My fence has been pulling away from its posts. Completely off the metal brackets that it was screwed into. So bad in places that it just sways. What is the best way to fix this? Is there a solution that doesn't involve taking down the entire panel?
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2The fence does not look like it was screwed or nailed on, no screw/nail holes in the wood separating, unless they are hidden/on the other side. The bracket seems a little small also.– crip659Commented Jul 22, 2022 at 0:09
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5 Answers
Use a ratcheting tie-down strap to bring the panel and post back together. Use larger screws than were there before (if they were there at all). This may require drilling a larger hole in the metal bracket. Make sure all holes have a screw in them, including the hole on the lower edge of the bracket. These screws are designed to use with this bracket an wood that is 1 1/2 inches thick:
To fix, just raise up the far end of that section, use a jack, or a wood or steel lever, or probably give a friend a beer and have them use their hands.
Make sure the top piece of wood is all the way into the bracket and screw or use nails. Bracket seems to have only one hole per side, would add one or two other holes by using a drill.
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1I would seriously consider replacing that bracket with something a little larger. Alternatively, before getting the panel back in place, drill a hole or two through the metal bracket and all the way through the post. Once the panel is back in place and attached to the bracket, run a couple of 6" screws (assuming a 4x4" post) through the new holes into the end grain of the fence rail. Screws into end grain isn't ideal, but it's better than this tiny bracket.– FreeManCommented Jul 22, 2022 at 14:37
Looks to me like the far post (out of the picture on the left) may be leaning to the left or has sunk into the ground, which is pulling the top of the fence away from the post and out of the bracket. If that's the case, you need to remediate that problem first. Just pulling the entire section of fence to the right to snug it up against the post and then trying to keep it there with some screws through the bracket and into the 2x top rail is not going to be a long term fix.
Two screws are missing, were newer screwed in the wood.
Repair that.
It happens when the wood was not inserted all the way.
You might have some strong force pulling the fence apart so you might need stronger framing stile iron.
To bring the fence back together tie a strong rope around the two posts. Now use the bowtie (turning a handle) to apply force to bring them together.
That bracket looks like it's too small anyhow. It needs to be longer, horizontally, so screws in it aren't at the very edge of the panel. It looks (to me) like there were never any screws there in the first place.
The opposite end of the panel needs raising, with a lever, wedge, or some strap through the first strip of wood on the panel - that might just rip that off though - and a new, wider bracket screwed on, from both sides if possible. It wouldn't hurt to put something under the opposite end of that panel in any case, to support it on the ground, even a piece of 2x2 screwed vertically like a leg.