bracing a fence

olgentdc · Feb 2, 2017

question for fence builders?what is best way to brace a fence corner , I have braced and built a few in my time. seen many styles ,. gonna put up woven wire with a single hot wire to keep the cows off ,.. x style one wood brace and other leg being wire twist tite ,this style what my dad always liked to use or , I will try keyboard example,triangle,, I-/IcornerpostI-I or reverse the brace,.. in other words when using a level brace between should the angle brace be hi in the corner or low in the corner ,,. both would have a wire twist tighten,..honestly around here I have seen all 3 styles ,.. I guess we are still searching best way

dcarp · Feb 2, 2017

I put the brace high and use the twisted wire in a x from both posts at the ends of the brace. Probably only necessary for the twisted wire to run from the line side but I like to have a rock solid brace.

MSS3020 · Feb 2, 2017

I use a 2" or 1.5" round top rail to brase in between the corner woood and the support wood. Use lags and put them in till they hang out about 1" on each post.. then the top rail goes accross the two hanging on the lags. I too use the X type twist wiring which pulls the top rail into both posts tight.. I have never had a prob..

TomA in CA · Feb 2, 2017

I am using a brace from high on the end post to the ground against a big flat rock or poured concrete beam. Look at old fences with wire bracing, how many wires are still tight years later?

coshoo · Feb 2, 2017

You really don't need a wood angle brace- just a level wood brace, and twisted wire from low on the corner post to high on the brace post. Think of a square consisting of the two posts, the level brace and the ground. Imagine putting a pull on the corner post, and that square then trying to flatten out. The wire is installed from low on the corner to high on the brace post to keep that from happening.

gene bender · Feb 2, 2017

Built many fendes on the farm always used a huge anchor post deep and well packed second post was pretty large alos brace went to the top of the anchor post then twisted wire from bottom to the top of the second post. Lasted for many yrs. The border fence was iportant to make sure they were hog tight nd also turned cattle. Web on bottom and three barbs. But now with electric fencers it has changed no hogs on pasture just cattle. Good neighbors start with good fences and that will never change b ut getting neighbor to do the same with his half on line fences is a problem. Farming and laws have made things more difficult. Probably the best anchor post would be railroad tie

oj · Feb 2, 2017

I use a minimum 8 foot post as a corner post, so a little over 4 feet of post in the ground, the notch out a hole with a chisel about 2 feet above ground level in the direction the fence runs, and use a 3 inch top fence post as a diagonal brace with the pointed end in the notches hole and the 'top' of the post dug into the ground about a foot deep with another 3 inch top fence post as an anchor.
Seems to work for me.

rustyfarmall · Feb 2, 2017

(quoted from post at 08:17:43 02/02/17) You really don't need a wood angle brace- just a level wood brace, and twisted wire from low on the corner post to high on the brace post. Think of a square consisting of the two posts, the level brace and the ground. Imagine putting a pull on the corner post, and that square then trying to flatten out. The wire is installed from low on the corner to high on the brace post to keep that from happening.

Yes! That is the best and most common way to do it. You can also use the steel fence brace available at most farm stores.

I've got some fence on my place that was done totally wrong. Twisted wire goes from the top of the corner post to the bottom of the brace post. Totally wrong and the fence is in very poor condition because of it. No, I did not do it.

rrlund · Feb 2, 2017

I've been told that a perfect triangle is best. Horizontal brace at the top,wire twist at the point where the brace meets the brace post.

notjustair · Feb 2, 2017

It's like anything else - there are lots of ways depending on wire, soil, and stretch. I use a corner hedge post that is a good 16 inches in diameter and burried to China. I use a brace that's a foot but doesn't need burried any more than line posts, but I get them every bit of four foot deep. I notch to top of the two posts with a chain saw and use a horizontal pipe between the two at the height of the top wire - large oil field pipe. I think it's 2 7/8. Then I cut a shallow nick with the chain saw and brace with #9 wire twisted tight from the top wire location of the brace to just below the bottom wire location of the corner. Twist it tight with a three inch piece of well pipe and let it lock against the larger pipe. I use a tractor to pull my wires so they are fiddle tight. Never had one loosen or pull.

