There are many situations when broken fence posts need to be removed from the ground. Fence posts can be removed from the ground by a number of methods. The most commonly used method is to use a jack.
You can also use a jack to remove the posts from the ground if a jack is available to you.
Concrete fence post slabs can sometimes crack during installation, which results in the concrete posts being weakened and eventually breaking. When this happens, the fence posts break where they are stuck in the concrete.
To fix these broken fence posts, you need to remove the broken fence posts from the concrete which you can learn how to do in this article.
Why Are They Set In Concrete?
Most fence posts that are put in the ground will be filled with cement concrete at the bottom for several reasons:
You can use concrete to stabilize by making it much heavier at the bottom to stop the fence from easily falling to one side.
With the cement the fence will be locked into the ground and will stay in place for much longer.
When putting a fence up, you want it to be straight and not bending to one side. As mentioned previously, the concrete will prevent any pending.
You also need to make sure that the fence post is buried deep enough into the ground to make sure that it is as stable as possible.
As the fence grows older it is more likely to wear down which is why it needs to be solidly placed in the ground.
It can be quite difficult to remove fences that have been placed in the ground covered with cement, which is why this article will be very helpful to teach you how to remove them more easily.
Tools Needed
Ratchet strap
Sheet of plywood
High-lift jack
Shovel
Wooden board
Step By Step Guide
Once you have gotten all of your tools together you can start the process of removing the broken fence post from the concrete block which has solidified around it.
Using this method you should not be straining your body to remove the broken fence and if you find yourself straining in any sort of way then something is definitely wrong.
If you find that this is the situation you must stop the work you are doing and take another look before proceeding. When doing this method properly, It should only take a small amount of effort to remove the post.
1. Firstly, you need to dig around the concrete fence post where the dirt is. This is where you’ll be using your shovel to dig around the whole area that surrounds the concrete block.
The reason you are doing this is so you can expose as much of the block as possible and to release some of the pressure from the surrounding dirt. The shapes of the concrete blocks may be different depending on how you dug the initial hole but the steps will always be the same.
2. Now you are able to use your 4 x 4 wooden plank which will lie flat across the whole. However most of its length should be only on one side of the hole.
3. Now you need to pick up your sheet of plywood and place it underneath the 4 x 4 on the shorter side. The reason for this is to prevent it from digging and sinking into the dirt as you start to try and take the block out of the ground.
4. Now you can get your ratchet strap and place it around the concrete block then you can loop the strap around the wooden plank.
5. Now, you need to make sure you’ve tightened the strap to make sure the block is secure to the wood. The crank will be used for this and you will keep tightening it until it will not become any tighter.
This is a very important step and must be as tight as possible to make sure when you are lifting the strap does not slip off.
6. You can now start to grab the longer end of the wooden plank and push it upwards to lift the concrete block hopefully out of the hole. However, before you begin to lift the word you will need to use all of your core muscles so it is a good idea to take a big breath.
You should also be lifting mainly with your core areas such as your hips and legs and pushing away from you. You need to keep your whole body nice and tight and stay as straight as possible for this to be effective.
7. Now you should be able to remove the broken fence post with the concrete block at the bottom out of the hole. The only thing to do now is to remove this from the site and replace it or leave it empty and fill the hole.
What If The Dirt Is Too Solid?
If this does not work with just your own force there are also other ways you will be able to remove this from a more solid dirt area. You will need to use a high lift jack underneath the long end of the 4 x 4 and you need to then start to jack it up.
You need to use this type of equipment because it can lift a lot more weight than any human cut and there’s a lot less effort so you should really take advantage of that. This is an ideal method for someone who already has the equipment ready to go and it takes up a lot less time.
What Should You Avoid Doing?
One thing that you should never ever do is use any type of material or tools which are not fit for use when carrying out this task. It is very important to understand this because it is a safety precaution and you could get hurt if something were to stop using this type of brute force.
You should never try to pull a fence post which has been set in concrete out of the ground with only your bare hands, you should always be using a lever of some sort to reduce the pressure.
What To Do When It Is Removed?
Once you have removed the broken fence you can either leave it and cover the hole where the concrete has been removed from or you can look to replace it with a new one which can be performed quite easily.
1. Due to the concrete being pulled out of the ground, there will already be a hole to work with so you will not need to dig one.
2. You will need to get a new fence post which is in good condition, then you will be able to put the new post into the hole that has been dug and fill it with new concrete.
3. That makes it sound too easy! It is not just putting a fence post in a hole and filling it because you need to make sure that it is level so that your fence is not slanted.
If your fence post is slanted it makes the whole structure less solid overall and will most likely be compromised much sooner and will have to be replaced earlier than it should be.
4. You also need to be checking the amount of time that you need to leave the concrete to set. If you do not leave it long enough then it will not be as solid as you need it.
5. You also need to be looking at the consistency of the concrete. This is done by making sure you’re not adding too much water or too much concrete to the mixture that you are pouring in (Also check out Concrete: When Should It Be Watered?).
If you add too much water it won’t be able to set at all and if you add too much concrete then it will not be liquid enough to sit around the post.
Conclusion
Overall, if you have found a damaged fence post in your back garden or front garden which you need to remove, this is one of the easiest methods you can use.
There are many things that you need to consider before taking on this task, such as making sure you have all of the tools necessary and the materials to help you remove it easily and efficiently.
Safety precautions always need to be followed as well because of the amount of pressure and force you will be exerting onto the word to lift the concrete and making sure all of the equipment is of sound condition so they will not break whilst in use and could cause an injury.
This guy can also help you add in a new post after you have removed the broken one as well. It is not as easy as it first seems so make sure you take extra care when carrying this task out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Remove A Broken Fence Post From Concrete?
You should not be using hammers or chisels; instead, use pneumatic pounds and remove the broken fence posts. Concrete fence posts can be broken. They are made of hollow cement. They can be fixed by cutting off the broken part and replacing them.
What Causes Fence Posts To Break?
What Causes Fence Posts To Break? A fence post breaks when it loses its structural strength. Posts that are properly built and maintained are able to resist compression, tension and shear. These forces can be applied to the post in different directions.
Hi, my name is Maisie Park and I have recently moved into the home I renovated with my husband. It took an entire year to get it just the way we wanted it, and I learned a thing or two along the way!
We started this project together with no prior experience in renovating houses or home improvements – I think the best I had was that I knew how to change a lightbulb.
Flash forward a year and here I am, creating a website to guide others through these challenges.
Please use my website as a source of inspiration for your own home – does your porch need a fresh lick of paint, by any chance? We all deserve to live in the house of our dreams, so what’s stopping you? Let’s get started!
