How To Remove Old Fence Posts Set In Concrete

How To Replace A Fence Post Without Removing Concrete

Replacing a fence mail service isn't an easy task, especially if information technology's set in concrete. A typical fence post can sit in 2 – iv 80 pound bags of physical which is approximately 160 – 320 pounds. And that doesn't include the weight of the post or the dirt that gets stuck to the concrete. Then at that place'due south depth to consider. Typically a debate mail service is cached well-nigh 1/three of it's above ground height. That means a 6 foot high fence post would exist about 2 feet underground. You'll have to dig deep in order to loosen the physical enough to remove it. It'southward not a difficult chore if you have a Bobcat but it'due south very hard to exercise by paw. A better selection may exist to replace the contend post without removing physical.

The best way to replace a fence postal service without removing the concrete footing is by prying it out. You tin do this with a long lever and fulcrum or a car jack. In either case, nail some wood to the mail service start to pry against so become to piece of work. Pry until the post releases from the concrete and comes all the mode out. then clean the hole and set your new post.

Removing just the fence postal service isn't a simple job, but information technology'due south easier than the culling. And leaving the concrete footing where it is tin can salvage you fourth dimension and money when y'all gear up the new postal service. If the concrete is removed when you lot supplant the fence postal service, y'all'll have to pour new concrete subsequently. That tin be a lot of work if you've got several posts to fix.

Ahead we'll discuss how to replace a debate post without removing the concrete besides every bit situations like what if the post is partially rotted, croaky, or fully rotted. And what if you want to remove the concrete too.

Accept The Fence Autonomously

If you want to replace a fence mail service without removing physical then yous'll beginning have to take down the sections of fence that are fastened to the mail service. Only remove the fence sections directly attached to the post. This will generally include the fence panel and perhaps a peak and bottom cross beam. The verbal pieces that need removal will depend on the blazon and fashion of your argue.

Be sure to continue all the pieces some place safe as you take apart the fence. Some fences secure the cross beams with edge clips and screws. You'll need all the parts when you rebuild the fence afterwards. Also take note of how the argue went together.

I find it helpful to take pictures whenever I disassemble something that I afterwards want to put back together. It's easier than using labels an shows me exactly what the thing looked like every step of the manner.

Get some help if the fence panels are heavy.

Mostly the only tools you'll need will be a screw gun with multiple tips. Near fences are put together with clips and screws. However if you accept an old fashioned style wood fence when cross beams become through the post then you lot may want to bring a hammer or mallet.

If the argue panels are nailed to the post it's be a tougher job than if it'due south screwed together. Get a skilful smash puller with a cats claw and advisedly remove all the nails. You should also buy new nails or screws for when you put the fence back together.

Remove The Post

To supplant a fence mail service without removing concrete, you lot need to pry the postal service out.

How yous remove the fence post depends a lot on the condition of the post and why y'all're removing it. Basically this breaks down into two main categories, damaged or rotten posts and fence posts all the same in skilful condition. The removal is basically the same except with a damaged or rotten post you'll be cutting the mail down before removing information technology.

The almost common reasons for replacing a argue post are a cracked or rotten post or considering you need to make the post higher. We'll hash out basic removal beginning and and then get into how to remove rotten posts.

Removing a fence post from physical involves leverage and a expert pry bar or car jack. Using a car jack or 2 is definitely the easier option.

Start by screwing a strong piece of wood or two deeply onto the side of the fence mail service. The top depends on how you'll be prying the wood out of the physical. Make sure this wood is really stiff because this is what you lot'll be prying confronting.

If your concrete is below form then yous'll have to do a little excavating before you start prying the post out. Dig down and expose the concrete. This will foreclose dirt from falling into the pigsty later the post is removed. It volition too permit you to silicone around the new post which can help prevent rot.

Car Jack

The first and best method I similar to use are two auto jacks. Using one jack can button the post at an bending which makes it harder to elevator out of the concrete. By using two jacks, you lot can alternating which helps lift the post straight up.

