In this article I’ll describe how I used the EZ Fence Mender by Simpson to prop up a wobbly fence post temporarily. (It bought me some time until I could replace the rotten post.)
Therefore, you can think of this as a Fence Mender review for temporary purposes.
Scroll down to see the simple steps.
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Why I used the Fence Mender (and notes about this project)
I used the Fence Mender as a temporary fix for a wobbly fence post.
I was going to replace the fence post eventually…but I needed something to prop up the rotten post until I could replace it. That’s why I used this product, and it worked well for this purpose.
I didn’t follow the instructions down to the letter…because I knew this was only temporary.
I’m sure if you fully follow the instructions for the Fence Mender you could have a long-lasting fix to a wobbly post. But they say you’re supposed to use two brackets on one fence post (on opposite sides) and you’re supposed to pour concrete around the bracket once its in the ground.
Well, I didn’t want to do that. If I’m going to pour concrete I would just replace the post.
So I’ll explain how I used this product to prop up the rotten, wobbly wooden fence post shown below.
If you don’t know what EZ Fence Menders are, they are steel fence post repair brackets you can use to support wooden fence posts. You can see the Fence Mender laying on the sidewalk in the picture below. (The black metal bracket.)
Detach the Fence Panels from the Fence Post
As you can see in the picture above the Fence Mender has edges on the side that are intended to wrap around the sides of the fence post.
But the fence panel brackets get in the way.
So you need to support your fence panel by propping up boards against it.
Then unscrew your fence panels from the bracket, and unscrew the bracket from your fence post.
Slide the Fence Mender against the Fence Post
After removing the fence panel or fence boards from the post, you can slide the Fence Mender tight against the post.
So note, the manufacturer said you’re supposed to use two menders per post on opposite sides of each other. (But I only used one for my temporary fix.)
Drive the metal Fence Mender bracket into the ground
Make sure you’re wearing safety glasses and hearing protection for this step.
I try to avoid hitting metal on metal, so the picture above is mostly to show you about the need to hammer the bracket into the ground.
What I usually do is put a scrap piece of wood onto the “hitting ledge” of the bracket and then hit the wood. But I couldn’t hold the wood and the hammer and the camera at the same time.
Hammer the Fence Mender down into the ground.
Screw the Fence Mender to the Fence Post
The instructions for this product say you should use “Hot Dip Galvanized Fasteners” to screw the Fence Mender to the post.
Because I knew this was only temporary, I used some screws that I had with me.
Below is picture of the instructions glued to the side of the product if you plan on doing a longer-term fix.
Reattach the Fence Panels
Because I was doing this job by myself, this was probably the trickiest step. So if you have a helper, it makes it a lot easier.
Problem I’ve encountered with the Fence Mender
To clarify, I am happy with the temporary use of the Fence Mender.
I think this product would work really well if the post is set in gravel, clay or dirt. Because you could pound the Fence Mender deep into the ground next to the post.
But when a 4″x4″ fence post is set in concrete, it means the concrete sets around the post forming a 4″x4″ hole in the ground. And the fence post takes up the entire hole. There isn’t much room for a piece of metal to slide down next to the post.
I haven’t had much luck pounding a Fence Mender down and having it get into the 4″x4″ concrete hole next to the post. (Maybe I just need to get stronger?)
If I used a sledge hammer, I might be able to drive the bracket down into the concrete, but I think it would probably just crack the concrete.
I guess that is why the instructions on the product say to pour concrete around the bracket after you’ve screwed it into the post. Following this step would help solidify the post.
How did the Fence Mender work for my temporary purpose?
The Fence Mender worked well to temporarily prop up this fence post until I could replace it.
I had it installed for a couple months before I was able to get in there and replace the post. Using this metal bracket allows the fence gate to latch correctly and swing open. (I’m sure the mailman was happy.)
In fact, I wrote a different article – “Reusing Wooden Fence Posts – replacing a wobbly post” – about the steps I took to replace this post.
What would I do differently if I needed a long-term fix?
If I needed a more permanent fix for a wobbly fence post and I was using the Fence Mender, then I’d follow their instructions.
I’d use two of the brackets on the fence post – one on the front of the post and one on the back.
I’d dig out and clean around the post better before I hammered the bracket into the ground.
I would use the hot dip galvanized screws like they suggest.
And I’d pour concrete around the brackets like they suggest.
I’m confident that if I needed a longer-term fix, and I needed to use this product, that it’d work.
Where can you buy the Fence Mender?
You can probably buy the Fence Mender at your local hardware store.
If you can’t find it there, I see that Amazon sells it online.
Thanks for checking out my article on the Fence Mender.
I hope this has helped you.
To sum it up, using the Fence Mender is a simple way to prop up a wobbly fence post, but it isn’t exactly easy. It requires some manual labor.
But doing it like I did, it only took me about 15 minutes. And most of that time was detaching and reattaching the fence panels to the fence post.
Good luck with your fencing projects.
Up Next:
Reusing Wooden Fence Posts (to fix a wobbly fence)
The article above is how I eventually replaced that rotten fence post with a reused fence post.
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