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Wood Fences Review

Fences represent one of the definitive landscape features for houses as a result of their ability to combine functionality with a sense of style. For instance, a wooden fence is a perfect option for having children and animals outdoors, but it may also enhance the appearance of your house and add to the appeal of your yard.

In addition, a fence can hide some unappealing things close to your view line.

It’s a true win-win-win solution for homeowners. Follow these simple walkthrough guidelines to build a wooden fence in your backyard.

Also: The best wood oil

Wood Fencing review

How to build a wood fence?

 

Preparations for installing a fence:

  • Review regional rules and the policies of the homeowner’s society that could regulate the nature, dimensions, and positioning of fences. The rules may also set specifications for postholes.
  • Find out if a permit is needed.
  • Find out about your land borders and review your designs with your neighbors near the suggested fence route.
  • Define a design layout that enables you to have full picket lines at each corner.
  • Design sites for gate posts. Gate posts must be aligned with the inside of the posts. Design your gate dimensions to allow you to use full-size posts.
  • Make a plan for your fence on the graph sheet paper. Notice the post positions and gate location. Several cities may request this drawing for official approval of the construction project.
  • Take gate fittings into account. Every kit is mounted in a different way, and you must consider this when calculating the distances between gate posts.
  • Get a helper. You need an additional pair of hands to complete this task.

Step 1: Define lot size/shape
Before you receive your wood, you need to decide on the size of your fence. In order to do this, you put your fence in the ground with tiny poles. Lead a tightened cord alongside the posts and bind it at the corners. Take measurements of the length of your fence at every corner. Keep the poles and the cord in place to help you find your way when setting up the fence.
Step 2: Get the wood
Not all wooden fences necessarily appear alike. You have many options to add your own unique character to your wooden fence. Below are some different looks that you need to take into account when buying the wood for your future wooden fence:
Post style: By adding square or round posts along your fence, the uniform look is removed and a sense of design is created.
Spacing: For added privacy, you should pick a high, sturdy fence. When you don’t need to block the view, opt for fence panels with gaps or a shorter fence.
Panel style: Some fence panels are quite basic and classic, whereas other panels feature nice flourishes or different style features at the top.
Taking these factors into account, decide on how many fence panels and fence posts you are going to use. Fence panels usually are available in lengths of 6 or 8 feet, so you need to decide how many are necessary on both sides of the fence.
Step 3: Installation of the posts
Determine where to install posts along the fence line depending on the dimensions of your fence panels. Then, with the post hole drill, make a hole approximately 6 inches deeper than needed (about 1/3 of the post should be in the ground). Note that corner posts and gate posts need to be set approximately 6 inches deeper than the line poles.
Complete each of these openings with 6 inches of grit. Then place the posts, beginning with the corners. Use a spirit level to ensure that every post is correctly positioned. Tighten the poles to hold them straight throughout the installation. Pour concrete into the openings to place them in place. Give it a day or two before moving on to the following step.
Step 4: Fitting the fence panels
Adjust the panels between the posts, taking the layer for reference. Nail or screw each panel to the poles and fasten it to the panel with the top and bottom brackets.
If you have to fasten two panels with no posts between them, be certain to place a cleat at least three feet long across the tracks at the connection point of the panels. This will give extra reinforcement if a pole may not be mounted in specific places.
Step 5: Installing a gate
If your fence is to have a gate, install a gate frame that is about 1 inch less than the distance between your gate posts. This frame should be a few inches shorter than the rest of the panels because the gate must hang slightly above the ground to function properly. Add a piece of wood diagonally across the frame to make it more stable. Cut a fence panel to the right size and attach it to the frame.
Use long screws to attach heavy-duty hinges and a latch to your gate, then attach the gate frame to the hinges. Test the gate to make sure it is clear of the other post and high enough above the ground.
Step 6: Finish your fence
You can leave the wood as it is to achieve a more natural look, or apply a stain to darken it and bring out the wood grain. Alternatively, you can add color to match or complement the exterior of your home. You may also consider adding a water repellent sealant to prevent moisture and rain from penetrating the wood. You can also add some decorative elements at this point, such as post caps.

build a wood fence review

Particular concerns

 

When adding a fence to your farm, you need to follow a few additional steps in addition to the step-by-step guide mentioned above. Below are a few points to keep in mind when you install a fence:

