2/22/2017 11WaystoInstallChainLinkFencewikiHow

HowtoInstallChainLinkFence
11Methods: BeforeYouInstall MarkYourFenceLayout InstalltheTerminalPosts
MarkYourLinePosts InstalltheLinePosts AddBandsandCapstothePosts InstalltheTopRail
HangtheFenceMesh StretchingtheChainlink TieandTighten AddTensionWire(Optional)
CommunityQ&A

Achainlinkfenceisaninexpensivewaytoencloseanysizedareaforsafetyorsecurity.
Unlikesolidfencing,chainlink'sopenweavedesignletspeopleseethroughthefence,while
stillservingasabarriertounauthorizedentry.Herearethestepstoinstallingachainlink
fence.

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Method
1 BeforeYouInstall

1 Obtainanynecessarypermits.Yourlocalgovernmentmayhavebuildingand
zoningregulationsthatregulatefencesetbacks,typeandheight.

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2 Establishwhereyourpropertylinesarelocated.Thisinformationcanbeobtained
fromcityrecords,arealtor'slineplotmaporbyhiringasurveyor.

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3 Call811fromanywhereintheUS.Yourlocalutilitycompanieswillthensendan
employeetomarkyourutilitylinesforfree.Youdon'twanttoaccidentallyhitthem
whilediggingpostholes.

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4 Reviewanyneighborhoodcovenantsforregulationsonfencing.Some
neighborhoodassociationshavetheirownrulesregardingheightandstyle,additional
totherulesenforcedbyyourtown.

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Method
2 MarkYourFenceLayout

1 Locatethepropertylinesthatborderyourneighbor's.Foryourpostholes,
measureapproximately4inches(10.2cm)insidethoselines.Thispreventsthe
concretefootingsfromencroachingontoyourneighbor'sproperty.

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2 Measurethetotallengthofyourplannedfence.Thisdetermineshowmanyfeetof
chainlinkmeshandtheamountofhardwareyou'llneed.Consultyourlocalretailer
forpostspacingguidelinestodeterminethenumberofpostsyou'llneed.

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3 Findeachterminalpostlocation.Marktheexactspotwithastakeorspraypaint.A
terminalpostreferstoanyend,cornerorgateposts.

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Method
3 InstalltheTerminalPosts

1 Digalltheterminalpostholesfirst.Postholesshouldbedug3timesthewidth
andonethirdthelengthofthepost,withanextra4inches(10.2cm)forgravel.
Slopethesidessothattheholeiswideratthebottomthanatthetop.

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2 Fillthepostholeswith4inches(10.2cm)ofgravel.Tampdownthegravelto
provideacompactfoundationforthepostsandconcrete.

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3 Standaterminalpostinthecenterofitshole.Markthesideofthepostatground
levelusingamarkerorchalk.Theheightabovethelineshouldequaltheheightof
thefencemesh,plus2inches(5.1cm).

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4 Plumbthepost.Usingacarpenter'slevelorplumbline,positionthepostuntilits
plumb.

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5 Securethepostinposition.Usingclampsandpieceslumberangledintothe
ground,bracethepostinitsplumbposition.

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6 Filltheholewithconcrete.Pourorshovelconcretearoundthepost.Smooththe
surfacewithatrowelorsmallpieceofwood,slopingawayfromtheposttodirect
waterelsewhere.

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7 Repeatuntilallyourterminalpostsareinstalled.Allowtimefortheconcreteto
set,accordingtomanufacturer'srecommendations.

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Method
4 MarkYourLinePosts

1 Runastringlinebetweentheterminalposts.Thestringshouldbetaut,lowtothe
ground,andpositionedontheoutsidefaceoftheterminalposts.

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2 Markthelocationofeachlinepost.Usingapostspacingchart,measureandmark
theexactspotwithastakeorspraypaint.

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Method
5 InstalltheLinePosts

1 Digthelinepostholes.Linepostholesshouldbe6inches(15.2cm)wideand18
inches(45.7cm)to24inches(61.0cm)deep,withslopingsides.

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2 Repeattheterminalpostinstallationsteps(above)foreachlinepost.

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Method
6 AddBandsandCapstothePosts

1 Slidetensionbandsontoeachpost.Tensionbandssecurethechainlinkmeshto
theposts.Useonelesstensionbandthantheheightofthefence,infeet.For
example,ifthefenceis4feethigh,use3tensionbandsperpost.Fora6footfence,use5
bands,andsoon.
Thelong,flatsurfaceofthetensionbandshouldfacetowardtheoutsideofthe
fence.

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2 Addtheappropriatecapstoposts.Terminalpostsgetendcaps.Linepostsget
loopedcaps(forthetoprail.)

