DEER FENCE INSTALLATION: EARLY STEPS 5
EARLY STEPS, CONTINUED Metal Fence Posts: Angle-Iron Posts An economical alternative to round posts is provided by thick black-painted steel angle-iron posts (items 15-01 and 15-01B30). These posts have a smaller cross-section than the round posts and are less likely to be heaved up by frost. However, the angle-iron posts are not robust enough to serve as corner posts when falling branches, snow, or deer are likely to create significant stress on long fence runs. So in these cases, wood posts, round metal posts, or corner brace kits (item 15-06) should be used on the corners. If you get angle-iron posts you should be prepared to deal with rust by inspecting the posts at least once a year and spraying any rust spots with industrial grade rust-preventive paint (item 15-08 or 15-081). Like round posts, all of these posts look less natural than wood and do not grip the soil as well–so they are not recommended for use on sharp turns or at sites with loose soil unless they are placed in cement footings the same size as those described above for wood posts. To set an angle-iron post into soft soil, simply get on a stepladder and drive the post down with a manual post driver (item 15-05) until seven feet are above ground, testing it periodically from the front and side with a carpenter's level to make sure it goes in straight. If the soil is rocky, use a pry bar (item 15-03PB) as described above in the section on round posts (see the paragraph on setting in nine-foot round posts). As with round posts, when you are putting the fence rolls in place, attach the fencing to each angle-iron post with five or six eight-inch heavy-duty zip-lock ties (item 17-04), but in addition pass the zip-tie through one of the holes in the angle-iron post so as to prevent the zip-tie from slipping down the post and allowing the fence to sag. As noted above, the monofilament line at the top of the fence can also be attached to the fencing with zip-lock ties, although this job can be done faster and better with a Stanley hog-ringer and 9/16-inch metal hog-ring staples (item 17-10). If there are no esthetic objections, a good solution is to alternate wooden posts with metal angle-iron posts, placing the wooden posts 30 to 36 feet apart if they are to support metal fencing, and then placing one metal angle-iron post halfway between them. (For plastic fencing the spacing can be a bit wider, up to 40 feet between the two wooden posts, leaving a span of up to 20 feet between the angle-iron post and the wooden posts on either side.) One can also use exclusively wooden posts in open areas. These should be spaced 15 to 18 feet apart to support a metal hexagrid deer fence or up to 20 feet apart to support a polypropylene deer fence. In any case, if the deer seem at all inclined to jump the more visible fence in this open area, one should consider installing posts topped with angled 13-inch extensions or straight 3-foot extensions to prevent jumping (see Anti-Jumping Insurance). |
McGregor Fence Co. 508-888-8305