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Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:12 pm
by thegardensurgery
concrete slotted posts ?? fencing
can i ask......when you get your slotted post...you have two ends......the point end....and the flat end with a notch...which way is generaly the way to erect these...i have always done the old point end showing....but what is the the truth !! thanks guys
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:24 pm
by Edgecraft
Hi
It's down to personal choice, there is no right or wrong way, only the way you like it, although it's useful if you are trying to match posts that are already in situ.
That's what my old fella told me and he had a fencing business for thirty years, infact his old partner is still going and casts his own posts, base panels !
Regards
Darren
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:28 pm
by Rich H
I don't use them unless a customer forces me too, then only with panels. Ripped out too many that have snapped at the base - rods rotted and concrete crumbled.
Anyway, back on topic, is perhaps the notch on the 'bottom' for a close board capping rail?
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:09 pm
by Mikey_C
Rich, if not concrete, what are you using?
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:53 pm
by lutonlagerlout
point goes up of course
and not sure what you mean about concrete posts rotting rich?
that only happens when wnackers cant be arsed to dig the hole deep enough and smash the bottom 9" off with a lump hammer
i have done feather edge and i have done slotted and imho slotted is better,and concrete posts and gravel boards are better still
i know it makes heavy work but i have never had a concrete post snap on me
theres always "www.supalitefencing.co.uk" for those who like a lighter load 
i have had this arguments numerous times but no one can give me a definitive answer which is best, concrete or wood and why??
regards LLL
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:14 pm
by Dave_L
Concrete all the way. Have done loads inc my back yard, can't see them giving up for a long time yet!
/edit - pointy end up 
Edited By Dave_L on 1192655687
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:21 pm
by dig dug dan
plastic are stronger believe it or not. Try snapping a plastic post, then try a concrete one and see which gives up first!
Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:38 pm
by matt h
concrete posts have a longer lifespan than wooden ones, and are far more secure against high winds. Unless you are using greenheart that is! 
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:38 pm
by Rich H
I reckon a 125x100mm pressure-treated timber post will take a lot of punishment.
Whenever I take out a fence with concrete posts a good push will usually snap the things at the base. Inside, I often find that moisture has got in and corroded the rods. Which is good, otherwise you've got to grind the buggers.
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:29 pm
by DeckmanAdam
Im tuther way round mate whenever i take a wooden fence down it just takes a push to bring it down, i understand that these will probably have been put in when pressure treatments were not as common as today but still i would go with concrete long term and i think a closeboard panel with conc post and base panel looks great.
Point up for me too but alot do it with ball up.
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:22 pm
by James.Q
its all down to customer choice but i find high end contracts timber . cheeper jobs concrete . something to do with asthetics
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:20 pm
by lutonlagerlout
generally speaking fences come down easier when they have not been erected right in the first place
the times i have found brick bats and sand chucked down the side of fenceposts is no ones business
i always use a semi dry concrete mix and always a minimun 600 below ground level
cheers LLL
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:26 pm
by Mikey_C
Having recently had to make a choice for my own fence I went for concrete, I did opt for a smooth cast finish to improve the aesthetics.
As for longevity I could not imagine a wood post, be it pressure treated, tantalized or soaked for weeks in some old non Health and safety approved creosote that I've got, out lasting concrete!
Finally, my posts were round at the bottom and 45 deg sloped at the top.
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 10:37 pm
by dig dug dan
we are not legally allowed to lift a concrete post without another person now. health and safety gone mad again.
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:31 pm
by Tony McC
Years and years ago, long before kerb-lifting aids, we worked on a heavily unionised site. My owld feller and meself were laying kerbs, one of us at each end, when the bolshie union rep came ambling over (he was never actually seen doing any work) and asked about the weight of the kerbs. Mr Bolshie then declares that according to union rules we must have a minimum of three men lifting each kerb.
"Where the flip are you going to put three men around a kerb?" I asked. We were thrown off the job within hours.
6 weeks later we were back laying the kerbs, one man at each end. Mr Bolshie and his chums had been sent to seek alternative employment at the Labour Exchange.