How to Install a Discount Wood Fence

2-by-4 planks can be used to create a discount wood fence

There are many types of fences that can be built to accommodate any budget. To keep costs down, use as few materials as possible. You can also eliminate labor costs if you install the fence yourself. A simple fence with concrete-based 4-by-4-inch vertical posts and two horizontal bars -- one at the top, one half way down -- is a design that can be added to in the future, if desired.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Spade
• 10-foot seasoned 4-by-4-inch posts
• Power saw
• Wood bracing
• Spirit level
• 55-pound bag of cement
• 8-foot Douglas fir planks, 2-by-4 inches
• 3-inch galvanized screws
• Drill gun
• Primer and paint

Instructions

1. Mark on the ground the entire length of the fence, in 8-foot intervals. At each mark, dig a 12-inch cubed hole -- these are the foundation holes. Work at one foundation hole at a time. Cut one seasoned 10-foot 4-by-4-inch post in half, resulting in two 5-foot long posts. Place one post into the center of the hole. Use bracing and a spirit level to make sure it is straight.

2. Mix a 55-pound bag of ready-mix cement then pour it into the hole, around the base of the post. Repeat this at each hole. Wait 24 hours for the cement to dry and harden.

3. Screw one 2-by-4-inch, 8-foot plank onto the side of two neighboring posts, using two 3-inch galvanized wood screws on each post. The 2-by-4 will be horizontal with the ground and will be at the top of the posts. Make sure that the 2-by-4 is flush with the top of the posts. Install the next 2-by-4 plank in the same way along the top side of the next two posts, and continue until the top rail runs the entire length of the fence.

4. Mark each post two feet down from its top. As before, screw to the marks a second horizontal 2-by-4 plank, running down the entire length of the fence. Make sure that the top of each horizontal 2-by-4 rests on the mark. The final result will be a fence with two horizontal planks on its side, which are parallel to one another and to the ground.

5. Prime and paint the fence, as desired.

Tips & Warnings

• In the future, a third horizontal rail can be added, or dog-eared pickets can be screwed to the existing rails to create a privacy fence.

• If after 24 hours the cement has not entirely set, wait until it has fully set before installing the horizontal planks.

References

• "Home Improvement 1-2-3"; Benjamin W. Allen, Christopher Cavanaugh; 1995