First I secure two chunks of wood to either side of the post. I attach them virtually ii-iii inches above the jack. These chunks are what you'll attach the jacks to after so make sure the connectedness is strong.

Adjacent I set the jacks. Make sure to residue the jacks on wood or a concrete block and so they don't button down into the dirt as yous jack them.

Once the jacks are in place lift them so that they're both snug against the wood you just secured into the side of the post.

Finally first jacking near ane/2 inch at a time. Alternate jacks and then the forest pulls straight up.

If you don't accept two jacks it can exist done with simply one. Endeavour you best to lift the post straight up out of the concrete and not at an bending. If the jack pushes the post at an angle it'll make it harder to lift out of the physical.

If you don't have a car jack on mitt, yous can use a lever instead. It's harder but still works corking.

Lever & Fulcrum

If you lot want to supplant a fence post without removing concrete merely don't have jacks, you'll have to use a lever. This is the same basic thought equally using a jack only you'll exist doing the work by manus.

Offset, yous have to create a fulcrum to identify your lever on. This can be built out of most annihilation but I similar to employ a thick log. Prying against a round surface makes it a picayune easier.

Slide a strong beam, around eight to ten anxiety long, on top of the fulcrum and nether the piece of wood you lot screwed into the post. The longer the wood the easier your job will be. Make sure the lever is very stiff wood or steel. I like to use at to the lowest degree a 4×4. You don't desire the lever flexing much as you push.

Kickoff putting pressure on the beam. If your not strong enough to push the post out past yourself y'all can apply counterweights. The more weight yous add the easier it will be.

Standing on the beam is an like shooting fish in a barrel mode to add together weight to the beam but I don't recommend it. Information technology tin exist unsafe, especially when the mail service gives way.

Endeavour stacking bags of fertilizer, soil or physical onto the beam. They're heavy and piece of cake to proceed steady on the beam because they're a bit malleable.

Add together weight slowly and apply steady pressure. Continue an heart on the postal service and concrete equally they start to movement.

If the concrete starts to move with the postal service then you may not be able to divide them. Depending on how much concrete was used and how well it attached to the post, this method may pull out the concrete at well. It's not always possible to remove a postal service from physical.

Removing A Rotten Post

If the post is rotten or damaged, the method you'll use to remove it may be a piddling different.

First cut or suspension the primary portion of the mail off at the damage. Generally I similar to cut right below the damaged area but if it's as well low you'll take to cut above it. Make certain to get out some corporeality of good wood above ground to pry against. Cutting the entire post off too depression volition make removal harder after because you won't take enough room for a jack or level.

Sometimes an unabridged post can be rotten at the physical which makes prying incommunicable. You lot need some strong expert wood to pry against. In this example use a demo bar and hammer to chip and pry out woods that's within the physical. Bang the bar into the rotten forest and and then pull pieces out with a smaller crow bar. A clawed bar tin can really help hither. Keep banging and splitting the forest pulling pieces out as y'all become.

You can also use a long drill scrap. Screw down into the wood and pull out pieces equally you work. Screwing into the forest softens and in some cases chews it upwards. This makes removal much easier.

Another method I utilise information technology to drill in a really long, fatty screw. Like a 3/4″ structural commodities with really strong threads. Once the commodities is in place information technology gives me something to pry against.

Replacing a rotten mail service without removing physical is harder than but prying it out, simply with enough work yous'll get it.

Clean The Concrete Post Pigsty

Once the postal service is removed, clear out the pigsty of any debris. There may be chunks of wood or dirt left behind. This is especially truthful if the old post was rotten.

Take your bar and break abroad whatever chunks remaining and pull them out of the hole. A lot of times modest chunks of wood will get stuck to the concrete. Y'all want a nice make clean hole to slide the new post into so make sure to get all the little pieces. The cleaner the hole, the easier installing the new post will be.

Many people use fire to burn debris out of the pigsty simply I don't like the method. Chipping and pulling chunks out has always worked meliorate for me.

