F rom page 9
ground or been pushed skew.
This inevitably means
loosening all the wiring from
the post, cleaning out the post
hole, repositioning the post
and its associated stay,
resetting the post and stay
with new concrete and
allowing it to set firm, before
refastening and tensioning the
wires. There is, sadly, no
easier way of doing it.
It is worth noting that the
reason posts pull out of the
ground is often related to the
fact that they were set too
shallow in the first place, or
that the stay was fastened too
low down the post, allowing it
to swivel up and over the stay
when higher strands are
tensioned.
And, while on the subject of
tensioning wires and fixing
broken wires, a handy new
tool is available, that is far
superior to the traditional
chain and ratchet tensioners
usually available in South
PLANNING
Maintenance to electric fences should
also be done at this time of year
moving on to the next.
That's because it's a bit
pointless to allow freshly
chipped or de-rusted bare
Africa. You can learn more
the old.
metal to lie exposed to the
about it elsewhere in this
Loose paint should be
elements, only to become
edition.
removed by chipping and
rusted again, before you
Maintenance to electric fences scraping, a time-consuming
return some days later to
should also be done at this
process to be sure, but one
prime it. And, also, modern
time of year, which if nothing that, if the post is properly
paint formulations have
else should comprise checking painted, should not need
better adhesion capabilities
the conductivity of the various doing again for at least two
when coats are not allowed
strands, cleaning any leaves,
years.
to dry out and harden too
twigs or grass that may have
Any rust that has developed
completely. So adhering to
fallen on to the strands and
should, next, be treated with a the paint manufacturer's
cleaning away cobwebs that
rust remover.
drying times will result in a
may have developed. The
Then a primer should be
better bond between coats
isolators along each strand
applied and, once dry, a top
and a longer life.
should also be washed clean
coat in your chosen colour.
Continued on page 12
of dust, debris and bird
And here's a tip. Rather than
droppings.
doing all the chipping, then all
Electric fence strands, if
the priming, then all the top
properly installed, will have
coating (sometimes days apart
tensioners or turnbuckles built depending on the size of your
in to allow loose strands to be property and the amount of
tightened.
work involved), rather do
Fence post and gate painting
each post or gate (or no more
also has its unique art and is
than a couple, ie as many as
not simply a case of slapping a you can complete in a day)
coat of fresh paint on top of
from start to finish, before
11
www.sasmallholder.co.za