The fence boards, rails and posts were simply rotted through, and the whole thing was turning to dust. Replacement was no longer an option — it was a necessity.

The fencing firm will no doubt claim each neighbor should have kept dirt/mud away from the fence posts. Additionally, metal Simpson Strong-Tie fence post support brackets were available in 2013.

The fence boards, rails and posts were simply rotted through, and the whole thing was turning to dust. Replacement was no longer an option — it was a necessity.

Boy, digging out one of Uncle Als fence posts was like taking a trip to China. But then Pete, one of the guys we were working with, suggested that we try to reuse the pier instead of replacing it.

We had painted it twice in hopes of slowing down water damage. Ten years ago we used fence menders (metal fence post brackets that are used to bridge post rot where it connects to the pier).