If you’re one of the somewhat fearless and DIY handy people who opt to build their own fence, then you’ll most likely know that constructing it on a hill or slope can add a set of challenges to the project.
Whether you’re an amateur or even a fencing expert, there are a number of issues to address which, if not attended to will bring disappointment and could result in your fencing project being a waste of time and money.
Before you get started, here’s what you need to know about building a fence on a hill:
The gradation of the incline on which you wish to build will have a defining factor in successfully building your fence. If you are faced with a slope, or even small hills that are on that slope then you will have your work cut out. You may need to cut each post and plank to fit the individual circumstances of each section of the slope. Preassembled kits may need to be adjusted, and this will take your project outside the scope of it being just a simple construction project.
If your slope is consistent, then this is a plus point. You will need to assess the incline grade to understand what your challenge is, you can do this with a level. Another approach is to use a stake at the top of the slope with a string pulled down to the bottom of it. If you use a fencing contractor, they will have experience in measuring this and will do it with great precision. The result will determine what angle you will need to use for posts and planks.
If you find that your grade of the slope, coupled with too many ups and downs of smaller hills is making everything far too challenging when it comes to building your fence (and even mowing the lawn for that matter), then you may wish to use a digger to level the ground. Alternatively, hire a fence contractor to sort it all out for you. Drainage is another area that will potentially need to be addressed as you don’t want to be faced with saturated soil or your fence is more likely to rot.
However you decide to approach the building of your fence, use Postsaver rot protection to protect your fence posts from rotting. Let us know how you get on and send photos through if you’d like us to share your fence-building trials and tribulations with our subscribers.