Easy Steps to build a Fence

by | May 26, 2020 | Augmented Article®, Demolition, landscaping hardscape, Yard Lawn Snow Maintenance

A Done with That® Project by Koper, America’s #1 Connected ContractorTM, Free Augmented Article©

Homeowners especially in Michigan, build fen­ces on their property for privacy, protection, to mark boundaries or sim­ply for looks. While ma­terials and design may vary, planning and in­stallation is basically the same. Whether you plan a utilitarian stockade style for the backyard or a decorative picket fence for the front yard, you must install your fence plumb and straight with evenly spaced posts to be truly pleasing to the eye.

Before you begin, review your local building code. There may be ordi­nances governing the height of the fence, the distance from the street and from other buildings, and the materials from which it can be made. Some subdivision and devel­opment deeds outline specific limi­tations too. To be safe, check the deed to your property so that you know where the boundaries of your yard are. If you are uncertain, contact a surveyor. You should also advise your neighbors of your plans.

Contrary to the old adage, good fences can make bad neigh­bors if your neighbor considers the fence you build an eyesore. Next, decide if you want to build your own fence or purchase prefabricated sections from your supplier. If your fence will be in­stalled on hilly terrain, a custom-built fence may be better suited to your landscape. However, for rela­tively flat terrain, a prefabricated fence is often less expensive and faster to install.

Posts are an important design element used to create evenly spaced visual breaks in long runs of rails or pickets. Choose from vir­tually hundreds of post styles, or purchase plain posts and top them with separate finials or caps.

Of greater importance is the stability of the posts. As a rule, dig post holes half as deep as the fence is high: two feet for a four-foot fence, for example. Check with local building officials or a fence contractor for the proper depth for your local conditions.

Set posts in their holes on a shallow bed of gravel. The gravel will act as a drain and keep ground water from accumulating around the posts and rotting them.

Gate posts, end posts and cor­ner posts are subject to stress and benefit from concrete support. Pre­mixed concrete in bags is conve­nient despite the additional cost. Allow one bag per post. Generally, line posts that support fencing be­tween ends and corners need not be set in concrete. However, if the ground is soft or sandy and the lo­cation is subject to high wind con­ditions, you should set the line posts in concrete for extra support. If you choose not to use concrete, add 12 to 18 inches to the length of the post lumber and sink the posts 12 to 18 inches deeper.

Add a custom-made or ready-made gate to complete your fence. Measure your gate carefully to en­sure a proper fit and smooth open­ing and closure. Take particular care in setting gate posts so they are perfectly plumb.

 

Measuring and Layout
  1. Determine corner locations for the fence and drive stakes about 12 inches long into the ground to mark their position.
  2. Run a string or chalk line be­tween corner stakes. The stakes should be tall enough so that the line does not touch the ground.
  3. For corral or picket fencing, di­vide the distance between cor­ner stakes into increments of equal length (about 6 to 8 feet is stan­dard). Drive a stake into the ground to mark the position of each post.

 

Setting Corner Posts
  1. Remove the corner stakes. Use a porthole digger or a shovel to dig each hole to a depth of slightly more than 1/2 the height of the fence.
  2. Add a shovel full of gravel to each corner post hole for good drainage
  3. Using the post, tamp the gravel firmly into the bottom of the post hole.
  4. Set the post in the hole. Check the height of the post above ground level with a tape measure. Span the hole with a scrap board to measure from ground level. Add or remove gravel as needed.
  5. Nail scrap boards 3 to 4 feet long to the post; set them at 90-degree angles to each other for proper support. Adjust the post until it is plumb and secure.
  6. Mix concrete and fill the hole around the post with it. Poke the mixture to eliminate air bubbles. If you are not using concrete, pack soil dug from hole around the post.
  7. Use a mason’s trowel to mold the surface of the concrete or soil so it slopes away from the post.

 

Setting Line Posts for Corral or Picket Fencing
  1. With corner posts set in concrete and supported with braces, run a line from the top of one corner post to the top of the other. Run a second line parallel to the first across the middle of the two corner posts.
  2. Using a post hole digger, dig each hole to depth, add a shovel full of gravel, and tamp firmly. Set the post in the hole and align vertically using string and a carpenters level as a guide.

 

  1. Fill each hole with alternating layers of gravel and soil. Use a scrap 2×4 and sledge hammer to compact each layer. Slope the top soil away from the post.
  2. If you need to trim the top of the post, mark the correct height using the string as a guide, and cut post at an angle with a hand or power saw, or cut flat to add a cap or finial.
Installing Post and Rail Fencing
  1. With a standard post and I round, split or through rail fence you must set line posts as you come to them, rather than set4ng all the posts at once as with a corral or picket fence. Start by setting the corner posts (previous list).
  2. Measure one rail length from the corner post and dig the line post hole to correct depth. Drop the post in the hole. Install rails, then tamp down alternating layers of soil and gravel around line post (or secure with concrete). Install all line posts in the same manner.

 

  1. To install the last set of rails and end the fence, leave the;end post loose in its hole. Check Ithe lengths of the rails from the (last-set line post to the end post by fitting rails first into line post, then into end post to make sure they will meet at the desired location Make necessary adjustments.

 

Installing Pickets on Level Ground

 

  1. After installing top and bottom rails (box, preceding card) nail on one picket at each corner with gal­vanized finish nails.
  2. After making sure each corner post is plumb and at the correct height, run a chalk line or a string across the top between the two cor­ner pickets.
  3. Using scrap wood cut to the de­sired width or an extra picket as a spacer, align the next picket to the string and nail it to the rails.

 

Installing Pickets on a Slope
  1. For a fence that will follow the contour of a slope, measure from the ground to the bottom of a correctly positioned picket, and cut a block to that height. Install corner pickets as described above.
  2. Loosely attach pickets to the top and bottom rails with only one nail. Do not drive the nails all the way in yet. Add pickets loosely in this manner until you reach the other corner.
  3. Step back to examine the fence Does it follow the land’s con­tour smoothly? Are any pickets too high or too low? Make any neces­sary adjustments before driving in nails and setting them.

 

Building a Picket Gate
  1. Use 2x4s to build a rectangle with about a V2-inch clearance between gate frame and post, and about a 3-inch learance at the bottom of the gate. Add a diagonal from the top of latch side to the bottom of hinge side for strength.
  2. Nail pickets to the frame using the same spacing and height as the rest of the fence. For a more dis­tinctive gate, create an arch with taller center pickets of graduated heights, or install taller pickets on the outside for a “valley” effect.
  3. Attach two strong hinges to support the gate. Drill pilot holes and screw the hinges to the gate and then to the post.
  4. Add latch to gate and post. Drive a wooden stake into the ground next to sidewalk or fence to prevent gate from swinging too far.

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