Hey guys,

We made the mistake of assuming our families knew what they were doing when they said they could help us build a fence. We were able to get the posts installed, level, and concreted into place. However, my family decided that buying prefabricated fence panels would be the best solution for our yard. Mother Nature and her gentle slopes disagree however. Prefabricated panels are not a good solution for our property if we want to make it look good, which we do.

With that being said, we are looking for a good fencing company to come out and finish the fence picket by picket instead of using the fencing panels. I've already sent in requests for quotes to a few companies but would really appreciate any recommendations you guys might have.

For reference, the fence will be around 140'-150' total length, must be 5' tall, and must be "dog eared".

Thanks

3/28/2011 1:14:56 PM

what was the problem with the panels?

I put one up on a slope and it looked great.

You have to make sure you fasten it to the post plumb and then rack the panel up or down to the next post.

for a fencing referral: http://www.fencesunlimited.net/

3/28/2011 1:17:24 PM

Biggest problem is that it is not a constant slope/grade -- its perfectly level for a large portion of the yard, however that one corner drops 1'-2' over a run of about 16'-24'. If we use the prefab panels and we attach them so that they are perfectly vertical, we end up with a sizable gap under the panel. If we cut the bottom of the panel to match the slope of the yard while trying to maintain a level 5' height, we end up with some portions of the fence that inevitably look really bad. We thought about stair stepping the panels a bit but that also would look really shoddy. In the end I think we are going to be much more comfortable just paying someone to do it picket by picket to make it looks as good as possible. We could definitely find a way to make the panels work, but the quality of appearance would be pretty poor.

Thanks for the recommendation as well

I should also mention our HOA sucks and is extremely strict about enforcement of even trivial things -- we could make the panels look great if we could exceed the 5' height by about 6 inches in one portion of our back yard -- request denied by the HOA. Must be right at 5' throughout the entirety of the fence.

[Edited on March 28, 2011 at 1:41 PM. Reason : .]

3/28/2011 1:34:45 PM

we used harrison fence for our fence. good quality work and very friendly people.

3/28/2011 1:40:38 PM

I can't say enough good things about American Heritage. I've bought two fences from them.

3/28/2011 1:55:55 PM

Quote :

"its perfectly level for a large portion of the yard, however that one corner drops 1'-2' over a run of about 16'-24'."

You could just bring in a truck full of fill dirt and bring the corner up to level.

Also, if you provide me with amount of fencing that you have I can use calculus to figure out the optimum dimensions for maximum contained area. I suggest this only because it will finally give me an excuse to use calculus in real life.

3/28/2011 2:24:49 PM

We had 19 panels, 8 feet long each (returned).

As for leveling out the back yard -- it already is borderline problematic with its drainage -- I'd be extremely hesitant to flatten it out anymore.

Thanks for the referrals guys -- I have sent in requests for quotes to each of them.

3/28/2011 6:39:47 PM

NOT these guys: http://raleighfencecontractors.com/ while they came out and did the job on time for me....now, only 2 1/2 years later i'm having major issues with the wood cracking/warping. they had to have used the crappiest wood possible.

and if you come across a guy named Kenneth Plain (http://www.wral.com/5onyourside/story/4064122/), NOT him either....he took my 2500$ deposit and never built the fence. went to court since i got the free lawyer through school but Plain never showed up...so i got the judgement against him and that's as far as it went.

3/28/2011 7:19:26 PM

I came in here to comment on my fencing class and the lameness that it has become with the repetitive foil bouts. I left disappointed.

3/28/2011 7:22:14 PM

Quote :

"As for leveling out the back yard -- it already is borderline problematic with its drainage -- I'd be extremely hesitant to flatten it out anymore."

The slope of my current yard has taught me all about drainage problems. A catch basin and some corrugated pipe will do absolute wonders.

3/29/2011 10:09:53 PM

^^Me too. Ted Jones/MW/12:10 representin' ITT.

3/30/2011 12:36:52 AM

^ha. 11:20. word to your mother

3/30/2011 12:50:11 AM

^^^^To me, it sounds like a classic mixup to me

3/30/2011 1:45:54 AM

I, too, am looking into getting a fence for our backyard. Luckily we should be able to tie into our neighbor's fences, so we only need probably 75-100 feet of fence.

Did the OP ever settle on a fencing comapny? If so, who was it, how much did it cost and how was the work?

