Fencing

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Kristin
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Hi there,
I’m curious about your suggestions for the best fencing (and low cost). We need it to go up around the perimeter of our large garden, be 8-10 ft in height, permanent, and able to keep out bears, deer, and rabbits. So far we’ve been using treated wood posts with chicken wire set in the ground with thin set.

Ideally, I’d like to have posts set in concrete, and my initial calculations is that we’ll need around 60 posts if spaced 8ft apart, to give a sense of size.

Anything really work for you? Not work?

I just had the netting on one small garden collapse 3 posts due to the weight of the snow (I didn’t even know that snow wouldn’t go through the netting!). I’d like to get rid of the patchwork approach to fencing and just fence the larger area.

Thanks!
Kristin
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CoastRichard
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Hi Kristin,
I have been using 8' spaced utility grade 4x4 cedar, and 7' field fencing wire around 1/4 acre. Have run a coated wire clothesline along the top and through the posts for extra top rigidity. One trick I have used is wrapping at least the top 6-10" of the post in contact with the ground in blueskin wrap (blueskin or other brands come in various width rolls for sealing around window frames). Those posts have lasted 15 years now. Others not wrapped <5 years. Where weed whacker may come in contact with post, wrapped those in sheet metal. Have buried 4" PVC tubes in section where I want option to insert and remove fencing (no concrete). Might not even use concrete anywhere for my next re-fencing because of its climate impact and cost. See there is an expanding foam product as an option over rapid post concrete but need to check out its eco-footprint.

Deer theoretically could jump 7' but there is lots of food outside the fence for them. Bears will not climb a wire fence. They have only come over an all-wood section and escaped via climbing a corner 4x4 post which was impressive. Bear could push over the fence I guess but have not even tried even with our compost bin next to the fence.

Richard
jack oostenbrink
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CoastRichard wrote: Sun 09-Jan-2022, 21:38
Might not even use concrete anywhere for my next re-fencing because of its climate impact and cost. See there is an expanding foam product as an option over rapid post concrete but need to check out its eco-footprint.



Richard
I had a client a couple of years ago that claimed that in our wetter climates, concrete is not the best for posts as it traps moisture in the socket that is formed between post and concrete. He was adding road mulch gravel (3/4 inch with fines mixed in) and tamping it around the hole as he filled it. It was a fair bit of work as each post needed to be tamped and wetted in place as he did them, but they will last much longer. The stability of the fence was very firm and sturdy. The extra work is not that painful considering that you wouldn't have to mix concrete (or buy it).
Kristin
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CoastRichard wrote: Sun 09-Jan-2022, 21:38 Hi Kristin,
I have been using 8' spaced utility grade 4x4 cedar, and 7' field fencing wire around 1/4 acre. Have run a coated wire clothesline along the top and through the posts for extra top rigidity. One trick I have used is wrapping at least the top 6-10" of the post in contact with the ground in blueskin wrap (blueskin or other brands come in various width rolls for sealing around window frames). Those posts have lasted 15 years now. Others not wrapped <5 years. Where weed whacker may come in contact with post, wrapped those in sheet metal. Have buried 4" PVC tubes in section where I want option to insert and remove fencing (no concrete). Might not even use concrete anywhere for my next re-fencing because of its climate impact and cost. See there is an expanding foam product as an option over rapid post concrete but need to check out its eco-footprint.

Deer theoretically could jump 7' but there is lots of food outside the fence for them. Bears will not climb a wire fence. They have only come over an all-wood section and escaped via climbing a corner 4x4 post which was impressive. Bear could push over the fence I guess but have not even tried even with our compost bin next to the fence.

Richard
Thank you, Richard! This is super helpful and some great ideas. I like the idea of being able to remove the posts, and appreciate the suggestion of using pvc. Thats a great trick with blue skin, great idea.

That’s interesting you have the wire on top, we have a electric fence string at the top of our fence currently just to add that extra bit of height (with 5’ high fencing). With the larger area we’re doing we want to raise it up to 7’ or 8’. Thanks for letting me know your experience and what’s worked! So far the only time the bear got in our garden was because I have a cement block outside (as part of a retaining wall) so it climbed over. Sneaky bugger. I’ve fixed that now.

We’ve found the expanding foam doesn’t work well, in addition to it being chemical based.
Kristin
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jack oostenbrink wrote: Mon 10-Jan-2022, 21:47
I had a client a couple of years ago that claimed that in our wetter climates, concrete is not the best for posts as it traps moisture in the socket that is formed between post and concrete. He was adding road mulch gravel (3/4 inch with fines mixed in) and tamping it around the hole as he filled it. It was a fair bit of work as each post needed to be tamped and wetted in place as he did them, but they will last much longer. The stability of the fence was very firm and sturdy. The extra work is not that painful considering that you wouldn't have to mix concrete (or buy it).
Oh interesting, thanks for the input! Perhaps with wrapping the post with blue skin also this it would be an effective combo. I suppose the other way to get around that is using metal posts.
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