Fence Post Removal

[wobblycogs]

Was up at my parents over the weekend and my dad came up with an interesting challenge.

A few of the fence posts in their back garden have failed and he wants to replace them. I'e not checked them out but apparently the existing posts are sunk about 18" into the most enormous blocks of concrete you could imagine and have failed just above the ground. Either the concrete has stuck to the wood of the post has swollen but either way the post can't be pulled out of the concrete and the blocks of concrete are apparently to large to be dug out and removed.

He's fixed one but slowly chiselling away at the wood until the hole was cleared and sinking a new post but that clearly isn't a viable option for doing several. His current plan is to try and get a very long drill and try to drill numerous holes to release the wood from it's concrete overcoat. I always like to be helpful so I suggested thermite - even if it doesn't work at least it would be fun

Anyone got any sensible and practical ideas?

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Get someone in to replace to posts with concrete ones and never have the problem again :wink:

Pete

 

[henton49er]

I would buy one or two half width panels of fencing and then put in new posts midway between each of the existing ones. Then you don't have to dig them out at all, just cut off at ground level!!

 

[wobblycogs]

Two excellent and sensible pieces of advice. I can therefore conclude that my farther will follow neither :-D

 

[Dibs-h]

Hire or borrow a Kango and break up the concrete.

Dibs

 

[Tinbasher]

Trained termites?

 

[jasonB]

Kango out the concrtete down one side of teh post bolt a "concrete repair spur" to the bottom of the post and throw in a bag of postfix.

Dod one of mine on saturday.

J

 

[promhandicam]

http://www.metpost.co.uk/mp_repair.html some of these - by far the easiest way if the broken bit of post in the concrete is still fairly sound - which they usually are.

 

[Lons]

http://www.metpost.co.uk/mp_repair.html some of these - by far the easiest way if the broken bit of post in the concrete is still fairly sound - which they usually are.

Beat me to it as I was going to suggest these.

I've used them many times and they produce a decent and very quick solution for around a fiver or less per post. Saves digging down to the concrete and sometimes even the old posts can be trimmed and re-used thereby offsetting the metpost cost.

Cheating a bit maybe but there are better ways of spending time than drilling and chopping out old posts IMO.

Bob

 

[Mark Hancock]

http://www.metpost.co.uk/mp_repair.html some of these - by far the easiest way if the broken bit of post in the concrete is still fairly sound - which they usually are.

That solves my fencing problem as well. Thanks for the link =D>