T-posts are a type of metal fence post designed to provide a low-cost, easy-to-install fencing solution to protect a particular area against pests and predators and to keep livestock away or enclosed.
To install T-posts, you’ll need wooden posts, T-posts, wire clips and staples, and can accomplish the project with a T-post driver, tape measure, some string and a come-along.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to T-post fencing installation, just as the pros do it:
- Mark the corners: The first step to t-post fencing installation is to determine where the corner of the fence line will be, and the location of any gates you will install. It’s recommended to build the corners and gates with solid wood fence posts that get set in concrete.
- Line up the posts: Once the corners are set and properly braced, you can run guidelines between them to make sure you place all T-posts in a straight line. With a tape measure, measure out the spacing between the posts to make sure it is even. Typically, you’ll want to set posts eight to 12 feet apart, with 10 to 12 feet being sufficient for a five- to six-strand barbed wire fence. Pay the posts on the ground along the guideline to vary the spacing and to double check the number of posts you will need.
- Get the posts into position: Set each of the T-posts with their anchor plate at the bottom, perpendicular to the fence line. Face the T-posts based on your intended goal. If you expect animals to place more pressure on the inside of the fence, face the studs inward. If you expect the pressure to be coming from outside of the fence, place the studs outward.
- Drive the posts: Once the posts are all properly positioned, you can drive them into the ground. They should go down about 18 to 24 inches—deep enough where the anchor is completely buried and there is sufficient support for the posts to stay in place even against potential pressure.
- Install the wire: Once the posts are all installed, you can then install the wire. It’s important to make sure the wire is sufficiently tense to keep livestock in and predators out. The metal fencing should be stretched and secured at the corners with staples. You can leave approximately 18 to 24 inches of additional wire on the end, and wrap that wire around the mainline to strengthen the connection. Just make sure you don’t overtighten the wire—it should be taut, but it should not be like a stringed instrument.
- Install wire clips: Using wire clips prevents the wires on the fence from moving up and down and getting pulled away from the posts. The clips should be installed in a stud on the T-post. Hook the wire with one side of the clip and then wrap the other side with a pair of fence pliers.
For more information about the process of T-post fencing installation, contact the team at Guadalupe Mountain Fencing LLC today.