  • Discuss with your next-door neighbors: It is recommended that you talk about your fence with your neighbors before building the fence, not afterward. Maybe you don’t have to get their approval, but by getting their agreement in advance, you can prevent stress situations in the future.
  • Review the rules: You might have to get permission from your local authority to put up a fence on your land. In addition, check out precisely where exactly your property borders are before you begin, to make sure that you are not interfering with a property that is not yours. If you are a resident of particular areas, you may have to make the posts visible only on the inside.
  • Keep safety in mind: When your fence is installed as a safety feature, you might prefer a sturdier lock on your gate and higher fence panels. You may also want to decide what fence height and construction is most appropriate to ensure that the fence will hold back kids and pets.
  • Remember maintenance: Figure out how frequently you should change your sealant, mordant, or color to keep your fence looking sharp and safe from the elements. Stay on top of potential fixes: wooden fences are susceptible to warping, but single parts can be changed without problems.
Review fence to your farm

How to install wood fence panels?

 

Fences is a multi-purpose favorite that offers privacy from neighbors, protects you from the elements, or helps keep your home safe. And wooden panel fences are one of the preferred ways of fencing off the land. They’re fairly simple to install and usually less expensive than constructing a wall, but like all outdoor wooden constructions, they need a certain level of care over time.
In this section, we explain the steps to put up a fence, and a lot of our hints and guides can be customized for metal rails or more decorative borders in your garden.
There are several options for building a fence, and they all demand various tools and materials.
Fence posts and fence panels need to be set up alternately when you work up the line of the fence. Do not forget to regularly check that the panels are even and upright with the help of a spirit level.

    • If fence brackets are used
      The following instructions demonstrate attaching a panel to a post with zinc plated striking nails. Fence clips may be applied as an alternative.
      When fence clips are applied, fasten the fence clips to the pole, then insert the panel in between the brackets of the clips and then nail or screw the panel to the post.

 

  • If gravel boards are installed
    Gravel boards can be placed at the bottom of the fence to stop the boards from decaying.
    To install gravel boards when constructing a fence panel, leave a space of 150 mm underneath the panels. Measure and cut 25 mm thick planks to suit between the posts. Fix them with zinc-plated screws or pins that are set into the poles at an angle. Recess the screws or bore pilot holes for nails.
    Another option is to use steel gravel board clamps, which are screwed to the fence and boards, and lock them securely in place.

 

Step 1
Make six evenly spaced markings along the side of the batten edge of the fence panel – use a pencil to make markings on each side and at each end. Place the nails used to attach the panel to the post on these marks.
Use a pencil to make pilot holes at the indicated points. A pilot hole is used as a guide hole to guide the nail and prevent the wood from splitting.
Lift the fence panel 50 to 75 mm from the ground by placing it temporarily on bricks. This splitting will help to stop the fence from decaying from bottom to top.
Step 2
Place a spirit level on the upper side of the fence panel to verify that the fence is absolutely horizontal.
When it is horizontal, knock a zinc-plated nail into the pilot hole of the fence frame in the fence post. The upper side of the panel must have a uniform spacing (minimum 25 mm) below the top of the post.
Continue this operation for all pilot holes on the panel until the whole panel is fastened.
Step 3
Fasten the second fence panel to the fence pole with the temporary wooden supports to keep the fence upright.
Continue in the same way until all the fence panels are in position.
Step 4
Make sure that each post contacts the two builders’ lines and check with a spirit level that each post is upright.
Mix the cement and reopen according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, normally just above the surface.
Flatten the upper side of the cement surface with a trowel pointing downwards to enable rainwater to flow away from the wooden pole.
Step 5
Put the post caps in a pail of water to avoid splintering of the wood during nailing.
Put a silicone-based sealer on the bottom to minimize the chance of moisture leaking under the post and causing the top of the post to decay.
Step 6
Nail a post cap on the top of every pole.
Complete the job by coating your fence. A preventative finish can help prolong the life of a fence by protecting it from fungus and bugs for a few years.

wood fence panels

Can you attach a chain link fence to wood post?

 

The chain link between wooden poles is an appealing solution for fences. It’s a great combination of an industrial and rural look, due to the difference between the metal elements and the wooden frame. The construction and installation of a customized chain link fence is a wonderful opportunity to enhance the security and privacy of your belongings.

