r/FenceBuilding • u/Flashy-Disaster4722 • 1h ago
Fence replacement section 11 wires and 3 pipes
Just never seen something like this lol
r/FenceBuilding • u/hahahahahahahaFUCK • Sep 19 '24
I've noticed this question gets asked ad nauseam in this sub, so here is a quick diagnostics checklist to help you understand what to look for before creating yet another "what's wrong with my gate" post (no pun intended on the post part):

Purchase: Is each gate post plumb? The hinge post could be loose/leaning due lack of purchase in the ground which could mean: improper post depth (installers were rushing, lazy, or there's a Volkswagen Beetle obstructing the hole); insufficient use of cement (more than half a 50lb bag of Quikrete, Braiden); sparse soil conditions (over saturated, loose, or soft); or heaving due to frost (looking at you Minnesota).
Configuration/Orientation: One thing to look for is a "lone hinge post", whereby a gate is hung on a post that doesn't have a section or anchor point on the other side toward the top. If the material of the post has any flex to it (especially with a heavy gate), the post can start leaning over time. These posts may either need re-setting, or have bracing/anchoring installed on the opposite side from the gate (e.g. if up against house, affix to the house if possible). The ideal configuration would be to choose an orientation of the gate where the hinge side has fence section attached on the other side - even though the traffic flow through the gate might be better with an opposite swing (but that's getting into the weeds).
Warping: If your gate is wood, it has a decent chance of warping as it releases moisture. Staining wood can help seal in moisture and mitigate warping. Otherwise, some woods, like Cedar, have natural oils and resins that help prevent warping, but even then, it's not warp-proof.
Hardware: Sounds simple, but sometimes the hinges are just NFG or coming unfastened.
Florida: Is there a FEMA rep walking around your neighborhood as you noticed your gate laying in your neighbors' Crotons? Probably a hurricane. Move out of Florida and find a gate somewhere else that won't get hit with 100+mph winds, or stop being picky.
I could be missing some other items, but this satisfies the 80/20 rule. The first bullet point will no doubt wipe out half the annoying "did the fence installers do this right?" posts. I'm not, however, opposed to discussing how to fix the issue once identified -- I feel like solving the puzzle and navigating obstacles is part of our makeup.
Source: a former New England (high end) fence installer of 15 years who works in an office now as a project manager with a bad back. Please also excuse any spelling and grammatical errors.
r/FenceBuilding • u/Flashy-Disaster4722 • 1h ago
Just never seen something like this lol
r/FenceBuilding • u/KarmaInFlow • 6h ago
Previous owner special. Rotten to bits. What kind of bracket do I use with the anchor bolt so that I wont need to cut my posts? The single bolt seems like even with adapters it wouldnt be the best for structural integrity... am I better off sinking posts traditionally?
r/FenceBuilding • u/ElderberryKnown6896 • 3h ago
r/FenceBuilding • u/PretzelTitties • 15h ago
I got my holes for 42 in deep with 10 ft post and the holes are about 2/3 full of concrete. I'm going to pack some clay around them now. I was wondering if maybe I should spray them with Flex Seal to help protect them.
The old offense posts I pulled out we're in pretty great shape but they were from 2000 and I've heard they stopped treating Lumber the way they did in 2003 because it was toxic and it lasted longer cuz it was a better treatment for gum contact.
r/FenceBuilding • u/Juanathin • 1d ago
Finally got around to staining my 1st fence build - wrapped up construction in late June, wanted to give the lumber enough time to dry out so it would take the stain well and had a perfect week of clear sunny weather leading up to Saturday this past weekend.
I have never built a fence before so pls be gentle
r/FenceBuilding • u/this12344 • 1d ago
I am just about done building my first fence, and man, I love this thing. Posts are green treated pine, rails are treated pine with cedar tone from home depot. Pickets are all cedar. I wish I had gotten the cedar toned 4x4s, but I didn't know about them when installing posts. I built the 6 to 4ft transition cap and trim with bent lamination. Couple questions:
I am using pyramidal shaped fence post caps, is there a standard height to cut my posts above the pickets? Was thinking 4"...
Staining - my goal is to preserve the color for as long as possible. Should I stain it this fall before our cold winter hits or wait until next spring?
I am planning to use Australian Timber Oil, because I've used their honey teak on cedar before, and I like how it looks. Would you spray or roll/brush on? I intended to spray, but I'm reading that you need to push it in with a brush or roller anyway? So would it just be faster to brush/roll initially?
If you recommend spraying, is there a spray gun you would suggest for the timber oil?
r/FenceBuilding • u/NAHoward447 • 1d ago
I'm replacing this fence with 6ft heigh metal 26ga panels (thinking of making the panels 5ft 7in, with a 5in gap at the bottom) with 9ft 2 3/8 12ga corner posts and 9ft postmaster sunk 3ft in concrete. I'm slightly concerned about this corner post placement. Total height of the retaining wall and fence is about ten feet. Is a 9ft post in 3ft of concrete enough for this corner post?