If yous want to try fire then take a hose on hand just in instance.

Use some kindling to offset the burn down inside the hole. Go along it burning every bit long as you lot need to in gild to get all the smaller chunks out. Use a vacuum to suck out all the remaining char.

Make sure you lot have your time and get the hole every bit clean as possible. In order to replace a fence postal service without removing concrete, you lot have to re-use the physical. If the holes non clean you lot won't be able to slide the new mail in which defeats the purpose.

Install A New Fence Mail

Brand certain y'all use the same size post as the 1 you removed. This will ensure the best fit. Go on in heed that lumber isn't e'er the exact same size. It's called nominal sizing. For case, y'all can society a 2×10 joist but the actual size could be anywhere from 9 one/2 – 9 three/4 inches. Make sure to measure the inside diameter of the hole and buy a new post with the matching outside diameter. Or merely a picayune bit smaller.

If your new mail is a piffling too big to fit into the physical hole, you'll take to work it a chip. Take some measurements and find out how much you'll need to alter the mail.

If the post is only a fiddling fleck too big, effort sanding it down. Utilize a sandpaper with a rough dust. Merely if the mail service is a 1/16th or more too big, you lot should cut the post downwards. Employ a round and shave what you lot need off. If you lot don't have power tools where y'all're working try a paw aeroplane with a sharp blade and shave the forest downwardly.

Check that your new post is level and at the proper meridian when fully inside the hole.

Mensurate the hole depth before you buy the new post to ensure your finished height will be correct. The new mail service has to be deep plenty to provide adequate strength just besides high enough to support the debate panels.

As a general rule of thumb, at to the lowest degree a third of the fence elevation should be cached underground. For case, a 6-foot fence will need at to the lowest degree two feet cached, which ways you lot need an 8 foot postal service.

Once the post is set, silicone around the edges where the wood meets the concrete. Silicone helps go on water from slipping into the cracks which may prevent future rot.

Backfill

At present that the sometime mail service has been successfully removed without removing the concrete, the hole cleaned and the new mail service set in place, you lot tin back fill up.

In cases where the top of the concrete is below grade, you'll have to dig a piffling to expose it earlier the mail service is removed. At present's the time to dorsum make full and level the soil. In most cases you can simply button the dirt you dig right back into the hole. Level the soil and tamp it down a bit.

If the concrete footing is higher up form yous probably won;t have any backfill work to practice.

If for some reason yous need more than soil, I recommend using the same blazon as what you dug out. Utilise sandy make full if your working in sandy ground. Just if your soil has grass so use fill up soil that's proficient for growing grass.

Earlier you backfill, double check that your post is level and at the right height. Too make sure to silicone around those cracks where the post meets the physical. It'due south a small step that can prevent hereafter rot.

Install The Fence Panel

Once the postal service is set in place and your backfill is consummate, information technology's fourth dimension to install the argue panel.

Practice your installation in the reverse social club of how you took it apart. This is why it's important to continue all the screws and parts in a safety identify and to accept pictures as you disassembled the contend.

Removing The Fence Postal service And Concrete

In some cases, information technology'due south just non worth the extra attempt it takes to remove a replace a fence post without removing concrete. And for some posts information technology's not even possible. If the installer used rebar or bolts along with the post, there's no way to lift the post out of the concrete.

In these cases where you lot don't want to, or can't, replace the argue post without also removing the concrete, yous'll take to supplant everything. Below nosotros'll explain how.

Take The Fence Down

Carefully take apart the fence panel continued to the post you lot'll exist removing.

Simply equally before, be sure to keep rails of how the argue goes dorsum together, take pictures as you lot go and save all the parts.

Remove The Mail And Physical

In that location are a few different ways to remove a argue post and concrete footing.

The first is to dig the entire footing out and so remove it from the pigsty. This is very hard to exercise by hand. I merely recommend it if yous have the aid of a machine. But if your going to dig it out by manus so here's a great fourth dimension and labor saving tip. But dig out two sides and then push and pull the post out. Removing two sides of clay leaves plenty room to move the physical into the void and remove information technology. You don't accept to dig on all four sides.

