How to fill fence post gap?

[elbow]

Hey guys i put up a bespoke fence recently but due to some difficulties where i could place my fence posts i now have a gap that i need to close. On the left i have a horizontal slat in position and the vertical bracket/channel its slots into. If i fix the bracket/channel directly to the post on the right, the slat(s) wont reach  🙄

So my problem is how do i fill the gap. My initial thoughts were to buy a plastic square pole - however the gap tapers from 30mm to 20mm so i would need to adjust the pole but i cant even find one. I'm really struggling to find anything i can use to fill the gap and attached the bracket/channel to, and then subsequently attach to the fence post where i can then finish with the rest of the slats. Any help would ne hugely appreciated, im all out of ideas 😭 Additional - I'm trying to avoid using wood if possible. 

[elbow]

That could be very possible - I'd have to take a look, probably tomorrow . I have about a 10mm diff top to bottom (taper) and the length is 170cm. the only issue might be that the slats are screwed into place, so whether i'd have enough to drive a screw through would need to be a consideration. ill deffo look into this so thank you again  👍

[EricL]

Hello @elbow 

It's great that you've received excellent suggestions from our members. 

In regards to the type of timber, I'm staying with my original suggestion of using 70 x 35mm Outdoor Framing H3 Treated Pine - 2.4m. Structural Treated pine is for external above ground structural use. Each piece of structural timber is treated for borers, termites and is able to be subjected to moderate wetting in a well-ventilated area for up to 20 years. 

I suggest painting the timber with Gripset Betta 1L Waterproofing Membrane Bitumen Rubber. Bitumen Rubber is a versatile solvent free liquid membrane that can be used as a Bitumen Polymer Membrane or used as a cost-effective Bitumen Paint for general applications. This will provide superior protection against wet weather.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[elbow]

Hey Eric, yes some great ideas and certainly a few to explore - im really grateful and thank you for coming back with the wood/coating suggestions - massively helpful 🙏

[elbow]

Hey Eric

I am going to go with your suggestion, it is the easiest and most practical solution and of course does involve wood which is the obvious choice in terms of achieving what i need. One more question is what is the best screw-type as it will need to fix to steel, through the aluminum slat channel and wood. Steel being the post. I can drill a pilot hole into the steel but of course the screw once in, must stay in. The screw length would need to cover the gap at the top of 40mm plus however long to hold into the hollow steel post. The bottom gap is about 20mm so maybe need to different length screws but mainly im not sure what type screw to use. 😁

[EricL]

Hello @elbow 

I suggest using Zenith 10G x 65mm Galvanised Countersunk Head Metal Screws - 50 Pack for the large gap and then the Zenith 10G x 40mm Galvanised Countersunk Head Metal Screws - 50 Pack for the shorter gap. These are self-tapping metal screws and will drill through timber as well. Double check your distances before finalizing your choice.

Please remember to leave a gap of at least 30mm at the bottom making sure that the timber does not touch the soil. H3 treated timber is not rated for in ground use.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[elbow]

Thank you Eric, very much appreciated and great reminder about the wood & Soil 🙏