Preparing to Install an Aluminum Fence
It’s easy to install our aluminum fence panels, and it will be even easier if you take the time to prepare for the job. Having a plan will help ensure a trouble-free installation.
It’s easy to install our metal fencing panels. Most of our customers install their fences themselves, but just because it’s easy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the job seriously. Your installation should proceed nicely if you come in prepared. Be sure to have all the tools and materials you’ll need, and make yourself familiar with the installation process before you start.
Knowledge is Power
Your first task should be to check on local regulations. If you skip this step, you risk having to take down the fence you’re about to install. Sometimes you can’t put up a fence at all. More likely, you’ll be looking at constraints on the type of fence or its height. You’ll sometimes be required to put up a fence at an offset, which means you can’t erect a fence right on the property line. Instead, you’ll have to put it up some distance back from the boundary. You want to know the boundary in any case so you don’t inadvertently build your fence on your neighbor’s land.
You will find swimming pool fences to be subject to additional regulations in many communities. The Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA) publishes a pool fence code that is widely followed. The point is to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering a pool area and accidentally drowning.
Homeowners’ associations also issue fence regulations. These often deal with aesthetic considerations. You might have to build your fence from specified materials. Associations might also have something to say about the design or color of a fence.
You will probably be digging post holes to get the job done. These can be fairly deep on occasion, so it’s imperative that you check with local utilities to identify the routes of any underground lines in the vicinity of your fence. If you interrupt utility service, you’re going to be embarrassed, and your neighbors will remember your foolhardy behavior for a long, long time. Even if you don’t cut into a line, building on top of a buried utility line can mean trouble down the road. If the utility has to work on the line under your fence, they might have to rip it out to gain access.
Fence Grades
We sell our metal fencing panels in three grades. For a home, our residential aluminum fence panels should be fine. Our commercial fence panels are more substantial because they are made with more metal. These are good if you have a business or have more than an average amount of traffic. Industrial aluminum fence panels are the top of the line when it comes to durability. These are good for the highest traffic, such as for schools, hospitals and industrial facilities.
Making Your Mark
Before you order, walk the area where you plan to build your fence. Drive some stakes at the corners and string lines between them. Look at the outline and ask yourself if you like what you see. You might notice an issue and decide to make changes. You want to make the changes now – not halfway through the installation. Mark where you will place your fence posts. Measure everything, then check your measurements before ordering materials.
