Fitting fence panels into concrete posts

Hopefully have 14 6×5 foot panels arriving this week. 5 of the panels can be lifted and slotted in but the rest have lots of trees hanging over and both myself and the mrs are 5ft5.

Rather than lots of pruning are there any tips for getting the panels in? Is it possible to spring them in with some leverage?

The other side of the existing fence is just bushes and trees. No houses.

I replaced 3 panels (6 by 5 as well) just before lock down. Was planning to get my wife to help me but went and have a look at a few YouTube videos first before I started.

Suggestion on one of them was to bolt handles onto the panels. Made the panels so much easier to handle and manganed to do them without any help from my wife.

I made a pair of ‘tuning fork’ clamps that extended about 0.5m below the bottom edge, so that they could be lifted high enough to slot in, but you’d still need to prune above the panel or push the branches up. I don’t think you could spring the panels in. When building a new fence I put the panel in place then fit the post up against it. If you don’t get the panels tight in the posts they bang in the wind.

I saw a good tip on YouTube just now by clamping two legs in the panel to stand it 5ft high. Think I’ll have to do a lot of pruning then.

Put the first post in and make sure it is perfectly vertical and that the slot is in the correct orientation.

Dig out next hole to full depth.

Insert gravel board (if using) and panel into first post and then drop second post into the hole.

Align panel and post and chock post using old concrete that you may have got from old post bases (or brick/stones etc). Ensure post is vertical and sight line to first post is perfect then fill hole with post mix.

Repeat this along the line

Once the first post is in it sometimes helps to run a string line from that post to where you intend to finish.

No need to slide any posts in.

The best solution is to build panels in-situ with arris rails and feather edge boards, they will last a lot longer and won’t rattle and blow out. But if you’ve already got some on the way it’s either cut the trees or get inventive. The only way I’ve done it is to remove the top weather rail and cut some Vs partly into the horizontal battens. You can then carefully bend the panel enough to push the ends in. This does necessitate some reinforcement of the rails by means of extra timber or a strip of metal with holes drilled in and also re-nailing a couple of the boards.

The boards on order are pre made feather edge on 3 batterns.

Concrete posts have been in for years with concrete gravel boards at the bottom.

Sorry, I thought you were installing posts as well. Ignore my post (!).

I tried to flex the panels in exactly your situation with kayak straps while we positioned them.

Didn’t work, they dont flex much before the top and bottom rails pop off and the panels fall apart!

Back to heavy lifting 😒

I just fitted two shorter panels where this was an issue at the back of the garden (where I cant see it anyway)

You’ll be surprised how heavy some panels are. Down one side, all 3 panels are custom lengths due to a ‘drain’ being in the way of the concrete posts. The 9ft panels were exceptionally heavy.

Going off at a slight tangent, sorry. Anyone used DuraPost post’s? I’ve got to replace a fence again, wooden post’s rot to quick, concrete is heavy, looking for a long lasting alternative.

i’d say some sort of small crane ought to do it??

:-)

wooden post’s rot to quick, concrete is heavy, looking for a long lasting alternative.

I use those godfathers from the start and bolt wooden posts to them using stainless threaded rod as it’s a lot cheaper than bolts. The ugly concrete bit is low enough to be hidden by plants and you can always paint them to blend in a bit more.

I’ve never used steel posts but about 15 years ago a put in some plastic posts for slot in panels, I was very skeptical but it was only a short run and a 4ft high fence. They are still there today and haven’t faded or cracked, they look just as they did when they went in. I’m not sure I’d go to 6ft here, I can see the sea from the garden and it can get pretty windy.