How To Build A Vinyl Privacy Fence

Introduction

Vinyl privacy fences are some of the most desirable fences to have out there. They are an incredibly popular choice for a variety of reasons. Often, people choose to build these fences themselves to save money and avoid having to trust a contractor. This can be a great choice, but there’s some information that you should know before you decide to build a vinyl privacy fence. That information includes:

• Why Vinyl?
• Why a Privacy Fence?
• Why Build Your Own?
• What Supplies Will You Need?
• How To Build a Vinyl Privacy Fence

After this guide on how to build a vinyl privacy fence, you should feel comfortable ordering parts for a vinyl fence and taking steps to include it in your yard, landscaping, or property.

Building a fence sounds rather simple, but there are actually a lot of things that you need to know before you get started and during the process of building a vinyl privacy fence. If you don’t have the proper preparation and knowledge about this information, you may find it difficult to build a vinyl privacy fence effectively and safely.

Why Choose Vinyl?

Vinyl is an increasingly popular choice when it comes to fencing. Vinyl has features that are unmatched by a lot of other different materials. First and foremost of these is durability. Wooden fences were the popular choice prior to vinyl, but maintenance is an area that they are not so desirable in. Wooden fences are not considered to be very durable. You can weather-treat them, but it’s time-consuming and often expensive. After a few years, your wooden fence is likely not going to look nearly the same as when you purchased it. Fences aren’t just for practicality, you also want them to look nice most of the time. So when it comes to maintenance, vinyl has become a more popular option than wood because it is very easy to maintain and it won’t cost you money down the road. Weather also won’t make it look worse and it can last up to 30 years and still look great.

Since vinyl fencing is more durable, it makes the material more affordable in many cases because you don’t have to worry as much about maintenance or replacing broken fencing. All of these are huge factors in the mind of a homeowner and they are all definitely reasons for vinyl’s spike in popularity over the past few years.

Why Pick A Privacy Fence?

When you are selecting fence styles, there are literally dozens of options that you can go with. Sometimes, the fence that you pick will depend on the function that you want it to serve. Other times, it will depend on how you want it to look. And sometimes, it will be both. There are several different types of fences out there and privacy fences are one of the most popular ones out there.

A privacy fence is a very basic type of fence. It is typically a tall, plain fence that is designed to give you and your family privacy from the outside world. Because of its features, it is appropriately named. This is the right type of fence for you if you simply want a significant barrier between you and the neighboring area. A lot of people choose this type of fence to drown out the outside world, but it’s also common for someone who just wants a barrier between their yard and their neighbor’s. It’s a very effective type of fence that has mass appeal.

A privacy fence can be used for many things. You can use it to simply have a way to distinguish between yards, contain your children, contain animals, or it can simply be for the style.

Why Build Your Own Fence?

If you are considering building your own vinyl privacy fence, you probably already know a lot of the reasons that you may choose to build your own fence rather than having a contractor or company do it. Most often, people want to save money by doing the construction themselves rather than paying someone a lot of money to do it. This usually does save a lot of money, but you also have to spend the time to do it and you need to generally know what you are doing. You may also need some basic construction skills, especially if you are putting up a lot of fencing.

Someone might also elect to do their fencing themselves so that they can have more control over the design and construction process. If you have an exact image in mind for how you want the fence to look and be implemented in your yard, you might have trouble communicating that to a contractor. If you are worried about that, you might want to explore building your own vinyl privacy fence.

What Supplies Do You Need?

You are going to need a pretty high amount of supplies to build your own vinyl privacy fence. For tools, you’ll definitely need:

• Post Hole Digger
• String Line
• Shovel
• Saw
• Miscellaneous General Tools

As for materials, you should be able to order everything that you need when you place the order for your vinyl privacy fence. This is likely going to include:

• Posts
• Panels
• Fasteners

You’ll also want to get some gravel, concrete, spray paint, and 2” x 4” planks.

Before you start on your fence, there are also some things that you’re going to want to address. You should check your local city ordinances to determine if you will need a building permit for your fence. You likely will have to get a permit. If you do, take the proper steps to obtain that permit. Failing to do so will likely just lead to more problems down the road, so it’s best to address this need right away and get it out of the way.

You will also want to determine if there are any underground utilities in your yard that you need to be aware of. Since you’ll be digging holes for this fence, you want to make sure that you don’t hit anything and damage it. This can include plumbing, electric, and any other underground systems that you have. Make sure you map out where they are with flags so that you don’t accidentally damage them or hurt yourself in the process of digging your holes.

How To Build a Privacy Vinyl Fence Step-by-Step

Now we’re going to go through the process of building a vinyl privacy fence step-by-step so that you can easily understand the progression of a project like this and what it’s going to entail. Obviously, each fence is going to be different in terms of size and shape, but these steps are a general guide to your standard vinyl privacy fence.

First, you’re going to want to map out your fence location. You should do this after you determine accurate property lines so that you’re not infringing on any property that isn’t yours and you’re not exiling any part of your own property. You want to mark the exact locations of your corner posts using spray paint or flags. Then mark the locations of each line post so that you know where to drill. The spacing for your line posts should be about 8 feet.

Next, you need to start setting your temporary posts. This is the part of the process during which you will be using a post hole digger. You want to dig your holes about 24 inches deep and 10 inches in diameter. First, put some gravel in the bottom of the hole to help with drainage. Then put the corner posts in the holes. Make sure that the posts are level and then brace the posts with some wooden planks to hold them in place.

The third step is to run a string line around the top of the corner posts that you set. You want to make sure that the string that you run is taut. This allows you to have a visual and make sure that the posts are level and won’t cause uneven fencing. You can then start laying the rest of the posts and make sure that each is the same height.

Once you have all the posts up, you can start putting together the fence panels. These are usually made of a bottom rail, slats, and top rail. Each type of fencing will have unique assembly instructions, so just follow the instructions closely and you should be fine. Go ahead and put the fencing panels up on the poles in this step.

Finally, you are ready to set the posts permanently. You need to mix some fast-drying cement first. Pour your cement in each of the post holes that you put your posts in. Leave the bracing in place for about a day to allow for the cement to harden. After that, your fence will be in place and structurally sound. You can remove the bracing and put the finishing touches on your fence like post caps and other things.

Recap

Vinyl fencing is more popular than ever and so is building a privacy vinyl fence. These fences are durable, versatile, and stylish. By building your own, you can save time, money, and hassle and have more control over your fencing. This guide should help you through that process and also point out some tips and preparations that you’ll want to keep in mind as you go through the project. Good luck and enjoy your vinyl fence!