Archives January 2020

Long-lasting fences in poles and strips of wood.

In this article we talk about the fences made with wooden poles and strips: in the past they were very rough , cut from straight branches and worked summarily. Chestnut ones were preferably used. It is not uncommon to see, even today, at the edges of the streets or in the parks, fences like the one shown in the image below. Commonly the tip of the poles to be planted in the ground, is treated with bituminous paint, or passed over the fire, in order to burn it on the surface: an operation handed down by the ancients and which serves to preserve the wood in the ground.

Said fences are characteristic and very natural, however they undergo the action of time and tend to crash, also taking that characteristic light brown color, singular of the dilapidated wood. However, many companies that still produce this type of fence carry out special treatments, including painting, which makes them much more resistant and therefore longer lasting.

We intend instead to tell you about those fences made with perfectly straight poles and strips , in chestnut, pine or other essences, but treated in an autoclave. A procedure which consists of immersing the product in a tank under full pressure of a certain solution. With this treatment the wood is protected from any mold, fungi and insects and becomes more compact and resistant and can be safely placed in contact with the ground and exposed to atmospheric agents.

How to plant fence posts for a fence?

If you have to create a fence and you don’t know how to proceed to avoid doing a bad job … trust our advice!

The support poles of a fence must be firmly fixed to the ground in order not to fall in case of strong wind and precipitation.

First of all, wear gloves and protective glasses to avoid hurting yourself. Bring all the material you need to the place where you need to erect the fence.

Create a hole in the ground using a manual drill. Usually the poles, both of wood and metal, already have a point to be fixed to the ground; if not, make sure that your wooden poles are pointed.

A word of advice: if you have to plant many poles, it may be advantageous for you to use motor drills that homogeneously move the ground at the same depth, so that the fence posts can then be planted more easily and precisely.

Choose possibly chestnut poles or similar entities, beat them with a sturdy and heavy club, planting them up to at least 30 – 40 cm deep.

Prepare the job

Take two poles and temporarily fix them to the ground, at the distance you want, then fix a wire at the two ends. Proceed to make the holes following the thread, if you want you can add gravel in the holes.

In case you need to use poles for a metal fence, then these will already be prepared with the right holes. If you want the poles to be fixed in a stable way, you can fix them with concrete in the holes. To make the operation go well, wet the holes with water.

Finish the poles with a chainsaw in order to eliminate the pieces of wood that have been slapped by the beating, which could cause the pole to weaken and facilitate the rotting process with infiltration of rainwater.

Tie the end of the pole firmly with a round of iron wire that helps prevent the phenomenon of cracking, i.e. the detachment of the wood fibers in the longitudinal direction.

How to build a wooden fence like a mountain one?

The wooden fence , typical of the mountains, is nothing more than a series of repeating modules. Choose cypress, juniper or aromatic cedar because they do not rot easily and are not affected by parasites.

The entire structure must be supported by the uprights, which are the main elements and need holes at least 50-60 cm deep. They must then be approximately 10 cm higher than the whole fence. While the distance of the fence from the ground is recommended to be 5 cm.

Secure the posts in the holes with concrete. While this dries, fix the slats to the crosspieces, using the wood screws and L-shaped supports, making sure they are at the same height. Do this for modules. To assemble the fence it would be better to be two people. Then mount the gate, making sure it is well aligned (use the spirit level). Mount the hinges on the uprights, taking care to make marks where the holes are made. You can choose whether to put a gate closing and opening mechanism. Once all the work is completed, remember to pass the impregnator.