help with fence post

[handyman2020]

Hello,
Not sure if this can be asked here, I will give it a shot.
I have many 4 fence post in the concrete slab and they are bad and hanging, I have put an external support on my property so that they dont fall.

Here is the picture of my fence going really bad

https://imgur.com/gwvQvIx

how can I remove the wooden fence around concrete slab? I tried youtube video but this is best I found

Do I need to redo complete slab floor if I try to fix those fence post?

 

[theoldwizard1]

If the posts are flopping around, they have probably broken off flush at the ground. The real issue is how do you grab onto what is left in the ground. I don't know if any 100% guaranteed griping method without enlarging the hole (removing some concrete).

One YouTube video showed a person attaching a plate withe a lifting eye (not the same as a "wire" eye) with 4 very long wood screws and then you a large steel bar as a lever over a 6x6 fulcrum.

A pressure washer will loosen up the soils grip on the sides of the stump a lot !

Remove a rotten fence post in minutes !

The device you will put on top of the post stump is either an "eye plate" or "pad eye w/plate".

 

[Jbullfrog]

Remove the post from the fence. Get a 1/2 or bigger lag bolt a foot long and a couple flat washers. Put the washers on the lag and screw it into the stub that is below the ground. Now you just need to figure out what you have available to pull up on the lag. An engine hoist, a handyman jack and a short chain, a loader, etc.

 

[The Cobbler]

given the likelyhood of the posts set in concrete,and pulling them will probably pull your pad, I would relocate the new posts to new holes and leave the old onesfor Mother Nature to worry about

 

[Innovate1]

Do they really have concrete slab all the way around? From the picture it looks like they may be beside the slab. If they are set in concrete they are going to be very difficult. You might be able to remove the post and force another in the same hole . You could enlarge the hole around the post, set a new post with gravel around it and just put a few inches of concrete around the top. Our sidewalks were recently redone by the city and they left a slightly larger hole for the mail boxes. Then used some asphalt to fill the hole around the post. Filling a post hole with concrete is a terrible way to set a post if you ask me. It may be very sturdy but makes replacement very difficult if it rots or get damaged and needs replacement. Packing gravel around the post up to about 4 to 6" from the top and then filling the last with concrete makes a sturdy post and is much easier to replace.

 

[nadogail]

Can you remove the wood that is left in the hole and replace it with some steel. My steel fence posts are not going to go any where. They were free from some discarded pallet racking. I did have to trim the ends and weld on tabs for bolting the pressure treated 2X4 rails.

 

[jack stand]

The posts appear to be outside the slab, I'd determine if they used concrete in the post holes to decide how to proceed.
Get a metal rod 2' long (rebar, big screwdriver, etc) and drive it into the ground immediately next to the posts from the outside of the fence.
You should get a good idea if you're only dealing with a post in the dirt or concrete.
I'd plan on completely removing the "panels" and replacing all of the posts and possibly trimming them because of the ends might be a little tender where they're fastened to the posts.

 

[handyman2020]

Please check pictures, on the other side of fence there is neighbor wired fence with installed on 2 inch iron pipes.



Thankyou

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

From those last two pictures, it looks like the posts are next to the slab.

I would do the following:
A) remove fence sections attached to damaged posts
B) remove broken posts
C) get a shovel or narrow spade and dig them out on either side. removing the soil on two sides should make them easy to remove.
D) Install new posts in the enlarged holes
E) Pack hole with fine gravel & or Sand around post. Something that would drain the moisture away.
F) Re install fence sections

 

[flat350]

Fixed the same problem with my fence 2 years ago. The posts below grade were so rotted that they would not pull at all in one piece. Ended up digging them up and redoing them from scratch, moving then wasn't an option due to the amount of roots in the area.

 

[LXCam]

Get a 1.5" or so wood auger bit, drill out as much of the wood as possible then pry the remaining pieces out.

 

[Zeke]

I just get an auger bit about an inch or more and drill 4 holes. One in each corner so as to not nick the concrete And then a bigger one in the center. There's not much lumber left in the hole. Rotted wood can be vacuumed out and the rest splintered and pulled.

You could drill the 4 holes near the corners and try the long bolt trick. But if it won't move, open that sucker up. good piece of 3/4' rod with a chisel tip ground onto it will make short work and you can use existing concrete filled post holes.

