| Building and Installing a Privacy Panel Fence |
From "Build a Fence"
episode DBAF-103 |
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Materials:
4x4 posts -- 8' in length
"Five quarter" treated boards (12' x 6")
Bags of fast-setting concrete
Neon colored mason's string
Stakes
Safety glasses, gloves, mask Tools: Post hole diggers and shovel
Wheelbarrow
Level
Circular saw
Pneumatic brad nail gun
Cordless drill
Countersinking drill bit
2" galvanized screws
Chop saw
Tape measure
Framing square
Hand-held router
Round-over bit with guide bearing (for router) Before You Start: - You need to design your fence. The one used on the show (figure A) is visually attractive on both sides. All the fence panels are assembled and then attached to the post.
- Determine the property boundary. This is done by a survey and will verify the actual property boundary.
- Determine the setbacks. Contact your local codes office to determine the proper (and legal) setback for your location. You can't build a fence right on the property line.
- Contact local utility companies to come out and mark all underground utility locations. This is a free service and is essential before any digging takes place.
- Determine the total linear feet of the fence and order materials.
Getting Started on the Fence - Measure in from the property line to the proper setback distance and place a stake at each end of the fence line (figure B). Place the stake a couple of feet past where the corner post will be located. You don't want a stake placed directly in the corner where you have to dig a hole because you would have to remove it to dig the hole and that would disturb your line. The line needs to stay there until the posts are set in concrete to act as a guide for the outside face of the 4x4 face which will give you a straight surface in the corner. Repeat on all sides of the fence line. Wrap mason's string tightly around the stakes. We started our first stake 1-3/4" from the edge of the house.
- Determine post locations. Try and divide the total length by a number that will give equal distances between all posts, but keep the distance between the posts under 8'. If posts are installed more than 10' apart, it increases the chances for sagging. Our design calls for the posts to be 78" on center. Mark post hole locations with post hole diggers or spray paint (figure C).
Digging the Post Holes - Dig the post holes approximately 24" deep and at least 10" in diameter (figure D). Depending on the soil conditions and drainage, you may need to add a layer of gravel on the bottom of the hole a few inches deep.
Note: You can use post hole diggers, a shovel, or rent an auger -- whatever works best for your situation. - Make a mark on the ground with spray paint at 78" so you will know where to line up the center of the post. The string is the guide for the outside face of each post. You need to make sure you are parallel with that and right up against it. Place a post in the hole and position it in the center of the mark (figure E).
- Fill the hole with a dry mixture of fast-setting concrete all the way to the top of the hole (figure F). Add water according to manufacturer's instructions. Ensure that the post is level and plumb. Repeat this procedure for all posts.
Tip: Fast setting concrete really makes the job easier. There is no mixing involved. Just fill the hole with the dry mixture and add water directly on top. - Let the posts cure for 48 hours.
Making the Pickets - Start with a 12' long "five-quarter" board and cut it in half. Using a chop saw, cut 1-1/2" off the top of each side in a "dog-ear" design (figure G). Set the chop saw at a 45-degree angle for this cut.
Note: Remember to wear your safety gear (gloves, goggle and face mask) when operating the saw. - Using a small hand-held router with a round-over bit and guide bearing (figure H), round off the edges of the dog-ear design on both sides of the board.
Assembling the Panels - This is a sample of the pickets (figure I) we made. Each popsicle stick represents one of the pickets and each pin represents one of the screws installed. Build your panels and then take them to the site. When you install them, you will ratchet them slightly to follow the contour of the land. Each screw has to fall directly in the middle of each picket and directly in the middle of each rail. On your panels, use a brad to hold them in place and then go back and put the screws in exactly where they should be.
- Once all the pickets have been cut, panel assembly can begin. Start by making a sturdy workstation. Clamp a piece of steel (or other flat surface) along one of the sides of the worktable. Screw down a straight board 90 degrees from the straight edge. Use a framing square to ensure that it is perfectly square.
- The rails are made from the same material as the pickets -- "five-quarter" treated lumber. The rails measure 80" in length (since our design calls for the panels to be 78" in length, we purposely made the rails an extra 2" long so we could trim off both sides of the rails when installing between the posts). Our rails are positioned 20" from the top of the fence and 20" from the bottom. Screw down some blocks so the rails can fit inside the "stops." This prevents having to measure the rail positions each time.
