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Privacy fence tech in chit chat

Soule88

Active member
Joined
Dec 22, 2020
Member Number
3163
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Loc
Central Illinois
As a general rule, this group has a ton of knowledge on a ton of stuff. So here I am.

Putting up 345' of 6' privacy fence in the near future. What are the things you wish you knew or did with your projets?
Current plan is 10' 4x4's for posts, 3 2x4 stringers per section and doing individual fence boards instead of panels
Teach me the shit you found out to late.
 
That is a decent amount of fence so it may be too much but I'd look into the galvanized steel posts rather than 4x4s. We did them on a normal size yard 20 years ago and the neighbors fence posts rot away and fold over and mine have zero issues. That being said, I don't know shit about fuck and stuff rots before it rusts around here.
 
2nd screws.

I used metal sign post style posts to avoid rot.
www.homedepot.com

8 ft. Galvanized Post with Clear Powdercoat (with Top Plate) LTP 80120 - The Home Depot

Lifetime Steel Post Fencing fact: Eventually, every wood post-treated or not- will disintegrate from moisture, dry rot or bug infestation, snap and require replacement. Not these dipped-steel, clear powder-coated
www.homedepot.com

What style of fence? If you want it to be better privacy, do board on board. The boards will shrink, and the gaps will open up. Board on Board is really the best way to be a true privacy fence.

I did both sides of my fence at a duplex and staggered them to try and make sure it was real privacy.

I also recommend getting thicker boards. I went with prestained (Home Depot) 3/4" not the 5/8"

345' is a lot of fence, so that will get pricey.

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Looks like im in it for roughly $4500 or so and its only that cheap because Im poor and Hate myself so I'm putting it up myself. I had looked into the steel posts too, but shy'd away from them because of the cost and length. Will be using screws for sure.
 
Another vote in using metal posts. Wood post will rot, even when embedded in concrete. I was about to pull the trigger on the Post Master Fence System , but I wound up moving and plans never came to fruition. It's a neat fence system, that appears easy to take down a section if need be.
 
I would look into how much more it would be to use metal roofing. A wood fence will need to be replaced eventually. A metal fence should last a very long time.

I know its stupid expensive right now though.
 
Soule88 said:
Looks like im in it for roughly $4500 or so and its only that cheap because Im poor and Hate myself so I'm putting it up myself. I had looked into the steel posts too, but shy'd away from them because of the cost and length. Will be using screws for sure.
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How deep are you planning to go with the 10' posts and how are you making the holes. I assume you are pouring concrete around them?

Maybe someone who knows can tell us what the point of diminishing returns is on a 4x4 embedment because 4' sounds like a lot.
 
Void_of_Light said:
I would look into how much more it would be to use metal roofing. A wood fence will need to be replaced eventually. A metal fence should last a very long time.

I know its stupid expensive right now though.
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Not allowed in City Limits

MigGunslinger said:
How deep are you planning to go with the 10' posts and how are you making the holes. I assume you are pouring concrete around them?

Maybe someone who knows can tell us what the point of diminishing returns is on a 4x4 embedment because 4' sounds like a lot.
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Everyone ive talked to around here said you want the posts in the ground 3' So my thoughts were if i used an 8' post and sunk it 3' that only leaves me with 5' of 4x4 above the ground. thats a 1' or so of unsupported fence picket. The property behind me has something similar and the whole top of the fence waves because of the pickets curling. This is part of the reason i shy'd away from the cool Lifetime steel posts
 
Soule88 said:
Everyone ive talked to around here said you want the posts in the ground 3' So my thoughts were if i used an 8' post and sunk it 3' that only leaves me with 5' of 4x4 above the ground. thats a 1' or so of unsupported fence picket. The property behind me has something similar and the whole top of the fence waves because of the pickets curling. This is part of the reason i shy'd away from the cool Lifetime steel posts
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Local knowledge is always going to trump internet friends on stuff like this.
 
I have put in 1440'

True 6' tall fencing, 9.5' posts, 160 lbs of quikrete in each hole set dry and watered heavy, 12" x 12" "mow strip" with 2 #4 bars, steel in the rails. 7' tall overall.

Go deep, mine have not moved and I notice all the crooked stuff I drive by. I have several hundred foot runs, it is all remarkably straight. I learned a lot about using a string. Buy a laser. Do not open up post holes too far in front of yourself or will be cleaning them out. Wood love to use wood, but see the result of that at my parents, it was beautiful to start though.

Slow and steady on this, took 3 years.
 

