Gatepost capping

Robin2020

Member
Livestock Farmer
So DEFRA are refusing to pay for my capital claim of field gates and gateposts. The gateposts need capping. I thought this meant simply cut at angles to remove the rain..and they comelike this anyway. But it sounds like they need proper metal or plastic caps!!! Does anyone know where to buy these or any good DIY methods??? Buying a strip of lead seems quite expensive.. I can only find small caps on google..
I cant believe that treated wood with 2 coats of creocote isnt good enough :(
 

An Gof

Member
Location
Cornwall
So DEFRA are refusing to pay for my capital claim of field gates and gateposts. The gateposts need capping. I thought this meant simply cut at angles to remove the rain..and they comelike this anyway. But it sounds like they need proper metal or plastic caps!!! Does anyone know where to buy these or any good DIY methods??? Buying a strip of lead seems quite expensive.. I can only find small caps on google..
I cant believe that treated wood with 2 coats of creocote isnt good enough :(

Goto your local scrap yard and get a selection of old hub caps. The fit just nicely over a post and do the job well. 👍
 

farmerm

Member
Location
Shropshire
FG12?

It doesn’t say much about what a weather cap is expected to be. Would some roofing felt be acceptable? How about a simple piece of board, I can’t see it need to be as fancy as the post tops you can get for a garden fence...
 

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milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Caps are good for sleepers and telewag poles but I doubt they'd be much use for anything else. We very often use those nail on straps to stop big chestnut posts splitting wide open
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
I always make a cap out of sheets of ally left over from scrap caravans:
Photo-0040.jpg

You cut a rough circle an inch or so larger than the post, then cut slits about an inch long all the way around, fold down the flaps and nail in. Depending on how OCD you are you can make them really tidy or not, but either way the effect on the post will be the same.......
 

Lincs Lass

Member
Location
north lincs
Back in the day when chemicals came in tin drums ,my old boss would cut the top and bottom of and then slice the middle open which left a nice big sheet of tin to fix over the post tops ,,slap a load of bitumen on the top first and it lasted forever , alternatively, ask the scrap yard if they have big bits of lead flashing, dare say they will have loads from church roofs .
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
stock board (3mm will do ) cut a bit larger an inch than the top, quite simple really i wish all my challenges were as ...:cautious:


waste of money though shouldn't have bothered with the grant and concreted in steel . would then last for your whole career,better prospect financially.


but actually any wood is crap for hanging gates to swing nicely for any length of time.

them hc4 if thats what they are ..in 12 to 15 yrs (if your lucky) the gates will start to drag in the ground.



i know all this from experience not some expert consultant telling me.

boy if i had my time again. ........:unsure:
 

Robin2020

Member
Livestock Farmer
Cheers all, some nice ideas. I do think the capping is a waste of time as my posts have chamfered tips already. But I need to satisfy the Defra mob to get my money back.
I'm getting frustrated with the grant as you sink so much money into things and never feel confident they will pay up. Always questions and issues...grrr
 

Robin2020

Member
Livestock Farmer
I always make a cap out of sheets of ally left over from scrap caravans:
View attachment 920493
You cut a rough circle an inch or so larger than the post, then cut slits about an inch long all the way around, fold down the flaps and nail in. Depending on how OCD you are you can make them really tidy or not, but either way the effect on the post will be the same.......
I've seen similar work locally. Good job
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


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