No matter how attractive and original the built-up fence is, it will be of little use if its supports are poorly executed. Literally in 2-3 years from all the beauty there will only be a skewed fence that does not add presentability to the site and the house. Therefore, it is important to correctly install the pillars for the fence 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 the columns are installed on a sand-crushed stone pillow, 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 pillar, sand is poured over it and pouring is performed for compaction. The total thickness of the pillow should be about 10 cm.
Concrete poles are used for a wide variety of fences, as this is one of the most reliable and durable supports. Such a support is not subject to corrosion and decay, it is practically not damaged, and it is not so difficult to make it.
There are several ways to fill concrete poles, each of which is good in its own way.
Pouring concrete into molds
To make such a pillar, you need to purchase a special form from fiberglass, polyurethane or metal in the store. Although, if you want to save money, you can make such a matrix with your own hands. Moreover, to speed up the manufacturing process, you can make a form for the simultaneous filling of 4 columns.
Concreting of pillars is carried out according to the following technology:
- The mold must be assembled and greased with a special compound or machine oil.
- Tie a rigid structure of reinforcing rods 12-14 mm thick and lay it inside the formwork.
- Lay concrete mortar and carefully align it in shape, while compacting with a vibrating plate.
- On both sides, metal inserts are inserted at an equal distance, to which the casing will subsequently be attached.
- After this, the concrete form is left for preliminary drying, periodically wetting the concrete surface. This is necessary so that when setting, the cement mortar does not crack, and drying proceeds evenly. As a rule, the matrix is covered with wet burlap.
- After about a week, the formwork can be removed and the posts made for the fence, made by hand, finally dried out in a barn or other darkened, but well-ventilated place.
Formwork support
Another option is to make a pillar using a special formwork for columns , which can also be purchased at a construction supermarket or assembled on your own. The use of this method is advisable if a bulky pillar is needed.
The formwork needs to be assembled on all four sides with a height of one meter, there is no need to do it higher, since laying concrete at the first stage will not be very convenient.
Continuation of 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 rods connected using the same technology as in the previous case are laid inside.
Pillar manufacturing features require technical breaks in 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 efforts in the pillar, and it will last much longer.
After making the required number of supports, it is necessary to hollow out the grooves or install anchors to fix the casing under the cottage fence.
Post made of asbestos or plastic pipe
Perhaps the simplest and least troublesome method that does not require large time and money costs is to fill the column with a pipe, which will serve as a kind of formwork.
Wells with a depth of 1.2-1.5 m are drilled into which plastic or asbestos pipes of a suitable size are installed.
The pipe in the well is aligned vertically and is filled up on all sides with earth, which is carefully compacted.
In the middle of the pipe, the reinforcement is laid. If the diameter of the pipe is sufficient, the binding of the reinforcing bars is carried out in accordance with all the rules. In the case of a small diameter, one rod is installed, curved in the form of the letters P, the length of which corresponds to the double height of the concrete pillar.
Concrete is poured. If an asbestos pipe is used, it can be left in place.
The plastic pipe must be carefully removed one week after preliminary setting of the solution.
How to make stacked fence posts
A good option, although not the cheapest, would be to make a support from decorative blocks. Stacked posts for the fence are carried out according to a special method, which significantly differs from standard manufacturing.
For this type, a well is produced 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 fittings of the required height are installed.
The blocks are put on the rods, and the installation instructions from the manufacturer should be followed, since the installation method can be different. Typesetting blocks are of three main types: final, passage and rotary.
Each type-setting block to strengthen the structure sits on the cement mortar, while the size of the seam should be no more than 12 mm. The same composition is poured into the internal cavity of the blocks.
If desired, before filling in the interior of the typesetter, you can lay electrical wiring or other communications for the equipment.
Making wooden poles
Even a wooden pillar can stand up to 20 years, if, firstly, the material is selected correctly, and secondly, it is installed using the appropriate technology.
For a long service life, the oak trunk is chosen as the material for wooden poles, from which it is necessary to remove the bark and subjected to further processing.
The trunk is peeled, and its lower part is treated with hot tar, tar or a special decay preventing agent, which can be purchased at a construction supermarket. For additional waterproofing, a wooden pillar is wrapped with roofing material or a dense plastic film.
Wells for the pillar are carried out according to the general technology, that is, the depth should be at least 1.2 m. It is usually not recommended to fill the wooden pillars with concrete, therefore, after leveling the support vertically, it is covered with sand with compulsory tamping.
If the installation takes place on moving soil, to strengthen the posts, an iron pipe filled with concrete is pre-mounted, in which it is necessary to install a wooden post.
Brick masonry
Brick pillars have a fairly solid weight, so in most cases, they underneath a strip foundation. But before they make the frame for support. This is necessary in order to install and strengthen the brick pillars for the fence with your own hands. As a rule, two main technologies are applied.
First option
At the site of the future pillar, strictly in the center, a metal pole is drilled and installed, which is aligned vertically and secured with wedges. In this case, it is recommended to pre-coat the pipe with a corrosion protection agent or special alkyd paint. After making the foundation, the metal pipe is bricked.
The second way to install a brick support
The second option is performed in the process of pouring the strip foundation, when reinforced rods are laid vertically in concrete. Usually their length is about 30-40 cm. Subsequently, they are extended by welding.
After a week, when the base concrete is sufficiently set, brick laying is performed. Then, a cement mixture of a thick consistency is laid in the cavity formed between the walls of the column. When using more liquid concrete, a ruberoid rolled up in a roll is inserted into the gap, which will allow the solution to leak.
In the process of laying bricks, it is necessary to periodically check both the verticality and the horizontalness of the rows in order to avoid distortion and uneven surface of the column.
Brick pillars made in this way have a long service life, and damage can be easily repaired by replacing the damaged part with new material.
Screw posts
It is very simple to install the posts for the fence with your own hands using screw piles. For their installation, you do not even need to drill a well, the pile itself will do everything, the end of which is very similar to a normal drill.
The standard version of the screw column is 3 m long, while the base with blades is reserved for the underground part.
Depending on the manufacturer, the upper part of the screw support can have both round and square sections. Therefore, you can choose any convenient version of the column for attaching the skin.
Installation of such pillars takes very little time, but the use of these piles is impossible on soils with a high content of rocky inclusions.
But for crumbling and other complex soils, a modification with a large diameter is produced, which allows them to gain a foothold in more thoroughly.
Plastic supports
Relatively recently, new supports made of polyvinyl chloride have appeared, so their distribution is not so widespread. 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 in no way inferior in strength to most country fences, with the possible exception of concrete fences. In addition, this type of support has a service life of at least 50 years, which makes the use of such pillars more than cost-effective.