How to Build a Cedar Privacy Fence
Wood fences are a good way to secure a little privacy while beautifying your property, and few woods are as good for this purpose as cedar. Ready-made kits are available from hardware, lumber and home improvement stores that make building a cedar privacy fence a simple matter of having the right tools and applying some elbow grease. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tamping rod Posthole digger Level Spool of twine Stakes or other ground markers Hammer Mattock Shovel Nails Lumber and fence posts (possibly as part of a prefabricated kit)
Instructions
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1
Survey the fence line. Any fence construction project must begin with this step, if only to keep the fence straight. Use stakes and a spool of twine to make a straight line where you want to put your fence, placing stakes wherever a fence post should go.
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2
Use a mattock--a digging tool similar to a pick--and a posthole digger to dig your post holes. The mattock is handy for breaking up dirt, and the posthole digger ensures an evenly walled hole. This hole should be at least 1 foot deep, but compare your posts to your fence planks to make sure you do not bury too much of the post.
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Set the posts. Use a shovel and tamping rod to fill the hole in and tamp down the dirt.
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4
Erect the fence with a level, hammer and nails. Some fence kits come with prefabricated sections that are essentially bits of wooden walling and are nailed up all at once. These are heavy and will require an extra set of hands to make sure they are level as you nail them in. Nail the section railings to the posts.
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Other fences require more assembly. Measure the fence rail line to determine where to nail your two rows of railing into place. Then, nail the rails to the posts, using a level to keep them horizontally level. Nail the fence planks to the rails.
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Tips & Warnings
Clean your cedar wood fence with a power washer once every two years.
