Any Wood Fence Experts Here?

[FrommerStop]

I was in the building material business for years. Creosote is now illegal in Florida, with a few exceptions. You can still buy used RR Ties but are not allowed to place them in the water.

Most all treated fence boards come from South America. They come from low density fast grow pine trees.
Domestic pine fence boards are much denser and will last a lot longer. Pittman in Pace usually has them. They cost more but last much longer.

Only put concrete in the corner posts (4x4) and the gate posts (6x6). The posts should be 2 1/2' in the ground with 5 1/2' out. Most people do 8' OC. I prefer 6' OC. It only takes about 4 more posts on a 100' fence and the fence is much stronger. Use 12' stringers and stagger the joints so the fence is not "broken" on any one post. The top stringer goes at the top of the posts, the bottom stringer 6" off the ground and the center stringer halfway in between. The top of the fence boards will be 6" above the top stringer.

Lastly use the hinge bolted steel gate kits from Lowe's. They will never sag.

I like the thread posts about raising the level of the anchoring concrete. In soft wet ground you want the post as deep as it is possible to dig the hole. I am running welded wire, cheapest I can find. I am only keeping dogs inside and making legal boundary against a trespassers. A hog or bear can defeat one way or the other just about any non-electrified fence.
Photo of alligator going over a fence.

 

[HayesGreener]

I am no expert but I have built a mile of wood fence here on the ranch. I cannot count the number of rotted PT posts I have replaced over the past 21 years. The 6x6's have held up, the 4 x 4's have not. If I had it to do all over again, I would use precast concrete posts and bolt the frames to them. Or I would use all 6x6 posts.

 

[FrommerStop]

I was in the building material business for years. Creosote is now illegal in Florida, with a few exceptions. You can still buy used RR Ties but are not allowed to place them in the water.

Most all treated fence boards come from South America. They come from low density fast grow pine trees.
Domestic pine fence boards are much denser and will last a lot longer. Pittman in Pace usually has them. They cost more but last much longer.

Only put concrete in the corner posts (4x4) and the gate posts (6x6). The posts should be 2 1/2' in the ground with 5 1/2' out. Most people do 8' OC. I prefer 6' OC. It only takes about 4 more posts on a 100' fence and the fence is much stronger. Use 12' stringers and stagger the joints so the fence is not "broken" on any one post. The top stringer goes at the top of the posts, the bottom stringer 6" off the ground and the center stringer halfway in between. The top of the fence boards will be 6" above the top stringer.

Lastly use the hinge bolted steel gate kits from Lowe's. They will never sag.

Can creosote or PCP be found in Alabama? I doubt that any one inspect what I use for my fence. Perhaps a salvage yard could have some old bridge timbers.

 

[stage20]

We won't have treated wood much longer EPA wants to shit everything down. My girlfriends side of the family treats wood and the epa has some new tests they have to pass in the next 5 years as far as on site soil samples. Says it's impossible to pass. Told me if you have a telephone pole near your property that your yard wouldn't pass. Something to do with a found chemical and parts per trillion. We are doomed.

 

[FrommerStop]

We won't have treated wood much longer EPA wants to shit everything down. My girlfriends side of the family treats wood and the epa has some new tests they have to pass in the next 5 years as far as on site soil samples. Says it's impossible to pass. Told me if you have a telephone pole near your property that your yard wouldn't pass. Something to do with a found chemical and parts per trillion. We are doomed.

EPA can block or regulate sales and manufacture. I doubt even if it legal or that they have the manpower to inspect individual fences. Perhaps for 'facilities' they could. The FDEP would likely not want to touch it. Democrats also own fences so I do not think such is happening for small private residential fences and likely the same for most farms.
Stage20 since I see no reference other than verbal, so not enough details. If it is rule change it needs to go through a comment period.

 

[5lima30ret]

When I lived in the mountains of NC everyone there used locust fence posts. Will not rot, no environmental issues, termite resistant. Sparks will fly when cutting one with a chainsaw! Might be worth a trip to North AL to get some. There was a 100 year old farm next to our place in the mountains and there were locust fence posts along the property line that were well over 60 years old and still serviceable.

 

[FrankT]

Anyone mention using metal posts rather than wood and flashing on the bottom of the fence boards?

 

[FrommerStop]

For a wooden fence I would want it built in modular sections that could easily be put back into place if blown down by a hurricane. I have never seen such, but someone somewhere must sell such fencing.

 

[stage20]

EPA can block or regulate sales and manufacture. I doubt even if it legal or that they have the manpower to inspect individual fences. Perhaps for 'facilities' they could. The FDEP would likely not want to touch it. Democrats also own fences so I do not think such is happening for small private residential fences and likely the same for most farms.
Stage20 since I see no reference other than verbal, so not enough details. If it is rule change it needs to go through a comment period.

Not for fences. Wood treating process in general. Epa will not issue stickers for the chemicals. Without stickers its illegal to possess the chemicals.

 

[Molon Labe]

The internet has several suggestions for treating wood fence posts. One of the methods "out west" is to singe the buried portion of the post, which changes the molecular content of the wood (resists bugs,) and then paint the burnt area with a mixture of used motor oil and diesel. Just my two cents worth.

