DIY Garbage Bin Fence
Garbage bins are targets for many animals and sometimes people. To protect your containers and avoid garbage strewn about, build fencing around the garbage containers. A simple picket-type fence can be the solution to your problems. Picket fences built in sections are suitable for any size fencing needs. Construct a single section as a template, then use the same methods to create as many sections as required. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Metal rods
- Measuring tape
- String
- Post hole digger
- Gravel
- Cement
- 4-by-4-by-78-inch posts (length depends on frost depth needed)
- 2 two-by-fours per section, 24 inches long
- 2 two-by-fours per section, 48 inches long
- 24 boards per section, 1-by-2-by-48-inches
- Vise
- Hammer
- Nails
- Circular saw
- Set of hinges and latch
Instructions
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Site Preparation
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1
Hammer the end of one metal rod into the ground where the fence will begin. Start at the wall if your garbage area is against a building. Measure 4 feet in the direction you want the fence to go. Hammer the end of another metal rod at this spot. Repeat every 4 feet until you reach the end of the desired fencing area.
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2
Tie a string around the first rod. Extend the string tightly to the next rod. Loop the string around the next rod. Hold the string with one hand as you loop it with the other to keep it tight. Continue the process using this method to the last rod. Tie the string around the last rod. Use the string line as a guide to ensure the fence is straight.
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3
Dig holes at each rod deep enough to be below the frost line in your area, which may be 3 to 5 feet, using the posthole digger (check with your local county extension office for frost line depth in your area). Put the holes in front of each rod for continuity.
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4
Place 2 inches of gravel at the base of each hole.
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5
Set a post on end in the first hole. Have a helper hold the post centered in the hole. Fill the hole with ready-mix concrete until it is 1 inch from the top. Allow the concrete to cure 24 hours. Repeat this step, setting each post as you wait for the concrete to set.
Fence Construction
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6
Measure and mark a 2-inch line at each end of two 24-inch boards.
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7
Place one of the boards vertically in the vise with the wide face horizontal. Butt the ends of two 48-inch boards against the horizontal face of the 24-inch board with the wide face of the longer boards placed vertically. Place the ends of the long boards so their corners sit along the inside edge of the marks on the shorter boards. Hammer a pair of nails through the 24-inch board into each of the 48-inch board ends.
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8
Rest the other marked 24-inch board against the opposite end of the 48-inch boards. Line up the boards as you did previously. Nail the boards together. This is the frame pattern for the fence sections.
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9
Hook the end of the measuring tape to the outside edge of a 24-inch board. Line the tape up with a 48-inch board and stretch the tape across the width of the 48-inch board; mark notches at 1-inch intervals. Repeat this step for the second horizontal 48-inch board.
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10
Line up a 1-by-2-inch board between the first two notches on the 48-inch boards. Nail this board to the two cross boards with a single nail at each end. Skip a space between notches. Repeat the step to assemble the pickets of the fence.
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11
Move the entire section to the fencing area. Measure and mark a 2 inch line across two adjacent posts from the top of the post.
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12
Line up the fence section between posts with your helper. Have the helper hold the section as you nail the section into position. Hammer nails through the top of the side boards into the posts. A single nail at each side will hold the section as you finish the installation. Make the edges of the boards flush with the sides of the posts. Hammer nails through the bottom of the side boards into the posts. Hammer two more nails along the side boards equidistant from the top and bottom into the posts.
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Tips & Warnings
Make one of the sections a door by adding hinges and a latch.
Use pressure treated lumber to extend the life of the fence.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
