearing tree species are not recommended for use in such buildings. Before installation, you will need to purchase solid hardwood logs. Unedged posts are used after sanding and drying for a year. Due to its properties, wood can become deformed during drying; it should be used only after complete shrinkage.
Mounting the columns begins with preparing a special pit. It is better to learn how to make holes for fence posts from knowledgeable people. Stock up on the necessary tools and don’t forget – the installation stage is very important. How strong the fence will be depends on the correctness of the actions.
The pillar is immersed in the hole after treatment with antiseptics and drying. The depth of the pit is from 50 to 90 centimeters (depending on the height of the pillar)
— The distance between the posts to which the fence is attached will depend on the area of the site. The optimal gap is 2.5 meters. It is this remoteness that contributes to the stability of the finished fence and its ability to withstand winds and external factors.
— Installing a support is not a difficult matter, but it is serious. It is important that there is nothing unnecessary on the territory of the future fence. The place where the fence will be placed must be cleared and marked.
The more reliable way to treat wooden fence posts
It is necessary to systematically treat the wooden base from destruction. Experienced builders claim that this way the structure will last longer. All tree species need this.
Rules for choosing timber
When choosing a timber, you should immediately look to see if there is any delamination on it, or if it is infected with grinders. Insects love wood and can completely destroy a post. It is important that there are no knots on the material; they negatively affect the strength of the timber under mechanical stress. If there is mold on it, the structure will begin to rot even after treatment with special means.
How to get rid of pests? The septic tank will solve the problem. In the fight against bugs, other means are chosen: zinc chloride, copper sulfate, creosote oil.
What to do if a wooden support rots and cannot be saved? It’s better to say goodbye to such a beam by replacing it with a new one.
Impregnation of wooden fence posts - guarantee of durability
Treating the posts with antiseptics, opening them with bitumen, wrapping the lower part with waterproofing: measures that contribute to the long service life of the wooden base of the fence.
Special septic tanks will help protect the timber on the surface or completely saturate it. The result of the action depends on their type. Impregnations that penetrate the wood completely are more effective. Such remedies as Aidol Langzeit-Lasur, Belinka, interior Sauna are known. Some of them are perfectly compatible with paint and varnish (Senezh-ecobio).
Impregnations are divided into anti-bug and anti-rot agents, but there are also universal preparations. However, the products should not be water-based. You can choose those that protect wooden poles from fire (Pirilax).
The longevity of the post and fence will depend on several factors: material, proper installation, and maintenance with regular pest control treatments. Choose the most affordable option and forget about rot and damage while admiring your sturdy wooden fence.
Wooden fences are a traditional type of fencing of private territory in Russia, which is still popular today. Wooden supports are often chosen for construction. True, in order for the structure to last for a long time, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the material and properly prepare the timber or log for installation.
Benefits of installing wooden poles
Wooden fence posts are suitable as a supporting structure for wooden and metal picket fences and corrugated sheets. Along with reinforced concrete and metal supports, wooden ones are still often chosen. Why:
- Low cost is one of the key reasons. Even a processed log will cost much less than products made from other materials;
- Availability of products is also an important advantage. You can buy the poles ready-made or make them yourself;
- The ease of installation of poles eliminates the need for lifting equipment, the process is accessible to any inexperienced developer;
- The environmental friendliness and aesthetics of natural wood need no introduction. The log can be given any shape and any carved ornament can be sculpted on it.
What to pay attention to
Others will call these disadvantages, but we will rephrase them as features that need to be taken into account when choosing wooden posts for effective and long-lasting results:
- Wood is sensitive to moisture, both from the soil and from rain, fog, and melted snow. In order for the product to retain its shape and characteristics, it is necessary to treat it with waterproofing compounds.
- Protection of wooden posts from rotting in the ground is ensured by applying antiseptic impregnations to the lower part of the product and its additional waterproofing.
- Wood has a short service life compared to concrete and metal, but it can be extended with proper care and timely processing of the product.
- Wooden supports can only support lightweight fencing structures; they are not suitable for forged and concrete structures.
How to make a pole with your own hands
Buying ready-made supports will cost much more than home-made products. To make fence posts yourself, you will need deciduous tree trunks:
- Birch;
- Larch;
- Hazel.
The minimum diameter of the support should be 15 mm, more is possible.
To make a pole, you need to take a pole of stable thickness and remove the bark from it. If desired, the surface can be leveled with a plane and a carved pattern can be made to give the log a shape.
After manufacturing, the product must be coated with antiseptics, which will prevent the pole from getting wet and protect it from rotting. A 2-layer coating would be a good idea; special attention is paid to the ends of the support, which take the most significant load and are least protected from water penetration.
How to treat wooden posts before burying them in the ground
Coating with antiseptics alone is not enough to protect the underground part of the pillar. It must be treated with waterproofing compounds. Suitable for this:
- Liquid molten bitumen;
- Polymer special coating mastic;
- Tar;
- Technical development.