I recommend using a machine jack or level here as well.

Showtime by digging around the concrete about an inch or two deep.

Wrap a steel chain tightly effectually the exposed physical. Make certain at that place'south enough chain left over to adhere to the jack.

Attach the chain to the car jack and start cranking until the argue mail service and concrete come out. You can substitute a lever in place of the auto jack if you adopt.

The key to removing the concrete with a chain and jack is a very tight connection. The chain has to be super tight effectually the concrete. If the bond isn't tight, the chain volition pull off. It helps to jack at a slight angle, this volition help continue the concatenation tight against the concrete. If y'all jack straight up it'southward easier for the chain to pull off.

Ready The New Post

Now that the onetime postal service has been removed yous can replace it with a new one.

Removing the concrete footing volition exit a pretty big hole. But yous should still double bank check the measurements. Don't simply assume that the hole is the correct size for your new post. Remember that about ane/3rd of the in a higher place ground postal service elevation should be below ground. For example, a 6 foot loftier fence post should have near two foot cached under ground. If the hole isn't deep enough you'll demand to dig it down until it's the correct depth.

Also, make certain the hole is wide enough for the amount of physical you lot want to pour. If you plan on using 3 bags of concrete per mail service, make sure the hole is the correct size to let it. If non, y'all'll have to make the hole wider.

Information technology's besides a good idea to add a few inches of gravel to the lesser of the pigsty. This provides some drainage and a solid base for the concrete.

Fix the new post in identify and make sure it'southward level. I apply a few 2x4s temporarily nailed to the post to continue it level equally I pour my physical.

Pour the concrete slowly a bag at a time while checking the post remains level.

A new product on the marketplace is expanding basis foam. I prefer physical but the foam works actually well too. And it's easier to work with. Concrete's heavy only foam's very light. And it sets up much faster. Typically I wait a full day earlier installing the fence panel but with foam you can practice information technology the same solar day. Although they do make fast setting concrete that sets upward in about an 60 minutes.

Once the concrete is dry silicone around the edges where the concrete meets the mail service and then backfill as needed.

When working with foam there'south no need to utilize silicone. The foam provides a water tight seal against the wood.

Install The Contend Panel

Now that Your debate post is set in place, information technology's time to install the panel.

Install the new panel in the reverse club of how you took it autonomously. This is where pictures come up in handy. You should be able to use all the same screws and connector brackets every bit before.

Summary: How To Replace A Contend Mail Without Removing Concrete

Replacing a fence post isn't an easy job, particularly if information technology'southward set in concrete. A typical fence post tin sit down in 2 – 4 80 pound bags of physical which is approximately 160 – 320 pounds. And that doesn't include the weight of the mail service or the dirt that gets stuck to the physical. Then there's depth to consider. Typically a debate mail is buried about 1/3 of it's above footing pinnacle. That ways a vi foot high fence mail would exist about ii feet hush-hush. You lot'll take to dig deep in guild to loosen the physical plenty to remove it. Information technology'south not a difficult job if you have a Bobcat only information technology'due south very difficult to do by hand. A better option may be to replace the fence post without removing concrete.

The best way to replace a fence post without removing the concrete ground is by prying it out. You can do this with a long lever and fulcrum or a car jack. In either case, nail some wood to the post kickoff to pry against and then go to work. Pry until the postal service releases from the concrete and comes all the way out. so clean the hole and set up your new post.

Removing just the fence mail service isn't a simple task, but it'southward easier than the culling. And leaving the concrete footing where it is can relieve you fourth dimension and money when you set the new post. If the concrete is removed when you replace the fence postal service, y'all'll take to pour new concrete later. That tin exist a lot of work if you've got several posts to fix.

If you have any questions or comments near how to remove a fence post without replacing concrete Email whatsoever fourth dimension.

Source: https://gambrick.com/how-to-replace-a-fence-post-without-removing-concrete/