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Fencing and Fence Installation Tips
Fences serve a bevy of purposes for homeowners, whether it be a decorative
addition or a more practical application. There are a number of decisions
that you need to make before deciding to add a fence or to hire someone to do
so. Here are a few points to keep in mind:
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First things first, deciding what purpose you want your fence to
serve. Determining this will make choosing the style and material of
the fence an easier process. Tall fences without gaps are best for keeping
in pets and children, while keeping out animals and intruders. Similarly
tall fences can be used as wind and noise barriers as well. These are the
more practical applications for a fence but there are also designs of
fences, like the stereotypical "white picket fence" that have more aesthetic
value. So, before you even think about material or cost, first decide
what you want the fence to do for you.
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Fences also come in a number of different materials, such as: timber (which
is generally the most affordable), brick, steel, aluminum, and wire. Each
have their strengths and weaknesses. Your budget and expectations
for the fence will generally determine the material you choose to use.
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When talking to a fence installation contractor, find out if they use their
own people to do the labor or if they sub-contract out. If it is a
contractor or company that uses their own people, it is a safer
bet that the workers have been properly trained, and will be
overlooked with a more qualified eye. If it is a fence installation
contractor that is sub-contracting out the labor, it is harder for the
quality of the work to be guaranteed.
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When talking with the contractor find out if fence installation is an area
that they specialize in because certain types of jobs will require some
expertise for the best quality. If the job is more routine and
straightforward then a general contractor or handyman might be
alright. For larger, more extravagant fence installations, try to
find someone whose primary focus is fence installations.
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Find out if the fence installation contractor is going to use concrete to
set the fence, and if so, how long this will add to the process. Fully
understand the process and the costs to the work.
Fence installation contractors may also provide the following services:
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Carpentry
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General Contractor
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Handyman
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Landscaping
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Decking
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Building Your House A Fence
By Daniel Roshard
You don�t have to be an architect to draw a blueprint of your fence. And you don�t have to make an award winning blueprint either. Just make sure that you have determined dimension of the fence, distance between each post, type of the fence, and the location of the corner posts.
A normal distance between each post is between 6 and 8 feet.
Step 2 Mark the line
Mark the end or corner posts first. Make a line that stretches from post to post. Measure the position of each post carefully. The posts must be in a straight line and in an accurate distance from one another. Take time to do this accurately as it will affect the result of your fence.
Step 3 Prepare the posts
Treat the portion of each fence posts that will be underground with wood preservative. Do this one day before you place them into the hole to become well-saturated.
Step 4 Dig the hole
The depth of the fence post buried underground should always be 1/3 of the total length of your fence post.
Use a post hole digger to dig fence post holes. Secure the fence post firmly by digging a larger hole at the bottom and smaller at the top. Place 2 shovels full of gravel or large stones into the hole.
Step 5 Set up the posts
Place the fence posts into the hole and pack it with either concrete or dirt. Make sure that the posts are perfectly upright by using a regular leveler. Check the alignment by sighting from one end of the post to the other.
Secure the post with braces to keep it in the position while you pack it with concrete or dirt. Do not remove the braces until the dirt is packed thoroughly or the concrete is hard enough to support the post. This would take several days or about a week.
Make sure that the heads of posts are slanted, rounded, or capped to prevent them from accumulating water or moisture that can cause rotting.
Step 6 Add the rails to the fence posts
There are 3 basic types of fence rails: the slotted joint, butt joint, and the lap joint. The height of the each rail should be the same with every post.
A fence is a part of your house, it is another feature in the exterior design of the whole house, and can be made to compliment and even hide some of the things that you like less in the appearance of your outdoor front, learn about You can read his latest work about Wood Fence and other kinds of fences at http://fences.advice-tips.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Roshard
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Soundproofing Your Fence with Dr. Bob
By Dr. Bob Orther
So you have just purchased your home but when you first looked at it, you didn�t realize just how bad the traffic noise in the backyard really was. Now you are committed to a 30-year mortgage and asks �What can I do Dr. Bob? Well, I�m glad you asked.
