Wood fence

[JayKay]

Wood is less expensive, but hella more maintenance. My next fence will be white vinyl.

Onecall is the only place to go, to mark utilities, but it's not an exact science. When I installed a fence 10 years ago, I nicked my neighbors phone line. That was messy.

Gravel in the bottom of the post hole, then the post, then quickcrete, then water, did the trick very well.

Spend the $5, and get a post hole level. Even better, borrow mine for free. It's a three way level, that is held in place by a fat rubber band. Use one. Borrow mine. Whatever. Just don't eyeball level.

OH, and if you're going to use any sort of equipment to dig the holes, take a tip from me, and don't just grab a handful of gas and dig the powerhead right down to the ground. Especially in clay-ish soil. They do not have reverse. Or, at least the one I rented did not. I called Acme Rents to ask how to back it out of the ground, and they actually laughed.

 

[deleted]

Now there's a Lake Winnipeg hole hopping machine!!

 

[westwolfone]

What JayKay said about leveling the posts is the key.

One other thing not mentioned is it's a good time to find out where your property corners are.

 

[fnznfwl]

Nothing says suburbia quite like a white vinyl fence.

 

[Colt45]

I put up my fence 25 years ago this summer, used the brown treated lumber from Menards, don't think they even sell brown treated any longer and I cant remember what if any difference it was than green treated. It was a little more expensive though. Anyways, I put my posts 6 feet on center instead of 8, and while lots of neighbor fences have blown over in wind storms with 8 foot OC posts, mine has never blown over. I also used 3 string boards between posts, instead of 2. I used a hand operated post hole digger and dug all the holes myself, I was much younger man back then, and the posts are about 3-4 feet into the ground, the deeper you can get them the better. I do stain it every 4-5 years also. Fence still looks good. I sold my shed 4 years ago and to get it out of the yard I had to remove a gate and corner post. I king authored the post out of the ground, wasn't easy. I figured the post would be rotted and had bought a replacement green treated post. The post I pulled out was like brand new though, couldn't believe the condition it was in, so I reused it. That brown treated wood is some good stuff.

 

[Bfishn]

Don't just assume where your yard borders are, especially if you are not the original owner. Get your lot surveyed so you know exactly where to put your fence. When my neighbor built his house he had his lot surveyed and sure enough the guy behind him (second owner at this point) had put a fence up a good 3-4' onto his property. The guy had to dig up and move his entire back border of the fence. I don't think those neighbors talk much anymore haha.

 

[guywhofishes]

or find the pins with a metal detector

wait - yard full of pennies from lost ring episode - never mind

 

[johnr]

don't run your boards on the ground, my old neighbor did that. I told him in ND you cant rest the fence boards on the ground as we have 4 seasons and the wood will be pushed up and down in different seasons. He said, "how many fences have you built", I said "none", so he tells me to mind my own business, and proceeds to rest every plank on the ground. Next spring his boards are doing the wave, not one straight board on the entire fence.

Fricken clown, I met him outside, and said, Fence looks pretty good, for a guy who knows how to put fences up, but to me it looks a little warped.

 

[JayKay]

or find the pins with a metal detector

wait - yard full of pennies from lost ring episode - never mind

Yes, give us (at least two dark nights) notice before you go metal detecting!!

Truthfully, the pins are pretty easy to locate with a metal detector. Do yourself one more favor. When you locate them, do the work to dig down and expose them. Then go talk to your neighbors and show them the pins. That way nobody is moving fences a week or month or year later.

- - - Updated - - -

don't run your boards on the ground, my old neighbor did that. I told him in ND you cant rest the fence boards on the ground as we have 4 seasons and the wood will be pushed up and down in different seasons. He said, "how many fences have you built", I said "none", so he tells me to mind my own business, and proceeds to rest every plank on the ground. Next spring his boards are doing the wave, not one straight board on the entire fence.

Fricken clown, I met him outside, and said, Fence looks pretty good, for a guy who knows how to put fences up, but to me it looks a little warped.

You should have loaned him your shovel, so he could put a trough under his fence.

 

[westwolfone]

The pins move over time, so even if you find them, you can't be certain that is the legal border of your property.

 

[guywhofishes]

The pins move over time, so even if you find them, you can't be certain that is the legal border of your property.

I move mine under cover of darkness.

 

[johnr]

Me too, turns out the entire block is now somehow my property.

 

[327]

Built a fence at my old place and set it off property line so I could maintain my fence as needed. Didn't have any problems with a bitchy Neighbor that way. I also recommend using pea rock instead of concrete around posts. If you ever have to remove a post you remove a couple inches of dirt and shop vac the rock out and pull the post. When you want to put post back in you don't have a 2 foot glob of concrete to deal with.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I made a dirt bit for my early 80s jiffy 30 and drilled monitoring wells and soil testings inside barriers. Still use it for fishing , Those buggers are probably tougher than Chuck Norris and DBs Dodge put together.

What about DB's penis?

 

[Davy Crockett]

What about DB's penis?

That might have to be another thread in it's own . I saw a dodge try to pull a ford once, It went something like this. I have an 04 ford 6.0 that would pull either one of dbs Dodges around until he said uncle. That is a fact.