To waterproof the underground part of the pillar, liquid coating is needed. It fits tightly to the material and creates reliable protection. Roll wraps are ineffective in this case.
Installation of a fence with wooden supports
The principle of installation of wooden fence posts is as follows:
- The installation site is cleared of the fruiting layer, plant rhizomes are removed for ease of work;
- Dig a hole with a garden drill of a suitable diameter or call in special equipment;
- A cushion of crushed stone and sand is poured onto the bottom;
- Lower the support into the hole;
- Fill the soil back and compact it thoroughly.
Several methods for convenient installation of supports and fences are based on this principle.
Method 1. Working with finished products
The first method involves using ready-made pillars as a support. It is necessary to purchase a set of cut wooden logs, treat the underground part with antiseptic and waterproofing, and immerse the pillar in the ground in a hole prepared using the basic method.
Quick installation and no labor costs for making supports save time, but not money.
Method 2. Installing supports in the standard way
This installation method is good because it repeats the basic plan algorithm, but has several distinctive features:
- Using geotextiles to filter water and stabilize the soil layer. By the way, this is one of the ways to dig a wooden pole into the ground so that it does not rot;
- The pit can be filled not with soil, but with rubble or large crushed stone. Such support is more reliable than ground support, and also drains the soil from groundwater. When soil heaves, the column will not be forced out of the hole due to the work of large particles.
Method 3. Eliminate rotting
Another way to protect wooden posts in the ground from rotting is concreting. We use it to replace backfilling of soil. How to carry out the process:
- The pit is prepared in the usual way: drilling, installation of a sand and gravel cushion.
- The walls of the pit need to be paved with 1-2 layers of roofing felt. It will protect the concrete from water and act as a formwork for the mortar.
- The treated log is inserted into the hole and secured with wire strapping in a strictly vertical position.
- The concrete solution is poured and compacted with a submersible vibrator.
This method of installing wooden poles has several advantages:
- The lack of contact between wood and soil prevents rotting of the latter;
- The supports significantly increase their service life compared to conventional buried ones. Heavier fencing can be mounted on posts;
- Such a foundation does not require maintenance; if the construction technology is followed correctly, the pillars practically do not change their position.
Method 4. Combined pillars
This method differs from others by the participation of one more component - a metal or asbestos-cement pipe. It will work as an insulator of the log from the ground for the same purpose - excluding direct contact between the ground and wood to maintain the strength of the support. How to install:
- 1) A pipe at least 1 meter long is buried in such a way that about 15 cm remains above the ground surface.
- 2) The soil is poured back into the hole along the outer diameter of the pipe and thoroughly compacted.
- 3) The log is selected so that its diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe. At the base of the post, make a cut 30-40 cm long, cutting out a diameter that is 5-10 mm smaller than that of the pipe. The work requires high precision and accuracy. The result is a support with a lower base narrowed to fit the inner diameter of the pipe.
- 4) The cut area is soaked in antiseptic or drying oil and allowed to dry.
- 5) After the drying oil has dried, the end of the column is covered with hot tar and inserted into the pipe. If there are gaps left, they are also filled with this polymer.
The connection between the pipe and the pole can be done before burying, there is not much difference, the issue is the ease of implementation of the actions.
Additional protection measures
Treating wood with an antiseptic and waterproofing before burying it in the ground does not guarantee the safety of the pole during its service life. A few simple tips will help increase service life:
- It is recommended to paint the above-ground part of the support once every 3-5 years in order to renew the peeling paint;
- Antiseptics can be replaced with ordinary oil paint, which leaves no chance for microflora;
- Before applying paint to the surface of the wood, it is advisable to prime the base. This will help create a long-lasting coating effect with additional impregnation of the wood.
- If the pillars are not concreted, it is advisable to carry out diagnostics of them every 5-7 years in order to identify processes of rotting and defective work. It is often cheaper to fix a fault than to change structural elements.
- The most unprotected part of the column and susceptible to water absorption is the top. There are a large number of wood channels on the cut, so water and humidity are intensively absorbed into them. Experts recommend purchasing special metal covers for each support. They are made in different versions, you can choose products that suit your site or the facade of your house.
The production and installation of wooden fence supports is available to every developer, regardless of construction experience. It is enough to have the necessary set of tools in your arsenal and you can start assembling a wooden fence yourself.
Despite the constant emergence of new modern materials on the construction market, natural wood has not lost its privileged position. Due to its presentability, ease of finishing and installation, it is most often used for the construction of fences. Wooden fence posts reduce the cost of the fencing structure and reduce the time for its construction.
