All fences will be damaged in time by the weather.
No matter how strong a fence, wind and weather will weaken it over time. Redwood, cedar, or pressure-treated pine all stand up to the elements, but panels or planks may loosen during a storm. Wood preservatives or paint will be gradually worn away by the actions of the sun, rain, snow or ice. Fence posts may rot through after prolonged exposure to damp soil. All these problems can be solved by regular maintenance and repair, using the correct tools. Does this Spark an idea?
Shovel
This tool is used to dig holes for new fence posts. Choose a shovel with a round point, as the fence posts are never particularly wide and don't require a large breadth of soil to be removed to accommodate them. A pair of shovels is often useful to act as braces for fence posts after they've been set in concrete. Dig the shovels into the ground a foot or so from either side of the fence post. Angle the handles of the shovels to brace them against the post. This keeps the post upright until the concrete has hardened, when the shovels can be removed.
Iron Bar
A long, heavy iron bar with a chisel point at one end can be used to lever out or break up rocks and concrete when digging or clearing post holes. The opposite, flat end of the bar is useful for "tamping down" or compacting, gravel, soil or fresh concrete around a newly fixed fence post.
Post-Hole Digger
This tool has twin blades that are worked by two handles with a scissor action, to bite into the soil and remove a chunk of dirt. The digger is more efficient than a shovel, as it removes only as much soil as you need to fit in the post. This tool is often recommended for situations where you have a large number of post holes to dig. However, it's less useful on very stony soils, where the leverage of a shovel may be the better option.
Tape Measure
A retractable steel tape measure is useful for spacing fence posts---normally 6 feet to 8 feet apart---and for determining the correct depth of the post holes. Typically, one third of the length of a fence post should be below ground to provide enough support, so it is vital to measure this distance accurately.
Pliers
This tool is useful for removing nails, screws and other fixings from wood that needs to be replaced. Pliers are handy for tightening nuts onto retaining bolts when building a fence using concrete posts. Pliers can also be used for bending and cutting fencing wire.
Power Drill
A power drill with a range of bits of differing sizes is used to make pilot-holes for screws, bolts and other fixings. A cordless drill is well-suited to outdoor working.
Hammers
A sledgehammer may be needed to loosen a rotten fence post and break up any concrete around its base. A large claw hammer is useful for driving in waterproof nails to fix fence rails, planks and panels. The claw is helpful for levering out bent nails. A smaller, lighter hammer may also be required for fixings in hard-to-reach parts of the fence. For example, you'd use a lighter, smaller hammer when driving retaining clips into the narrow sides of a fence panel because the head of a larger hammer wouldn't fit.
Spirit Level
This tool is useful for checking whether posts are vertical and rails or battens are horizontal. Lay the spirit level against the side of a vertical post and check that the bubble lies in the center of tube at the top or bottom of the instrument. If it does, the post is vertical. To check a horizontal batten or rail, lay the spirit level along it and check if the bubble lies in the center of the tube in the middle of the instrument. If so, the batten or rail is level.
Paint Brush
A paint brush is used to renew a fence's protective surface, ideally once a year. Whether this finish is done with paint or a wood preservative, it's vital to keep it in good order, as it prevents rot from setting in and can save you from more expensive repairs.
Saw
A saw is useful for cutting replacement posts, planks, panels and fence rails to size. A short saw blade of around 1 foot to 1 1/2 feet is well-suited to fencing jobs, which may need to be carried out in confined places where a longer blade would be awkward to use.
Screwdriver
This tool is used to fit a range of fixings to a fence and to drive in screws to attach fence panels or planks to posts and rails.
Tags: This tool, fence post, fence posts, post holes, batten rail, bubble lies, bubble lies center