The video above shows a similar way. Having an extension on hand is necessary.

 

[The Cobbler]

keep in mind that his holes should be 4' deep due to frost . and the bottom 3' will be like new wood .
I would not try to get the old post out of the concrete, if there is concrete there

 

[supratreo]

like others have said, use a spade bit or similar to drill out as much as you can and chip the rest. or just burn it out lol.
regardless, i would replace with a galvanized post.

 

[strutaeng]

On my property they "wet set" 4x4 cedar posts on this 4" concrete runner. In some areas I was able to remove the posts, clean the holes and install galvanized fence posts with some rapid set anchoring cement.

Other areas I used a wet coring machine with 4" core on the concrete runner. That was a big job. Did like 14 posts on that one side. The 4" diameter allowed for adjustment and again I used anchoring cement.

 

[nadogail]

I have been able to obtain some used EMT (thin walled conduit) in sizes from 1 1/2" to 2". It makes pretty good fence posts if you drill holes and attach your rails with Lag Screws.

Used load beams from Pallet Racking can be repurposed into fence posts; I trim the ends off and weld on tabs to bolt the rails to.

The post hole mix, that you pour in dry and soak, is both a quick and easy to anchor the posts in existing holes.

 

[visionguru]

You might see something like this:

The post was set in concrete, and about a 6" section has rotted away, but there is still quite a bit under, fresh and strong.

It's extremely hard to drill the remaining wood out, even the sharpest drill bits could do nothing to cut fluffy fibers. Last year, I only manged to remove about 4~5" deeper, to make the hole 11" deep, barely enough for me to put in a new 4x4, and secure with post setting concrete (pour the premix and add water). But my fence is merely 5" tall, you might need to go deeper.

I would take off the affected fence sections, use a jack hammer to break the post setting concrete, and set the post to proper depth with new concrete. It shouldn't affect the concrete slab.

 

[nadogail]

Never force a steel fence post into a hole; get a bigger hammer.

 

[38Chevy454]

Could something like the steel fence repair brackets work?

Simpson Strong-Tie E-Z Mender 12-Gauge Black Powder-Coated Mender Plate for 4x4 Nominal Wood Post FPBM44E - The Home Depot

Simpson Strong-Tie - E-Z Mender - Allows easy repair of rotted or damaged wood posts installed in concrete or dirt and reinforces weakened wood posts without having to replace it. Features a black powder

www.homedepot.com

Sure a lot easier than trying to remove the old post. If you have sufficient clearance to pound the brackets in.

 

[visionguru]

Could something like the steel fence repair brackets work?

Simpson Strong-Tie E-Z Mender 12-Gauge Black Powder-Coated Mender Plate for 4x4 Nominal Wood Post FPBM44E - The Home Depot

Simpson Strong-Tie - E-Z Mender - Allows easy repair of rotted or damaged wood posts installed in concrete or dirt and reinforces weakened wood posts without having to replace it. Features a black powder

www.homedepot.com

Sure a lot easier than trying to remove the old post. If you have sufficient clearance to pound the brackets in.

When the post was set in dirt, the bracket might work, but if the post was set in concrete (most likely case), no good. I still have one lying around my yard somewhere. The dimension is larger than the post hole, no chance to hammer it into smaller concrete hole.

 

[Alchase]

Take those fence panels down, dig out what you can of the problem fence posts but do not go crazy digging large holes to get the rotted posts out.
Shorten a couple fence sections and put new Steel poles in the new holes, set in concrete. Re-hang shortened fence sections.

I certainly would not waste time digging those old post out. Just get out what you can, And bury the rest. I definitely would not cut existing concrete to enlarge the existing holes just to get the remnants of the old posts out.

 

[Dig Doug]

Just take the fence down and rebuild it, 2 guys, 2 -3 days tops! Use Galvanized steel posts adjust layout so you don’t use the same post holes.

you’ll spend countless hours burning time trying to fix it!

Reuse what you can from the old fence!

 

[Zeke]

like others have said, use a spade bit or similar to drill out as much as you can and chip the rest. or just burn it out lol.
regardless, i would replace with a galvanized post.

Fire and concrete don't get along well. But you did say "lol" so I guess that was a joke.