Sweet chestnut fencing

[Devonseano]

Hiya,

 

I'm planning a stock fencing job using sweet chestnut for the strainers and intermediates etc. A couple of questions if anyone's got experience of this please:

 

I'm planning on using 3-4" round intermediates for a more 'conventional' look. Do you know whether cleaved profiles would give a significantly longer life because there's less sapwood? I'd expect a better lifespan but need to judge whether it's significantly better - hoping 3-4" thick enough to balance this out.

 

Bark on seems to blend into the landscape much better, do you know how much this would reduce the lifespan of the fence?

 

Can anyone recommend a good supplier? Shipping is down to Cornwall so will need bulk to keep transport down.

 

Many thanks!!

Edited November 2, 2011 by Devonseano
More catchy title!

[Matthew Storrs]

Hi I recently did a job using chestnut stakes, with telegraph pole straining posts, when i added it up the materials were hardly more expensive then if i had used standard softwood stakes, the chesnut was quarter sawn each stake was quarter of the original stem. looked much better then usual stuff and im sure it will last much longer.

If your down this way then phone mole valley they can get them in as a special order about £2.10 per stake if i remember.

Not sure where you could get split chesnut from tho but i bet it would be alot more expensive.

hope this helps

[garth mc garth]

i could help you if the order was big enough. what quantites are you looking for?

[Crazy Cutter]

Cleft posts should be cheaper as takes less time than sawing and a cleft chestnut post lasts longer than sawn. The posts should be cleft from large poles 15-20 years old to maximise heartwood. Bark doesn't matter as will peel off in the sun within a few months. The only thing to watch out for with whole chestnut posts is they can split badly so a wire ring round the top i have had to sometimes use. I replaced a box strainer for a lady the other day where the treated softwood posts had rotted off within 5 years, i would expect the chestnut to last 20 if not longer. Supposedly chestnut is more durable than oak for fencing.

[Matthew Storrs]

Cleft posts should be cheaper as takes less time than sawing and a cleft chestnut post lasts longer than sawn. The posts should be cleft from large poles 15-20 years old to maximise heartwood. Bark doesn't matter as will peel off in the sun within a few months. The only thing to watch out for with whole chestnut posts is they can split badly so a wire ring round the top i have had to sometimes use. I replaced a box strainer for a lady the other day where the treated softwood posts had rotted off within 5 years, i would expect the chestnut to last 20 if not longer. Supposedly chestnut is more durable than oak for fencing.

 

Interesting you should say that, i wonder why they bother with sawn posts if split is cheaper and longer lasting. know what you mean with the splitting, even putting a staple in can split it!

[Crazy Cutter]

Interesting you should say that, i wonder why they bother with sawn posts if split is cheaper and longer lasting. know what you mean with the splitting, even putting a staple in can split it!

 

Because its less effort to machine saw. I seem to have problems with whole round posts, less once they have been split. Splitting must lessen the tension?

 

I did a temporary fence once using 2 inch chestnut poles they split open top to bottom where stapled over the summer.

[Daniël Bos]

I'm putting a stockfence in at the moment (and for a while yet, everything by hand)

I got 3-4" cleft, nice and chunky and less splitting. I got 250 for £1.25 ech, no vat. I had to sort out collection/delivery myself though and had the supplier put them on 3 pallets and got pallet-line to move them.

[Matthew Storrs]

I'm putting a stockfence in at the moment (and for a while yet, everything by hand)

I got 3-4" cleft, nice and chunky and less splitting. I got 250 for £1.25 ech, no vat. I had to sort out collection/delivery myself though and had the supplier put them on 3 pallets and got pallet-line to move them.

 

250 stakes by hand- happy christmas! good price though:thumbup:

[Devonseano]

Thanks for your comments. I hadn't thought of MVF Dartmoor, worth a bell for sure.

 

Garth,

 

Something like:

 

Intermediates - 5'6" 3-4" round x 2000

Strainers - 8' by 8" pointed x 100

 

Actual order would be more detailed than that, a few variations but would be good to get an idea on price. Will need from about 2 weeks.

 

I'd be interested to know a price per item. To be honest though please only price it if you can do it easily as I've tracked down a supplier who's doing a competitive price already who I'm fairly happy with. It's the other questions I asked which I'm struggling with more and I wouldn't want to waste your time. Shipping could add 40-70p per stake if I'm not careful - would I need to arrange shipping from you?

 

Thanks for your time.

[digga]

chestnut posts last a lot longer when the barks taken off and cleft posts are stronger than sawn as the grain is left intact as with sawn you allways get short grain