If you have a fence post that is anchored in concrete, and you need to replace it, then you have quite the job ahead of you. Now, removing a fence post from concrete without actually removing the concrete is not all that difficult, but you do need the right tools and you need to follow the right process.
Today, we are going to teach you exactly how to replace a fence post without removing concrete. As you are going to see, exactly how you go about this is going to depend on the condition of the fence post and the concrete.
Can (and Should) You Replace a Fence Post Without Removing Concrete?
Yes, it is absolutely possible to replace a fence post without removing the concrete that it is anchored to. This is especially the case if the concrete is still in good condition.
Simply put, if the fence post needs to be replaced, but the concrete is still in good condition, then there is really no sense in wasting your time and money on removing the concrete and then replacing the concrete along with the fence post.
Concrete is not cheap, and it can be a bit of a pain in the neck to work with as well. Therefore, if at all possible, you should replace that fence post without removing the concrete. Of course, if the concrete is severely damaged or cracked, then you will want to consider replacing it.
What you do however need to consider is that when you replace a fence post without replacing the concrete, the new bond or anchor that you create between the old concrete and the fence post is not going to be quite as strong as the original bond.
However, if you just need to replace some basic fence posts, then this should work just fine. It may also just be the case that the first fence post that you installed is not high enough and that you need a much higher fence post to suit your needs.
How to Replace a Fence Post Without Removing Concrete
Let’s now take you through a step-by-step tutorial on exactly how to remove a fence post without removing the concrete, and then how to replace it with a new fence post. Remember, exactly how you remove that fence post is going to depend on its condition.
Step 1: Prepare for the Task at Hand
The first step here is to prepare yourself for the task at hand, by which we mean gathering all of the required materials. Generally speaking, there are two main ways to remove a fence post without removing the concrete.
The first and easiest method is by using a pair of car jacks. The second method is by using a simple lever and fulcrum that you create out of a concrete brick or log and a good piece of wood. Personally, we do recommend going with the car jack option, as it is just a lot easier.
Before you can start removing the fence post from the concrete, you also need to expose the concrete. If the concrete is below the soil, you will first want to remove all soil or dirt to completely expose the concrete below. This will help stop dirt from falling into the hole as you remove the post.
The other thing that you need to do here is to get a very strong piece of wood and screw it securely to the fence post. This is how you will leverage the fence post out of the concrete. Therefore, you need an extremely strong piece of wood that you can push against with either the car jack or your lever and fulcrum. Make sure that you use a few long screws to secure that piece of wood to the fence post.
Step 2: Remove the Fence Post With a Car Jack or a Lever and Fulcrum
Here you will see that we are talking about both methods, using a car jack and using a lever and fulcrum.
Of course, using a car jack is much easier as it requires less physical work, but do make sure that you have two car jacks. This way, you can have one car jack on each side of the fence post, so you can lift both sides evenly and lift the post straight up out of the ground.
Here you are going to secure two pieces of wood to the fence post, one on either side, about 3” below the car jacks. You are then going to place the car jacks on a secure base, on something like concrete, about 3” below those pieces of wood that you secured to the fence post.
You are then simply going to use levers on the car jacks to start lifting them by about ½” at a time on each side. Make sure to alternate the car jacks from side to side so that the post pulls up out of the ground evenly. Once the post has been dislodged from the concrete, you should be able to just pull it out.
If you don’t have car jacks, you can always just use a lever and fulcrum to remove the posts from the concrete. Here, you are going to need to make a fulcrum that you can place your lever on. For the most part, something like a thick log will work just fine. You are then going to use a very strong beam and put it on top of the fulcrum and under the piece of wood that was screwed into the fence post.
Remember that the longer this piece of wood is, the easier it will be. You can use a steel bar or something like a 4×4. You’re simply going to start pressing down on the beam on the outside of the fulcrum, which will cause the beam under the fence post to start raising. The more weight you apply, the easier this will go.
Step 3: Clean Out the Hole
Before you could insert a new fence post, you need to clear out the hole of any chunks or debris that were left behind. You can use your pry bar to break away any chunks that are still there and scoop them out by hand. The cleaner the hole is, the easier inserting the new fence post will be.
Some people may even try using fire to burn away any debris out of the hole. If you want to go this way, just put some kindling in the hole and start a fire, and then get some larger pieces of wood in there to really burn everything away.
Step 4: Insert the New Fence Post and Backfill
The next and final step here is to insert the new fence post into the hole that you have just cleaned out. Make sure that the fence post that you insert is about the same size as the old one. If the hole is large enough, you can insert a slightly larger fence post than the one you had before.
If you have a post that is far too large, you may need to cut or sand it down to size so that it can fit into the hole. You now want to insert that fence post into the hole, making sure that the top of the post is at the proper height, and that at least one-third of the post is below the ground.
To stop the fence post from moving around, you now want to backfill the hole. Yes, you can do so with gravel, in which case you will want to compact it about every five inches. However, for the best result, you can always pour new concrete into the hole beside the fence post. Quikrete is ideal for this use case.
The final step here is going to be using some silicone around the edges so that there is a proper seal between the fence post and the new concrete.
Mistakes to Avoid, Tips & Tricks
Let’s quickly go over some tips and tricks to help make this process as easy and as successful as possible:
- If the post is rotten, you may have to cut it off above the point where it is rotten in order to be able to pry it out of the hole.
- If you have a metal fence post instead of a wooden fence post, the methods listed above will not really work.
- Remember that if the concrete is severely damaged, there is no point in leaving it behind, in which case you will want to remove the concrete along with the fence post.
Summary
There you have it, folks, you should now know exactly how to replace a fence post without having to remove the concrete it is anchored in.