Installing a perimeter vinyl fencing yourself can provide much-needed privacy, keep the family dog contained, and improve the aesthetic appeal of your home for many years. You might even save money if you follow the proper installation procedures. However, consider the most common pitfalls before diving into an unprepared project. Building regulations that are overlooked, poorly set posts, and insufficient prep work can quickly eat into those savings and shorten the life of your fence. If you want your best vinyl fence project to be a lasting testament to your DIY abilities, you’ll need to follow some do’s and don’ts.
DOs
Prepare the yard – Digging without knowing what’s below is dangerous. Likewise, hitting a utility line with a shovel can result in serious injury or death. If you plan to erect the perimeter vinyl fence along the yard’s edge, verify the property line by checking your property papers. Once you have located the utility lines, you can establish your property line, marking the perimeter of your fencing with brightly colored spray paint.
Start from a corner – Accurately aligning the posts is critical to a successful vinyl fence installation. Given how difficult it can be to install posts, you wouldn’t want to dig out a post and reinstall it because you didn’t align it correctly with the other posts. Install the end and corner posts first to eliminate guesswork. Stretch a string line between the posts once they’re in place, ensuring the line is taut. Then, use that string line as a guide for all of the posts in the middle. Before the concrete is set, check that the post is plumb by placing a level on two adjacent sides or using a post level. Use a string line level to ensure accuracy and adjust the post heights where needed.
One at a time – In comparison to the time-consuming process of installing posts, installing vinyl panels is relatively simple. It usually entails snapping pieces together by hand with no tools required. While this process may remind you of those snap-together model kits you built as a child, don’t be fooled into thinking you can rush through this part of the perimeter vinyl fencing installation. Install one fence panel at a time, and keep your level close by. Once installed, ensure that each panel is leveled. If your best vinyl fence panels are in individual pieces, make sure the top and bottom rails are levels as you connect them. Level the panel as needed by lowering the high post before the cement hardens.
Check local regulations – Nothing is worse than finishing a large fence project only to receive a letter a few weeks later demanding that you remove it because you violated local zoning laws or the covenants of your homeowner’s association. So, do yourself a favor and double-check all local regulations before beginning your project. This may entail submitting your plans to the authority for approval or researching local zoning laws to ensure the new fence is following city regulations—this could save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run.
DON’Ts
Install posts too close
Vinyl fencing can bend without breaking and withstand high winds and impacts. However, this flexibility depends on the best vinyl fence installation. Install the fence posts too close together. The panels will fit so tightly that they become rigid, limiting the vinyl’s ability to bend and increasing the possibility that high winds or an errant object will damage your fence. You can avoid this by spacing the posts a full panel’s width apart and avoiding having to cut panels to smaller sizes wherever possible. Also, remember that, like wood, vinyl also expands and contracts. If you fit your fence panels too tightly between the posts, there will be no room to accommodate any expansion, resulting in warping or buckling.
Dig shallow holes
Your traditional vinyl fencing is as strong as the posts that hold it up, so secure each post in the ground, especially if you live in an area with high winds or soft soil. In extreme weather, posts with shallow holes are more likely to lean under the weight of the fence or even blow over completely. So, how far apart should fence posts be? Although depth requirements vary according to soil conditions and climate, a third of the post length should be in the ground. You should also allow for an additional 6 inches of gravel as a base to help drain water away from the post. So, if you want to set a post 3 feet deep, you’ll need to dig a 3 feet 6 inches deep hole to account for the gravel layer.
Buy perimeter vinyl fencing from Duramax
At Duramax Fences, we do not compromise the quality. All our products are quality checked before delivery. Our fences are made of superior quality virgin vinyl, and the fences are all manufactured in our manufacturing unit. The Duramax manufacturing team uses the DuraResin formulation to enhance the quality, and we do constant research to improve quality. Vinyl initially may seem a little on the expensive side, but no other material can be a lifetime solution. Your house improvement involves a lot of money, and you cannot afford to do it again and again. Duramax perimeter vinyl fencing is very easy to install. You do not need to be trained for this; you can do it alone. Unlike wood and metal fences, vinyl does not demand strict maintenance, but you can wipe it with a dry cloth. Duramax Fences is one of the most reputed vinyl fence manufacturers in the USA. For more information about fencing, connect with Duramax Fences; please visit our website and call us to get a free sample for a limited period.
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