DIY Privacy Fence Help/Tips

TexAg09 · Jun 23, 2018

Hey guys, I figured since we're DIY hunters that there are probably more than a few DIY handymen/women lurking around here too. My neighbor and I are replacing our privacy fence, and have agreed to try to do it ourselves and split the material cost.He's done it before, but I haven't. The snag is that he has three kids, and is usually tied up with baseball/softball and soccer stuff on the weekends. He tries to help on the evenings after work, but that leaves me doing a lot of the work on my own on the weekends. ( I don't mind, he's a good guy and great dad.)

I've got all the old posts dug out, and I'm about to start installing new posts. I'm trying to decide between cedar and treated pine. I'm leaning towards the pine as we're both budget conscious, and don't plan on being in our houses for more that a few years. Any tips moving forward? Also, I do have to dig one new post hole next to my house. (I'm moving the front of the fence back a little bit.) How far off the foundation should I dig the hole, but still have the fence touch the side of the house? Lastly any tips for building a gate? That's really the only part I'm concerned about. I feel like this isn't a hard project, but I'm the type that usually asked for advice no matter just to make sure I'm not missing anything. I appreciate it!

ZBB · Jun 23, 2018

I am no expert on the subject, but after some of the quotes I received a few years ago for a contractor to build me a fence I said F*** that and did it myself. I went about six inches out from the foundation. I wanted a fence board right next to the house so I screwed a couple cleats on the the post that would be next to the house so I could rip a fence board down and screw it to the cleats. I used 6”x6” pt pine posts and had the paneling in between them.( my wife wanted to see the posts...huge pain in the ass that was) I had the rows laser straight when I got them installed and a couple months went by and they all warped and twisted. It still looked fine but it really bummed me out after all the time I put into getting them straight. Cedar is more expensive but I think it might help on the re sale side. That’s just my opinion though, I could be wrong. For my gates I used a kit from Home Depot called the easy gate. It basically four brackets that you build around. It worked real slick. I would definitely use those again. It was pretty easy work building the fence, it was just very repetitive. Good luck with the build.
Zach

mdunc8 · Jun 23, 2018

Here's what I learned from building mine and watching my neighbors attempt to build theirs.

First and foremost, don't trust you buddies to do anything unsupervised. They will undoubtedly screw it up and you probably won't figure it out until after the concrete has cured...
Run a string from the bottom and top of your end posts to set the inside posts. Regardless of how straight you initially set them, they're going to move.
Run a string to set the elevation on your pickets
If at all possible, don't hang your gate from a corner post cause it'll cause the post to lean in with the gate
Figure out how wide of a gate you want and then set your posts. Make the gate after the posts are in place. Don't make it up super tight cause things are inevitably going to move and you'll end up having to take a grinder to the gate.
There's no need to buy a kit. You can easily make them yourself with some 2x material. PM if you want to see some pictures of mine.
Attach a spring or something similar to the gates. My kids left one of ours open and the wind ripped it off the hinges
Last but not least, somehow make your wife pay for it. Mine was supposed to be my birthday present (still trying to figure that one out). She got a quote to build ours for over $5K (we were already tying into our neighbors). I said I'd build it, but she had to pay for the all the materials and labor and the difference between the quote and what it cost me to build it with the help of two buddies at $20/hr for two days went directly into my hunting fund. She's currently depositing $100/month into my hunting/travel savings account...

Bambistew · Jun 23, 2018

I have a pine structure and cedar plank fence. Just repainted it a few weeks ago. It's about 8 years old now and still looks fine and is in good shape.

You can put the post right against the foundation. No worries on compromising anything.

I'd go with pressure treated pine, but don't get the stippled posts (small holes for treating to penitrate), and make sure they are treated for below ground use. With stain/paint it will last a long time on the exposed portion. Are you setting them in concrete? Or costs more, but will last a lot longer, and stronger and stiffer when it comes time to putting on the rails.

Gates are easy to build. Lots of options and even the kit as mentioned above. Try to keep them light weight, i.e. no need for heavy lumber and tons of reinforcement. Lighter gates put less pressure on the gate post and settle less. I would recommend setting them either deeper (get a longer post) or in concrete so they stay plumb.

If you set post in concrete make sure it comes to the surface or just above so you don't pond water around the post.

Not sure where you live, but doubt frost jacking would be a problem if you're in TX. Termites may be though? Another reason for concrete, I would presume.

mdunc8 · Jun 23, 2018

I believe the posts next to the house are about 1-2" from the foundation. They haven't moved. That also gets you close enough to where you can easily hang a picket off the side to close the fence in.

mdunc8 · Jun 23, 2018

If you set in concrete, make sure to set the post on a couple inches of gravel. Occasionally you can get water running between the post and concrete and settling at the base. You can have rotting issues if the water can't drain away from the bottom of the post.

devon deer · Jun 23, 2018

It's one of my 'other' jobs, just fills in when the fly fishing guiding goes a bit quiet.
I actually really enjoy doing it, especially the nail gun!
I guess you can get it in the US, I use premixed bags of post Crete, it goes 'off' really quick but gives you time to get the post in the perfect position, then onto the next one.

