If you’re planning an aluminum fence installation at your house in the near future, then there are plenty of crucial factors that you’ll need to keep in mind in order to ensure that everything goes smoothly.
Although aluminum fences are always exciting home improvement investments, there are some common mistakes that homeowners need to be on the lookout for during these construction projects.
Below are seven huge mistakes that you absolutely must avoid in order to make the most out of your next aluminum fence installation project!
Be Careful Not To Accidentally Cut Underground Cables
Most cities have a municipal phone line that you can call prior to doing any significant digging in your yard, and this line is there to help make sure that you don’t accidentally cut into any underground cable, gas or telephone lines.
Be sure to dial your local number at least a few days before your aluminum fence installation to set up a time for city workers to come to your property and mark the ground where these hidden cables are located.
You might need to call your local electric company if your municipality doesn’t provide these services, but the good news is that electric companies typically offer similar services.
Don’t Haphazardly Dig Post Holes
It’s important to be very careful while planning out the post hole digging of your aluminum fence installation, which means you should try to figure out the numbers of sections that you’ll need for each straight run of fencing. The odds are that you’re going to need to cut down at least one section, if not two, at either end.
There are also some more complicated mathematical equations that you can implement to help ensure that your post holes are accurately dug, but this is something that you should always leave in the hands of experienced professionals!
Be Careful While Manually Digging Post Holes
If you or your fence installation team is planning on manually digging post holes, it’s crucial to be very careful during this digging process. A lot of pro teams will use auger tools to do this type of digging for them, and DIY fence installers have to keep in mind that auger rentals can sometimes be expensive.
Your yard’s soil composition will also play a huge role in terms of maintaining the safety of your post hole digging. If your property has hard soil, it might be worth using an auger; and if your yard is full of roots and rocks, you’ll have to do a lot of manual labor no matter what!
Be Cautious With Your Post Locations
There are a few concerns that homeowners should keep in mind regarding aluminum fence post locations.
The first concern is oriented around the fence post location that’s near your actual home, which is commonly referred to as an end post. You’ll want your end posts to be as close to your home as possible, without actually touching the building. The big issues that you might come across is that your home’s foundation could potentially get in the way, which means that you’ll need to avoid breaking your property’s foundation at all costs.
The second issue is oriented around your fence’s gate post locations. You’ll need to make sure that your gate is technically smaller than the gate post in order to allow for necessary latch and hinge spacing.
Understanding The Correct Type of Concrete Your Project Needs
Another common aluminum fence installation mistake is getting the wrong type of concrete. Most people will choose a wet set concrete, which means you’ll need to pre-mix the concrete before actually pouring it into a post hole. This allows the concrete to dry all at once, which usually develops a more secure anchoring system.
If you use dry set concrete, you’ll pour dry concrete into a post hole after you’ve placed the post in the hole—and before mixing in water. This is sometimes preferred because it helps ensure that the post hole is perfectly plumb and properly aligned, but it can sometimes lead to irregular drying.
This is why it’s absolutely critical to fully understand the type of concrete that works best for your project’s unique needs!
Don’t Install An Aluminum Fence On Your Own
Although aluminum fence installations are meant to be somewhat simple home improvement projects, they’re not as straightforward when you go about this installation process by yourself.
Having an extra set of hands will always go a long way, especially when you need to make sure that your fence posts are level and looking nice. So even though certain aluminum fence installations technically can be done by just one person, it’s never a good idea to neglect help!
Be Sure To Avoid An Unlevel Aluminum Fence
This is one of the many reasons why you’ll undoubtedly need some help if you’re going to try a DIY aluminum fence installation, because setting your concrete without having your posts perfectly vertical will inevitably lead to a huge mess and a waste of time and money.
Unlevel aluminum fences are unfortunately very common among DIYers, but the good news is that there are many top-notch fence installation companies that’ll help you avoid all of these common mistakes!
Reach Out To Sustainable Construction Solutions When You Need An Aluminum Fence Installation At Your Property!
Getting a new aluminum fence installed at your home is an exciting investment, but it’s absolutely critical for homeowners to be extra careful to ensure that these investments are constructed correctly for the long-term future.
One of the top aluminum fence installation providers is Sustainable Construction Solutions, and you can speak directly with their fencing experts when you click on the link to their website that’s located at the beginning of this article!
