Installing a garden fence

[OwlHoot]

Anyone tried installing a garden fence, with solid wooden fence panels?

The fence posts and panels sound easy enough in principle, although doubtless digging the holes for the posts will be back-breaking.

But what worries me is getting the measurements right for a four foot wooden gate, and how to fit that.

Are there helpful DIY web sites that summarise the process of erecting a fence?

Probably the best advice would be "leave it to an expert". But the expert in question has quoted £3K and can't start for at least three months!

[Mincepie]

Sod that get a man into to do that and go to the pub! The fence and the posts are the easy bit the gate is tricky and would take me 3 times longer and be a crap job in the end

[DaveB]

Anyone tried installing a garden fence, with solid wooden fence panels?

The fence posts and panels sound easy enough in principle, although doubtless digging the holes for the posts will be back-breaking.

But what worries me is getting the measurements right for a four foot wooden gate, and how to fit that.

Are there helpful DIY web sites that summarise the process of erecting a fence?

Probably the best advice would be "leave it to an expert". But the expert in question has quoted £3K and can't start for at least three months!

Fencing is easy, if hard work. You can avoid digging holes if you use the metal post holders that you hammer in first. Just make sure you measure up the gaps correctly and account for needing half panels etc.

The gate shouldnt be too hard provided you get the gap roughly right to begin with. Wooden gates can usually stand to have a couple of cm shaved off the edges to get it to fit properly. Just make sure you trim both edges the same and dont take it all off one side, or your gate ends up looking lopsided.

The usual "lift up" latches have a bit of leeway in them as well, so if the gap on that side is a bit big it shouldnt matter too much.

Of course, IYWCOTBAC none of this would matter. You'd just tell your gardener to do it.

[woohoo]

Anyone tried installing a garden fence, with solid wooden fence panels?

The fence posts and panels sound easy enough in principle, although doubtless digging the holes for the posts will be back-breaking.

But what worries me is getting the measurements right for a four foot wooden gate, and how to fit that.

Are there helpful DIY web sites that summarise the process of erecting a fence?

Probably the best advice would be "leave it to an expert". But the expert in question has quoted £3K and can't start for at least three months!

Can't help you with anything really but I'm looking to get my fences replaced and 3k seems a lot. How much fence are you looking at?

[SpontaneousOrder]

Can't help you with anything really but I'm looking to get my fences replaced and 3k seems a lot. How much fence are you looking at?

I paid just over 3k for 47meters of close board with concrete posts & boards at the bottom, plus a gate.

[FiveTimes]

Fencing is easy, if hard work. You can avoid digging holes if you use the metal post holders that you hammer in first. Just make sure you measure up the gaps correctly and account for needing half panels etc.

The gate shouldnt be too hard provided you get the gap roughly right to begin with. Wooden gates can usually stand to have a couple of cm shaved off the edges to get it to fit properly. Just make sure you trim both edges the same and dont take it all off one side, or your gate ends up looking lopsided.

The usual "lift up" latches have a bit of leeway in them as well, so if the gap on that side is a bit big it shouldnt matter too much.

Of course, IYWCOTBAC none of this would matter. You'd just tell your gardener to do it.

Metposts are good if you need it doing quickly, however I would go with concrete slotted posts.

I did the fencing in our back garden. It took a full weekend and I was in bits by the end; I bought 7ft concrete posts that went 2ft under and used hardcore and quite a few bags of postfix for securing the posts.

I wont do it again but 3k does seem a lot.

[vetran]

Just done 15M (5 * 3m bays) and it was hard work took 2 of us 2 - 3 days.We did concrete under it and a few other things so wasn't just fencing but it was hard work.

A manual post hole borer actually works surprisingly well. £20 well spent.

If you have a compressor buy a cheap nail / brad gun, invisible nail the feather edge with 25mm nails using a 78mm template and then follow up with the 50mm nails. So much easier than trying to hit it & hold it.

cost about £100 a bay materials only, I was quoted £130 - £150 a bay fitted but 6 weeks till they could start. SWMBO couldn't wait.

Next 45m will be done by a professional it was too much like hard work.

Featheredge / closeboard lasts longer and looks better, its worth every penny.

[TheLordDave]

Your obviously not cut out to be a fencer

[BrilloPad]

I need a new fence for my estate. Its about 3 miles total perimeter - obviously that only covers the formal gardens.

sas

[sal]

I need a new fence for my estate. Its about 3 miles total perimeter - obviously that only covers the formal gardens.

sas

Find the next mrs BP, divorce her so she take the estate and you wont' need a fence - problem solved