- Start by placing the first picket 8" from the edge of the rail. Using a pneumatic nail gun with 1-1/2" brad nails, temporarily fasten the pickets to the rails (figure J).
Note: This just keeps the picket in place for the time being, and since our boards are 1-1/4" thick, the brad is only going to go into the rails about 1/4" -- just enough to temporarily secure them. - Place a spacer board that is 8" wide next to the first picket and slide the next picket firmly against it. Brad nail each rail temporarily, moving the spacer board down the line as you go.
Making a Jig for the Picket Screws - Using a piece of hardboard, glue two 5" blocks of wood slightly larger than the width of the picket. In our case, each of our pickets is 5-1/2" wide, so we place the jig blocks about 5-3/4" apart. This allows a little bit of play when the jig is placed over the picket. At the end of each jig block, glue a block that is about an inch taller than the first two blocks. This allows the jig to sit on top of the picket and down over the rail.
- Draw two diagonal lines on top of the jig (figure K) to determine the exact center (where the two lines intersect). Make a small hole at that point with a small drill bit.
- Place the jig over each picket and rail. Drill a "marker" hole with the jig in place, then remove the jig and drill a pilot hole with a countersinking drill bit. Repeat this process on each picket -- top and bottom. This way you do not have to measure each time and it will make the process go faster.
- Use 2" galvanized decking screws, screw one screw in the top and the bottom of each picket (figure L).
- After the first side has been fastened down, flip the entire panel over and repeat the process on the other side. The spacer board is not necessary for this side, you can eyeball the center between the pickets on the other side. Place the jig onto each picket and repeat the process.
- Once all of the panels have been built, transport them to the site and stack them at various points along the fence line for easy access.
Installing the Panels - Since we started our first stake 1-3/4" from the edge of the house, we lag bolted a 4x4 to the edge of the house to give the fence a little extra stability on the corner (figure M).
Note: The panels are heavy and awkward, so you will need help in installing them. - Lay a 2x4 piece of lumber on the ground between the posts (figure N). This will serve as a support to rest the panels on during installation and will also ensure that the bottoms of the pickets remain 2 inches off the ground.
- Position the panel in place and level the panel by racking it. Start by placing a screw into the top and bottom rails and into the post on the downhill side. The upper rail will overlap the previous rail (already fastened to the post). Place a mark on the top and bottom rails (figure O).
Note: It is important that the horizontal rails line up. In order to do that, sometimes you can use a shim to keep the rails even. - Cut off the excess rail length so that the rails are mitered in the center of each post (figure P).
- Screw the rails into the posts with two screws temporarily. Once the entire fence is installed, go back and place more screws into the rails and also into the pickets for extra strength.
Putting It All Together - When attaching the panels, it is a good idea to cut the excess height off each post as you go along (figure Q). Use a circular saw and cut at a 10-degree angle to help repel water.
- The point at which the horizontal rails come together on the posts, there is a gap between the pickets. Go back with a single loose picket and cover the seam, the post and fill the gap. This way the neighbor side of the fence is the "good" side of the fence. On your side, your eyes will follow the top of the pickets (figure R) and if you stand back, you will not even see the post. This accomplishes the goal of having 2 good sides to the fence.
- After the panels have been installed, go back and screw the last "missing" picket to the post side.
RESOURCES :
Garden Boundaries: 20 Projects for Trellises, Walls, Fences, Gates, Screens and Hedges
Model: 1571458239
Author: Toby Buckland
(January, 2003)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Laurel Glen
Making and Decorating Great Fences
Model: 0806940093
Author: James Harper
(August, 2002)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
Landscaping with Wood: The Practical Guide to Building Outdoors
Model: 1561581941
Author: Scott McBride
(March, 1999)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
GUESTS :
Joe E. Brown
Brown Fence Company
Website: www.brownfencecoinc.com
Dick Reynolds
Woodworker
Information private
Mike Roberts
Carpenter
Information private
| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | Building and Installing a Privacy Panel Fence |
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