Forgot to mention - I use fly ash in the holes. Doesn't take much. I buy it off of a fencing friend who gets it in large bulk. I like it because posts never have to set up. By the time I get the posts set the wires are ready to put up and stretch tight.

farmerwithmutt · Feb 2, 2017

Red brand has some good videos on you tube. One key element in my mind is not so much what brace style you use but the correct height for the fence your putting in . the height of your fence will determine what height your brace will be on your post. Seen a lot over the years where the post will get pulled out of the ground by incorrectly bracing a corner. I have seen people attach a board or piece of iron to the bottom of a post to give more resistance to lift.

IHC pickups · Feb 2, 2017

I plant the corner Hedge 12 to 14 across on the bottom 4' deep. throw a bag of quick-crete and some water in the hole and do the same thing to the brace post. #9 wire then twisted from the bottom of the corner to the top wire on the brace. An old fence builder once told me to space those apart a ways I go10' I use 2" pipe as a brace and run it just under where the top wire will be.

Dick L · Feb 2, 2017

This is the way my Dad taught me way back when he was building fence several year when setting up his hog operation.

Pair-a-dice farm · Feb 2, 2017

There are a lot of different opinions and some of them actually work. I like to get at least a 10" diameter post, I use slow growth red cedar with nearly all heart wood. I put the corner post at least 4' in the ground if possible and fill the hole with tightly packed crushed rock. The brace post are put in the same way. I put a pole a little above half way up between each brace post and the corner and make an"X" brace with wire. It's been done that way on this farm for almost 100 years and some of them are over 50 years old and still strong.

Dave H (MI) · Feb 2, 2017

This is one where everybody is going to have their opinions and I imagine a lot of them work. How long are your sides? You may need braces between corners if long.

I get a lot of compliments on my fences. One 6-8" post in a corner. Another out about 8' in each direction from the first. A horizontal 4" post between the corner and each inner post. The horizontal post is held in with fence pins which stick out about an inch. Run several loops of wire from the top of each outer post (around the pin) to the bottom of the corner post. A staple is put down there to serve like the pin. I then put a high tensile fence ratchet to connect the wire ends and ratchet the wire tight. You can go back anytime and re-tension these easily. If you have long runs you will need two more posts to make double braces.

JOCCO · Feb 2, 2017

Forward this to Donald nnalert. Maybe your neighbor will pay 20% of it!! Sorry I could not resist!!

donjr · Feb 2, 2017

I have built several miles of fencing on this place, over several years. The easiest way I have found is to set a heavy post at the corner, as deep as I can get it. I then drill a 3/8" hole in both post tops a few inches down from the top. I then cut a brace post to length to fit between the holes and set it in place with barn spikes or a piece of 1/4" rebar or whatever I can find handy, leaving an inch or so protruding. Then, I use a chunk of hi tensile in a figure '8' through a staple placed near the bottom of the corner post and over the protruding spike on the line end and tighten the brace wire with a strainer. It can be adjusted later in the need be. It's quick and works well for me......

olgentdc · Feb 2, 2017

thank you to all above who have replied ,.

Bret4207 · Feb 3, 2017

What works in deep ground isn't going to be at all effective on shallow ground where you can only go down a foot before hitting ledge or where frost will heave any post in a few years. No matter what you erect, OVER BUILD the corners. I learned this the hard way...

bracing a fence

olgentdc

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dcarp

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MSS3020

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TomA in CA

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coshoo

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gene bender

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oj

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rustyfarmall

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rrlund

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notjustair

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farmerwithmutt

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IHC pickups

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Dick L

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Pair-a-dice farm

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Dave H (MI)

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JOCCO

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donjr

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olgentdc

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Bret4207

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