Putting up a 5ft close spaced picket fence in a bit of a windy spot. Posts will be 2ft deep in postcrete, 6ft apart.
I've been offered some unwanted steel angle irons with the suggestion that I use them as posts. 50mm square, but only 2mm thick.
The thickness of it doesn't look right to me, never seen angle iron this thin before. Strong enough, do you reckon? Or put another way, how strong compared to 3 or 4 inch square wooden posts? Thanks in advance!
In true amateur fashion I've calculated a 1100N wind load per post at 60mph on omni calculator, then asked chatgpt to calculate the deflection. It suggests a 1mm deflection for both the angle iron and a 3 inch post. Don't trust this and I've no idea about fatigue or anything either.
May not last as long as the wood, and it potentially will slow you down drilling and screwing into the steel, rather than just screwing into the timber. But, it's free ! Wind won't be an issue for either and a picket fence. Had it been a five foot fence, then concrete posts.
It's galvanised so should be ok on rust.
Free yes but in the scheme of total materials cost and time spent, I'd rather use the most appropriate posts even if it means buying.
It is a 5ft fence. And it's near enough effectively a panel fence as the gaps will be very small for privacy. The gaffer doesn't want big gaps nor a hit and miss style.
For me, concrete posts are best (if not the prettiest), and last longest. I think 3" posts would struggle with a 5' fence, and timber in the ground has a limited life even if it's "treated". Those steel angles sound too thin, and I would expect them to fail from corrosion fairly quickly even though they're galvanized. Other opinions are available........
Went to see them - as expected, no good. No weight to them, and you can twist them about 90 degrees holding one end between your feet and the other in one hand.
4" wooden posts it'll be, with Postsavers. Not my fence or money, otherwise it'd be concrete or something like DuraPost.
Thanks
Went to see them – as expected, no good.
Shame. I hope the bloke didn't take a fence.
