While hiring a contractor would be the easiest solution to building a fence, those looking to DIY need not be concerned about difficulty. Some steps during this process can be more challenging than others, but building a fence is not too difficult and even inexperienced DIYers can succeed in making their fence look spectacular. The installation can be easy, there are 3 things to keep in mind before you start building a fence.
1. Be Accurate with Your Measurements
- Building a fence requires a little bit of elbow grease, some patience, and an overall determination to see your project completed, either by your hands or a contractors. The most important factor in making your fence look good, if you’re working alone, is measure everything perfectly and two to three times to ensure you have the proper amount of materials. There’s nothing worse than getting to the last part of your project and realizing you don’t have enough materials. A good preparation process prior to building a fence means that you’ll be able to better deal with unforeseen issues, before your project becomes too at out of hand.
2. Optimize Your Fence’s Stability
- Also take into account that over-spanning sections can be hugely detrimental to building a fence because having your sections too far apart can result in a lack of stability. So in Colorado, where high speed winds are common, having a weakly supported fence can lead to wind damage. That’s why we recommend as a general rule of thumb, that each post be no more than 8 feet apart. To really bolster your fence’s stability, your fence posts should also be at least 2 feet in the ground. Generally, 1/3 of the post being in the ground will be enough to ensure a stable and secure fence system.
3. Proper Footings
- In regards to stability, you’ll also need proper fence footings and post holes. Use concrete to secure your footings as it is the most cost-effective method. Not only is the concrete inexpensive, but the labor of installing it is not very challenging either. Using an alternative material like gravel will result in an extreme lack of stability and the likelihood of your fence falling over or sagging is increased.
When it comes to building your own fence, be sure to keep these couple of tips in mind. Measure everything accurately so you don’t waste money and be sure that your fence is completely secure and stable. Building a fence doesn’t have to be hard and it can actually be quite easy if you diligently prepare and set aside a few hours out of your day.
