Fence Design: Level Top or Parallel To The Ground
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 Rolling Land (Functional Fence) If you have a lot with over 1-2 foot of elevation slope, you have two options. Design the fence with a horizontal top and have a stair step in the top of the fence to correct for the slope of the lot. Most people will install a fence that follows the contour of the land and is 4-6 feet tall at any spot that you measure it. With this style fence, you begin by measuring the length of each straight run of fence and then divide by 8 feet and round down. This will allow you to use standard 8 feet lumber and will allow you to make some mistakes on the hole location. Using lumber longer than 8 feet can cause weakness in the fence panel. As you are digging holes, you will hit some rocks and want to move the hole a few inches to miss any bigger rocks. As long as no section is longer than 8 feet, you can use all standard 8 foot lumber. The fence will look much more professional is the spacing is consistent. If you have several 8 foot sections next to a shorter section (like 4 foot), the fence will look bad. After all the posts are installed, check the distances to make sure they are less than 8 feet apart. Then, (for a 6 foot high fence) install the runners parallel to the ground at 1,3 and 5 foot heights. The length of all three runners must be equal or the fencing will require a taper cut that will look really bad. After installing the runners, Then level the post/runner assembly and install the concrete or pack the holes with dirt. You should always use concrete for post with a gate. Then install the fencing material vertically to cover the runners. Use a spacer to get a consistent distance between boards, You may have to rip a board to fit next to a post. If so, adjust the spacing on the last few boards to make the ripped board at least 2 inches wide. If the board is less than 2 inches, it will easily warp. This is typical farm fence or privacy fence and is more functional and not meant to be square to the house. These fences can look very nice if they are made of quality materials and are properly designed. Cosmetic Fences If you have a near-level lot or you are putting a fence in the front of a small yard, you should install the fence with the top horizontal. In the case of a small front yard, a rolling fence will make your house look crooked. In this case you: -Install the posts. -Find the low point in your fence, mark the first post based on the maximum length of your fencing material. -Use a plumb or laser to generate a level line that can be used to mark the rest of the posts. -Measure the high point in the yard and make sure that the lower horizontal board is a fair at least 8 inches above the ground. -Install all the horizontal members using a level and the marks you made on the posts. -Install your fencing by cutting each piece to length (at the bottom) and installing flush at the top. If the slope is not changing quickly, you can cut the 3 or 4 pieces of fencing at a time. This style fence is more work but adds much more to the house cosmetically. If you are installing a cute picket fence, then this is the way to go. Click here for learn more about Fences And Fencing Design. The information on this site is provided for reference only and is provided "AS IS", "AS AVAILABLE" with no guarantee of accuracy. Information comes with no warranties, express or implied. Use the information from this site at your own risk. See our disclaimer for more details. |