Corrugated Metal Privacy Fence

Good Morning,
We are considering putting up a corrugated metal privacy fence around our property.
I would love to get your input on how to go about and do this.
Here are some rough specs:

1. 8 feet tall corrugated metal fence with pressure treated wooden posts
2. Each panel will consist of two 3'x8' corrugated metal sheets. Those will be attached to 3 or 4 horizontal 2x4s connecting the posts.

• We live in New England so we are thinking about using 6x6x12feet posts and set it with concrete 4 feet in the ground to go below the frost line. Do you think this is overkill?
• If you do, what are your recommendations?
  • For example, would 4x4x12feet would do the trick?
  • Would you recommend setting the posts using concrete (it seems like there are some differing opinions on the effectiveness of using concrete)?
  • If 4 feet is too deep, how deep would you recommend setting the posts?

Please feel free to do share other dos and don'ts you may think of.
I am open to any and all recommendations.
Thank you in advance!

 

Welcome to the forums!
How much wind do you expect this fence to see? 8' high along with no openings in the steel will catch a lot of wind putting a lot of lateral force on the fence. 4' deep is about right for 8' above ground.

 

I think you plan is good and you are wise to use 6x6 for your verticals. A solid 8' high fence will see a lot of wind load so the 6x6 will be a big help. Also, 6x6 are much more resistant to warping so the posts should remain straighter than 4x4 would.

Whether or not you need concrete depends on your soil conditions. I usually set posts in compacted crushed stone. It's a much faster method as you don't have to wait for concrete to cure but in some soft soils you really need the mass and extra ground contact of a big blob of concrete.

 

Thank you so much Pilot Dane!
What are your thoughts on how deep we should set the posts?
Currently, since we live in New England, I was thinking of going for 4 feet.
Do you think that is too much?
Thank you again.

 

Thanks Marksr! Our backyard is surrounded by tall trees and is well protected from the wind.
Having said that, we do get occasional microbursts or strong storm systems that damage trees.
So, maybe sticking with 4 feet deep 6x6 is a good idea?

 

Can you post a pic of the fence panels? All I can think of is junk yard fence shielding the old cars and junk from the street.

 

I'm in the center of NC. Well away from the coast and mountains. The house is part way down a big hill so it's not a high spot and it's surrounded by trees. Still my weather station has reported gusts over 100 mph. During one storm we were watching the 4 1/2" diameter steel posts for our shade sails bending like fishing rods as the sails loudly slammed up and down. If you don't want to deal with storm damage you've got to build to withstand it.

The typical rule of thumb is to bury posts 1/3 to 1/2 in the ground. So, you'd need 12' posts with 4' in the ground and 8' above. But, the auger on my tractor can only go down about 42" so I've never buried a post deeper than that.

The verticals for my hops trellis were made with 6" x 6" x 16' and they are only buried to about 42" which totally throws the bury 1/3 rule out the window. It's been standing for about 8 years without trouble but it doesn't have the windage a solid fence does. At some point enough post is buried in the ground that the anchorage is no longer the weak point and the post will break before the ground lets it lean.

 

 

I used a 2" ratchet strap to hold the post on the bucket of the tractor with 4-5' of post sticking out below the bucket. I wrapped the strap around the post, behind the bucket and up the other side to the pole again. That way the tractor could pick up the post and tipping the bucket forward would stand the post upright.

 

You will never regret over building but underbuild and it will haunt you to the end!

 

Thanks PD,

I sent him a copy of your reply. Hope this helps him.

 

Thank you all! It seems like the consensus is 6x6x12 posts, going 4 feet deep.
It will be fun to dig those holes, even with an auger!

Here are some links to take a look:
https://images.app.goo.gl/ZK77PGenxFVZmrA66
https://images.app.goo.gl/NES6bJjN45YhV2re7