5/17/2011 10:13:01 AM

I've used American Heritage twice for fences. They are awesome.

http://ahfencecompany.com/

5/17/2011 11:54:55 AM

Quote :

"NOT these guys: http://raleighfencecontractors.com/ while they came out and did the job on time for me....now, only 2 1/2 years later i'm having major issues with the wood cracking/warping. they had to have used the crappiest wood possible. "

Maybe they did not use pressure treated lumber? If not, then it is as much your fault for not knowing what materials they were using. Also all wood is going to eventually crack and show signs of wear. Any deck or fencing I've ever done, I immediately stain with a good opaque stain. Usually Behr, sometimes Olympic depending on the price. Cabot is too fucking expensive and Consumer Reports usually ranks Behr better anyway. The stain makes the wood look great and protects it from the elements for a few years.

5/17/2011 12:28:52 PM

DIY

5/17/2011 1:01:02 PM

i think we're going to put up goat fencing this summer...and then get some goats to eat the english ivy, poison ivy, and miscellaneous greenery we don't want in the woods

5/17/2011 1:04:54 PM

Much more tedious than I expected....








[Edited on May 17, 2011 at 2:27 PM. Reason : .]

5/17/2011 2:26:09 PM

What does wooden fencing typically cost to stall per foot. We're thinking of buying a house that needs fencing in the back. The HOA stipulates 4' tall max.

6/6/2011 8:28:24 AM

bump bump de bump...looking at buying materials for goat fencing today or tomorrow, and then setting it up this week

my initial thought is that we'll put in 47" tall 12-1/2 gauge field fencing with 8' wooden posts every 10 feet...does this seem like overkill? it looks that goat pastures are usually wooden posts every 50 feet with T-poles every 10 in between...the bulk of the cost IS the wood posts...if i could cut the number of required posts in half and go with T posts in between, that'd knock the cost down significantly

i'm looking at fencing in about half an acre (so about 600 linear feet) and there will only be 1-2 goats in the pen (and they'll only be there long enough to clean out the brush as this is primarily so we can let the dogs out)

so, then, my questions:

1.) should i go with CCA/salt-treated or creosote-treated posts (both are pesticides)? creosote is toxic and leaves an oily residue on the wood (so you have to wear gloves), but it's water repellent and therefore protects the posts from deterioration...CCA/salt treatment is cheaper and non-toxic once cured, but doesn't protect the wood from deterioration...given that animals (both goats and my dogs) could come into contact with the wood, i'm leaning toward CCA

2.) do you think that the posts need to be anchored with cement?

3.) if i go with alternating wooden and metal T posts, should i go with 6' or 8' T posts? i figure the wood posts need to be 3.5-4' deep, but the T poles would probably be okay with 2'

4.) i was planning on renting a two-man gas auger to drill the holes...grand rental on south saunders has them for $53/day...anyone rented from them and have an opinion? anyone use holland rent-all on western or united rentals in garner?

stuff:

auger: http://www.grandrentalnc.com/equipment.asp?action=category&category=41&key=AUG+2MAN-RAL
fencing ($159.95/330'): http://www.agrisupply.com/product.asp?pn=11245
6' T post ($5.49/each): http://www.agrisupply.com/product.asp?pn=10782
8' T post ($6.99/each): http://www.agrisupply.com/product.asp?pn=26786
creosote ($15.52/each): http://www.agrisupply.com/product.asp?pn=10812
CCA/salt ($12.95/each): http://www.agrisupply.com/product.asp?pn=10854

6/6/2011 8:49:02 AM

lol I thought this thread would be about sword fighting.

6/6/2011 9:05:00 AM

Alternating the T posts and wood posts is fine. Goats won't really push on the fence too bad, (not like a cow will, anyway). Make sure the fence is as low as possible. I'm not sure if 47" will be tall enough... the last goat fence I had was 5 ft and electric.

1. CCA posts, treat them with sealant every year and they will last as long as creosote

2. 3~3.5 ft, no cement, just be sure to tamp the post in stages. You can really get away with 4x4 square posts, those 6~8" posts are overkill for goats.

3. 6 ft T posts are fine (for a 4 ft fence), pound them until the spade is under the ground, plus a few inches.

4. No comment other than: Do you need exercise? Digging with hole diggers is one of the most strenuous activities on the planet.

