Installing a fence around your yard is a great way to improve the security of your home or to take care of children and pets that use your backyard as a living area. Fences can be a beautiful addition to a backyard and can offer privacy from neighbors or from heavy traffic areas. A fence can also be used to keep pets safe from other intruding animals, and can provide peace of mind for parents. Fences will protect children and prevent them from wandering out of the yard or from being exposed to stray animals or strangers. Installing a fence is a fun outdoor project that can either be completed by a homeowner or completed by a hired professional.

Types of Fences

There are many different types of outdoor fences, and the material used in the fence is usually simply a matter of preference. Some consumers want their fence to be attractive and made out of high quality wood products while other consumers are concerned with cost efficiency and safety. The most common, and also one of the most inexpensive, types of fencing is chain link fencing. This type of fencing is easy to install; though, many consumers would not call chain link fencing a visually attractive fencing type. Most homeowners choose fences that are made out of colored and treated wood.

Purchasing a Fence Kit at a Home Improvement Store

The easiest way to install a fence yourself is to purchase a fencing kit from your local home improvement store. Fencing kits can be purchased to fit the specifications of your back or front yard. You will need to purchase the posts of the fence, the side beams of the fence, and the vertical slats of the fence. You may also need to purchase or rent various tools such as a post digger, a level, a drill, or an electric screwdriver.

Measuring Your Yard

The first thing that you need to do before you begin the fence installation process is to carefully measure the perimeter of your fence. This will help you to calculate the amount of materials that you need to build your fence. Depending on the kit that you are using, you will need to determine how many posts your fence will need and how many vertical slats you will need between posts. Measuring many times will help to eliminate any user error in the calculations.

Installing Posts

After you measure and purchase materials, you need to install posts at regular intervals around your yard. The posts act as the support system for the fence. Some consumers choose to dig their fence post holes and fill them with concrete before installing the fence posts. Others simply install the posts directly in the ground.

Installing Slats

The slats of the fence provide security and privacy. If you want a picket fence with gaps in between the slats, you will use fewer slats than if you want your fence to act as a solid privacy wall. In some cases, you may need to level the ground so that the top of your fence is level.

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