Save unstable post support for fence

[Mikael044]

I have cast about thirty pillars for a fence, but now, after a week of curing, I discover that when I attach a 1.1m long 95x95 post, it wobbles quite a bit in the post shoe. The pillar is stable, the attachment with lag screws is stable, but there is some play between the post shoe and the pillar.

Can it be salvaged without braces?

I'm considering if it's possible to pour more concrete up to the bottom of the post shoe for more stability, is that an option?

Grateful for any help!

 

[jonaserik]

You should assemble everything with studs and other items vertically on the post. Then it will stand firmly in its hole, otherwise, you will have to try to remove it, drill a larger hole, and use chemical anchors.

 

[Timmermannen77]

Unfortunately, they never build fences well with that type of pole shoe.
To make it stable, you should cast down pole irons on each side of the pole.

 

[sultanen1]

Cut/saw to pieces of pallningsbrickor and tap in might be worth testing

 

[kniv]

Tear up the post support and drill the hole more. Put in chemical anchor and put the post support back in.

But if you don't use adjustable post supports with a threaded rod, I don't understand why you don't use two concrete post brackets, much better.

 

[Mikael044]

Thanks for the tips! I can blame poor preparation for not using stolpjärn. I thought stolpsko would work well.

Would it really help to attach the same flawed connection with chemical anchors instead? No one likes my idea of casting an additional centimeter to get more of a stolpjärn character?

I will also look into shimming plates but it seems like a not very long-term solution.

 

[Gimp]

Yes, use expanding concrete, it expands a bit and is hard as h..l. But that's under the condition that the bracket is anchored in the foundation further down, otherwise it doesn't work at all.

 

[Turbo_Tail]

I have cast about thirty piers for a fence, but now after a week of curing I discover that when I attach a 1.1m long 95x95 timber post, it wobbles quite a bit in the post support. The pier is stable, the attachment with French wood screws is stable, but there is some play between the post support and the pier.

Can it be salvaged without diagonal supports?

I'm considering whether it's possible to cast more concrete up to the bottom of the post support for more stability, is that an option?

Grateful for all the help!

I made the same mistake when we built the house. A post support is only designed to bear weight in a vertical position. Not from the sides! Using post supports for fences is unfortunately not fit for purpose - think about how a sailboat looks on dry land. All the force that the concrete foundation has to withstand in the form of storms is anchored in about 12 mm of iron under the post support - talk about being the weak link in a chain. I would have used larger diameter casting tubes, so I fixed it with extra support in the form of bent (sheet/steel?) triangular supports that could be attached partly to the concrete and partly up along the post. It has held for about 10 years, but the fence is not straight. There is hardly anything worse to build than docks and fences...

 

[Workingclasshero]

Hi

Unfortunately, try again and do it right!
And by that, I mean start over, there are no shortcuts here.
Trying to tweak and fix is futile.
You will spend time and money as you continue, continue on a new stable foundation.

I understand how you feel, but good luck, keep fighting.
/Workingclasshero

 

[Mikael044]

Thank you for all the answers! I have a feeling that Workingclasshero is right here, but that wasn't an option at present. It ended up with me adding concrete a bit up the post base, and it actually became stable (see below). We'll see how long it lasts, I'll write an update when/if it collapses!

Hello

Unfortunately, do it right from scratch!
And by that, I mean redo it, there's no shortcut here.
Trying to tweak and fix is pointless.
You will spend time and money as you continue, start again on a new stable foundation.

I understand how you feel, but good luck, keep fighting.
/Workingclasshero

 

[jonaserik]

Thanks for all the responses! I have a feeling that Workingclasshero is right here, but that wasn't an option at the time. I ended up adding concrete a bit up on the post base, and it actually became stable (see below). We'll see how long it lasts, I'll write an update when/if it collapses!

It will probably be fine, a bit hard to get the brackets together. But cut off the pipe all the way down to the concrete and put, for example, 2 layers of thick tar paper under the post so it's not standing in water. You can also advantageously carve out a small channel in the middle underneath so that water can drain out.

 

[Uzelac]

Thank you for all the answers! I have a feeling that Workingclasshero is right here, but it wasn't an option at the moment. It ended up with me adding concrete a bit up the post shoe and it actually became stable (see below). We'll see how long it lasts, I'll write an update when/if it collapses!

Hi! How has it gone with this? We happened to make the same mistake...

 

[Mikael044]

Hello! How did it go with this? We happened to make the same mistake...

Hello! I apologize! It went well, not at all the disaster it felt like in the beginning. For the plinths where I hadn't set up posts, I put back the casting tubes and filled them with concrete up to about 1 cm above the bottom of the post base, trying to do it as well as possible underneath and vibrate thoroughly. Then it stood for a week until I set up posts. It was harder to force the sides of the post base together, but it worked. It's stable so far!

For those with posts, I cut up a casting tube and did the same, but it wasn't quite as good. Still perfectly okay.

As I said, I'm an amateur, but if you want to know more about how I did it, just let me know!

 

[Mikael044]

It will probably be fine, a bit hard to align the wings. But cut off the pipe down to the concrete and put for example 2 layers of thick tar paper under the post so it doesn't stand in water. You can also advantageously chisel out a small channel in the middle underneath, so water can drain out.

Haha, yes, it was much harder to assemble! Thanks for the tip about tar paper, I had already used a wooden piece as a spacer at the bottom and it probably got a bit too high.

 

[Uzelac]

Hi! I apologize! It went well, not at all the disaster it felt like in the beginning. On the foundations where I hadn't set up poles, I replaced the casting tubes and filled them with concrete up to about 1 cm above the bottom of the post shoe, trying to do the best I could underneath and vibrate properly. Then it stood for a week until I put up the poles. It was harder to force the sides of the post shoe together, but it worked. It's stable so far!

For those that had poles, I cut open a casting tube and did the same, but it didn't turn out quite as well. Still okay.

As I said, I'm an amateur, but if you want to know more about how I did it, just let me know!

Thanks! Okay, how nice that it worked! I felt a bit defeated. Then maybe we'll try doing it like that too. I was considering drilling two holes and casting down iron that I could attach the poles to at the same time…