THREE ESSENTIALS FOR A GOOD FENCE:
1. Get professional guidance
2. Buy quality materials
3. Build according to the manufacturer’s recommendations
PLANNING
• Make sure you know where the property line is as existing fences may or may not be on the line.
• Never fence across easements like gas pipelines and power lines without notifying the necessary authorities.
MATERIALS
• Always use Class 3 galvanized T-post clips, pipe post clips, and staples.
• Galvanized pipe or tubing makes the best cross members.
• Used pipe requires a lot of maintenance.
• Never use landscape timbers or 4x4s for braces or line posts. Always use round posts; they will not warp.
• Holding the fence down in dips or up on crowns requires longer, bigger line posts.
• If shade cloth is going to be used on the fence, additional posts will be required for wind load.
• Use heavier post for gates. Most gate manufacturers trim 4” for hardware.
• We recommend a minimum of 1.33 weight t-posts for use with fixed-knot fence.
• Galvanized t-posts will last a lot longer than painted t-posts.
INSTALLATION
• Always set staples so that the wire under it can move on impact, distributing the load over the entire fence.
• A full brace is required for every pull of wire regardless of the length of run.
• Set posts 4’ to 6’ deep. Hi-Tensile wire will not stretch and loads are constant on braces.
• Driven or tamped wood posts hold better.
• Always place the fence fabric between the stock and the posts whenever possible.
• Brace spacing can be up to 1320’ apart. Make sure you know the actual length of the gates BEFORE setting the gate posts
• On steep terrain posts should be set perpendicular to the soil.
• Brace alignment is VERY important as poor alignment will result in brace failure.
• Concreted posts should be belled at the bottom if you are building in clay soils. Double bracing may be necessary in light sandy soils.
• Use straight lines between braces. Curved fence lines will not stay tight.