 

[M60Gunner]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and the OP for the thread. My fence started today

 

[FrommerStop]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and the OP for the thread. My fence started today

Looks like it will be well built and lumber today is costly.

 

[Raven]

I am no expert but I have built a mile of wood fence here on the ranch. I cannot count the number of rotted PT posts I have replaced over the past 21 years. The 6x6's have held up, the 4 x 4's have not. If I had it to do all over again, I would use precast concrete posts and bolt the frames to them. Or I would use all 6x6 posts.

Concrete is hard to beat

 

[Raven]

EPA can block or regulate sales and manufacture. I doubt even if it legal or that they have the manpower to inspect individual fences. Perhaps for 'facilities' they could. The FDEP would likely not want to touch it. Democrats also own fences so I do not think such is happening for small private residential fences and likely the same for most farms.
Stage20 since I see no reference other than verbal, so not enough details. If it is rule change it needs to go through a comment period.

My buddy Frank got shut down by the EPA about 15 years ago. He was backfilling the edges of his swampy private residence on Blackwater with anything hard he could find, to include appliances and car frames. Rumor has it he had half a concrete bridge buried out there somewhere. Anything to make the mud solid. I dont know how the EPA found him, but when they did he had already made about three acres of swamp into flat green grass, solid to drive on and high and dry. They gave him only 30 days to remove what was visible. He was about 10 days into the 30 when I first met him. He never made it. Today if you walk 10 feet into that swamp at the edge you'll still find trash. So he must have got away with it. Or he kicked the bucket. He was like 70 years old back then

 

[Raven]

Anyone mention using metal posts rather than wood and flashing on the bottom of the fence boards?

My Grandpa built at least a mile of pasture fences and barn yard fencing using only metal. He used everything from square posts to T posts to chain link to really thick pipe for the posts and the rails in the stock yard for separating the cows, all welded. I used to have to paint it every now and then with Rustoleum. What a mess. But it held up real good. And the barn is cinder block and where we kept the John Deere's is a huge metal quonset hut. That was 30 years ago when I first saw it (and it was old then) and I'm sure it will all mostly still be there 100 years from now, except for the occasional hurricane dropping trees on it

 

[FrommerStop]

My buddy Frank got shut down by the EPA about 15 years ago. He was backfilling the edges of his swampy private residence on Blackwater with anything hard he could find, to include appliances and car frames. Rumor has it he had half a concrete bridge buried out there somewhere. Anything to make the mud solid. I dont know how the EPA found him, but when they did he had already made about three acres of swamp into flat green grass, solid to drive on and high and dry. They gave him only 30 days to remove what was visible. He was about 10 days into the 30 when I first met him. He never made it. Today if you walk 10 feet into that swamp at the edge you'll still find trash. So he must have got away with it. Or he kicked the bucket. He was like 70 years old back then

I have no doubt that Buddy Frank got shut down by somebody. USEPA could legally do it. But I wonder if it was more likely the Florida DEP that did it. I know some years ago down on some beach front property the land owners found some EPA people 'Trespassing' and at gun point detained them. It was over some sort of activity on the land. I think they got prison time for it. I could not find it via google. It was likely about 35 years ago. It could have been Alabama, but I think it somewhere in FL panhandle.
It is not always healthy of EPA personnel to venture into the woods looking for violations from private individuals. There are stories from out in the western mountains of squatter seizing or using federal land to build a hideaway cabin and EPA people being afraid to do anything about it. In a remote area a man with a sighted in rifle can exert his/her/ or its will for a long distance and simply just fade away. In mountains close to the mexican border and in California there are stories of drug cartel people backpacking in to grow crops or manufacture drugs leaving hazardous waste dumps.

I like metal myself, but acid soil after some years could do it in. I only used wood on the corner posts and concrete posts do interest me. I want about another 20 years for the fencing and Figure that after that passage of time I will likely be beyond caring.

 

[Raven]

I have no doubt that Buddy Frank got shut down by somebody. USEPA could legally do it. But I wonder if it was more likely the Florida DEP that did it. I know some years ago down on some beach front property the land owners found some EPA people 'Trespassing' and at gun point detained them. It was over some sort of activity on the land. I think they got prison time for it. I could not find it via google. It was likely about 35 years ago. It could have been Alabama, but I think it somewhere in FL panhandle.
It is not always healthy of EPA personnel to venture into the woods looking for violations from private individuals. There are stories from out in the western mountains of squatter seizing or using federal land to build a hideaway cabin and EPA people being afraid to do anything about it. In a remote area a man with a sighted in rifle can exert his/her/ or its will for a long distance and simply just fade away. In mountains close to the mexican border and in California there are stories of drug cartel people backpacking in to grow crops or manufacture drugs leaving hazardous waste dumps.

I like metal myself, but acid soil after some years could do it in. I only used wood on the corner posts and concrete posts do interest me. I want about another 20 years for the fencing and Figure that after that passage of time I will likely be beyond caring.

Just to clarify... was it the EPA guys that got prison time or was it the private property owners?

 

[FrommerStop]

Just to clarify... was it the EPA guys that got prison time or was it the private property owners?

Property owners. Sorry I did not make that clear.

 

[Raven]

Property owners. Sorry I did not make that clear.

That sucks

 

[FrommerStop]

Concrete is hard to beat

I do not know of any local source that keeps these in stock