# Concrete fence



## Mooninite (Jun 8, 2010)

Holy crap just discovered this site 4 minutes ago and well pleased about it . Bought my first home and have been slowly molding a modern industrial theme...vintage gym locker panels in kitchen, a few select Eames and Steel Case pieces, etc.  Anways now ive taken to concrete, texture and all things re-purposed.  Welding, raw metals, as well.  Tax refund allocated to a full prop fence and bathroom update.

Project:  Outdoor Fence thats modern, industrial, commercial even, constructed from materials not typically associated with what most relate to when thinking of a fence.  

Getting to my point or trying to anyway... tried to figure a way to economically work a modern Gabion Fence (viewed here http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/chicago/Gabion Grass Close.jpg) but price found to be way out of my budget.  The firm that did that one for a HDTV project estimated $60K for that beauty.   My new angst is this...envision the typical boring vertical wood slat/embedded post 5-6 ft high...but my posts made of concrete and slightly thicker, square pillar set into ground same way the 4x4 posts are.  Spaced out evenly every 10 ft or whatever,  horizontally running one on top the other the "fence" wall that will contain my dogs utilizing reclaimed iron or steel beams or "strips" 4 inch wide x 1/2 thick or whatever, running horizontally with some amount of gap one on top of the other, and those secured to the concrete posts via steel "coupler" not sure if term is correct, but think plumbing pipe and the brackets u used to attached end to end...only that matches whatever steel solution I go with, ibeam, girder, beam, flat strips, who knows.   The idea for this originated from this modern fence DIY network showcased 

(http://img.diynetwork.com/DIY/2009/09/24/DSEQ508_pipe-fencing_s4x3_lead.jpg) 

which is 2x4's, 4x4 posts cemented into ground and running horizontal is galvanized piping secured into the wood by routed out holes, 10 ft sections at a time. 

I see the steel being bluish, blackish, maybe rusted here or there, something raw, earthy, flat.  Reclaimed train rails... would be so cool.  And the concrete posts maybe grinded for some texture, possibly colored slightly.  

This project like most other projects is a work in project and is tweaked with all the time...train rails a few ago is a good example.  Anyway hopefully i have managed to instill the look or vision ive been running with for this fence, and handed it off to any whom have experience with metals, concrete, contracting etc.  If so your for sure thinking "when that fence is done, a section will be taken to be permanently displayed within the Museum of Modern Art or the Muskegon" hahaha

OK so that being said...IS A FENCE LIKE THAT POSSIBLE?  FEASIBLE?  Create the concrete posts via melamine molds like i have seen House Crashers and a few of the other DIY progs utilize.  Where to source the metal?  

These are the questions I have and coming from someone having discovered DIY only a few months ago and tho has fast tracked a ton of knowledge and insight...is still very green...in the questions stage to eventually with time, spill over into the answers stage, where many of you already are.  

So umm, hadnt planned to post the great american novel here.  But I did anway.  


Im Robert.


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## inspectorD (Jun 8, 2010)

I'm sorry to tell you Robert, But you can do anything you want to...and we will give some free advice.
We also like pictures and drawings.:Welcome aboard.


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## handyguys (Jun 9, 2010)

Personally, I wouldnt do it. Its not my astetic. Think about resale, if you are not going to be in the house for a long, long, long time then dont do it.

Okay, if I was going to do what you sugegsted I would go in these steps.
1) first determine if a fence permit is required and what the fence requirements may be (height, materials, setback, etc). Assuming the government will let you do what you want...
2) decide on, and source, the horizontal materials first. Lets assume old train rails.

Train rails are very heavy. Very very heavy.

You will need to create a mold for your concrete posts but do it in such a way the rails can be inserted later. You are sort of making 





out of concrete but for your train rails.

You could then set these like normal fence posts and then insert the rails. 

Oh, and I hope you have lots of friends or some heavy equipment


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