Just as an add on to mdunc8 post, I need to let my wife read it, then I might too get some paid into my bank account, not!
In fact my wife is currently in the sun on the Mediterranean island of Menorca, paid for by me, as part of the deal for me going back to Montana in October, but I digress, the DIY route gives you a great sense of achievement and saves you a fortune.

Cheers

Richard

SFC B · Jun 23, 2018

My only input is DO NOT use cedar post if you have any type of wind. I have had to replace 90% of mine in the last 5 years as the cedar 4x4s have been snapped off at ground level. Cedar simply does not have the strength of pine or doug fir.

Dave N · Jun 23, 2018

devon deer said:
It's one of my 'other' jobs, just fills in when the fly fishing guiding goes a bit quiet.
I actually really enjoy doing it, especially the nail gun!
I guess you can get it in the US, I use premixed bags of post Crete, it goes 'off' really quick but gives you time to get the post in the perfect position, then onto the next one.

Just as an add on to mdunc8 post, I need to let my wife read it, then I might too get some paid into my bank account, not!
In fact my wife is currently in the sun on the Mediterranean island of Menorca, paid for by me, as part of the deal for me going back to Montana in October, but I digress, the DIY route gives you a great sense of achievement and saves you a fortune.

Cheers

Richard

You sly devil! Make her happy so you can go hunting PLUS you get the house to yourself while she's gone! WIN WIN!

Sorry, not much help on the fence. Just had to throw in a shout-out to Richard! I've only put in fence for barbed wire. I've put up several dog pens but that was with metal posts and chain-link. Good luck!

406LIFE · Jun 23, 2018

I put in about 400' in the past 2 years at my place:

wait for the concrete to thoroughly dry. then wait one more day.

Dont use nails for anything. Torx screws are the best.

I used treated pine.

Hang a line so you know the tops are even all the way. I went with ground level, and it slopes...

buy it all at once, don't piecemeal it.

if you are using 4x4s, there is a level for those posts, that has a level on two sides. get it and use a quick clamp to put it on. so much easier.

TexAg09 · Jun 23, 2018

So many good tips. I appreciate it guys. One thing my neighbor has used before, and recommended is expanding foam instead on concrete on the post. Any thoughts? He says he's had a good experience with it, and the posts stayed fine in storms.

As for getting my wife to pay for it, we have joint checking accounts so no dice there. I have parlayed it into getting out of the rest of my normal household chores though.

devon deer · Jun 24, 2018

Dave N said:
You sly devil! Make her happy so you can go hunting PLUS you get the house to yourself while she's gone! WIN WIN!

Very true Dave, in part, I agreed ages ago that I would sort out a sun holiday (not my thing) as I was going hunting, but sadly her dad has got the big C so she has been travelling a lot to help out, she needed a nice break, and is enjoying some gin tasting as I type!

406LIFE said:
I put in about 400' in the past 2 years at my place:

wait for the concrete to thoroughly dry. then wait one more day.

Dont use nails for anything. Torx screws are the best.

I used treated pine.

Hang a line so you know the tops are even all the way. I went with ground level, and it slopes...

buy it all at once, don't piecemeal it.

if you are using 4x4s, there is a level for those posts, that has a level on two sides. get it and use a quick clamp to put it on. so much easier.

I agree, I use screws for the rails, then nail gun on the feather edging.
In my case the concrete I use sets so quick you can attach the rails within the hour.

Cheers

Richard

Bukwild3 · Jun 24, 2018

Make sure your top runner is as high as possible. Put mine to low and the pickets at the top over the years have dried out and got crooked. Also mix your concrete in a wheel barrow. Dont dump the bag in the hole and try to add water.

Dakota79 · Jun 24, 2018

Survey the property line before doing anything.

Sawtooth · Jun 24, 2018

Call your community's "dig line" before digging any holes. Last thing you want to do is cut a gas, electrical or phone line. My friends son has a fencing company and he runs metal posts and three rails instead of two. Makes for a bomb proof fence and well worth the extra expense and time. I just finished 120 feet of fence with my back neighbor last month and we used these same materials. Also rent a auger to dig the post holes. You can get 15 posts done in less than an hour and a half and you will have saved yourself the backache which you will need for mixing and pouring cement.

PrairieHunter · Jun 24, 2018

Make sure it's built to aTm standards, much like this project.

TexAg09 · Jun 24, 2018

PrairieHunter said:
Make sure it's built to aTm standards, much like this project.

View attachment 84027

Well my neighbor is an Aggie too, so we're SOL there haha!

DIY Privacy Fence Help/Tips

TexAg09

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ZBB

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mdunc8

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Bambistew

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mdunc8

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mdunc8

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devon deer

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SFC B

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Dave N

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406LIFE

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TexAg09

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devon deer

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Bukwild3

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Sawtooth

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