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I coated the bases of the 4x4’s I used with roofing tar, don’t do the bottom as water needs to drain. No concrete except for large gate posts, I did pea gravel in the bottoms of the holes also. I used triple 2x6 stringers, 2x4’s will warp and look like crap. Spax screws marked out with a chalk like, I overlapped the pickets so there are no gaps. I also set the middle stringer closer to the bottom to reinforce it from kids ramming it with power wheels and hopefully keep them from climbing it. 4’ gates were built with PL adhesive, headlock fasteners, and Hurricane tie corner braces, they don’t sag.

Can post pics but we are out of town this weekend.
 
Void_of_Light said:
Shame, they can look really nice if done right.
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Have any pictures? The ones I’ve seen look like junkyard fences.

First house we bought had metal posts already set around about half an acre of backyard. I went cheap, nails, pressure treated stringers and pickets. It took me a while to finish doing a little at a time (early 20’s broke dick). Top of the pickets ended up bowing like crazy and I initially put a nail’s gap between each picket that ended up a decent gap after a Texas summer of drying out.

Most recent house I did about 80’, 8’ metal posts buried 2’ with an 80lb of sacrete mixed in the hole of each one. Cedar stringers, cedar pickets all screwed together and butted up tight. Set the stringers close to the edges of the pickets to keep them from bowing. It’s still straight after 4 years and a few coats of old motor oil but there’s a gap between each picket that I don’t like and I wanted to do something fancy at the top and around each post but never have.

Shop around for posts and the brackets, a local fence place beat homo depot by a little but it was worth it.
 
I don't mess with 4x4s anymore because they're so shitty. 6x6s are my standard now for fencing.

I don't set mine in concrete though since concrete makes wood rot faster. Once they're set in the ground with some gravel and tamped, they're not going anywhere.

At a minimum, use 6x6 for all gate posts.
 
If you do wood posts you're going to be doing it again in 10 years. There's no way around that. Even pressure treated, a 4x4 just isn't going to survive that kind of ground contact. If you're planning on moving in that time frame, it won't be your problem. If this is your permanent home, you have rotten post removal, and digging out 160 pound concrete blocks to look forward to, and you'll be 10 years older than you are now.

2x4s, not 2x3s for the stringers. At the very top and bottom of the pickets.

1x4 kicker at the bottom of the outside to weedeat against.

A 1x6 then a 1x4, or a 1x4 and 1x2 horizontally at the top makes for a nice trim. A 2x6 laid flat, horizontally at the top over the trim makes it super nice.

Definitely screws.

If you're trying to be budget conscious, fine. But using wood posts will make you have to be budget conscious twice. A 10 foot galvanized post is roughly the same price as a 10 foot 4x4. The only real cost difference is the brackets, and you can get bulk packages of those on Amazon.
 
Wood will rot in 5 years or less and one day you will wake up to your entire length of fence blown the fuck over by wind.
 
Ive replaced every pt 4x4 in my fence at least once in less then 5 years. The new stuff sucks balls. Go metal posts.
 
I have no idea what Illinois soil and drainage is like.

But I agree with everyone else that if you want it to last, metal posts in concrete is the way to go. You can either attach the stringers to 6' metal posts with clamp brackets, or attach upright wood posts to 4' metal posts. Absolutely use screws and galvanized brackets for all the stringers and top plate, but nail gun the damn planks for the sake of time. Ring shank nails help keep them snug-ish for longer.
 
2big bronco said:
Ive replaced every pt 4x4 in my fence at least once in less then 5 years.
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I would use steel posts.

If using wood, don't order typical treated Lowes/Home Depot wood.

Go to a real lumber yard and order the old style treated. When I built my pole barn I ordered 6x6's and 2x10's that were treated the same as dock pilings.

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Soule88 said:
I had looked into the steel posts too, but shy'd away from them because of the cost and length.
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Buy once. Cry once.

Also, ready mix concrete is cheaper per yard than bagged, they mix it and they bring it to you. A short load (under 4 or 5 yards, depending on company) usually only incurs a $50-$75 short load fee.

Have the holes dug, plumb the posts and call a truck.

Get an auger or post driver.
 
I would space the post every 6-7’. Last one I built, I put blocks below the stringers at each post for added support.

Not sure where you’re buying pickets, but Home Depot took back all of screwed up and split boards I got in the bundles.
 
Around here the fencing supply house has better prices and better product than the box stores.
 
Soule88 said:
www.homedepot.com

PostMaster 3-1/2 in. x 1-3/4 in. x 8 ft. Metal Fence Post 633664 - The Home Depot

The 10ft, 16-gauge Terminal post is part of the fence framework and helps support the chain link fabric. The fabric is stretched between corner posts. These posts can be used at a fence corner or for
www.homedepot.com

Leaning towards those guys, hoping to find somewhere to get a deal on them. $40 a pop from HD sucks.
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Get a price on square galvenized box tube from whoever is advertising the cheap carports in your area
 
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