How to Install a Fence to Keep Your Neighbour Out
Dealing with neighbors is one part of life that we may not always enjoy. Some people are fortunate to have polite, respectful neighbors while others may have wacky neighbors that come and go across and through your yard as they wish. If you have a troublesome neighbor, or even annoying neighborhood pets, you can keep all types of neighbors out of your yard by installing a fence that cannot easily be jumped over by most neighbors and neighboring animals. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Level
- Post-hole digger
- 4-inch by 4-inch by 8-foot wood posts
- Tape measure
- Power saw
- 2-inch by 4-inch by 8-feet boards
- Hammer
- 4-inch wood nails
- 6-inch by 1-inch by 8-feet wood planks
- 2-inch wood nails
- Wood water sealant
- Paintbrush
- Paint or stain
- Building permit
- Land deed
Instructions
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1
Dig out a 3 or 4-inch trench around the perimeter or your yard, where you wish to place the fence. You will need a level space so that the posts are even in height once installed and the fence does not slant or step-down and look sloppy. Check the trench for levelness with a level and shovel out more dirt as necessary to create a completely level fence.
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2
Dig post holes for the fence with a post-hole digger. Use a tape measure to help you place the posts 7 ½-feet apart from one another. Dig the holes 2 feet deep so they cannot easily fall over; this will make a fence 6-feet tall, though you can make the fence shorter by cutting the posts down to 2-feet longer than the intended height of the fence to allow room for the 2-feet that will go into the hole.
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3
Set the posts into the holes and refill the holes around the posts. With the posts in place, have an assistant help you attach two 2-inch by 4-inch by 8-foot boards in between each set of two posts. Hold the 2-inch by 4-inch by 8-inch board ends in the middle of the posts and approximately 6-inches up from the bottom and down from the top of the posts while an assistant attaches the boards to the posts using 4-inch screws. Be sure you attach both boards on the same side of the posts and according to which side of the fence you want to face your property. For the front of the fence to face your property, place the boards on the inside of the posts to also face your property and do the opposite to make the fence face your neighbors.
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4
Cut the planks to match the height of your posts using a power saw and then attach the planks one at a time to the horizontal boards from the previous step. Attach the planks approximately 1-inch up from the ground surface with 2-inch wood screws. Continue attaching planks side by side until the entire fence is covered; if you intend to add a gate, be sure to leave an open space to add in a purchased or hand-built gate.
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5
Apply wood water sealant with a paintbrush to all surfaces of the fence and allow it to dry overnight or for a few days. After the water sealant has dried, you can then paint or stain the fence as desired.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not forget to get a building permit before you start building your privacy fence.
Before you start, determine the location for your fence post using the deed to your property; this will prevent problems that may occur with nasty neighbors who attempt to claim you have placed the fence on their property.
To be extra safe, plan on placing your fence just a few inches inside your property line and not on the property line so that it cannot be as easily disputed.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit grape leaves on a fence image by Tasha from Fotolia.com