Cement and or brace your corner posts (maybe use those 6~8" posts for the corners)

6/6/2011 9:14:18 AM

^ thanks for the feedback!

okay, so i definitely would like to make this as cheaply as possible, BUT not skimp so that it's a piece of crap...in other words, i don't want to overbuild it

it looks like lowe's is actually cheaper than agri-supply (which surprises me), so let's say i use 4x4x8 #2 radius edge treated lumber (item 201596, $6/each) and run them every 20 feet, with 6' T-posts (item 92070, $4/each) in between...then the CCA-treated 8' posts for the corner posts (3 per corner or literally just as the corner?) and 47" 12-1/2 gauge field fencing from agri-supply...that should do it, yes?

i'm assuming the 47/48" fencing is good enough because of sites like this (http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/fencing.html) that recommend them...that's just one example, most of them say the same thing

6/6/2011 10:08:01 AM

Use just one 8" post as the corner, and brace it pieces of 4x4 @ a 45 degree angle.

you could use 2x6's to brace as well, but they likely won't be ground contact rated.

6/6/2011 11:56:26 AM

how should i bring the fence to the house? i don't want to auger a hole for a post right next to the house, but the fence will be coming up to the house on both sides

also, a gate...what's an appropriate size for a double gate (meeting in the middle) that will allow for a vehicle to fit through? 10 feet?

6/15/2011 9:52:52 AM

If you're still talking about goat fencing, i would put a tpost next to the house not in concrete.

if you're talking about wood fencing, you can put a post about a foot out, run horizontal 2x4s across that post to the house, and then attach vertical fence pickets to the horizontal 2x4s.

if you need a post in concrete against the house, then hand dig that one.

6/15/2011 12:51:58 PM

^ that's what we ended up doing, actually

so today has been nothing but augering and it's not going as well as i'd hope...or, rather, i had unrealistic expectations

we got a 3-foot long, 6-inch diameter auger since we're not concreting the posts (recommendation from this thread, and also the consensus on many sites i've looked at), but we've had to wet the ground to get it through (using a hydraulic auger, no less)...what's left, of course, is muck and it's not really very effective for tamping it down...also, it results in us only getting about 2 feet of pole into the ground (rather than the 3 i was hoping for)...what should i do?

1.) stick a 4x4 in there and push as much mud back in as possible
2.) stick a 4x4 in there and leave it until it dries, then go back to filling and tamping
3.) stick a 4x4 in there and pull it back out when get a post-hole digger and manually dig an extra 6" to a foot
4.) don't stick a 4x4 in there and leave it alone until it dries (and then use a post-hole digger or not)

and then, should i fill the space around the post with gravel or sand or anything in particular? or just the dirt that was pulled out? how do i EFFECTIVELY tamp it down (i mean, i can tamp it as is, but it doesn't really seem to do much since the holes are generally mucky)

i'm noobing all over myself here, fellas...been fun, though

6/15/2011 2:08:21 PM

While I tend to favor the saber, the foil can also be quite effective.

6/15/2011 6:39:18 PM

I can't remember if I used Apex Fence Builders or Apex Fence Company. The sign is on the fence still but I'll go look at a different time. Either way they did a wonderful job and I'm very happy with the fence. Keeps both my escape artist beagles in too.

6/15/2011 9:53:39 PM

plz to answer my noob question before monday

6/18/2011 10:04:26 AM

you shouldn't be filling holes with mud

you would tamp down dry loose dirt with something that is small enough to fit between the edge of the hole and the pole, but wide enough to pack. a 2x2 or 2x4 would be good. They also make landscapers poles that usually have a wide head and are fairly heavy that would work well.

i would go with #4. you could also use the auger again when it is dried out. it will probably be quite a bit softer than before. However, maybe you just need a better auger to dig without making mud.

6/18/2011 9:50:56 PM

hopefully finishing up the fence today

ended up concreting all of the 4x4s and i'm glad i did...using two 2x4s held together with large bolts and with the end of the fence clamped between, we use come-alongs attached to the next pole to stretch the fence...makes for a beautifully tight fence, but it also pulls the posts pretty hard and i can't imagine NOT having them concreted

made a 12-foot wide double, center-opening gate to allow vehicles through, if necessary...i'm actually pretty proud of the whole thing (assuming everything goes well today, of course)

thanks for all of the tips and advice!

6/24/2011 8:36:58 AM