What To Do With Loose Fencing Posts?

Over some time, fencing posts can become loose. It affects the stability of the whole structure of your fence. Hence, it is important that when you have detected damages as such to get it fixed as soon as possible.

Why is it important to fix loose fencing posts?

Most likely, moisture and soil instability has caused your fencing posts to become loose. Excessive rain that causes the ground to become wetter and softer can cause exactly that. On top of that, moisture can also cause corrosion, damaging your fencing posts even further.

There are some other causes for loose fencing posts. For example, strong winds. If your fence is located in an area that is exposed to strong winds, it can cause the fence to lean forward, loosening the posts.

At times, your fencing can be impacted by an external force that causes the posts to loosen up. Collision with bikes or lawnmowers is one of many. Also, poor installation can cause the fence posts to loosen prematurely.

When you notice that your fencing posts are loose, try to fix them as soon as possible. Instability in one part of the fencing can cause the instability of the fencing structure in other parts that are not damaged. For instance, if your fencing posts are loose near your gate, it will affect the stability of the posts near the gate, and so forth. It is like a chain effect.

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How to fix loose fencing posts?

When it is time to fix up loose fencing posts, there are a few steps to follow.

Step 1

Firstly, you need to find the cause of your fencing post becoming loose. The post might be broken in the ground, or the soft soil has caused the instability.

Step 2

If you discover that the post is broken, it will need a replacement. Depending on the fencing type, make sure that the wire, boards or rails are unfastened from the post before removing it.

If not, then check the soil around the loose post. At times, tamping the area around the post might help to tighten the post. You may also need to add dirt.

Step 3

Sometimes, tamping the ground does not help or the ground is too hard to tamp. Or the fencing post is broken. When it comes to removing the post from the ground, you can use a bumper jack or a handyman jack. You position it against the post, wrap a chain or a nylon strap tightly around the lower part of the post and over the hook on the jack. Then you can lift the post out of the whole. At some point, you will need to intervene and lift it manually out of the ground.

Here’s a video if you are wondering how can you use a bumper jack to lift the fencing posts. LINK

Step 4

Once the post is out of the ground, you need to dig out a post hole. If you find pieces of an old post, remove them. Once that is done, put in the new (or old) fencing post.

Step 5

Use the post level to determine whether the post is at 90-degree (vertical to the ground).

Step 6

You need to level up the posts with other posts on either side of it. Once that is done, shovel dirt into the hole quarter of the way. Do not forget to check the post level to make sure that the post hasn’t lost its vertical positioning. Hold the post with one hand, tamper in the other. Then tamp the dirt in the hole. By adding extra dirt, continue the process until the post is levelled and tightened.