 

What is a chain-link on wooden posts?

 

A fence with a wooden framework in connection with chain links is frequently described as Californian style. It is made of heavy, closely meshed netting tensioned over a framework of wooden posts.
For a California style fence to be safe, it must have both an upper and a lower beam. However, if you only want one for aesthetic reasons (and don’t need to worry about children or animals getting in or out), an upper beam may be sufficient. Additional vertical railings can increase the safety of your fence structure, but if your mesh is well installed, they are not absolutely necessary.

chain-link on wooden review

What do you need to know before installing chain links?

 

By far the easiest way to install a California style fence is to upgrade an existing wooden fence frame with mesh.
The mesh should be attached to the wooden posts with fasteners placed along the top and bottom rails. Since the chain link is to be tensioned under high tension, the existing fence must be in good condition to withstand this. The corner posts bear the main load of this tension, so if they no longer meet the requirements, they will probably have to be replaced.

What is the best way to install a chain link?

 

First, you need to have your reel of wire mesh broader than the space between the upper and lower bars. Put it in the middle between the upper and lower bar, with the same overlapping on each side.
Then secure each edge of the wire mesh with a fence clip. Then fasten along the entire vertical edge and add a staple at 6-inch intervals.
Then unroll the mesh until you reach the next vertical or corner post. Make the fabric as tight as possible with a fence tensioner. You can then staple this vertical edge of the mesh to the wooden posts using the same method as described above.
Now start attaching horizontal staples at 3-inch intervals along the top rail. Once the top end is fastened, use the fence tensioner to build tension, then fasten the bottom end in the same manner.
You can then repeat this process until all sides of the fence are secured. When you are finished, cut the edges of the fence with pliers.

How to build a wood fence gate with metal posts?

 

Wooden gates have some sense of traditional convenience and functionality connected with their appearance in a yard. The soft swinging of a wooden gate, the well-known rattling of the latch, and the sense of the gate under the hand are all ways you can feel at home with a wooden gate. Such gates can be installed into fences built of wood, stone, or metal, they may be set up next to a building or garage construction or they may be mounted with a free-standing metal post. When using freestanding posts, either metal or wooden, a well-anchored cement pedestal is needed.
Step 1
Determine the needed space for the gate and indicate the optimal position for the two poles. Shovel a hole at every point so the hole is 12 inches deep and 4 x 4 inches wide. Put 4 inches of gravel at the bottom of the holes.
Step 2
Put a 56-inch metal post in every hole and pour cement into the hole to a depth of one or two inches from the top of the ground. Let the cement stand through the night.
Step 3
Drill a 6-inch hole through the top of one of the poles and then drill the hole all the way through the pole, in a direction that is parallel to the point where you want to mount the gate. Push a latch hook and hinge strap into that hole and secure it with the supplied nut. Continue this process to mount an additional hinge on the pole about 2 feet below it.
Step 4
Take a measurement of the space between the metal poles. Subtract 1 inch to ensure proper turning of the gate on its pivots. Cut six 1 x 6-inch panels to this measurement size. Put the panels on the ground so that their long, thin sides meet. Place three 1/2 by 3 by 36-inch planks at right angles to them so their long, thin sides meet. Make two holes through every 3-inch plank and into every 6-inch plank. Secure the planks with 1-inch wood screws to create the gate.
Step 5
Place the gate between the poles and up against the hinges of the latch hook and straps. Hole through the hinge attachment holes and into the gate and fasten the hinges to the gate using 1-inch wood screws.
Step 6
Place one latch between the other pole and the opposite side of the gate and fasten it by boring 1-inch wood screws through the fastening holes and fastening the other side of the latch around the post.

Conclusion

 

Whether you do it yourself or hire a contractor, installing a new fence will enhance your new home and create an inviting outdoor living space that family and friends will enjoy for years to come. We would like to know if you already have a wooden fence. If so, what experience have you had installing your fence? We would like to hear from you. So please leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.

Max Welder

Max Welder

Hi! I'm Max Welder (toolsproper.com). I always wanted to work with my own hands, repair something, do things. Now I combine my knowledge with computers and my own knowledge in the field of mechanics in order to understand which tools I like the most. I hope to convey some knowledge and experience.

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