Tips For Building The Right Type of Fence in Your House

There are advantages to having a fence in the backyard of your home. The privacy afforded you can allow for things like hot tubs and pools. The enclosed area can allow you to let your dog outside without having to have them on a leash, allowing them to run around to play without fear of them running off and getting hurt. The additional barrier to your home can be a deterrent to a burglar and make them think twice about trying to break into your home while you’re gone.

However, there are a few things to consider before, during, and after you install a fence to help make sure that the process is successful and that your fence lasts you for years, providing the privacy and security that you want and deserve.

Before You Get Started

Before you start breaking ground on your new fence, there are a few things to have done to ensure that you don’t run into problems down the line. First you’ll want to check with your city or county to see if there are any permits required to build a structure like a fence.

In addition to checking with your local city or county, if you are a part of a homeowner’s association you’ll need to check with them to see if they have any restrictions on installing a fence such as size, style, and whether or not it’s something you are allowed to do by yourself – some associations require a bonded and licensed contractor do the work.

After you’ve consulted with your city/county and your homeowner’s association it’s time to call your utility company. They will schedule a time to come out and mark the locations of your utility lines. This is important so that you don’t sever a power or sewage line while digging your post holes – this is for your own safety and to protect both your home and your neighbors.

Last but not least, you should check where your exact property lines are. There’s nothing worse than building a fence only to find out that part of it isn’t actually on your land and has to be torn down. This one check can save your hours of wasted time and grief from having built half your fence in your neighbor’s backyard.

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Knowing where your property lines are is only part of knowing where your fence is going. You might not want to have your entire backyard fenced in, so it’s important to know the dimensions of the fence you want to install since it will have a major impact on the number of posts, crossbeams, and slats you have to buy – nobody wants to buy more than necessary.

It should go without saying, but when cutting any piece of wood, be sure to measure it twice before you cut it. This will save you on the cost of new boards and posts because you cut off too much.

Letting the cement dry around the posts is critical and it’s better to give it more time to harden than not enough. There are numerous quality quick-dry cements that will cut down on the amount of time you have to wait before moving on to the next step, but it’s still critical to make sure the cement is set before you start nailing crossbeams.

When buying the supplies for your fence, don’t be ashamed to consult with the guys at your local home improvement store. While you might know exactly what you want, they might have some suggestions for things you’d never thought of, including different types of woods and supplies that can help save you time and energy while building your fence.

It’s Finished So Enjoy It

Hopefully you didn’t push yourself too hard while building your fence – they’re a lot of work and while very much worth it, it’s important to remember to pace yourself. Once your fence is complete you’ll want to remember to apply some type of stain or steel to help protect it against weather, otherwise you’ll be replacing pieces of it for a long time as the boards warp and turn grey.

If at any point you find yourself just not able to complete the fence, remember that there’s no shame in hiring fence contractors for a custom iron fence in New Orleans if you are living in this area, to do the job from start to finish or even to finish the job you started if you came across an obstacle that you just can’t overcome. No matter who builds your fence, you’re sure to enjoy it for years to come.