You can construct a soundproof or a sound-control fence. Now will this fence block 100% of the traffic noise? I�m afraid not, but will it make your backyard life tolerable? You bet it will.
There are some things that you need to know about building an effect sound control fence that will make it more effective. First and foremost, you new sound control fence needs to be 8 ft above the noise source. Now you need to check with your city or township to see if they have height ordinances regarding fences. If they will only allow a 6� high fence, you can always build an earthen berm to increase the height of the backyard where the fence will be erected.
Now lets talk about the fence itself. I recommend building a cedar or redwood slatted fence as high as possible, (8ft being the minimum height above the noise source). The term �Above the noise source� means simply this, if the noise is coming from an automobile muffler, then the fence technically needs to be 8� above the cars tailpipe. This should be simple enough. If you fence isn�t exactly 8� above the noise source will it not be effective? Of course it will, but at the 8� level you will get the best sound blocking.
Let�s talk about constructing your fence. The new redwood or cedar fence will have at least 4� X 4� posts mounted in concrete footings and sunk at least 2 ft into the ground. You will want as stable a foundation as possible for your new sound control fence as you will be adding heavy sound blocking agents to it. Once the posts are set and the concrete has cured, you will then add the fence cross members. These are generally 2� X 4� beams that connect the posts together and offer extra support for the fence slats. Now once the fence framing is complete, you will then be ready for the soundproofing membrane to be installed. You will have already called the professionals at Soundproofing America and ordered a product called �mass loaded vinyl�. Mass loaded vinyl is a loaded vinyl soundproofing barrier that comes in rolls that are 35�x 4� or 30� x 4 ��. Once you have your rolls of mass loaded vinyl and the acoustical caulk and tape that go with the MLV, you are ready to install the soundproof membrane for your new fence.
Your first step is to stretch the MLV along the frame of the fence, you want to make sure the that the MLV extends all the way down to the ground so that the sound does not leak though the bottom of your fence. Once the MLV is stretched across the fence frame, you will staple or nail the MLV to the frame. I recommend that you overlap the MLV by at least �� and that you will liberally caulk between the overlap with acoustical caulk. You will also want to caulk the outer perimeter of the MLV membrane with the acoustical caulk. The next step is to tape the caulked Seams only with a PVC seam sealer tape along with the acoustical caulk.
As soon as the MLV membrane is secured to the fence framing and all the seams and perimeter have been caulked and taped, it is time to slat the fence. You will use 8� dog eared slats and but the slats as close together as possible, it is also a good idea to caulk the seams of the slats themselves, but this is absolutely not essential.
I would also recommend slats to the other side of the fence in an effort to protect the MLV membrane from the elements. This is a common practice, but once again is not essentials for good sound blockage.
One final note, some of my customers use a combination of both mass loaded vinyl and America mat closed cell foam as the septum for their sound control fences. By adding the closed cell foam you are adding sound absorption to your fence as well as the best in sound blockage. If you use both of these weather proof products, you will want to leave at least a 1/8� gap between the slats on the side of the fence that faces the noise source. In other words if you are using both America mat and MLV you will need to slat both sides of the fence and leave the gaps on the side facing the traffic for example. These septum fences work great for loud and obnoxious neighbors as well. I hope this give your new hope for having a nice quiet backyard.
This is Dr. Bob�..Out!!!!
Dr. Bob is the Senior Technical Advisor at Soundproofing America Inc, the leading authority in Soundproofing and Acoustical treatment technology.
Dr. Bob O.
Soundproofing America, Inc.
Senior Technical Director
Soundproofing Expert to The New York Times, The San Francisco Herald Examiner,
The San Diego Union Tribune, and the Charlotte Observer
Ph (877) 530-0139 Toll free Fax (347) 721-9079
E-mail: Dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com
http://www.soundproofingamerica.com
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