Wood Fence - Using Existing Chain Link Posts

[PatBateman]

Talked to landscaper about my situation - I have a very well-built chain link fence with plumb, sturdy posts intact. He said rather than digging them up, he would just buy the 8' (2 3/4" dia.) posts from Home Depot (metal obviously), overlay them onto existing, then use self-tapping screws to secure. He said he did this himself at home and its just as sturdy as setting the 8' pole itself.

Has anyone done this? Do I need to drill pilot holes or can I just screw the self-tapping screws in after making sure its plumb? Any special things to look our for? Is this a good idea? Tell me anything. Please.

 

[NickDanger]

I've pondered this issue before and there is a reason you use the bigger posts. They are stronger. A wood fence catches the wind whereas a chain link does not. I personally believe that you need the bigger posts. Just sleeving them on doesn't change the fact that at the ground you only have that little post to resist the sway.

It may very well work, but it is NOT just as good. I would ask a fencing contractor, not a landscape contractor.

 

[EEE]

what diameter are the existing posts? i built a wood fence with 2 1/4" steel posts and it's plenty strong. all the hardware for that size was available at home depot. are you trying to increase the height?

 

[PatBateman]

I dug up another section (4 posts) of this chain link and removed the posts. Took me 2 weeks of hard work. They are "normal" diameter for a chain link (I don't know exactly) and set in about 3 feet of concrete. Even when I had dug out all but 6" or so, the post would not budge more than a few centimeters. I really think that they will hold up to the wind fine. Good point about talking to a fencing contractor Nick. Any suggestions about the hardward to use? Anyone?

 

[MrPhlegm]

8' posts?

sitting on the top of the ground attached to the metal posts?

How tall is the new fence gonna be?

Me, if I had a 4' chain link fence and was replacing it with 6' wood, I think that I would figure out a way to extend the existing posts another foot and a half using the same diameter pipe at the original posts and secure the upper stringers to that using hardware designed for that.

Or you could buy posts that are a fraction bit larger than the existing ones and are the right length for the fence height and drop them over the existing posts and secure them with the screws, is this what your landscape guy is talking about?

If so it should work and should be as strong as if you had set the new posts in concrete.

 

[NickDanger]

I assumed that the contractor was going to cut the 8' posts off with a sawzall. That's what I would do. But then again, I have my own jackhammer and I would take out the existing posts just to be sure. I'm assuming that what he is talking about doing is using the what? 1 3/8" existing posts in between the 2 3/4" corner posts.

Worry about fastening the sleeves to the existing posts doesn't seem to be the right worry. Those sleeves with all the weight of the fence aren't going to go anywhere. I guess they could teeter back and forth. I would think a little cement dripped down in there would work just as well.

The problem I see is that if is Doesn't work you are in for a lot more trouble than if you just replaced the posts to begin with. If it's the extra work of removing them that's the issue, then just don't. Cut them off at the ground and just move your new posts over a foot or two. There's nothing that magic about where you start or end. A fence never ends in exact multiples of either 8' or 10'.

 

[CelisHorn]

I'm in the same boat as the original poster. I just bought a house and one side of the yard is chain link that I need to replace with a wood fence. I've thought about doing it myself but don't want to screw up the job. Can anyone give a ballpark figure of what it would cost to hire someone to put up a basic six foot tall wood fence about 70 feet long?

 

[horn4life]

Yes the load on a wooden fence is more than on a chain link. However if you are on an interior lot with any reasonable amount of trees around you then I would use the sleeve idea.

You can go to the extra effort and expense for sure, but I could think it would work just fine. You have to figure if winds high enough to snap your fence are happening fence replacement will be just a protion of your homeowners claim.

Now if your fence is isolated then the force issue is probably much more relevant. As a fence is like a large sail and can indeed pull some serious force when in the open. In a crowded neighborhood? Probably a non-issue 98% of the time.

 

[TheRepublicOfTexas]

Celis,

They run about $14.00-$16.00 a running foot plus $150.00 +/- for each gate.