TIL how to brace fences for strong winds after working in coastal Carolina

I was on a fence job in South Carolina last spring. The ground was sandy and the wind came off the ocean hard. An older guy on the site showed me to put in kickers at a 45-degree angle from the post to the rail. We dug them in deep and poured concrete to hold them. This stops the whole line from swaying during storms. I have since done this on three other jobs near lakes and it works great. It is a small extra step that makes a big difference in durability.

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_martin283d ago

Hold up, you poured concrete for fence bracing? That seems like a huge step but I guess it makes sense in sandy soil. Never would have thought to go that far for wind protection.

jessica_owens103d ago

My buddy Dave had the same issue with his fence in coastal sand. Every big storm would knock sections flat. He ended up digging deep holes and filling them with concrete around each post. Now his fence stands through hurricanes. @abby_martin28, your point about sandy soil is spot on, it just won't hold a regular post. Dave learned that the hard way after replacing three panels before going the concrete route.