Handling Replacement Fence Panels - Any Tips?

[Mosaic]

This morning me and the better half will re-enact an episode of Laurel and Hardy seguing subtley into an homage to Mr. Pastry and the Chuckle Brothers ie handling and putting in place a 1.83m fence panel to replace one blown out on windy Wednesday. Hilarious as this will be - of course, I forgot to mention the pyrocanthus that's in the way - I wondered if any of you good people have any tips. Is there something I'm not getting about the principle of 'lift it up, drop in the slots'? Why is it inevitably a complete and utter pain in every sense as well as metaphorically?
I hope you will think of our plight during today even if the only way is, as I fear, to keep chanting 'to me.... to you' as the gentle breeze catches us Mary-Poppins-Style and wafts us gebtly into the thorns....

[Peter Pedant]

Wear gloves - along with the laurel outfit
make sure you blare ( or the teenage son blares ) we are rolling along on the crest of a wave from a bedroom window

or possible the music from fame !

[whiskeryron]

Handle very carefully as you could end up in the next county, all the best of luck.

Ron.

[Old_Geezer]

Not easy. At least you are not trying on your own as I did. Be careful. Try not to lift as the wind is blowing, or about to. Step ladders will probably help you drop it into existing posts with slots easier. Drop a few inches one side, then the other, then back to the first side again, until it shows it's in and wants to just drop. Keep fingers crossed the posts are spaced correctly and you don't need to sand the edge down as I had to once.

[Peaspeculiars]

You could put a couple of ratchet straps vertically down the panel to give you something extra to grip when lifting, then just undo and slide the straps out and voila! (all to the Benny Hill tune of course:-)

[Tilly2]

I'd cut the pyrocantha down a bit before I started.

[Mosaic]

Thank you! getting some rat traps sounds like even extra fun, so will give it a try. Gloves on, themed tracks ready on festival amplifiers, rat traps in place, North Sea here we come, hope panel will double as life raft.....

[Mosaic]

Fence panel 0, Mosaic &Co 1
Very nice it looks too
We'll do the other three when we've recovered.

[Old_Geezer]

You can come down and replace the further missing two panels in my fence if that good at it :-)

[Mosaic]

Our terms are reasonable OG

[cecil39]

It may be to late to say this, but don't forget that the 'best' side should be facing your neighbour, we once had to take out and turn round three fence panels as our nice neighbour complained it was the wrong way round.

[Mosaic]

Thanks Cecil - but you see, the neighbours concerned in our case might first need to address the dead barbecues, mangled plastic furniture, collapsed rotary clothes line and knee-high 'grass' before troubling me about any aesthetics of gardening. Ah me, what it is to have standards.

[diddlydo]

Sorry Cecil but if it's your fence you can have whichever side you like facing you. We've got the "best" side facing us and if the neighbours don't like it, it's tough.

[Old_Geezer]

Wrong way around :-)

If the neighbour wants a "nice" side they can construct and maintain their own fence.

[gness]

Hi, Mosaic...thought I had got away with it but I have to do one after the last storm.....the daughter had a quote for replacing four and erecting six in total....two were reusable.......£800?????

When I was doing some building work next to a prickly shrub I threw an old, thick blanket around it and then pulled it away and pegged it like a tent.... probably a bit late with that tip now....☺

[DaisyNonna]

Will remember that in future gness. Great idea,

[Old_Geezer]

Wow ! I had a £500 bill when the first set of winds did damage this year, but for that I got a gate maintained and a new concrete post as well as repaired/new panels too. I thought that was high enough but couldn't see me getting around to it. Now, as implied above, further damage. I'm going to get 2 new panels later in the year and slide them in myself. What really irks is that one of the latest damaged ones is one I replaced only a few years back.

[gness]

I know, OG.....think she misses not living near her Ma now. That quote was for two days labour.....I though two days was a lot for four posts and six panels to be replaced....but I could be wrong. Bet I soon get an invite to visit for a little break....and if...while I'm there..... I could just get out my tools........☺

Worked well, Daisy.

[Mosaic]

Gness, the thing about the two days is, if you're doinga decent job then you should let the fence posts set in concrete before adding the panels. If you were to 'panel up' straight away, the fenc eline could set awry as the wind however gentle catches the panels like the sails of a ship.
Good tip about the blanket! Thanks!

[gness]

You are right, Mosaic....but two half days would have been nice... otherwise she's going to be making lots of coffee.....She'll go with them in the end I know because they are good....and no doubt a kind Ma will offer to go halves....

Guess you can have kids or you can be rich.....☺