Privacy Fence Panels

He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, 'Good fences make good neighbors.'

Robert Frost may have been critical of his neighbor who opined that fences were essential to maintain cordiality between neighbors, but the truth is without fences, there would be a lot more discord in an already disharmonious society. Whether you are using fences for privacy or to mark the territory of your property, fences ensure that you do not add fuel to the fire if your neighbor is not exactly your best friend.

Privacy fences can be assembled easily and are not exorbitantly priced. You can select fencing material depending upon your preference and your budget. While vinyl and composite fencing tends to be more expensive, they are more durable and will last you much longer. If you are opting for wooden panels, then you have several fence designs you can choose from.

You could have panels that are solid, which means there is no space between the two panels or you could opt for spaced panels. Solid panels allow for complete privacy and if you have a swimming pool in your backyard, then you may want to opt for this type of fence panel in order to keep away peeping toms. A spaced panel while ensuring that boundaries of properties are defined, looks attractive. The third type of wood fence styles available to you is shadowbox, wherein the look of the fence is the same on both sides maintaining the beauty and uniformity of the fence.

How to Install Privacy Fence Panels?

Learning how to install these panels is very easy. Just follow the easy steps given below. Before we go on to learn how to install a wooden privacy fence, let us the list out the materials you will need.

• Hammer
• Saw
• Level
• Tape measure
• Digger
• Drill
• Nails
• 2 x 4 for post bracing
• Fence posts
• Fence panels
• Concrete
• Grade stakes
• String

Now that you know what materials you need, here are the instructions to install a privacy fence.

• The first thing that you need to do is measure the area where you want to put up the fence. Ensure that you know the exact length of the fence. Do not allow the tape measure to sag as that would cause the measurement to go haywire.
• Most panels that are available in the market are about eight feet long. Keeping this in mind, measure how many fence panels and posts you will need in order to install your fence. Learning how to install fence post is very easy. The more the number of posts, the stronger your fence will generally be. Most people tend to put up posts on each side of the gate and at the meeting point of two panels. For a perfect fit you may need to cut up a panel to match your measurements.
• Once you have all the tools and materials that you need, lay out the privacy fence plans that you have designed earlier. If you are unsure about the installation, consult someone who has experience. The main things you need to decide when you are planning the installation are deciding the height of the panels and how you will want the fence to look.
• Start at one end of the perimeter of the area where you are putting up wooden fences. Using a hole digger, make holes that are about 2 feet deep to bury the fence posts. As soon as you have dug out all the holes, mix the concrete. Now put a post into each hole and fill it with concrete. Ensure that you fill up the holes well so that the posts do not move about.
• The next day because that is the amount of time it will take for the concrete to dry, you can start installing the privacy fence. Every panel has a front and back side and ensure that the sides are all correctly aligned.
• The gate is the last thing that should be installed. First attach the hinges of the gate and then attach it to the fence post.
• Once you have attached the gate to the fence, you have completed your task of installing a privacy fence.

While putting up the panels, there are some things that you need to keep in mind. One of first things to keep in mind is that do not let the ugly side of the privacy fence panel to face your neighbor's side. Ensure that you discuss any property disputes with your neighbor and decide on where one person's property ends and the other ones' starts. You could discuss the probability of a joint fence installation with your neighbor. If that does not work, always notify your neighbor before starting the work on installation of the panels. Once you have installed the fence, remember to maintain it. The primary reason for the installation of the panels may have been privacy but if you do not maintain the fence, it may spoil the beauty of your house on the whole.