McKinney Fence Company tells how to install panels and pickets

McKinney Fence Company owner, Sean Eubanks of Texas State Fence Co., tells how to install panels and pickets for do-it-yourself fence builders.

This is the fifth in a series of articles about installing your own fence. The prior Articles include:

1. Allen Fence Company provides instructions for D-I-Y fence builders
2. McKinney fence company - DIY fence design and layout guidelines
3. Plano fence company - DIY Guidelines for digging postholes
4. Allen Fence Company offers advice on digging and setting fence posts.

Cutting Posts to the correct height

The easiest way to insure that your posts are level is to run a string from one corner post to the next corner post and keep it taut. Due to the inevitable dipping of gravity in the center it may be necessary to measure the height of the end corner posts and adjust the middle post string position with a nail to hold it at the proper height. Use the string as a visual guide to trim the tops of the posts. You can finish the post with a special top piece if you wish.

How to install Panels and Pickets

If you are installing pre-assembled fence panels you will want to use either an 18d or 20d nail to attaché them to the posts.  It is a good idea to pre-drill holes into the fence panels because large diameter nails run the risk of splitting the fence panels.

If you are installing loose pickets to backer rails you will want to use a smaller nail such as an 8d or 1d box nail.  Start at one end of the rail and check for level and then plumb pickets about every third or fourth picket to make sure that you are continuing to install properly vertical rails.  For a more private fence place the pickets directly adjacent to each other without any gap. For a fence with better air flow you can leave a space between the rails. If you want to leave a space between the rails it is a good idea to use a spacer so that each picket is the same distance from the adjacent picket to avoid what may appear to be a sloppily installed picket line. You can cut a spacer board the desired width then place it between each nailed picket when adding the next picket.

The number of backer rails depends on the height of the fence. For fences under 6 foot in height you can use two or three backer rails. For fences 6 foot or higher you will need at least 3 backer rails for proper support of the pickets. Fences 10 foot or higher may require four backer rails depending on the nature of the fence and materials used.

Connecting Backer Rails to Fence Posts

There are three primary methods of attaching backer rails to the fence posts. When attaching to wooden posts you will want to use either the Toe Nailed, Face Nailed or Mortise and Tenon method. If you are attaching to a steel post you will need to have a steel saddle that will be mounted to the post and attached to the backer rail with screws. Be sure to space the backer rails evenly between each other as they run the length of the fence line. I recommend that you start at the bottom, measure up from the ground about 10 inches, then cut a spacer stud that you use to keep the height from each rail the same at each end. Vary the bottom rail as you traverse the ground and space the upper rails accordingly with the spacer stud.

McKinney fence company owner Sean Eubanks started his company, Texas State Fence Co., to provide quality outdoor fencing and landscape hard structures to clients in North Texas. Texas State Fence Co. provides all types of fencing along with automatic sliding gates, swing gates, security fencing, outdoor kitchens and enclosures, patio covers, arbors, and gazebos. Sean also provides maintenance and repair of fences that have been damaged by weather and wind.  For more information please contact Sean Eubanks at 972-898-1307 for visit his website.