How To Build Your Own Fence

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How to Build Your Own Wood Fence

Fences can be made of aluminum, vinyl, iron, and wood. Likewise, all of these materials are made to mark territories and provide homeowners with privacy.
Each of the abovementioned raw materials has a different cost. Depending on the manufacturers, fences are ready-made and can be installed. However this may cost more than buying raw materials. Among these materials, wood is known as the most basic and popular choice of homeowners.

Following is the five-point guideposts on how to build your own wood fence so you can save time and money.

1. Prepare the tools and materials

Here is a checklist of the tools and materials you will need:

· Boards and posts
· Gravel and sand
· Hammer
· Hand saw
· Level
· Marking pencil
· Nails
· Paint or outdoor stain
· Post hole digger
· Power saw
· Ready mixed concrete
· Small axe or hatchet
· Steel tape
· Tamping rod
· Wood chisel
· Wood preservative

2. Spacing the fence posts

· Set the end or corner posts first. Afterwards, stretch a line in between these posts.
· Set your fence posts about 6 to 8 inches apart. However, the spacing depends on the type and purpose of fence, and the terrain, among others.
· The structural strength and appearance of your fence depends on the positioning of the fence posts so you have to take time measuring the gaps between posts.
· Provide a marker at the positions where the post holes are to be dug.

3. Setting the fence posts

· Set all fence posts with 1/3 of their lengths buried in the ground. Do the same with posts that will carry heavy burdens.
· Dig the holes to the proper depth.
· Anchor the posts by making the holes larger at the bottom. Put two shovels or a large stone at the bottom of each hole to avoid moisture from seeping into the base of each post.
· Treat the part of the post that will be placed underground using wood preservative. Allow the treated part of the post to stand overnight.
· You can also pack the bottom of the posts with concrete or dirt. Or you can place two to three shovels of gravel at the bottom of each hole before the post is erected.
· Erect each post making sure that the top part of each post is aligned with the other.
· Use stakes in each post after sighting the alignment. Readjust the posts by removing the nails that hold the braces. Keep the stakes in place until the concrete has set.
· If you used dirt at the bottom of each post, tamp it thoroughly to remove air bubbles. Make sure that you do not alter the alignment during the tamping process.
· A corner post should be set in both directions so you should provide extra braces.
· Let the posts stand for a few days before adding the fence.
· Make sure that the heads of posts are capped, rounded, or slanted to ensure that the posts will last.

4. Adding rails to the fence posts

· Attach railings at the top and bottom of the fence posts.
· Nail the top rail to the top of the post. This way, the rail can be attached to the rail at the center of the post.
· However, if the rail is added at the center rather than at the top of the post, connect it with a wood block, a groove, or a metal bracket.
· Use a stick to use as a guide to make sure that the top and bottom railings are in perfect alignment.
· There are several ways on how to attach the rails depending on the type or style of fence. The following provides a brief description of each joint:

a. lap joint – easiest to use
b. grooved joint – rail is grooved and not nailed
c. butt joint – difficult but is often better than grooved joint
d. mortised joint – better than butt joint
e. slotted joint – for decorative fences

5. Selecting the fence style

· There are four basic styles but each has the basic top, bottom, and center rails. They differ on how the rails are treated. The following provides a brief description of each fence style:

a. picket fences - very popular and easy to build; all pickets must be properly spaced by inserting a loose picket in between the picket already nailed and the other that is to be nailed
b. basket weave fence – often used on terrain that slopes; this allows you to lower or raise each post
c. board fence – built to provide the privacy you need for it can be built as tall as needed and then painted afterwards
d. siding fence – used to match the siding of your home; can be covered on one or both sides

These are but a few of the many styles that are available for building fences around your own homes. Like any other things, imagination and resourcefulness are the only things that can limit your creativity when it comes to building your own fence.