Pallet fence construction - no posts

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DHM

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Pallet fence construction - no posts
« on: November 29, 2018, 07:55 »
Morning all! Its that time of year when construction and repair take over the tending and weeding and having acquired and almost cleared the 6 rod plot I took on in May, part of my plan is to have a fenced off family area for the family to relax in and kids to grow their own stuff.

The fenced off area will be 3 pallets wide and 4-5 long along two sides so a kind of U shape. 15ft x 9ft x 12ft.

I should note here that we have no money so spikes/metposts etc are out and with this in mind I was thinking of lashing the pallets together with some galvanised wire I have rather than using posts, or even some strong rope, essentially the structure being sat directly on top of the ground.

I have all the pallets I need and if required a few lengths of 2x4 and 2x2. The pallets are mostly standard sized brick pallets but have some euro pallets and a few odd ones too.

A few questions raised;

1) would the galvanised wire and U shape be strong enough to withstand high winds, without the fence moving or breaking?

2) would twisting the ends of the wire then folding the twisted end in half be secure enough? How many to join each pair of pallets?

3) if rather than creosoting, I left them to silver, how often would the panels need to be replaced?

4) overall are there any serious flaws with plan?

Thanks in advance, I would love to hear your views.

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AlaninCarlisle

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Re: Pallet fence construction - no posts
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2018, 16:41 »
I've no idea how exposed your plot is so I can only reply from my own experience here in windy Cumbria.
My reaction is that the bonds tying you pallets together are not a problem. However, unless the whole fence is secured to the ground with deeply driven-in posts, the whole construction is at risk from the next gale

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DHM

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Re: Pallet fence construction - no posts
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2018, 17:13 »
I've no idea how exposed your plot is so I can only reply from my own experience here in windy Cumbria.
My reaction is that the bonds tying you pallets together are not a proble8m. However, unless the whole fence is secured to the ground with deeply driven-in posts, the whole construction is at risk from the next gale

Thanks for your reply Alan, the site is very exposed and can get very windy indeed at times. I assumed the weight of 12 pallets together in U might give the strength and stability to withstand high winds, perhaps a rethink is required! How deep would you suggest driving the posts? Would my 2x2 suffice or would something thicker be required?

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Veg Plot 1B

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Re: Pallet fence construction - no posts
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2018, 17:20 »
Assuming you have a pallet on the corner at right angles I would think it would stand up ok.

Have you thought about cable ties to join them together or long screws.

If you have a spare /broken pallet you could use some of the strips of wood as pegs which can be put in the ground the screw to pallet for extra stability.

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DHM

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Re: Pallet fence construction - no posts
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2018, 17:33 »
Assuming you have a pallet on the corner at right angles I would think it would stand up ok.

Have you thought about cable ties to join them together or long screws.

If you have a spare /broken pallet you could use some of the strips of wood as pegs which can be put in the ground the screw to pallet for extra stability.

I hadn't thought of cable ties actually, good call.

The corners would be at right angles, the whole thing being like a rectangle with a short side missing.

I do have spare pallets and a few long bits of scrap wood but I worry about them rotting and it being a pain in the future stripping the leftovers off and having to redo.

I suppose if I stuck posts at both corners and at each end, it would help anchor it a bit then look out for some cheap spikes or pins in the meantime, hopefully I'll find some before a tornado rips through the site! 

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Veg Plot 1B

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Re: Pallet fence construction - no posts
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2018, 08:50 »
Cost of round posts 50mm dia here are £2 each, also check out other plots to see if there are any brocken ones you can use.

For piece of pallet wood rotting just add another beside it when it rots.

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DHM

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Re: Pallet fence construction - no posts
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2018, 19:48 »
Cost of round posts 50mm dia here are £2 each, also check out other plots to see if there are any brocken ones you can use.

For piece of pallet wood rotting just add another beside it when it rots.

I'll have a look at the scrap wood I've got, there are a few long pieces so I might be ok, and I do have a few odd pallets I could break up.

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Growster...

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Re: Pallet fence construction - no posts
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2018, 06:00 »
How about several 'box sections', making a shape like a single 'E' or two 'E's stuck together, end to end? You'll get an extremely strong and stable structure, and after all, that's the way many bridges were built!

We did that for compost heaps,tied them with wire (just twisted top and bottom, no need to nail or knot), and they stood up to all sorts of abuse!

The only tip I'd give on stiff wire, is make sure the ends are hammered flat, as an unwary end at leg-level can be pretty painful!

I like your idea of using just what you have available - that's the real way to recycle!



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