Ornamental Aluminum FAQ | FAQ INDEX
Question:
I am unable to set a post tight to a building due to an obstruction buried in the ground.
How do I accomodate this?
Applicable Products:
All styles of fence.
Reply:
It is not abnormal to find a protruding foundation footer, drainage pipe, or other
obstruction next to a house or building. There are many ways to go about setting this post
in concrete and keeping the post tight to the building. We have resorted to many methods,
including welding and building special posts for these applications. When fence posts are
made of steel, aluminum, vinyl or other bendable materials, simply bend the post to miss
the obstruction. You will need to dig the hole to the proper depth regardless. Usually the
post is bent to miss the obstruction and into the alternate hole.
| Avoiding
Obstacles with Fence Posts Click Images to Enlarge |
||
 Fig. 1 |
 Fig. 2 |
 Fig. 3 |
Fig. 1 demonstrates a typical fence post hole, nearly clear of all obstacles. A power auger will take care of any small roots. Larger roots will need cut with a spud bar and cleaned with post hole diggers. Fig. 2 demonstrates the problem of finding an obstruction near the house foundation. Fortunately, most holes near a building are dug by hand so this drainage pipe was found without damaging it. |
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 Fig. 4 |
 Fig. 5 |
 Fig. 6 |
Once an obstruction is found, dig a hole to the side of it to normal depth (Fig. 3). Measure down from grade to determine where to bend the post (Fig. 4). Most residential posts bend easily. Vices, truck racks, hitch receivers, and even forks in tree branches have been used on jobsites to bend posts. Heavier duty posts may require cutting a notch into the post to help start the bend. Bend only slightly, test, the fit and bend more if necessary until you have the perfect fit (Fig. 5). Hold post in place while filling the post hole with concrete. With a properly bent post, you can achieve a tight fit between a building and the post as shown (Fig. 6). |
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Updated 05/31/06