The use of wooden posts provides the fence with:
- beautiful appearance. This natural material has a unique texture, which can be further developed with the help of special impregnations;
- high strength at low cost. By choosing wooden supports of a suitable cross-section and installing them correctly, you can strengthen the fence structure and make it resistant to strong gusts of wind and mechanical damage. Moreover, the cost of the material will be lower than metal, stone or brick;
- ease of installation. Wooden poles are lightweight, easy to process, and you can easily install them yourself without having carpentry skills;
- the ability to combine with other raw materials and building materials. To build a fence on such racks, you can use not only sections made of boards, but also sections made of metal or corrugated sheets;
- environmental friendliness.
Please note: a wooden post is sensitive to moisture, which causes it to rot. You can avoid this and extend the service life of the support by treating it with a protective compound before installation.
Wood selection
The strength and service life of wooden supports depends on the type of material. The best characteristics are found in oak, pine, larch and walnut wood. The beams made from them are not only durable, but also resistant to moisture.
Advice: you should not use posts made of aspen, poplar, or birch for fencing - they are prone to rapid rotting.
When choosing posts for a wooden fence, you should give preference to dried planed timber. The humidity of the raw materials should be no higher than 15%. If the material is not dried correctly, it will end up curled.
If there is wood with bark, it must be thoroughly cleaned and treated with insect repellent. This will get rid of bark beetles and other pests that can damage the product.
Lumber should be inspected for knots. If there are many of them, the strength of the beam is significantly reduced, and it becomes unable to withstand loads. Also, the wood should not have any delamination or moldy areas. This material is not suitable for supports.
Installation
Due to the lightness and ease of processing of raw materials, installation can be performed by 1-2 people without special training in a short time. To support low fences (up to 2 m), square/round beams with a cross section of 90-100 mm are used. Fences over 2 m are fixed using posts concreted in the ground. When constructing a blind fence, posts are used whose cross-section is 20-30% larger than the standard one.
There are several ways to install a wooden pole:
- manually driving into the ground. This is a temporary measure when it is planned to replace the racks with brick or metal ones;
- installation into a piece of pipe driven into the ground;
- backfilling with stone (gravel, crushed stone, rubble);
- by concreting in a well.
Advice: when installing them yourself, the simplest and most reliable way is to fill them with stone or concreting them. This makes it easier to level the racks using only a cord stretched over the top and a building level.
Injection
If you have no experience, you can buy ready-made supports and install them yourself. After processing the ends, they are buried in the ground, compacted well. As you deepen, the vertical position of the timber is checked with a level. If the tilt is slight, the position of the stand is corrected by hitting its side with a hammer.
Attention: larch supports are not hammered directly like oak ones, since this type of wood is prone to splitting. They are installed in the ground, having previously deepened the pipe there. The resulting guide hole will simplify driving in posts made of this type of wood.
After 5 years, a check should be made to detect fungus or rot. If you use high-quality impregnation, the racks will remain intact.
Installation using pipe
For installation you will need a metal cylinder, preferably steel. An analogue can be a piece of asbestos-cement pipe.
Attention: the workpiece must be of such a diameter that the timber fits tightly into it. If the pipe is wide, the pole will wobble.
How to install the stand correctly using this method? The lower part of the support (30 cm) is cut down so that its end fits into the pipe. Then it is covered with drying oil, leaving it for several days to absorb it. After this, the end of the column is treated with hot tar, pressing it into the pipe section. All cracks are filled with the same material. After this, the support should be dug into the ground so that the top of the pipe rises slightly above the ground (by 5 cm).
Backfilling with stone
A hole is made in the ground using a drill with a depth of over 1 m. The width of the hole should be twice the diameter of the post. Its bottom is covered with gravel. Then the support is inserted, after which all the side gaps are filled with stone, compacting it tightly.
Note: before installing wood posts in heavy loamy soil, the soil should be pre-soaked. To do this, a hole 30-40 cm deep is made in it, which is periodically filled with water throughout the day. The next day you can begin installing the beams.
Concreting
Installing wooden poles using this method is similar to the procedure for filling them with stone. The difference is that after installing the support, it is secured with wooden spacers, and then the gaps are filled with small portions of gravel, filling them with a concrete mixture.
Building a fence with wooden posts is a simple and affordable option for fencing a site. If you choose the right raw materials and follow the installation technology, such supports will last a long time.
All photos from the article
In the process of performing various construction works, sometimes it becomes necessary to attach a wooden pole to concrete. As a rule, this operation raises many questions among novice masters. In this article we will look at how to attach wooden poles to a concrete base in several ways.
General information
The need to install wooden poles on concrete can arise in a variety of situations, for example, when installing fences, building gazebos and other wooden structures on a strip foundation.
At first glance, it may seem that installing a wooden pole on concrete is very difficult, but in reality, professionals have some tricks that allow them to cope with this operation without any difficulties. Below you can see for yourself.
Installing a wooden post on concrete
First of all, it should be said that installing pillars on concrete often means different operations:
Below we will take a closer look at each of them.