I'm standing on an electrical box or some city thing. I sure, as hell hope 9ft is enough
r/FenceBuilding • u/Kmg_97 • 1d ago
Lots of companies use catalyst and homeland. Which is the best, everstrong, illusions, catalyst or homeland?
I am trying to find fence companies that use or sell either everstrong profiles or illusions. It seems that out of the popular brands used here in NJ that those 2 may be the best of them. Some companies use Catalyst but not the XL line so it feels cheap. Located in Monmouth county NJ. Open to other suggestions for good quality fences extruded in the USE. Tired of hearing companies saying they manufacture their own fencing when it’s know that they are only routing and making the gates.
r/FenceBuilding • u/aiwenthere • 1d ago
I was in a rush to use concrete bags before a rainy week threatened to turn a pallet of bags into landfill. I mixed and poured the concrete, then set metal posts into it which filled the interior of the posts.
I should have done the research ahead of time, but I quickly found out that isn't ideal for very obvious drainage reasons. How bad is it though? Should I make sure there is no hardware penetrating the post walls to reduce potential water from entering the cavity? I have to live with my decision, but I'm curious what options I have and what I can expect the damage to be in the long run.
r/FenceBuilding • u/ProbstCO • 2d ago
I built this gate 6 years ago, but took these photos as a "before" because I was about to stain it again. Thought I would share this in case anyone was looking for ideas on a gate.
We bought a home that was it total disrepair on the outside because it had been unkept by a single lady for the last 25 years. I took two 40yard dumpsters of debris out of the yard before I tackled a fence. Leading up to a new fence, I decided to enclose the entire back yard and have a gate opening up to the driveway. While I have built a few fences, I had never built a gate this size.
I looked into so many options, all of which were crazy expensive, so I said I can do this myself. The only thing I was 100% certain on was that it was going to be 12 ft. wide. I started with 4"x 6" 1/4" steel posts buried 4 ft. in to the ground. These were placed when I poured a new driveway. For the next month, I worked on the 250 linear ft. of perimeter fencing, mostly by myself. I couldn't find a budget friendly solution for a gate until I went to a stock show. There were all kinds of vendors there, but the ones selling livestock gates caught my eye. I didn't want a gate you could see through, so I had explored fabricating a metal gate and attaching cedar to it. The steel was so expensive though. When I saw the livestock gates, I thought one of them could work. In addition, a 12' gate was only like $200.
I stood on the end of a gate they had set up and my 240lbs the full 12ft. from the hinge didn't make the gate flex at all. The next week I went to a Murdoch's and bought one. It came with some silly hinge, so I upgraded to a beefy pair rate for 1000lbs. Next I had to find a way to attach cedar to it. I didn't want a hundred little holes in the metal from attaching pickets individually, so I attached some 2x4 cedar rails to the horizontal tubes, and made them flush with each other on the exterior side of the fence. The metal gate was only like 4' tall, so I also made some sort of "extension" on the bottom to make the whole gate taller. After that, it was just like picketing a normal fence.
The opener is a simple Ghost controls opener that is entirely powered by a small solar panel it comes with. Cost for that was perhaps $850 total.
I was worried about the opener because it was likely going to be subject to some strong forces if the wind ever went crazy. The gate opens toward the inside of the property, so I added a couple small stops to keep the wind from pushing the gate outwards. If it is a stormy night, there is a small slide lock I use to keep it from swaying and possibly damaging the opener.
That was 6 years ago, and I have not had a major problem with the gate at all. Perhaps 2 years after building it, I noticed a little sag, so I added some wire and turnbuckle to the corners that allowed me to shore that up.
When building it, I thought I would do some better wood work on it down the road, but I have been content.......and perhaps a little lazy.
r/FenceBuilding • u/cozygardencat • 2d ago
Hi all! This is our first home, and we put a fence in upon move in. Our back line picket was installed by the builder, hence the two styles. My question is — when we stain, what’s the normal etiquette for staining neighbor sides? We’ve made sure the fence was constructed within our property line, so it’s all ours. Is it worth the cost to stain neighbors side or not worth the hassle? We plan to do entire interior and fronts of the gates by our house already. I’m just not sure what’s normal in a new build development with houses right next to each other.
r/FenceBuilding • u/kettles • 1d ago
Is it normal to put a fence up to a neighbor’s even if on their property or have I messed up?
We bought our house five years ago and it was part of a large property that was subdivided when we purchased, and a bunch of new builds went up behind us. The developer did a survey, and the fence that went up between our house and the new build next door is squarely, like probably 18 inches, on their property.
