The first mistake when building your own fence could be your most expensive mistake or worst…
Mistake #1 Not getting the underground utilities located.
You would be surprised at how many utilities are actually buried underground in and around your house. The consequences of hitting one of these underground utilities could range from thousands of dollars to replace the damaged utilities, bodily harm and worst case scenario would be death if you accidentally hit a buried electrical line.
Do yourself and cheque book a favour by locating your underground utilities located before building your next fence
Another common mistake that happens all too often is…
Mistake #2 Not getting your fence post buried deep enough.
Getting your fence set at 2 feet in order to get underneath the frost line and to also prevent heat from pushing the fence post up in the future. You probably have noticed a lot when looking at a straight line of fence and that the top is not straight. It looks more like a go–kart track (YIKES)
Do yourself a favour and set your post at least 24inches or more depending on where in the country you may live in & what weather climate you may be exposed to regularly.
Mistake #3 Using pre-built fence panels that can be purchased at your local home building stores.
Unfortunately when you do this you are not able to contour the pre-bought fence to the ground. Instead what you will get is an end result that looks stair stepped. This is not a great look, aesthetically speaking and it certainly does not end up looking custom built for your yard. Why not save yourself a huge headache and make sure the fence is built on site, this way you are able to follow whatever terrain that your individual yard has.
Gates are one of the most important components to any fence. This is how you and your family will be getting in and out of your yard. Also one of the #1 Reasons for call backs for contracts to come and fix! This is because the posts are going to start leaning, warping or twisting. Ultimately the gate frame is not going to stay in the ground square.
Mistake #4 Do not use wood posts and wood frames.
When you use steel posts, steel hardware and steel frames it will ensure that your gate will swing true & correct for the longevity of your fence.
Mistake #5 Not building a proper transition from a 4 foot fence to a 6 foot fence
This step really does not take any extra time and effort to make the fence look that much more unique and custom for the yard.
Building a transition from 6 feet tall down to 4 feet tall over an 8 foot wide section will give a nice gentle slope and ultimately leaves the fence looking custom to the yard as opposed to a “cookie cutter fence” that has just been picked up from a local hardware store.
Unfortunately this is very common to see: When the 6 foot tall fence wall ends and the 4 foot tall fence will immediately begin without any type of transition. By building a proper transition you will give your yard that professional clean and custom look that everyone is looking for.
Mistake #6
Not staining and sealing your fence
When you have invested so much money and time in building a fence why would you not want to make it look great and last for years to come?
By making sure not to skip this step, you are ensuring years of life to the fence as well as years of enjoyment to your yard for you and your family. That polished clean look is what every yard should strive for.
Whether you are building a new fence or having a new fence installed avoid these top 6 mistakes and you’ll end up making yourself like the fence expert in your neighbourhood.