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When erecting a new fence, you can do more than endless coats of preservative or creosote can ever do to prolong its life. Bracing and securing the fence so that it can't rock adds more than anything to its longevity.

All fences usually go at the posts eventually. If they're wooden, they rot, and if they're metal they rust. Painting a fence has an aesthetic effect, but I doubt it has ever added a day to the life of a fence.

Fence posts should be dug about 2 feet (60cm) into the ground - I know it's a pain, many's the time I've been digging in posts for fence panels, pergola, or arch and been tempted to cut off the last 6 inches or so to save more digging into hard ground. But as you go downwards, console yourself that the next 6 inches are more effective than any of the other 6 inches above it - and what's another 10-15 minutes in the whole life of the fence? As the soil gets harder break it up with the prongs of a fork, or even a crow-bar before digging it out.

You may have no choice but to dig with an ordinary garden spade, bear in mind that the size of the hole you make is a little too large to be ideal for a fence post surrounded by concrete. I usually make the concrete go further by hunting around the garden for old half-bricks, large stones, broken tiles or any other similar "hardcore" that can be thrown into the post hole before pouring the concrete. If you have them a post hole digger or trench shovel are better

Before I start any kind of job where posts are dug into the ground I soak the ends in creosote. An old seaside bucket suffices, but a 3 litre drinks bottle with the top cut off would probably do the same job. Put the post in propped up out of the way somewhere, then fill it up with creosote. Modern water based alternatives just don't do the same job. I cover the top with loosely placed clingfilm to stop evaporation and smells and put it at the back of the garage or somewhere out of the way. Soak each one for at least 24 hours into the end grain, as you take one out place the post upside down so that the excess preservative soaks in rather than drips on the floor.

You could use "postfix" - rapid drying cement to fix the posts in place or ordinary concrete that you mix up in a ratio of:

4 parts builders sand: 4 parts pea gravel:1 part cement

Whichever you use though, brace the posts and panels with scrap timber nailed partially into the posts and then hammered in the soil for support. Place the first two posts and then the panel that fits between them (use brackets or obliquely inserted 2" (50mm) galvanized nails). I don't concrete in until all of the posts and panels that I am going to position that day are in place. If you're still working as the cement is setting, you could end up loosening the joint between cement and the post ending up with a cone of non-attachment.

If you do leave the job over a number of days, try to leave more than one day before you start again to allow the cement from the last posts to set properly before you start putting stresses on it, 24 hours isn't enough really.

The fence should erected "dry" with panels nailed in place and posts supported by bracing. The concrete then sets it all in place, remove bracing at least two days after leaving to dry, longer in cold weather.