Anyone thinking about installing a fence on their property should consider the option of installing a vinyl fence. It is an ideal addition to any house or commercial space. You can give your home some much-needed seclusion, protect your pet, and improve the appearance of your house for many years by installing a vinyl fence.
Vinyl fence installation is easier compared to other gates installation. So homeowners can also perform it as a DIY project. Before beginning an unprepared project, think about the most prevalent errors you might make. You must abide by a few dos and don’ts if you want your amazing vinyl fence gates to stand as a lasting tribute to your DIY skills.
Some do’s and Don’ts for vinyl fence installation:
Many things may go wrong when you build a fence yourself, but following this list of dos and don’ts will guarantee that your do-it-yourself job is executed efficiently.
Do’s
–> Follow the law and regulations:
The fence regulations in one city may not be the same in another. There can also be some guidelines or rules you would need to follow if your home is in a planned community. Do yourself a favor and study and inquire about all applicable local laws before starting your project. To make sure the new fence complies with local rules, it may also be necessary to examine the local zoning requirements.
–> Prepare your yard:
Prepare your yard or the area where you want to install the fence. You can either take on this task yourself or contact a utility firm to handle it for you. Before digging holes for a fence, you should mark the area’s boundary and clear any obstructions. Remove any plants, pebbles, or debris that may create an issue during installation by walking and inspecting around the perimeter.
–> Dig it deep:
Since vinyl fence gates are lightweight materials, they are not as sturdy as fences made of wood or metal. Because of this, you must ensure that the posts are placed deep enough in the ground to be stable while installing your vinyl fence. For a vinyl fence installation project, it is suggested that you dig your holes twice as deep as you would for a wooden or metal fence. This will enable your vinyl fence to last for many years.
–> Install corners and end post first:
For a vinyl fence installation to be effective, the posts must be precisely aligned. Thus, the end post and the corner should be installed in the initial phase for the successful vinyl fence installation process. The corner post and end post should then be connected by a string. You can use this as a technique to position your other posts like the middle ones accurately in a straight line.
Don’ts
–> Do not install posts too close together:
The vinyl fence panels will fit so tightly that they become hard if the posts are installed too closely together. Due to the vinyl’s decreased flexibility, there is a greater chance that the fence may sustain damage from strong winds or a stray object. Moreover, there won’t be enough area between the fence panels and the posts to handle this growth, which might cause warping or buckling. Therefore, each panel should be placed within a few millimeters of distance to avoid this from happening.
–> Do not hammer the material:
The vinyl can be damaged by direct hammer contact since a hasty hammer stroke can easily shatter or even punch a hole in the vinyl. Even if using a hammer to align the posts is necessary, you can still use it gently. What you can do is place a flat piece of wood or any other material in 2*4 sizes on top of the vinyl and hammer it. It will lessen the hammer’s directness on your vinyl fence without reducing its force.
–> Don’t neglect to level up:
Using a quality level is the only reliable technique to check if each post is leveled in the ground and equal in height to the other posts. Level the area three times, i.e., before installing the panels, after setting the post, and after pouring the concrete. Check that a post is straight by using a post level or placing a level on two adjacent sides after installing it but do it before the concrete has dried.
Winding UP:
Although vinyl may initially appear a bit pricey, no other material can provide a lifelong solution like vinyl. It requires no extra care and you can get a fence that mimics wood in appearance. Besides, unlike real wood, it does not decay and does not splinter, and it is easy to clean and maintain.
While installing a vinyl fence is not an easy task, many individuals have done it successfully. You can do it on your own and you do not require any extravagant skills or training for this. Although it might not be simple, if you have the necessary equipment and perseverance, you could be able to do it quickly. Moreover, if you are unsure about it, always get specialists like vinyl fencing contractors to complete the task for you since they have expertise with it, can complete it in half the time, and may even charge you less.