4 DIY Tips to Making Your Own Picket Fence
As a homeowner, putting up your own picket fence can be empowering. While it might seem daunting, this is one of many simple DIY tasks that new homeowners learn to do every day. And here are 4 simple tips that make the whole thing much easier.
1. Start with measurements and mark the location of holes
To ensure work goes smoothly, the all-important first step is measurements. Determine the measurements of the area you want to fence. For efficiency, you might want to mark each place a fence will go. This will also help you determine just how many fence posts you will need. These measurements will help you avoid a number of potential mistakes down the line.
2. Making pickets
Firstly, it is very important that your pickets are made of good quality wood. If you use just any wood, you are likely to spend much of the future on repairs. Use treated woods or readymade fence posts. Not sure you’re up to it? There are fence contractors Services in Ottawa. If you’re cutting pickets yourself, the regular design is a flat piece of wood with an arrow-head on one end. Making your own post can often be difficult and requires special equipment. Try to make excess posts, as you might need to make a few replacements later on.
3. Making holes in the ground
The picket holes should be deep. This will make the pickets more resilient in the long run. Holes 6″ wide, 24” deep are ideal for the average home. A post whole digger will come in handy in this case. The night before you start putting the pickets in, you need to fill them with gravel, then pour cement and let it sit overnight.
4. Ensure your posts are faced correctly
This is a fairly simple mistake but is nonetheless one that is easily made. When putting each post in, you must ensure that they face away from you and your house. This will give your neighbours a greater view all year round. Additionally, nothing stops you from making both ends pretty.
A good, sturdy picket fence will give your home a more suburban feel. It will also help you create some much-needed separation between your home and its surroundings. Building one is its own reward, so why not do it now.