No matter how attractive and original a rebuilt fence is, it will be of little use if its supports are of poor quality. Literally in 2-3 years, only a skewed fence will remain from all the beauty, which does not add presentability to the site and the house. Therefore, it is important to properly install fence posts with your own hands and not worry about its condition for many years.
Installation of fence posts
Today, there are many materials from which supports for country fences are made, but each type has its own nuances in the manufacture and installation. However, according to generally accepted technology, almost all pillars are installed on a sand and gravel cushion, which is a kind of drainage system. For its manufacture, a layer of crushed stone is laid at the bottom of the pit under the post, sand is poured on top and pouring is carried out for compaction. The final thickness of the pillow should be about 10 cm.
Concrete pillarsused for a wide variety of fences, as it is one of the most reliable and durable supports. Such a support is not subject to corrosion and decay, is practically not damaged, and it is not so difficult to make it.
There are several ways to pour concrete pillars, each of which is good in its own way.
Pouring concrete into molds
To make such a pole, you need to purchase a special mold made of fiberglass, polyurethane or metal in the store. Although, if there is a desire to save money, such a matrix can be made by hand. Moreover, to speed up the manufacturing process, you can make a mold for the simultaneous pouring of 4 pillars.
Pillar concreting is carried out according to the following technology:
- The form must be assembled and smeared with a special compound or machine oil.
- Tie a rigid structure of reinforcing bars 12-14 mm thick and lay it inside the formwork.
- Lay the concrete mortar and carefully align it in shape, while compacting it with a vibrating platform.
- Metal inserts are inserted from both sides at an equal distance, to which the frame for sheathing will subsequently be attached.
- After that, the form with concrete is left for preliminary drying, periodically wetting the surface of the concrete. This is necessary so that when setting, the cement mortar does not crack, and drying takes place evenly. As a rule, the matrix is covered with wet burlap.
- About a week later, the formwork can be removed and the fence posts, made by hand, can be sent,finally dry in a barn or other darkened, but well-ventilated place.
Production of a support using formwork
Another option is to make a pole using special formwork for columns, which can also be purchased at a hardware supermarket or assembled by yourself. Using this method is advisable if a large pole is needed.
The formwork must be assembled from all four sides with a height of one meter, there is no need to do higher, since it will not be very convenient to lay concrete at the first stage.
Continuation of the formwork above a meter is made only on three sides, leaving the fourth for laying concrete.
After installing all the necessary formwork panels, they are fixed with slopes, and reinforcing bars are laid inside, connected using the same technology as in the previous case.
Features of the manufacture of the pillar involve technical breaks for the assembly of formwork, which is highly not recommended when pouring concrete. Therefore, we try to fill the column at a time.
In order for the quality of the manufactured product not to suffer, the cement mortar must be laid in strictly horizontal layers. This will prevent internal forces in the post and it will last much longer.
After making the required number of supports, it is necessary to gouge the grooves or install anchors to fix the sheathing under the country fence.
Pillar made of asbestos or plastic pipe
Perhaps the easiest and least troublesome way, which does not require much time and money, is to fill the post with a pipe, which will serve as a kind of formwork.
Wells are drilled to a depth of 1.2-1.5 m, in which plastic or asbestos pipes of a suitable size are installed.
The pipe in the well is aligned vertically and covered from all sides with earth, which is carefully compacted.
Rebar is being laid in the middle of the pipe. If the pipe diameter is of sufficient size, the knitting of the reinforcing bars is carried out in accordance with all the rules. In the case of a small diameter, one rod is installed, bent in the form of the letters P, the length of which corresponds to the double height of the concrete pillar.
Concrete is being poured. If an asbestos pipe is used, it can be left in place.
The plastic pipe must be carefully removed one week after the pre-set mortar.
How to make stacked fence posts
A good option, although not the cheapest, would be to make a support from decorative blocks. Stacked fence posts are made using a special technique that differs significantly from standard manufacturing.
For this type, a well is made with a depth of 1.0-1.5 m (depending on the height that the country fence will be).
Cement mortar is poured into the well to zero ground level and reinforcement of the required height is installed.
The blocks are put on the rods, withIn this case, the manufacturer's installation instructions must be followed, as the installation method may vary. There are three main types of stacking blocks: end, through and rotary.
Each type-setting block to strengthen the structure sits on a cement mortar, while the size of the seam should be no more than 12 mm. The inner cavity of the blocks is also poured with the same composition.
If desired, before pouring, electrical wiring or other communications for equipment can be laid in the interior of the stacking pole.
Production of wooden poles
Even a wooden pole can last up to 20 years if, firstly, the material is chosen correctly, and secondly, it is installed using the appropriate technology.
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For a long service life, oak trunks are chosen as the material for wooden poles, from which it is necessary to remove the bark and subject to further processing.
The trunk is skinned and the underside is treated with hot tar, resin or a special anti-rot agent that can be purchased at the hardware supermarket. For additional waterproofing, a wooden pole is wrapped with roofing felt or thick plastic wrap.
Wells for the pole are made according to the general technology, that is, the depth must be at least 1.2 m. It is usually not recommended to fill wooden poles with concrete, therefore, after leveling the pole vertically, it is covered with sand with mandatory tamping.
If the installation takes place on moving ground, to strengthen the pillarsan iron pipe filled with concrete is pre-mounted, into which it is necessary to install a wooden pole.
Laying brick pillars
Brick pillars have a fairly solid weight, so in most cases a strip foundation is made under them. But first, a frame for support is made. This is necessary in order to install and strengthen the brick pillars for the fence with your own hands. Generally, two main technologies are applied.
First option
In the place of the future pillar, strictly in the center, a metal pillar is drilled and installed, which is aligned vertically and fixed with wedges. In this case, it is recommended to pre-coat the pipe with a protective agent against corrosion or a special alkyd paint. After making the foundation, the metal pipe is covered with bricks.
Second method of mounting a brick support
The second option is performed in the process of pouring the strip foundation, when reinforced bars are laid strictly vertically into the concrete. Usually their length is about 30-40 cm. Subsequently, they are lengthened by welding.
After a week, when the base concrete has sufficiently set, the bricks are laid. After that, a cement mortar of a thick consistency is laid in the resulting cavity between the walls of the column. When using more liquid concrete, a roofing material rolled up in a roll is inserted into the gap, which will avoid the mortar from flowing.
In the process of laying bricks, it is necessary to periodically check howvertical and horizontal rows to avoid skew and uneven surface of the post.
Brick pillars made in this way have a long service life, and damage is easily repaired by replacing the broken part with new material.
Screw poles
It is very easy to install fence posts with your own hands using screw piles. For their installation, you don’t even need to drill a well, everything will be done by the pile itself, the end of which is very similar to an ordinary drill.
Standard version of the screw pole is 3 m long, with the base with blades for the underground part.
Depending on the manufacturer, the upper part of the screw support can have either a round or a square section. Therefore, you can choose any convenient version of the post for attaching the skin.
The installation of such pillars takes very little time, but the use of these piles is impossible on soils with a high content of stony inclusions.
But for crumbling and other complex soils, a modification with a larger diameter is available, which allows you to gain a foothold in them more thoroughly.
Plastic supports
Relatively recently, new supports made of polyvinyl chloride have appeared, so their distribution is not so wide. Such poles are installed only together with their own plastic sheathing, which has the most diverse appearance, as a rule, imitating other materials. Despite the fact that plastic is used in the manufacture of such supports, they are durableare in no way inferior to most country fences, with the possible exception of concrete fences. In addition, this type of pole has a service life of at least 50 years, which makes the use of such poles more than cost-effective.
