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A sturdy fence is an important part of the garden because it keeps the property secure from intruders. It also stops any unwanted animals from getting in and if you have pets, it stops them from escaping. A tall fence also offers you more privacy so you can enjoy your garden without worrying about the neighbors watching you. If your fence is starting to look a bit run down and some of the panels are breaking it could be a security risk, so you need to replace it. However, replacing a fence is not as easy as people think and there are a lot of common mistakes that you can make with it. Those mistakes can be very expensive, so it’s important that you know what you are doing before you get started. These are the best ways to avoid potentially costly mistakes when you are replacing your garden fence.
Buy Good Quality Lumber
Sourcing materials for your fence is the first step, and it’s important that you buy good quality lumber for it. Find a good Landscape Supply Delivery service that sells good quality lumber and get all of your fence posts and panels from them. If you go for the cheapest option, your fence will not be very sturdy, which means that it’s easy for people to break into the garden and you will end up replacing the fence again in a few years because it won’t stand up to bad weather. It’s better to spend a bit more money now and save yourself a lot of time and money in the future. Accurately measuring the area that you want to fence will save you money as well because you can avoid buying too much wood.
Dig Deeper
When you are putting your fence posts in, dig deeper than you think you need to go. If you don’t install the posts very deep in the ground, the fence will not be very strong and heavy winds can easily blow it over. On average, fence posts should be at least 2 feet into the ground but it depends on the height of your fence. You should have around one third of the fence post buried into the ground, so account for this when calculating the size of the posts that you need.
Use Galvanized Nails
Once the posts are in and you start nailing the panels on, it’s important that you use galvanized nails. Although they may be more expensive, they will increase the lifespan of your fence because they don’t rust. If you use non galvanized nails, they will rust quickly and your fence will weaken. The rust will also stain your brand new wood and make the fence look awful.
Don’t Forget To Decorate It
Once your fence is finished, you should always spend some time decorating it. After applying a good protective stain, consider putting some hanging baskets or a trellis on there to make it look more appealing. By incorporating the fence into the garden, you can make it attractive as well as functional.
As long as you follow these basic rules, you can avoid any costly mistakes when you are replacing your old garden fence.
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