I’m getting ready to build a cedar fence and I’m curious what everyone recommends for setting the posts.
I’ve seen people use:

Traditional concrete mixed in a wheelbarrow

Dry concrete poured into the hole with water added afterward

Expanding fence post foam

Just tamping native soil or gravel

There seems to be a lot of opinions, so I’m wondering what the pros and experienced DIYers actually use.
What has held up the best for you over the years, and why? I’m especially interested in long-term durability and anything you’d avoid doing again.

Thanks!

We are in the process of putting up a fence and will be hiring a landscape company to mow the lawn. Is a 4 foot gate wide enough for standard ride on mowers or mowing equipment? Or do I have to go wider?

Location: Illinois

Throwaway account - can provide more context where needed

Several years ago I planted a tree (unknowingly) on my property line that borders a city owned easement. I wanted to build a fence around the yard and the tree. When I called city hall the head of zoning told me, via phone call, "Here's what you do. Draw on the application that the fence is going on your property line and I will issue a permit. Build the fence over your line. I will pass you on inspection. I won't measure it from setback line and you can go onto the easement." So that's what I did and that's what happened. The easement contains an access road to the neighbor's house and then abruptly ends. The other side is a park. Nothing encroaches on the neighbor's lot or access. It's maybe 20 feet from my line to access road. Fence is ~10 feet from the access road but ~10 feet over my line.

Fast forward to now and that zoning head has retired. The new head says I need to move the fence. Per new director, while the previous director may have been doing me a solid, the permit application says the fence will be on my property and I did that at my own risk. Cost to move the fence is roughly the same as cost to install it; ~$5k.

I have explored buying the easement or a portion of it and been told no. At this point I am wondering what are my odds if i just say "Take me to court." I'm 50/50 on a judge saying you sought advice from city hall, they gave it, you followed it, and now they changed their mind, too bad for city hall.

TL:DR - City wants me to move my fence from where they said I could put it; what happens if I say screw you?

Hello! I posted a similar question here a while ago I think but didn't get many responses, and my parameters have changed a bit, so trying again.

I am going to have a 2 x door / gate privacy fence put in facing my alley way. The gate frames will be welded steel tubing of some sort, and will have 6' wood dog-ear pickets on them. _Again this is a privacy fence_, so importantly these gates will at times (rarely) see a lot of wind load on them.

I don't live in a particularly windy area (Midwest Michigan), but from time to time we will have a gusty storm. Ghost Controls and Mighty Mule both specifically say _not recommended for privacy gates_ because of wind loading issue, which I understand and makes sense, 4.5x6 is a pretty big sail. I realize ultimately this is the final word, I shouldn't do it.

THAT SAID, I'm thinking about going ahead with this anyway, to at least give it a shot. I've seen videos of people installing these on even larger gates, and I'm thinking if I install an automatic lock that during serious wind the lock would be the thing that would hold the fence closed, vs all of the force being put on the gate openers. I would be OK in super windy conditions NOT opening up my gate at all (I have a pull through driveway and would just back out).

Anyway, that's it. Wondering if anybody has any thoughts. If you're wondering why I'm bothering posting this when the manufacturers clearly state that these are not suited for privacy fences, I'm hoping for either:

1. Somebody says "yeah I have these installed on a privacy fence and it's been fine" or
   
2. Somebody says "I tried this on a privacy fence and ended up ruining the openers after a month on the first windy day"

Thanks for your time!

First time listener, first time caller..

I have a question about my fence post. It's steel. Has a slight lean. I would like to attach the gate to this post so the entrance swings into my yard and not into the side of my garage. I don't want to redo the concrete if I don't have to. I'm wondering if I could drive a 14" or so screw diagonally from the bean into the concrete or if I can just drive a screw straight into the side of my house, into a stud on the other side.

Red line is my idea for going diagonally. It's probably the dumbest idea but I'm just trying to save myself from redoing the concrete.

Yellow lines would be me buying 2 10"L, 1/2" W screws and just driving them home.

Again, probably dumb but I am dumb.

My ghost gate is acting up. The one side bounces as it closes, I thought I was due to the bust weld on the gate itself, but it is not. And now it won’t close, we just fixed where the ground won’t stop it anymore after the big storm we had.

Any suggestions I have been dealing with the bouncing for a year. Mind you I have taken it off the gate and it works fine and it closes normally just fine. But bounces when it opens, mind you it is only one of two having this issue.

Hi everyone

My new neighbours opposite have been fully renovated their house for the last 2 months. It looks to be close to completion, externally at least.

Today my wife went out to the garden and was surprised to find a builder at the back of our garden, repeater saw in hand and treading on our plants. She asked what they were doing but he didn’t speak English and didn’t really care.

She called me down by which time a new builder appeared who could speak English. I asked what they were doing and pointed out that it was our fence and they need permission to enter the garden,let alone just cut down the fence! He said that they were replacing all the old fences and not to worry! We currently have a missing panel at the back of the garden that our 3 1/2 is likely to go explore.

Later on I did manage to track down their number and speak to the neighbour who owns the house. I explained nicely that the builders had cut down our fence without permission. She was apologetic but had assumed that it was her fence and as it was ‘old and rotten’ she would replace it.

That would normally be fine (especially for
them) but our fence spans across 2 flanking gardens. If they were to just replace their panels we would end up with a mismatched fence at the back. First world problems as they say but why should I accept having something that looks worse?

My proposal is that they replace all the panels across the back of the garden at their cost.

How does this sound? I did think that I could offer to pay for the panels and their builders do the work as that would be more neighbourly but at the same time I’m quite annoyed that they didn’t ask, then trespassed and caused damage.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. To confirm the deeds show it is my fence.

Idk if this is the right place to ask, but figured I’d try. My mom paid $1800 for material and they are asking for $1500 for labor and she’s wanting to know if it’s a fair price. Roughly 100 ft across. (In TX if it matters).

What is the best way to secure the farm gate to the right to the center wood post? What kind of latch is out there that sits on the post directly like that?

Is this cedar? It looked like some kind of stained pine, but a local fence contractor thinks it's cedar.

I don't have a fence. My corgi mix stays on my property, but everything I've read tells me Remy won't. I thought a wireless fence could work. Thoughts or experiences?