Many driveways have an area that requires some type of guardrail to prevent vehicles from rolling off the driveway in inclement weather or perhaps just driver error. Metal railings can be quite expensive and require a pound (sterling) truck to fit the railing posts. With a little sweat and a lot of effort, you can build a railing for almost no money. Electric and telephone companies continually replace their poles on a regular basis. This can simply be an upgrade to a pole to carry new transformers or to raise a section of cables for vehicle traffic etc.
These companies must pay to dispose of these old poles and that’s where you step in. Contact your local power or phone company and ask where they store damaged or old poles and tell them you’d like to have some. In almost all cases, they will be happy to get rid of them. It saves them money. Of course, you can’t haul full-size poles, so you’ll need a chainsaw with some worn-out old chains to cut the poles into manageable six-foot-long sections. Note that I said old, worn out chains for your saw. Sharpen before cutting, but be prepared to discard them when you’re done cutting the posts. Electricity poles are often riddled with hidden nails from your neighbors posting their garage sale signs, but they’re also littered with screws, pins, and all manner of other metal items. Any and all pieces of metal are death to a chainsaw chain. You can of course visually scan these elements before cutting, but the hidden ones are the problem. Be sure to wear heavy work gloves when handling these posts as there will be chips galore and any sharp objects will tend not to cut or stab as easily. Be careful while working and always wear eye and ear protection.
A railing will need a post every six to eight feet and of course at any point where the railing turns a corner. A twenty four foot straight railing with posts on six foot centers would require five posts. Also a reminder that power poles are creosote coated so wear old clothes when handling them. You will also need the longest pieces you can handle for a top rail. A top rail will give much better protection, but single posts close enough to each other can also give very good protection. With all the post and rail pieces now at home, place the centers of each post. Remember to measure from the leading edge of the first post and not from the center line. The intermediate posts are measured to the center line and the last post is the furthest edge of the first post.
This is where you decide if you want to dig the post holes yourself or hire someone with an auger truck to do it for you. Its labor is free but time consuming, auger truck is quick and easy but cost some money. If you are short on time or help, the auger truck can be a good investment. With the holes dug, set up your initial post. Once in the correct position, make sure the post protrudes a minimum of two feet above the finished level. Refill the post by tamping the material into place as you go. Now continue with the rest of the posts making sure each one is on the proper center line and height.
A good trick here is if your railing is in a straight line, put the first and last post first. Drive a nail in the center of these two posts and lay a line between them. Now you have a quick guide to both the axes and the heights of all the intermediate posts without having to measure each one. Once all the posts are in place, let them sit for a few days and hopefully some rain will fall to further settle the soil around the posts. If you have a water source nearby, a good soaking of fill soils will speed up the settling process. Clean up around your stalls removing all rocks and excess loot and maybe throw in some grass seed to restore the area. It is much easier to do this before attaching the top rail. Raking under the railing and going up and down over it wears out very quickly.
Once you’re ready for the top rail, place the top rail next to the posts in the ground with one end hanging a few inches over the first post. Mark the top tail for both sides of all post locations. Once marked, you should carefully notch a two-inch-deep hole to receive the top of the post once the rail is set on top of the posts. Try to be as neat as you can but you are cutting with a chainsaw. A half-inch-wider notch isn’t a big deal. Place the cut top rail on the posts. I use sixty cent galvanized landscaping spikes to attach the rail to the posts. You may want to pre-drill the holes in the top rail and you will need at least a five pound hammer. Two spikes in each post should be enough. Once the entire rail is in place, you can simply let it age naturally or add a new coat of stain or sealer.
