How I make a SIMPLE DIY fence

In this video I’m showing you my approach to making a simple British fence. You see this open board design all around the UK - no idea how popular it is in other parts of the world. The advantage being the open board design lets wind pass through so it puts less strain on the posts. This is a SIMPLE fence but it does the job if it’s not in a too exposed location. Obviously you can push this as far as you want if budget permits.

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#Fence #Woodworking #DIY

[stevemichael]

6 foot tall and 8 metres long. Doesn't get more British than that :)

[grolfe]

Two things-. I would put a gravel board along the bottom (150x25 timber) this can touch the ground and be replaced if it rots and the main fence is up and dry. Second is to use feather edge board to make it a closed fence. It would probably be cheaper as the timber is thinner and each screw holds in two boards where they overlap.
I need to get a post hole spade. Nice bit of kit!
But then I am down south and we don't like to talk to our neighbours!

[kareliask]

I really appreciate your on-screen annotations, they answer so many potential questions before they even need asking.

[wessmith]

I never thought I would have gotten so excited about a Geordie knocking up a fence, yet i just have done so. Keep up the great work, I'm loving this renovation.

[marshawargo]

I'll bet your neighbors luv u! Cleaning up all the overgrowth & putting in a nice fence for the privacy said overgrowth provided. 🌹 I do like the "rock garden" at the end, it looks intentional & natural at the same time.

[fetabrown]

Like that idea about
Bitumen paint and chamfer on top of posts.

[herrlip]

Great tip, when digging holes, have a bunch of builders buckets or a larger mortar bucket so as you are throwing the earth off the spade you chuck it direct into the bucket rather than it collecting in the ground, that way it's a much easier clean up of the excavated soil

[don-qbxb]

That postcrete is terrific stuff. Another brilliant post. Thanks.

[everydayrenaissanceman]

I’ve understood that when you set posts in concrete to leave the bottom ends exposed. Possibly in gravel or loose medium. This allows water to drain out of the post into the ground. Encapsulating the post in concrete traps the water and causes premature rot.

[GrumpyGeorge]

I like to leave a decent gap between the fence and ground, and dig a small trench a couple of inches deep along the fence and fill it with gravel. This lets rainwater run down the fence and off the bottom and drain into the ground, the gap prevents water from being drawn up from the soil through the end grain causing rot.

[utilitarian]

That's a lovely looking fence. I'm sat here watching it with my 7yr old daughter and she says "your fence is looking nice and lovely". Cheers Andy!

[jackl]

I really like your attention to detail on explanation. About 10 mo ago, I built a fence, and did some things similar. Wood was already getting expensive, and hard to get today. My post setting probably took much longer as referenced position from a string close to the ground, pre-mixed concrete, and leveled individually. Also, the treated posts were extra long so I could go 3ft deep, and cut the top to height later. All other lumber was fresh sawn western cedar (in in Oregon). I like you do 3-rails as a lot of people only do two. The other difference, I used metal hangers in between. Hind sight, makes it more difficult if I have to replace a post later. I’m letting the cedar naturally gray. Instead of screws, I used galvanized ring shank nails using my coil nailer. I would have preferred stainless, but cost was an issue. Again, thanks for the details. You do a great job and give great advice.

[stuartlockwood]

Hi Andy ☺nice job mate, can't wait to see you nearly falling in the cut / moat, , lol., thanks for another great video, stay safe mate, best wishe's to you and your's, Stuart.uk.

[johnfithian-franks]

Hi Andy, I have a caravan at Frosterley and wood rote there faster than you can put it in. I use concrete posts that I make myself as it is cheaper and better quality than store bought ones, it makes it difficult to attach the wood rails but I now am a dab hand at putting the plastic conduit into the forms so that I can use bolts to fasten the rails onto. This is the best way of stopping rot and I use my laser level to set them, laser levels are so cheap now that everyone should have one, even those like me that only do this as a hobby.

[ARXN]

Ha! I’m doing 172ft of fencing tomorrow for a family member - this video has confirmed I was spot on with everything! Thank god for that haha

[iainw]

This whole episode had a feel of Gardeners World about it (in a good way!) contrast in style to the digging up the concrete floor episode I’ve just watched! Nice to have these changes in tempo

[DashcamUKDrivers]

First video on fencing where I haven’t taken o-ffence to the workmanship, well done sir

[raydriver]

It’s looking good Andy. A couple of days hard work, coupled with patience and expertise. I love your videos and thank you for sharing. 🌞

[Tom-Lahaye]

The laser is gold for setting posts, but I also used it as a survey level to assess the height differences of my garden to work out the heights of a retaining wall and how deep to dig away to level the garden in front of that wall, to do this I made a rigid centimeter stick from a 2 meter piece of wood with cm indents made with a sharpie.

Only disadvantage of the DIY laser levels is their limited reach in bright light as you mentioned, on a normal cloudy day the reach is around 5-10meters depending on the kind of laser you have.
To do the surveying I had to go out after sunset when the light was dimming, then a reach of about 20 meters is possible.

[dooovde]

Absolutely love your vids...just had to say. You demystify everything and take the fear out of jobs like this that regular folk can tackle themselves. Hope you keep up the good work.