You should really consider installing your own aluminum fence panels. It may seem daunting at first, but remember that a large proportion of our customers do the work themselves. If you can’t do it, you can always hire someone local and handy to complete the job for you at a fraction of the cost of professional installation.
Here are some tips to get you started. You can download detailed directions from our website.
First Things First
Do some homework before you order your aluminum fence panels and install the fence. Talk to a surveyor if you have any doubts about your property line. It will be a disaster if you install a fence and then learn it is on your neighbor’s property.
Before you lay out your fence, talk to your utility company so you know you won’t be digging where they have underground pipes or electric lines. Or go to call811.com. Your neighbors won’t get the joke if you inadvertently cut off their power. Finally, you should talk to applicable authorities to make sure your fence complies with local laws and regulations. Note that there are probably additional rules for pool fences. If you have a community association, you should also check in with them.
If you’re putting your fence up in a grassy area, it will be much easier to mow the lawn if the pickets leave three inches of clearance at the fence bottom. As a cosmetic matter, remember to put your fence up with the screws facing inward. For planning purposes, remember to start your installation with your aluminum driveway gates or other gates and then build outward from there.
Installing the Fence
Have all of the supplies and tools you need on hand when you start the job. At a minimum, you’ll probably need a post-hole digger, a level, a hacksaw or electric saw, and a rubber mallet, along with some stakes and string or a chalk line.
You should start the installation with the aluminum driveway gates or other gates you’re including in the job. Be sure to center the gate. It’s not going to look good if your gate is a foot to one side of the center.
Mix some concrete for the posts. People usually mix it somewhat dry to help support the fence panels during the installation. Dig your post holes and fill them with concrete up to about two inches from the surface. Set in your posts, and then wait for the concrete to harden before you hang the gate.
Start to build the fence outward from the gate. Check the level of each section, and stop after every four sections and do it again.
It is easy to install the fence panels to posts. For level runs, you usually have pre-punched posts, and we include self-tapping screws to make the connections. At the end of a run, you may have to trim a panel down to fit. It’s easy to do this with a hacksaw or electric saw. In this case, you’ll have to cut your own notches in a blank post, but this is a very simple process.
