When you finally decide on putting in a vinyl fence, you will need a few things to get yourself started. Installing a vinyl fence yourself can be easy or hard depending on your know how and your plan of attack. However, doing it yourself will save you a nice chunk of change and give you the satisfaction that you created it, and pick a vinyl fence is a great idea since it wont rust or decay.
Once you choose your vinyl fencing you will need a few things to get you going.
A shovel, some rope with small stakes, adhesive, screwdriver and screws.
Make sure before you do anything that you are allowed to do this by the local building codes.
Do the initial gate assembly needed.
Stake out where you want your post holes and fence, make sure your measurements are correct according to the fence size.
Dig out your post holes about 2 ½ feet for a 5×5 12 foot post. Make sure all the dirt is cleared out and ready for the posts.
Put in and position the post so that it is centered, poor in the mixed concrete and be sure to get the post completely level before concrete sets.
You might want to tape off the parts where concrete may get on the fence so it does not dry onto it and stain, pretty hard getting off dry concrete without damaging it some. Insert lock rings on the ends of the rails. Then put the rail into the post and push in the locking rings till they are secure.
Continue putting in posts and railing where you want it, put blocks under the railing to get the position where you want it.
Insert the middle Fence rail into the post being sure that the holes are facing down.
Put in the pickets at the holes on the bottom rail. Once done, remove the middle rail so you can install the top rail with the aligned pickets and then once done reinstall both the middle and top rails onto the post.
Once all aligned and looking good, use wood screws to lock in the rails to the posts. Do for all sections
Install the gate however the instructions tell you to.
Once all finished, place the caps on the posts and use whatever is provided to secure them, adhesive, screws, etc.
If all goes well you should have your fence setup and ready to use. Take pride in your work and accomplishment.
If you are lacking some tools or items, check these out to help you along
Gerber 22-41578 Gorge Folding Shovel
Why you certainly could use any old shovel for this project, this one has many abilities and is great for more than just shoveling. It can be used as a pick and even a hammer to pound in those stakes. It’s great for taking on camping trips or just having a small portable multi-purpose shovel to throw in the truck to be ready for anything.
Black & Decker PD600 Pivot Plus 6-Volt Nicad Cordless Screwdriver with Articulating Head
Again, a brand new screwdriver is not needed for this project, but if you are a man who loves his building projects, make this part easier by having a reliable and easy to use power screwdriver. This cordless screwdriver has a pivoting handle that locks in 3 positions for versatile angle uses. This is a popular product by B&D and has received excellent reviews by beginners all the way to pros.
Fiskars 9653 Post Hole Digger
This is a professional post hole digger, designed for ease of use and with the narrow handle profile it provides more productive digging. its welded steel construction will give you years of use without fail.