A properly installed wrought iron fence will last generations.
Wrought iron fences add a certain elegance to a home. They come in a variety of heights from about knee high to six feet or more. The iron is heavy and the posts need to be set properly to hold the weight in place. With careful planning and execution the homeowner can easily install the posts. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Paint the lower 1/3 of the post with a rust inhibitor and let dry.
2. Dig a hole the diameter of the support tube and to the proper depth plus an additional six inches. The depth of the hole is determined by the height of the posts -- generally they are set one third of their height into the ground. Try to keep the sides of the hole vertical instead of sloped. In sandy or loose soil this is less of a concern.
3. Fill the bottom of the hole with six inches of pea gravel. Measure the distance from the top of the pea gravel to the top of the hole.
4. Cut the support tube with the saw to match the distance from the gravel to the top of the hole. Be sure the cut is as straight as possible.
5. Slide the tube into the hole so that the top of the tube is level with the top of the hole. Place a bubble level on the side of the tube and hold the tube plumb. While you are holding the tube, have your assistant backfill around the outside of the tube with soil so that it holds steady in the hole. Keep the tube in a plumb position the entire time.
6. Center the fence post in the tube, with the bottom of the post against the gravel.
7. Hold the bubble level against the side of the post to ensure it is vertically level, and have the assistant fill in the tube around the post with the cement. Stop every shovelful and use a stick to poke the cement in the tube to remove any possible bubbles or hollow spots. The post must not be allowed to slip from the level position.
8. Continue to fill the tube until the cement is at the top of the tube. Smooth the top of the cement with a trowel, creating a small grade to allow water to run away from the post. Wrap a piece of tarp or canvas around the post at the bottom.
9. Repeat until all the posts are installed. Sprinkle the concrete with water every day for four or five days until it cures, and then remove the covering.
Tags: tube with, around post, bubble level, cement tube, distance from, distance from gravel