DEER FENCE INSTALLATION: MIDDLE STEPS 2

Preparation

Early Steps: Installing Posts

Middle Steps: Anchors, Supports, and Adjustments

• Earth Anchors and Braces
• Monofilament Lines and Tie Wire
  • Securing the Fence Top
  • Installing Monofilament Line
  • Figuring Runs of Line
  • Installing Metal Tie Wire
  • Support Lines for Metal Hexagrid Deer Fencing
• Attaching the Deer Fencing
• Joining the Fence Sections
• Dealing with Grade Changes
• Securing the Fence Bottom

Finishing Touches, Gates, and Maintenance

MIDDLE STEPS, CONTINUED

Earth Anchors and Braces, continued

Similar reasoning applies to earth anchors used with gate approach posts and end approach posts (see below).

One also needs to apply a measure of reasonableness. If the fence is a light polypropylene type defending a small California vegetable garden from one or two deer, and there are no snow load or tree limb problems, one can clearly dispense with earth anchors and may even dispense with cement footings.

To anchor a post with an earth anchor, start by securing the earth anchor in the ground. To do this, screw the anchor into the ground at an angle (about 45 degrees, see illustration above), using a bar through the hole in the earth anchor’s handle for leverage. When you are done the earth anchor handle should be all that remains out of the ground, and this handle (as well as the earth anchor’s shaft below ground) should be pointing toward the top of its attachment post at roughly a 45 degree angle.

With a wooden attachment post, proceed as follows: If the post is square or rectangular, set it so that one of its sides faces the earth anchor. On the opposite side of this post, 3 or 4 inches down from the top, pound 3 two-inch u-nails (item 17-01) four-fifths of the way into the wood. (Also do this if the post is a round wooden post.) These u-nails should be spaced an inch or so apart from one another and should be oriented sideways, like three croquet wickets in a line, so that a wire can pass through them. Then string one end of your heavy wire (item 02-07HT1) through the hole in the earth anchor handle so that a foot or so of wire goes through the hole. Next, twist the wire around itself four of five times to secure it to the earth anchor, and cut off any excess wire. Now figure how much wire will be needed to come up from the anchor handle, run through the three u-nails, and twist around itself several times to form a secure attachment. Cut a foot or so more than is needed, run the wire through the u-nails, and holding it good and taut (to take up any slack) twist it around itself four or five times to secure it to the post. Cut off any excess. Your earth anchor is now firmly attached to the post.

Continue

Back to main menu