Paying to have a new fence built is expensive! Do this instead.

How to DIY an 8 foot horizontal board on board cap and trim fence (with fence gates)! I easily saved $$$ and built my own fence like a PRO.

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Erin Longfellow
Maker Gray

I'm Erin Longfellow and I'm a maker, DIY'er, builder, designer and content creator. My goal is to help you learn that you too can build or DIY what I make, or anything you need, with easily accessible tools and materials. On this channel you're going to find different builds and designs with a modern emphasis that are DIY friendly, mostly through woodworking, metalworking, construction and home renovations. Be sure to subscribe and enable all notifications! And thanks for watching!

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[gizmorow]

There's nothing like getting a quote from a fencing contractor, to give you the motivation to do it yourself, great job.

[video]

The problem when people cement posts in the ground, they usually only put the minimum amount in the ground, then fill the hole with dirt. Dirt retains water and will eventually rot the post. Simple solution to avoid the tar paper you demo'd here in this video is to just fill up the hole with cement making sure the cement is above ground. Then crown the cement at the top so it will repeal water. I did this to my fence 24 years ago and it's still holding strong.

[samagon]

when using a vehicle to pull things out of the ground like this, toss the spare tire under the chain as close to the thing you are pulling out, that way, the force is transferred from pulling sideways, to pulling up. you will disturb less of the ground, and the actual pulling will be even more effortless.

[mythsdreamssymbols]

Being a fence contractor for 46 years there is unnecessary 'overkill' with your installation, particularly with the posts. Because of post rotting at ground level the wraps are a good idea but are cost prohibited being double the cost of the post. I suggest leaving 6 to 8 inches when filling the concrete then use fill dirt to ground level. This will allow water to drain and not set on ground level concrete where posts usually rot {as you pointed out in the video}. I've never had to use 2x4 stabilizers to support posts, the concrete and dirt fill holding the posts in place until the concrete sets up.

As for using string to line the holes and posts I always set the corners first and string the bottom to get my line for the holes and rest of the posts. To level posts I move the string to the top and set my level also to cut the posts. Where the ground level changes mark the set posts and place a temporary nail and attach the string. This will allow the fence to follow the ground. On a 6ft privacy fence 6 inches is the distance from the top of the 2x4 and top of the picket and the same for the bottom or else the pickets can lip and bow out. Center the middle 2x4.

One thing you did right was to use brackets to support the 2x4 stringers {2x6s are overkill}. You should never toe nail stringers to a posts, they will eventually pull away from the posts. Also you do not really need stringers when building a horizontal fence. For horizontal fencing 6 ft centers are correct since 8ft centers will cause the boards to bow/warp. When building a regular privacy fence 8ft centers are the norm but always nail to the posts. The nail gun with shank nails is correct because galvanized nails tend to pull out over time.

Note: Most fences are made from treated pine and 3 stringers are absolutely necessary, unless you are using western red cedar materials {but use treated pine posts}. Cedar requires only two 2x4s but make sure you use cedar 2x4s. The advantage of cedar is it doesn't bow/warp like pine and it is the stringers that bow the most. The disadvantage of cedar is the cost especially the 2x4s. Cedar posts will rot just as bad if not worse than treated wood. I learned this when I started my business in the late 70s when cedar was comparable in price to treated pine.

For the gate. The frame and stabilizer are a good idea and worth the effort but again costly. Cross members will work although sag is possible. The thing you did wrong and will likely be the first problem is the 4x4 gate support post. ALWAYS use a 6x6 support post and 3 hinges. Gates are heavy and 4x4s are not strong enough. Many professional fence contractors make this mistake usually to save money. BAD idea {and some don't use concrete with the posts which allow the fence to lean especially in areas like Florida where strong winds are common.


The other thing you did right was using a sealer with the stain. Sealing a fence can provide extra ;ife to the wood whereas stain alone will not. In Florida the life expectancy is of a wood fence is 10 years but I have seen fencing without a sealer last a lot less especially where there is heavy vegetation or a sprinkler system. Many new subdivisions will not allow wood fencing opting instead for PVC or aluminium, both having a 20 year or longer life span. White PVC fencing prices have dropped making the cost equal to or less than a wood fence with a sealant.

Hope I wasn't be overly critical but wanted to put my experience to use. For anyone thinking about hiring a contractor to install a fence do your homework and use reviews and google search. My business is a family operation and companies our size {as opposed to larger companies that do a lot of commercial fencing including Home Depot and Lowes} will construct a better fence and at a lower price. The one thing that insures a successful business is integrity and being honest. Larger companies often worry about bottom line and cutting corners is a norm. Always get at least three estimates. Due diligence will save you money and heartache.

[mresmith]

the post saver is a great idea, however you can also use roof cement as a much cheaper option (usually around $10 for a gallon at home depot). It rolls on and is water proof.

[ARC_Trooper_Han]

Make sure to have “a friend who has a truck, chain, trailer, and works for free” to get this done. Without your handsome and extremely selfless friend, it would have taken a week to do it by yourself. Speaking from experience.

