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Rant: why does everyone think T-posts are fine for a 6-foot privacy fence?
I was talking to this old-timer at the lumber yard in Wichita last Tuesday, and he said he's been using T-posts for 8-foot panels for 20 years with no problems. He claimed concrete isn't even needed if you drive them deep enough, which got me thinking maybe I've been overbuilding this whole time. Has anyone else actually tested this or is it just a recipe for a leaning fence after the first big storm?
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patricia_schmidt145mo ago
Think about wind load with T-posts on tall fences. A 6-foot privacy fence catches way more wind than a livestock panel, and T-posts just don't have the surface area to resist that force without concrete or extra bracing. My neighbor tried the deep driving trick with 7-footers in Nebraska clay, and half his fence looked like a wave after one spring storm.
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the_matthew5mo ago
Left me scratching my head reading that. Eight foot panels on T-posts with no concrete? That old timer must have the best luck in Kansas or he's leaving out some serious details. I mean, Nebraska clay is some of the most stubborn soil around and even that couldn't save a six foot fence, let alone an eight footer. That wave he described is exactly what I'd expect, the wind grabs that solid face like a sail and those skinny little posts don't stand a chance.
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evan_burns954mo ago
Exactly what @the_matthew said about that wave effect - saw the same thing happen to my buddy's fence in Kansas City when he skimped on concrete for 6-footers, wind just ripped through em like wet cardboard. Old timer might have magic dirt or he's just not telling you about the three times he had to bang everything back straight.
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