Things To Avoid When Building A Fence
People build fences everyday and most are built correctly but most could also be built a little better. By applying the little known tips below you can build a fence that will last longer and look better. You start a fence by making holes spaced about every 8 feet apart for the 4x4x8' treated posts. These holes should be dug 2 feet deep with a post hole digger. Most people stop right there with a cylinder shaped hole since digging these holes is the most strenuous part of fence building. To ensure the post is well anchored the fence installer should use the post hole digger at an angle around the whole diameter of this hole to make a ball shaped anchor at the bottom of the cylinder. A post hole dug in this manner is much more secure and stable.
One of the other big mistakes often made is that people don't realize that concrete will never bind to wood. That's why you see concrete builders use wooden forms. When they do the pouring, and the cement sets, they are good. The next day the concrete workers take the nails out and these wood forms just fall off of the concrete. Another problem is bugs and water in the soil can deteriorate the wood posts. To prevent these problems the fence builder should put black roof tar on the bottom two feet of the fence post that enters the ground. This will prevent the post from rotting and enables the concrete to stick to the posts. After the posts are leveled and set you should allow them to dry for one whole day before nailing on them. Any nailing too soon, and you knock the posts out of level.
Most often, people are only using two rails per fence slat. This is okay, but you really should consider more. To build a secure fence that will last for years, three rails should be used. The top rail should be placed on the top of the fence posts lying in a horizontal position. The fence slats should not be installed more than 8" above this top rail. If so they will tend to twist and turn with age. The bottom rail shouldn't be more than 8" above the bottom of the fence slats for the same reason. The center rail should be placed evenly between the top and bottom rails. Adding a middle rail will help to prevent the rails from warping, and it will help to make a better fence.
One thing often over looked is that we assume that water only travels downward. That assumption is almost correct but don't understand the lip or linger factor. There is one instance where water can and will travel up, and every fence builder should be aware of. If you are wondering why your fascia boards rot and warp, this is why.
Here is an example. Ever noticed that you see paint bubbling on the bottom of the fence? The paint or wood sealer should have protected the wood from moisture to prevent it from rotting but the linger factor wasn't taken into account. Meaning, that the water traveled up and rotted the wood.
What happens is that most contractors never sealed the bottom of the wood. Over the years as water drains down the face of the wood it lingers on the exposed bottom lip and begins to soak up into the wood causing it to rot. To prevent this from happening, insist that the fence be sealed from the bottom as well as the top.
So there you have it. The key things to remember are to make sure the posts are actually sealed, and you make sure that the bottom of the wood gets sealed to prevent rotting. If you are in the process of making a fence then you can make these simple changes. - 20759
One of the other big mistakes often made is that people don't realize that concrete will never bind to wood. That's why you see concrete builders use wooden forms. When they do the pouring, and the cement sets, they are good. The next day the concrete workers take the nails out and these wood forms just fall off of the concrete. Another problem is bugs and water in the soil can deteriorate the wood posts. To prevent these problems the fence builder should put black roof tar on the bottom two feet of the fence post that enters the ground. This will prevent the post from rotting and enables the concrete to stick to the posts. After the posts are leveled and set you should allow them to dry for one whole day before nailing on them. Any nailing too soon, and you knock the posts out of level.
Most often, people are only using two rails per fence slat. This is okay, but you really should consider more. To build a secure fence that will last for years, three rails should be used. The top rail should be placed on the top of the fence posts lying in a horizontal position. The fence slats should not be installed more than 8" above this top rail. If so they will tend to twist and turn with age. The bottom rail shouldn't be more than 8" above the bottom of the fence slats for the same reason. The center rail should be placed evenly between the top and bottom rails. Adding a middle rail will help to prevent the rails from warping, and it will help to make a better fence.
One thing often over looked is that we assume that water only travels downward. That assumption is almost correct but don't understand the lip or linger factor. There is one instance where water can and will travel up, and every fence builder should be aware of. If you are wondering why your fascia boards rot and warp, this is why.
Here is an example. Ever noticed that you see paint bubbling on the bottom of the fence? The paint or wood sealer should have protected the wood from moisture to prevent it from rotting but the linger factor wasn't taken into account. Meaning, that the water traveled up and rotted the wood.
What happens is that most contractors never sealed the bottom of the wood. Over the years as water drains down the face of the wood it lingers on the exposed bottom lip and begins to soak up into the wood causing it to rot. To prevent this from happening, insist that the fence be sealed from the bottom as well as the top.
So there you have it. The key things to remember are to make sure the posts are actually sealed, and you make sure that the bottom of the wood gets sealed to prevent rotting. If you are in the process of making a fence then you can make these simple changes. - 20759
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