When we first moved into our house 5 years ago, we knew that from our previous house and setup, we needed a fenced in backyard. At the time we had 2 kids and dog that needed to be contained and protected. We initially were going to go with a local fencing company just for ease of getting the fence up quickly but after we saw the quote, it was time to go into DIY mode. I knew this was a big project to take on and would require quite a few tools and planning.
To start off, we called 811 to have underground utilities marked before breaking ground. We calculated the supplies as best we could with additional 8-10% just to cover any bad pieces of wood. Next we placed an order with Home Depot and scheduled to have them deliver on a Friday so we would have the whole weekend to work. The ground here in the area was super compacted and several spots had chunks of cement underground so we rented a Ditchwitch to make things easier and I'll say, that machine was awesome!
One of the tasks on the list that we wanted to accomplish while doing this project was to gain some of our unusable land space back from the berm that's between our house and the road. This was the first use for the DitchWitch. My first thought was to scoop up section by section from the berm and dump the dirt on another side of the berm. After trying this for about 10 min, I realized this wasn't the most efficient way and then this is when Ciji (wife) had the idea of "why don't you just go from the side and just push instead of scooping"? Why didn't I think of this? She always thinks more strategic than me. Using this method, I was able to gain back an additional 18 in inches of property from the 5ft that goes into the berm.
On to the fence, shout out to my dad for spending the next 2 days helping me build the fence framing structure. This was the second use for the DitchWitch. We used the auger attachment to drill holes for 33 4x4x8 posts. Next we poured cement in and let that set until the following day. After the cement was hardened, we removed any support beams and attached 3 2x4x8s between the 4x4s to complete the structural frame. I spent the next 2 weeks adding all of the fence pickets and fabricating the doors. The last touch was to add the 1x4 facial boards all around for a better look.
For last task to compliment the fence, Ciji wanted to plant some knockout roses. This was the third use for the DitchWitch. Using the auger attachment, I dug about 6 holes to plant the bushes in and the DitchWitch made this super easy!
Approximately 1 year later, we purchased the Project Painter Plus spray painter and painted the entire fence. The spray painter worked for our application but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. I didn't like the operation of the sprayer because if you let go of the spray trigger, the whole machine would cut off and require a restart. Fortunately since this was an outside project and I didn't need to be too particular, I was able to just keep moving and spraying.
The fence was definitely worth the time and investment. It allows our kids to play safely without constant supervision as well as the dog to roam without fear of escaping. The cost savings for us doing it versus contracting out was about $2300 compared to $6500. This included renting the DitchWitch and all the materials.
Thanks for checking out my blog on how to build a privacy fence!
How To Build A Privacy Fence | DIY Privacy Fence
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