In most applications, a wooden fence should be mounted at least two inches off the ground. Your posts and rot boards (if you want to mount them) should be the only fence components that come into contact with the ground. Wood pickets are never meant to touch it.
Between the posts, a fence should be a few inches above the ground. For yards that are relatively flat this isn't much of a problem. For yards with large changes in grade, there are a number of different ways to handle it. There are a number of different ways to handle sharp changes in grade.
Leaving a space between the bottom of your fence and the ground allows for landscaping changes and/or growth, prevents moisture absorption from occurring, and it also makes it easier to do yard maintenance and clean up along the base of the fence.
First, the fence itself is likely to be weaker if it's not built on level ground. Second, an uneven fence is more likely to fall over, which could cause serious injury to anyone who happens to be nearby.
When building a wood fence, be sure to plan for a space between the pickets and the ground. In most applications, a wood fence should be installed at least two inches off the ground.
In most applications, a wooden fence should be mounted at least two inches off the ground. Your posts and rot boards (if you want to mount them) should be the only fence components that come into contact with the ground.
In EN ISO 13857, 180 mm is given. However EN ISO 11161 for integrated manufacturing system allows 200 mm. It is safer to go for 180 mm or less (our machine guard X-Guard has as standard 100 mm) to prevent persons from accidentally sliding into a hazard zone underneath a fence.
Wooden Pockets for Filling in Gaps
To fill the space between the fence and the ground, use horizontal pieces of wood rather than bricks. Cut the wooden boards uniformly after measuring them. This is one of the best choices if you have a wooden fence because it will blend in flawlessly.
DO Employ a Base Gravel Layer. If a fence post fails without any sign of a pest infestation, it's likely that the failure was caused by moisture that rotted the wood over time. To help slow such deterioration, add pea gravel or crushed stone to the bottom of the posthole.
Use Stones to Fill Gaps Closer to the Ground
River rocks or painted rocks would make an aesthetically pleasing addition to cover gaps at the bottom of a fence. Select stones between one to three inches in width and gently stack them into place.
One of the most important reasons your fence posts should be set in concrete is to keep them plumb and level over time. If all supporting the fence post is loose soil or sand, a good storm with heavy rains and strong winds can leave your fence leaning and posts sagging.
If you're the courteous type and enjoy getting along with your neighbours, it would be generous to show the smooth side of the fence towards them, but this is far from being an established convention and there's absolutely no obligation to do so if you don't want to.
A kickboard will help your fence last longer. By keeping the main pickets away from moisture and other elements, they'll be less likely to rot. A pressure treated kickboard is specifically designed to handle ground contact so it makes sense to have one on the bottom of your fence.
You can often guess who owns a fence by looking at where the frames are – the builders or property owners should have put the fence up facing away from their own property so their neighbour gets the 'good' side. This should be repeated with the neighbour on the other side so each home has one 'bad' and one 'good' side.
Screws should never be used when installing a wood fence. While research shown that nails are better for the installation of a wood fence, using the right type of nail is paramount. The list of nails available at your local hardware store is endless, and each nail is designed for a specific purpose.
There really isn't a “good” side. Some customers feel that the smooth side or the picket fence side is nicer looking and so many prefer to see this side. It is important to note that any fence visible from the street should have the smooth side facing out toward the street. Many if not most HOA's require this.
Start at the top of the fence. Align the first fence board with the tops of the four-by-fours (providing that the tops of the posts are level). Use the level to make sure that the first fence board is level. Nail the board into place with two nails on each side of the fence board.
A kickboard is a piece of pressure-treated wood that is placed on the bottom of the fence and is meant to be in direct contact with the ground. Because it's pressure treated, it's more resistant against rot and pests, which will help the rest of your fence last longer.
Fill with Gravel or Concrete
The choice is yours. Gravel helps keep moisture from the fence posts, slowing the rot. Concrete can more sturdily set the posts, but the moisture in the concrete may collect and absorb at the bottom of the post, accelerating the very process you're trying to mitigate.
To get a perfectly square corner, you want to aim for a measurement ratio of 3:4:5. In other words, you want a three-foot length on your straight line, a four-foot length on your perpendicular line, and a five-foot length across. If all three measurements are correct, you'll have a perfectly square corner.
Windproof fence panels that let the wind pass through. It is known that the best fence panels for windy areas are the ones that let the winds pass through. This means that the fence panels need to have gaps left between the boards, in order to release the wind pressure from the panels.
How much bottom clearance is required? You should allow for a clearance of at least three inches and no more than six inches under your driveway gate. A gate that's placed too high above the ground will look like it's floating, and one that's too close to the ground will look more like a fence than a gate.