This is an excellent tutorial. Unlike other posters here I don't have $10,000 to contract out the work and sit on my couch and watch. For my planned 400' fence as a DYI I am estimating materials cost of $1500 (and I will be happy to put in the 200 hours labor and avoid my couch!)
*HELPFUL HINT: Whenever you need to split a fraction of an inch keep the top number the same and double the bottom number. For example half of 1/2 is 1/4. Half of 5/8 is 5/16. Half of 3/4 is 3/8. Half of 1/8 is 1/16.*
I have not made my fence yet, but this seems to be one of the better DIY videos out there. It really explains the process clearly. So many videos of this sort, for all kinds of different projects, gloss over significant issues. I think the idea is to make it look easy, so amateurs will spend the money for materials and do it. The people who make the videos generally do not care whether or not your project is successful, or how much more time it takes you than you thought it would. This video really gives clear answers to the many issues that people will encounter with this project. I will come back after I make my fence, and report whether or not my initial impressions were accurate. If I never come back, it will probably mean I ended up with a bunch of posts sticking out of the ground at weird angles, and had to just cut them down with the sawzall and call it a day.
At least you will have an idea of how it should be done. One big exception is that the concrete for the post should come up above the ground by 1-2 inches and slope away from the post to drain water. If you want a 50 year fence or live in an area with strong winds use 2-5/8 steel posts and galvanized brackets to attach the rail sections. Fences collapse when the post weakens with rot. If using PT posts then be sure to treat the cut ends before putting them into the ground.
My wife and I are installing a fence on our property. The one thing that I LOVED about this tutorial was how it brought attention to installing fencing on a slope and adding a gate on a slop as well! Looking forward to continuing my project tomorrow keeping the information I learned from this video in mind! :)
This is the best privacy fence instruction video I’ve found! Great explanations and all the work is done the proper way. I’m building my privacy fence now and this video has been so helpful, thank you!
An old tip for using a vertical spacer board, as from 13:30, is to flip it 180 deg. top for bottom, every other board - this evens out any slight variations in thickness, warp, etc. which might accumulate into an apparent slant after six or eight slats.
Hey my fellow lady, you are a super lady and you make me proud. Great job sister. Hi from a country in Africa. More grease to your elbow. Love you bunches. Keep going.
Thank you! I just bought my first home. Beautiful place but needs some minor repairs and I want to put up a fence. You made this very easy to understand.
Using a small framing square when you're cutting a 2x4 is a great way to keep the circular saw straight when making a cut. Much simpler than trying to see the line when there's dust everywhere.
I suggest you use screws if youre in high wind areas. I've seen so many of my neighbors with fences destroyed because they used nails. Nails are good with shear strength but not pull strength.
Dang girl I'm impressed!! I pray atleast one of my daughters has this "get it done" attitude! You are nothing less than a Professional, and would be welcomed on any job site.
I never thought of running long horizontals and staggering the joints. That will be my standard from now on. I also like the gate hardware. I've just used cross braces, the long one going from lower hinge side to upper latch side and optionally cut in some cross pieces for a complete look. But the hardware kit is way faster and looks really nice. Thanks for the how-to... very well done! 👍
Wrap the posts in Post Shields so they don't get torn to shreds by the string trimmer. You can cut under the panels but those posts will get chewed up. And they'll add a nice trimmed look to your fence line.
A word to the wise: Wood today is very cheap. And I don't mean cost wise. Compared to wood from as early as 30 years ago, the same type of wood today is 1/2 as dense, but at least twice as porous as wood then. 40 years ago before I put posts into the ground, I brushed a gasoline/ used motor oil mix onto the lower 2 feet that was going into the ground. I brushed it on about a dozen times over the course of two days. Before putting them in, I put on a nice thick coat of the oil, then put a cheap garbage bag over the end and dropped it in. Those posts went into cement. If you don't treat the post that is exposed to moisture, they will suck up the moisture, whether from the cement or the ground , if you just use dirt. They WILL rot out quick. Those same posts came out in 2019 when I had to replace the retaining wall they were supporting. After hammering off the concrete , not only were they still rock solid, but they weighed about 3 times the weight as todays posts. Todays wood is grown fast on farms and they use chemicals to grow it, no different than Miracle Grow with vegetable plants
I asked myself an honest question after seeing this video , can I do this project by myself , and I gave myself an honest answer , NO WAY !!!! I’m calling someone to come in do it I don’t have the tools , or the patience , lol
The only problem about this video is that there is no specification on the nails so they don't rust (galvanized or stainless) and they are too deep. I personally use deck screws so there are no pickets coming off later. Contractors use nail guns to be faster but I always recommend screws if its for your home, which i believe that is what this channel is for. Either way, still looks nice.
Yes, well said! Coated screws (preferably Torx bit) are the only way to go if want your deck, fence etc. to last. Today's screws are built so tough you could probably reuse them after the wood deteriorats.
@@commonomics yea, $10k is ridiculous. Should be able to find for $5k-$6k installed. I had 120ft of chainlink removed and 6ft wood installed with post every 4ft (not 6 or 8) in concrete with one large wood gate with metal frame for under $4k from a real fence company not a fly by night. Get some more quotes. Good luck!
if you build your fence 6 inches from the property line and your neighbor build his fence 6 inches off the property line, who's taking care or looking after of the 12 inches between?
All that beautiful hard work and a lovely fence at the end. But you will have to do it all again in a few years when the wooden posts rot. In my opinion always use concrete posts. Even if you clad them with wood afterwards. Almost every fence I see collapse is due to wooden posts rotten.
only one criticism-- First off great video, you are a pro! --- however the pine trees are too close to the fence, I know you put the fence on the property line, and the trees were planted too close to the line. So in ten years (or less) you'll have to cut them down or they will destroy the fence. I'd go ahead and cut them now while they are small and replant 5 ft away from fence, so when they grow up they wont interfere with the fence. Thanks for your video, very helpful.
Thank you, I did not understand the purpose of this past personal preferences of appearance. I'll keep that in consideration as it gets very windy here.
What size is the fence pickets? So nervous to do this but it has got to be done by spring 2022. Out of all the 50 videos I have watched this one from Lowe’s seems the most doable. Who knew they did videos? Maybe Lowe’s can do a series of diys for small businesses and use my property as an example! I would like to do a porch build out for more seating outside as well! #lowesdiy
Add some stones at bottom of post hole. Also paint the posts to keep an from rotting before setting them or you'll be digging concrete boulders up when those rot
It depends on your soil composition. I live in clay soil and rocks/stones in the bottome of the hole are worthless. Its better to throw some dirt in, then the post, the the mix...
