How to Build a Wood Privacy Fence

Living in town can be convenient if you need to make a late-night store run, but living in town often means having neighbors in close proximity. It's hard to find any privacy in your own backyard when your backyard touches someone else's. One possible way of keeping your yard to yourself is to put up a privacy fence around the perimeter of your yard. This can keep neighborhood kids from cutting through your garden and keep nosy neighbor's at bay.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tape measure
• Wood slats
• Wood posts
• Post hole digger
• 2-by-4 boards
• Hammer
• Nails
• Wood stain

1. Measure the perimeter of your yard. Get as close to the edge of your property as you can to enclose the maximum amount of your land, but be careful about property lines. If you are unsure about where your property lines are, a licensed land surveyor can review the original deed for the property and mark your property lines. It's worth it to do this before you start building any fences, unless you want to take it down and start over.

2. Decide on the amount of material needed. If your fence will be 25 feet on each side and you will be using 10-inch wood slats with 10-inch-wide posts, you will need 30 slats for each side, minus the number of posts you are using. Posts should be placed at each corner of your perimeter and every 5 to 6 feet for sturdy construction.

3. Build a trench, and bury the bottom of each post. Start at the corners, then measure with a tape measure to find the position of each of your additional posts. If you have a 20-foot distance between your two corner posts and are spacing posts every 5 feet, you will need three posts, one 5 feet from each end post and one directly in between the two end posts. If you want your fences to stand 6 feet tall, you will need 9-foot posts. The trenches will be made most easily with a post hole digger. Place 1/3 of the post into the ground and pack the hole firmly.

4. Add cross supports. Nail two 2-by-4 boards between each set of posts. One 2-by-4 will be 1 to 2 feet from the top and one will be 1 to 2 feet up from the bottom.

5. Fasten the planks to the 2-by-4s. Nail the wooden planks to the 2-by-4s. Place them directly beside each other, leaving no gaps between them. The planks can either touch the ground or leave a small space at the bottom.

6. Stain your fence. Many privacy fences keep the natural wood appearance, but a wood fence should at least be stained to help it survive the outdoors.

Resources

• Get fancy with these fence designs.