On putting up a wood panel fence, should i put up all the posts first or should i go panel by panel?
Question:If i do the posts first, as i'm inclined to do, i am concerned about cementing the posts in and making a mistake on the measuring especially since my backyard has an incline.
Answers:
I have helped build about 4 privacy fences now, and this is what I do: Depending on how many holes you have to dig, you may need to rent an auger from home depot for a day, but you dig your holes first, about 2 to 2 and a half feet, then you put in your 4x4. We buy the bags of concrete that you dont have to mix with water, they are a little more expensive but way more convienent! You can use half a bag on each hole and its an 80 pound bag. You need to let these sit for a day if it is really dry. It doesnt sound like it will work, but you just pour in this dry concrete and it sucks the moisture from the ground! Make sure they are good and sturdy! Then you put up your 2x4. You can do either one on top and bottom or you can put 3 so you have a support in the middle. Then you get a level which you should have already used to get the posts level and straight, they actually make a level that you can actually strap on to any board that is cut at a 90 degree angle. Put a nail in the top of a post every now and then to wrap some nylon string around. Run yourself a line from one side of your fence to another and makes sure that its pulled really tight and that its level. Then you can put your pickets up using the line you just pulled so you can be sure that they are all level. If your yard is hilly dont worry about it unless it is a huge hill, you want the gaps at the bottom of your fence, not at the top. If you have a huge hill you may need to buy a few 8 foot pickets and cut them to size, but most fences are only 6 foot tall. If you have any post sticking out from the top of your fence just lop them off with a saw, you wont be able to see them anyway because they are gonna be on the outside of your fence anyway. Hope this helps!
I generally put up the posts first, but doing it one panel at a time will also work. Whichever way you`re more comfortable with, is the way to go.
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