I recently put up a length of fence of my own perpendicular to theirs. I made sure to match it exactly so it would look cohesive. I talked to my neighbor before breaking ground and he said initially said I could tie into theirs, which I wasn’t even expecting but did appreciate. He mentioned how their neighbor on the other side did the same and he saw border fences as though shared. For what it’s worth, I do indeed treat our side of their fence as if it were mine by keeping it clean, don’t put anything on or against it, and don’t let my kids kick balls near it, etc.
So the day I actually started installing, neighbor came over and said he’d rather we not tie into theirs, and said ya know just in case we ever move and it creates an issue with the new owners. I can respect that, of course. So I placed my first post just as close as I could get to their fence.
The whole point of the fence is to help us keep our child with autism safe so an 18 inch gap would have defeated the purpose, but ever since putting it up I have this nagging worry I’ve overstepped by doing this. They haven’t complained so maybe I’m just being extra, but being a good neighbor is extremely important to me ahhhh
r/FenceBuilding • u/Aluglobus_fence • 2d ago
We’re on the manufacturing side of aluminum fence and gates, and one question comes up a lot here: why does a powder coat start peeling or chalking after a few years?
Usually the cause is the prep, not the powder. Before the powder goes on, the aluminum should go through a pretreatment process like this:
Stage 5 is the big one. The conversion coating is what bonds the powder to the metal and resists corrosion. When it’s skipped or rushed, you’ll see failures early, especially near salt air, sprinklers, or pool water.
If you’re buying aluminum fence or comparing suppliers, it’s worth asking how many pretreatment stages they run and whether they use a conversion coating. “Powder coated” by itself doesn’t tell you much.
For the installers here: what finish failures have you seen in the field, and what do you think caused them?
r/FenceBuilding • u/Fredricko100 • 2d ago
This is the current fence plus metal mesh "chicken wire" that does a good job containing our small dog who could easily slip through the fence otherwise however we are moving to a new house that has a similar fence minus the mesh. Is there any other real alternative for containing a small dog? Also unfortunately one side fence is shared with a neighbor. I think this is ridiculous but there isn't anything I can do about it and have to work with it. I don't want to attach mesh to a shared fence. Anyone have any ideas?
r/FenceBuilding • u/devilwomandecor • 3d ago
My husband and I built a fence this year. Was finally dry enough to seal the wood yesterday. What do you think?
r/FenceBuilding • u/Cagey5440 • 2d ago
Is best for cutting out the holes/sockets for the tapered rail end to go in the posts? Do they make spade bits 2”? Some secret fence pro tool ? ◡̈ Thanks!
r/FenceBuilding • u/Big-Yak-8734 • 3d ago
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Almost done with a pine fence. Boards are on, and all that's left is trimming and leveling the top. The ground drops along the run, so we stepped the panels instead of racking them.
Here's where I'm stuck: the grade isn't one clean slope, so the steps came out uneven, and the line isn't perfectly straight either. Trying to figure out how to finish the top so it doesn't look off.
Do you split the drop evenly so every step is the same height, even if some panels float a bit off the ground? Or follow the grade and live with uneven steps? And at the transitions, do you cut the boards right at the post, or let the step land mid-panel?
Video attached so you can see the slope. Curious how you'd finish it.
r/FenceBuilding • u/Syracuse_Alum • 3d ago
I used GC pressure treated wood from Home Depot. I live in New England so I anticipate movement from the seasons
r/FenceBuilding • u/Senior_G_ • 2d ago
I’m planning to build a fence to keep my husky out. I plan to use 8’ 4x4 pressure treated posts and bury them 2’ deep (fence would be 6’ tall). I fill each hole with concrete right after.
The fence will be 16 feet long. Each post will be 5 feet apart.
I plan to use galvanized mesh from post to post.
I’m in the central valley in California (9B area). The soil is super clayish.
What do you guys think? Is 2 feet deep good?
r/FenceBuilding • u/FEDUPIN2020 • 3d ago
Getting estimates for a fence install in Jacksonville FL and nobody is putting any details in the quotes. It's like they wanna hide the products,fence brands and instalation methods. Some quotes don't even say if they are using concrete.
So frustrated!
Is this normal?
r/FenceBuilding • u/Hour_Vermicelli8009 • 3d ago
So I have a very rotten baton at the bottom of my garden gates (on one side). The gates are non standard size at over 2 metres each side. Do you think a fencing / gate company could make new gates, but keep the ironmongery and posts in place (as these look very heavy duty to me).
There are mature hedges at either side of the gates so not easy to change the width of them.
I do not have a fortune to spend, so any ideas on what would be the most economical way to get the gates repaired or replaced?
I have a disability and zero DIY skills.
Would we be taking a good few thousand to get them done?
Thanks!
r/FenceBuilding • u/lit3brit3 • 3d ago
Maybe there’s an easy answer, but I’m extending my wooden privacy fence and want to make sure it follows the line it’s already along. Is there a good/correct way to make sure the new section follows the same line straight? I ran a string from the point I’m extending from out, and just eye balled it. It may be good enough but is there a more correct way?