How to Install Your Own Chain-Link Fence
Chain-link fences have several advantages over wood fences. For example, they allow unrestricted airflow and don't obstruct the view of the landscape. They're adaptable to irregular ground surfaces, are comparatively inexpensive and are practically maintenance free. Also, because many home-improvement stores carry fencing materials, most homeowners now have easy access to everything they'll need to install their own fences. Here's how: Materials:
fence fabric
pliers
terminal posts
intermediate posts
post hole digger or two-man power auger
top rails
caps for terminal and intermediate posts
end caps to attach top rail to terminal posts
tension bars
level
terminal post clamps
wire to attach fence fabric to top rail
measuring tape
fence stretcher (available at most tool rental centers)
hacksaw or tubing cutter
wheelbarrow
concrete mix
wooden stakes
string
spray paint
gloves Steps: - The first step in putting up a chain-link fence is to establish the fence line. Drive stakes into the ground at the corners of your lot, and stretch a string between the stakes to mark the property line (figure A). Measure back four inches from the property line (to make certain that the fence is on your property), and use spray paint to mark the positions for your terminal posts, which will be used in corners, for the gate and at any point where the terrain changes abruptly. Next, mark the positions for the intermediate posts, which are placed between the terminal posts to hold the fence rail. The intermediate posts should be evenly spaced, 7 to 10 feet apart.
- After your holes are marked, you'll need to dig them. You can use a post hole digger, but you'll save time and effort by using a two-man power auger (figure B ). Before you dig, be sure you aren't going to hit any gas, power or phone lines. If you're unsure where those lines are located, contact your utility company, which will send a representative to mark the lines for you (usually free of charge).
- After you finish digging the holes, you can begin installing the fence posts. Start by marking the posts at the point that will be flush with the ground when the post is in place. Keep in mind that the terminal posts need to extend two inches above the top of the fence.
- Mix concrete and fill the holes for the terminal posts to a point approximately three inches below ground level, and push the posts into place in the concrete. Make sure the posts are plumb, and allow them to set.
- Stretch a string between the terminal posts to use as a guide in placing the intermediate posts. Mark the posts so that they'll be two inches below the top of the fence. Then pour concrete into the post holes, and set the intermediate posts in place so that they're 1/4" away from the string on the inside of the fence line (this will allow proper alignment of the fence). Make sure the posts are plumb, and allow them to set.
- When all of the vertical posts are in place, you can begin installing the fittings, which secure the fence fabric to the posts. At each terminal post, slide on four fittings for each section of fence that will be attached to the post. Be sure that the flat section of the fittings faces the outside of the fence (figure C ). Next, place looped caps over the tops of the intermediate posts (figure D ). The loops should lean toward the outside of your lot. Finally, place clamps with end caps over the terminal posts (figure E); these clamps will help hold the top rail in place.
- With the looped caps and end caps in place, you can begin sliding the top rail pieces through the looped caps (figure F) and connecting them to the end caps on the terminal posts (figure G). Secure the end caps by tightening the clamps onto the terminal posts. In the likely event that your top rail isn't long enough to reach from one terminal post to another, you can easily connect another piece by sliding it over the tapered end of the rail (figure H). If the rail is too long, you can shorten it with a tube cutter (figure I) or a hacksaw.
- You're now ready to attach the fence fabric to the frame. Chain-link fabric usually comes in 50-foot rolls and includes at least one weaving wire, which will allow you to weave two pieces of fence together. To weave the sections together, place the ends side by side so that the tops are even; then twist the weaving wire between the two pieces where they come together (figure J). Be sure to direct the wire through all of the links.
- Insert a tension bar through the links at the end of a piece of fence fabric (figure K). The tension bar provides a strong support for the terminal post clips to hold. Again, be sure the flat side of the clips faces the outside of the fence. Attach the clips to the tension bar (figure L), and begin unrolling the fabric toward the other terminal post.
- Use a fence stretcher to take the slack out of the fence fabric (figure M ). The fence stretcher consists of a come-along (a form of block and tackle) connected to a bar with hooks that attach to links in fence. Attach the bar to the fence and attach the other end of the come-along to a sturdy object such as a building, tree or vehicle. Stretch the fence until it becomes springy to the touch. Then loosen one of the wires closest to the terminal post and twist it out to unweave it from the fence (figure N).
- Insert a tension bar through the links in the end of the fence fabric, and connect it to the clips on the terminal post. Make sure you use the correct clamp to hold the fence fabric on the outside of the intermediate posts.
- After the fence is attached to the terminal posts, you can begin securing it to the top rail and intermediate posts using attaching wires (figure O), which are often provided with the fence fabric. After all the connections have been made, place finishing caps on the terminal posts (figure P).
- If you plan to access the yard from outside the fence, you'll need a gate, which will be placed between two terminal posts. Gates come pre-assembled and are attached to the terminal posts by hinge pieces and a latch. Attach the bottom hinge piece to the terminal post so that the pin faces up. Loosely attach the top hinge piece to the terminal post so that the pin faces downward. Rest the gate on the bottom hinge. Then slide the top hinge into place and tighten it into position. This will help keep the gate from coming off the hinges. Finally, attach the latch to the other side of the gate.
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