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3 Tightenallthenutsandbolts,butnottootight.Leavesomeslackfor
adjustments.

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Method
7 InstalltheTopRail

1 Feedthetoprailsthroughtheloopcaps.Cutoffexcesslengthwithapipecutter
orhacksaw.Iftherailsaretooshort,createlongerrunsbyusingrailswithmale
femalecouplingends.

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2 Inserttherailendsintotheterminalrailcaps.Youmayneedtoadjusttheheight
oftherailcapstoallowfortheheightofthechainlinkmesh,plusa2inch(5.1cm)
clearanceatthebottom.

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3 Tightennutsandbolts.Aftercheckingyourtoprailsandcapsforproperfitand
alignment,tightenallthehardware.

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4 Fillthelinepostholeswithdirt,packingthedirtfirmlyaroundtheholes.

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Method
8 HangtheFenceMesh

1 Slideatensionbarverticallythroughthestartingendofthemeshroll.Thiswill
stiffenthemeshsothatyoucanattachittothefencepostsandrails.

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2 Boltthetensionbartooneoftheterminalposts'tensionbands.Themesh
shouldoverlaptherailby1to2inches(2.5to5.1cm)andbe2inches(5.1cm)off
theground.
You'llneedsomeonetohelpyoustandthemeshuptotheendpostandasocket
wrenchtoturnthebolt.

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3 Beginunrollingthemesh.Standitupagainstthefenceframe,takingouttheslack
asyougo.

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4 Looselyattachthemeshtothetoprail.Usefencetiestoholditinplace.Separate
enoughlengthfromtherolltospantheopeningbetweentheterminalposts.

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5 Splicesectionstogetherasneeded.Usingasinglestrandofwireremovedfrom
oneendofthemesh,jointwosectionsbycorkscrewingtheloosestrandthroughthe
endlinks.Asecondstrandmayhavetoberemovedtoprovidethecorrectlineupof
"diamonds."

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6 Removeexcessmesh.Usingpliers,untwistthetopandbottomloopsononestrand
ofwirewhereyouwanttoseparatethemesh.Workthefreedstrandoutofthelinks
untilthetwosectionsseparate.

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Method
9 StretchingtheChainlink

1 Pullthemeshtautwithafencepuller.Thestretchingisnecessarysothefence
doesn'tsag.

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2 Threadthefencepuller'sbarintoanunattachedsectionofmesh,ashort
distancefromthefarendpost.
Attachthefencepuller'syoketothepullbarandconnecttheotherendofthe
pullertothefarendpost.
Stretchthemeshwiththefencepulleruntilthemeshloopsmovelessthana
quarterinchwhensqueezedbyhand.
Ifthemeshgetspulledoutofshapeduringthetighteningprocess,pullonitto
reshapeit.

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3 Runasecondtensionbarthroughtheendofthemeshnearthefence
puller.Thiswillpermitattachingthestretchedmeshtothefarendpost'stension
bands.

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4 Terminatethemeshwithatensionbaronthefarendpost'stensionbands.

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5 Removeanynewexcessproducedbystretching.

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Method
10 TieandTighten

1 Tiethemeshtotherailswithaluminumwire.Spaceyourties24inches(61.0cm)
apartalongthetoprailand12inches(30.5cm)apartoneachlinepost.

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Method
11 AddTensionWire(Optional)

1 Threadtensionwirethroughthebottommeshloops.Addingtensionwire
preventsanimalsfrompushinginunderthefence.

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2 Tightenthetensionwirearoundtheendposts.Drawthewiretightandwrapit
arounditselfnexttotheposts.

CommunityQ&A

UnansweredQuestions

Roughlyhowmuchisthecostforinstallation?
Answerthisquestion Flagas...

Thecontourofmyyardchangesbetweenlineposts.HowdoIbendthetoprailto
accommodatetheslope?
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Howoftendoyouputinalinepost
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Dotheymaketensionbandsfor2"posts?
Answerthisquestion Flagas...

Ifthereisawirebetweenpostsalongthebottomofachainlinkfence,isthisthe
tensionwire?Coulditbesomethingelse?Also,doesitneedtobeattachedtothe
actualmeshatsomepoint?

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Tips

Chainlinkfencecanalsobeattachedtowoodenpostsandrails.Inthosecases,noend
caps,loopcapsorrailcapsareused.

Toprovideprivacywithachainlinkfence,threadthin,flexiblewoodenorplasticslats
diagonallythroughthemesh.Privacyslatsareavailableinavarietyofcolorsatmost
hardwarestoresandhomecenters.

Ifthegroundslopesupordownatyourgate'slocation,setthegatepoststofollowthegrade.

Usequicksettingcementforfasterinstallation.

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