We didn’t have any of those things. Me and my Father had to replace and install the fence from Hurricane Ian. The best part was having my arm in a sling from a previous work related injury. All I can do was be a helper. I did a sight survey and there was roughly 100 fence panels at 6 foot sections to replace, not to include posts. It took us 2 months to get it done. No supplies, no water, no electricity, no power tools.
Your friend is the unsung hero of this video.

[joanrobinson]

I wish my fence contractor had put in even half the effort you did on this build! Your fence is gorgeous and it will obviously last decades!

[jackcoats]

We did this but re-used the posts that were OK and put in solar panels for the fence. It does generate power, about 1/3 of what it could produce if oriented correctly. Great way to start for a 'no space' solar.

[SJLamb-tedt]

My neighbor put in a new fence and did it himself in an interesting (i thought) way. He dug the post holes and put in some kind of cardboard tube and filled the tube with concrete. The concrete extended above ground level. He then set a metal bracket on the concrete and attached it with masonry screws. He attached the post to the bracket on top of the concrete. I asked about it and he said he did it that way so that when the fence breaks down he can easily replace individual components or simply replace one section at a time as the fence needs repair. I thought this was brilliant.

[SK-hjss]

You built a really nice fence. Good job.

I can't 100% be certain but I think the old fence was salvageable. You could disassemble where needed and reinforce with screws or brackets. Then you could soda blast the entire fence and it would look like brand new wood. Then stain it with the stain that you used. I think this would have worked great. I highly recommend you seal your fence with a product like PWS-8. Professional Water Sealant. This will form a near perfect water barrier and keep it looking brand new for many years.

[LouieLouie]

Your gate brace will work with gravity if you put the top of the brace away from the hinges and the bottom of the brace on the hinge post (opposite of what you showed in your video). The load of the gate ('heaviest' because it is farthest from the post and the ground) is at the top far corner and you want to direct the load down to the post. You did such an admirable job with that project.

[terriblejustawful]

Black Jack Rubr-Coat #57 is an inexpensive waterproofing membrane you can paint on the bottom of the posts. I first learned about a little while back when I was building a chicken coop. Painted the entire bottom of the coop in that and it made it fully water proof and had held up to not just the moisture, but the ammonia present in the chickens waste.

The reason the few inches of post at ground level had rot is due to the soil microbes. They live in the top 3" inches of soil and will do what they do so well.. break down wood. When putting posts in the ground, your best bet for longevity is to offer a protective coating (either the sleeve mentioned in this video or a 6" band of painted in Black Jack #57) spanning about an 1-2" above the soil line going down about 4-5" underground. That will create a great waterproof barrier that will prevent the soil bacteria and fungi from degrading your posts.

Beautiful fence, btw Hats off to your friend for helping you with the project. Friends like that are worth their weight in gold!

[timsimmons]

Caution/advice: This method of fence brackets is not only more expensive than a nail, but as the ground shifts slightly, they can and often do pull apart. I've seen it happen many times! Better to simply nail your cross 2x4 boards directly to the vertical posts. As for posts, protect them by soaking them in old motor oil before setting, or use some tar which is much cheaper than these post sleeve. And pour the concrete so it is above the ground line, to avoid water pooling on the post. Will add years of life.

[xbubblehead]

This should serve as a model on how videos like this should be done. You showed the before and after, and all the steps in between. Great job!

[meyerwhite]

It’s brilliant you did this. I’m in tbe UK and can barely afford for a tradesperson to come in and to tbe majority of jobs that need doing. They’re pricing their work out of so many markets so all we can do is DIY. Thankfully, YouTube has made that so much easier to learn these skills with videos like yours!

[roguea]

I don't know why we build fences the way we do in America. Having watched so many UK gardening shows. I think they have a much smarter way of doing it. They use concrete posts that the horizontal fence panels just slide down between. All the panels can be made as an assembly and then the whole thing just slots in. Never have to worry about post rot and individual panels can be replaced when needed. It also seems less expensive. The panels and posts, with rock face concrete base panels and 40 bags of post mix for 150ft of fence (3 sides of 50 feet) can all be purchased for under $1800 USD with the VAT included.

Don't get me wrong, this is a beautiful fence. I just think its weird that we haven't adopted the UK way. We spend so much money on fencing, you'd think we'd want it to last for a long time.

[anthonylewis]

I saw a builder on one of these HGTV shows make a guide rail on each post, then took the horizontal planks and just slid them down, kinda eliminating the need for a lot of nails and screws. But this is very nice. Love it.

[cpyimitatin]

That is one of the most intricate horizontal fences I've seen yet! Absolutely stunning 🥰

[shotgunbettygaming]

Ohhhh you break my heart when you said you took all that reclaimed wood to the dump😆

[slavikcher]

as a painter i would recommend using a smaller tip for spraying stain. most exterior stains are very thin. a tip size like 413 will lay down a lot of product causing runs. a 311 is my go to