Hi, I’m Dave, and welcome to homedepot.com. Now they say that good fences make good neighbors and in many cases, that’s probably true. There are many reasons you may want to construct a fence in your yard. Perhaps you’re looking for privacy or security. Maybe you want to keep pets or children in the yard or other people’s pets out. By first considering what you want from a fence, you’re more likely to select a fence style that fits your needs as well as your landscape plan. A good place to start when deciding on the type of fence you want is to look around your own neighborhood. You’ll probably see several types of fences. Some probably provide more privacy and security than others and some are more aesthetically pleasing than others. You’ll want to consider how the fence will look on the outside as well as how it looks on the inside. A fence may be beautiful from your yard but unattractive to your neighbor.
Another place to get ideas for fences is right here on this site. Go to homedpot.com/fencing to look through our fencing idea gallery. Use the interactive demo to view photos of various fence styles and building materials to get inspirations for the ideal fence for your yard. Constructing your own fence is really not that difficult with proper planning and education. We’ll give you the basics of how to build fences in this series of videos. However, for a more extensive look at techniques and types of fencing, you’ll want to use a good reference. Like this book, “Patios and Landscape construction 1 2 3”. It’s available here online or at your local Home Depot store.
If you decide that building your own fence is more than you want to tackle, the Home Depot Home Services Installation specialists can do it for you. Whatever your plans, you can count on the Home Depot to help you to find the fence that suits your home, your needs and your budget.
Now let’s talk about fencing materials. Fences can be constructed from several types of materials. Wood is the most common. We’ll talk more about the various types of wood in a minute. There are also vinyl and composite fences. Vinyl is a plastic base substance. Composite fencing is a mixture of wood fibers in a resin base. The appearance is similar to wood and comes in a variety of colors. Vinyl and composite materials are usually more costly upfront but maybe more resistant to weather, cracking, rotting and molding. In the long run, vinyl and composite fences require less maintenance than wood fences, even though wood is still the most common material used for fences.
\Wood fences can be built using pre-built wood panels and a variety of styles or using individual wood boards, also known as pickets. This type of construction is also referred to as component-stick-built or picket construction. Using individual boards allows the creations of many types of designs such as, side by side planks, alternate board or shadow box, louver and basket weave among others. If you decide you like the look and flexibility of a wood fence, you have to decide what type of wood you would use. The types of wood available for fence construction vary across different geographic regions of the country. So be sure to check with your local home depot store to see what options you can choose from.
First, rest assured that the Home Depot does not purchase wood fencing products from old growth forests or rain forest. So you can relax in the comfort of an earth friendly purchase. Pressure treated lumber is usually yellow pine on the east coast and fur on the west coast. It’s been pressure impregnated with a liquid preservative to resist rot and termites but should still be sealed to protect against the elements and maintain the best appearance overtime. Pressure treated woods are classified as either above-ground use only or certified for ground contact. When constructing a fence, the fence post should always be certified for ground contact. Cedar naturally resists moisture, rot and insects, so it’s great for fences. Cedar shrinks very little with changes in the weather and humidity levels. It’s easy to seal or stain. If left untreated, it weathers to a distinguished, silvery gray. Redwood is also naturally insect and rot resistant. It provides a beautiful and long lasting fence surface.
Redwood has good dimensional stability, which means that it shrinks and swells less than other woods when exposed to water, making redwood less likely to warp, split or cup. Redwood has an open self structuring, contains little or no pitch or resins. This enables it to absorb and retain all types of finishes extremely well.
Deciding what type of wood you’ll use is a matter of taste and budget. Before beginning construction of your fence, check local ordinances to see if a permit is necessary. Also, you may need to get prior permission from the homeowners association. Many associations have strict guidelines on the type and height of fences in the neighborhood. And finally, always contact your utility companies to come out and mark any underground pipes or cables.
Before we get into the actual construction of a fence, let’s cover some of the basic tools and materials you’ll need. You’ll want to have a circular saw, a miter saw, a powered or cordless drill, a tape measure, a level, a post-level, a line level, a speed square, safety glasses, work gloves, a shovel, post hole diggers, a wheel barrow, a hammer and pencils and markers. You’ll also need concrete mix and gravel, depending on your preferences and the size of your project, you may want to have a pneumatic nail gun and a gas powered auger to make the job go faster. If you don’t have some of these tools, remember, the Home Depot has an extensive tool rental department where you can find most everything you’ll need. Now it’s time to get into the specifics of building a fence. We’ll do that in part two.
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