Monday, 20 July 2009 07:00 Last Updated on Saturday, 20 February 2010 22:45
"Great fences, make great neighbors."
There are many different kinds of fences from simple decorative fences, to elaborate stone fences. The fence that I would like to talk about is the average six foot high privacy fence. In the past years the average fence was made of pressure treated wood, however more fence material is being made out of PVC. This material is lightweight, durable, and doesn´t need finishing. Since PVC is still more expensive than wood fences a wood fence is still very popular, an a inexpensive DIY job.
You can locate wood fencing materials at your local hardware store and can usually haul the materials yourself. The panels usually come in six foot by eight foot sections. As for a gate, there are usually pre-assembled materials to accommodate many different styles.
To start your project you will need to concant your local building department to make sure of the layout you want will be in accordinance with local building codes. Once the building department
agrees to your design then you can get started.
I recommend digging and setting all corner posts first. After the corners have been set then you can dig and set the all the inner posts. Digging the holes for the posts will be the most difficult. If you have clay on your property you will want to rent a two man auger. If you have sand you could hand dig them with a post hole digger. Using an auger for either situation will make short work for any post hole digging. The augers are available to rent at any tool rental store. Depending on your location you should dig down past the frost line. Here in Michigan that depth is around forty-three inches. The reason to dig below the frost line is so that ground frost will not push your posts out of position. If you do live in area where the frost line is around forty inches I recommend a ten foot 4x4 that is pressure treated for your posts. With this size post you can dig four feet down and you will have six feet above the ground.
After digging the holes I recommend placing three inches of pea gravel in the hole for water drainage. The next question is sort of controversial depending on who you ask. Do you place the post in the hole and then the concrete, or do you place the post on top of the concrete? My answer is to place the concrete around the post at the bottom. Concrete pads are usually for structures that are supporting weight (shed, deck, patio). There is not a lot of weight pulling down on a fence. What you need to worry about is movement perpendicular to the fence. Wind has a perpendicular force on the fence and can push it on it's side. This is why I recommend concrete around the posts making it harder for the posts to move.
Once you have the corner posts set, run string from one corner post to the next. Measure out where your next next internal posts needs to be and dig and set the first internal post. From the new set post do the same till all internal posts are set. Note: Double check your measurements along the way. You don not want to figure out somewhere down the line that your fence panel will not fit because your set posts were measured wrong. Also concrete can be placed in the hole dry and then water added to it. You then can back fill with the dirt removed from the hole.
To start your project you will need to concant your local building department to make sure of the layout you want will be in accordinance with local building codes. Once the building department
agrees to your design then you can get started.
I recommend digging and setting all corner posts first. After the corners have been set then you can dig and set the all the inner posts. Digging the holes for the posts will be the most difficult. If you have clay on your property you will want to rent a two man auger. If you have sand you could hand dig them with a post hole digger. Using an auger for either situation will make short work for any post hole digging. The augers are available to rent at any tool rental store. Depending on your location you should dig down past the frost line. Here in Michigan that depth is around forty-three inches. The reason to dig below the frost line is so that ground frost will not push your posts out of position. If you do live in area where the frost line is around forty inches I recommend a ten foot 4x4 that is pressure treated for your posts. With this size post you can dig four feet down and you will have six feet above the ground. After digging the holes I recommend placing three inches of pea gravel in the hole for water drainage. The next question is sort of controversial depending on who you ask. Do you place the post in the hole and then the concrete, or do you place the post on top of the concrete? My answer is to place the concrete around the post at the bottom. Concrete pads are usually for structures that are supporting weight (shed, deck, patio). There is not a lot of weight pulling down on a fence. What you need to worry about is movement perpendicular to the fence. Wind has a perpendicular force on the fence and can push it on it's side. This is why I recommend concrete around the posts making it harder for the posts to move.
Once you have the corner posts set, run string from one corner post to the next. Measure out where your next next internal posts needs to be and dig and set the first internal post. From the new set post do the same till all internal posts are set. Note: Double check your measurements along the way. You don not want to figure out somewhere down the line that your fence panel will not fit because your set posts were measured wrong. Also concrete can be placed in the hole dry and then water added to it. You then can back fill with the dirt removed from the hole.After all posts are set and you have waited for the concrete to cure you can now hang your panels. Hanging the panels are pretty simple and will need a helper. You can use galvanized nails or screws to attach the panels to the posts. Just move along from one to another checking level and plump as you go.
Buying panels pre-made will cost more than making them yourself. If you are handy and have some extra time you can build the fence on the spot. When building the fence yourself you can create any style you like (stay within city codes when designing your style). In the above fence photo, the fence was made on site. The style is called "shadowbox". This style allows you to somewhat see through the panels on each side. Each side is identical. This setup and style I found to be the cheapest in materials, but more expensive in the labor.
Below are some ideas for other style fences.
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| Dog Ear Fence | Basket Weave Fence | Privacy With Lattice Fence |
Gothic Style Fence | Arch Style Fence |
