Landscape Gardening Ideas
Guide to Fencing and Decking
Life is about staying fit, working hard, achieving milestones and then relaxing and providing time for yourself and to the people who are important to you. Relaxing requires a peaceful place and what better a place than your home.
Building your outdoor area is a great way to improve the appearance of your home and extend its living space. While home fencing and decking may not be an easy home project for everyone, with the right design, materials, tools and guide, it can give you many years of enjoyment making an effort worthwhile.
Tips to Fence Building
Almost anyone can build a fence with excellent planning, some essential carpentry talents and the right tools for the job. The most challenging part may be trying to decide on the style of the fence (there are many different types), the kind of building materials and possibly some hard work.
Before you get started, and certainly before you made any holes, you should contact your local utilities to ascertain and mark the locations of any lines for gas, water, hydro, etc. Most countries have a single 'Call before You Dig' phone number you can call to get all the marking done.
It is a very helpful idea to check first with local building codes and ordinances in your area. Most jurisdictions need a building permit that may have requirements and restrictions that must be followed. They could influence your choice about the height, style, setback and material of your fence. Check for post size, height and depth requirements for your district.
Also, it is worth checking to ascertain if there are any permissions from other agencies. You also need to ask yourself the following question and be sure to provide the answers:
- What is the fences purpose?
- What types or styles of the fence do I like?
- What kind of fence will do the job I want it to do?
- What is the cost?
- Can I fix it myself?
- Where my property lines are?
Installing Fencing
You can install a fence even without hiring professional handymen. All you need is basic knowledge and tools. However, there are some procedures to go through before starting with the construction. Find out neighbourhood policies. You need approval from the association to avoid any fines.
Wood and Nails: Most fences nowadays are made of treated wood and use only rust-resistant hardware such as aluminium nails or hot-dipped galvanised, galvanised bolts, screws, catches and hinges. Your fence will surely last longer.
The accuracy of Design: First off you will need to plot your fence line. Unless you are marking normal boundary lines with your neighbour so as to share the cost, raise the fence 1 to 2 inches on your side of the line. This will eliminate potential boundary disputes with neighbours in the future. The excellent way to mark the line is with the survey you may have obtained when you bought your house.
Digging the Holes: The next step is the post holes. If the posts are not set firmly or deep enough into the ground, this may result in your newly built fence tilting, falling or heaving in cold weather. The posts must go well below the frost line to stay in place for years to come.
Placing the Posts: When you have had the post holes dug, make sure to call in an investigator if you are expected to do so as a condition of any structure permit. Inspectors are normally looking for a certain required depth. Posts can be set in earth and gravel, but concrete gives the strongest installation.
Installing Decking
When installing decking, there are five things you need to know before beginning. Depending on what type of material you are going to use, let's assume it is a wood decking, the five things are as follows:
- Make sure you have measured out a square footage area for the deck, so you will know how much wood to buy. You want a minimum of waste, and small pieces of cut wood are just that. Measure, measure, measure.
- Always use pressure treated wood. Pressure treated wood will handle the elements and not rot out near as quickly as non-pressure treated wood.
- Decide if you want gaps or not in your deck. Lumber shrinks as it dries such small gaps naturally form. Most contractors recommend building decks with no or minimal gaps.
- Dig out the area first and make it as smooth a surface as possible. This will enable more easily for a levelled out deck.
- Dig and post in the posts first. Then use string to make sure your bottom foundation will be level. This is extremely important in creating a level deck.
If you understand these measures, you will have a useful deck. It will be with you for many years to come. Just remember every year to seal it with water sealant and it last for many, many years.
Things to Think About
Fence and Decks are arts of craft that have received massive preference by thousands in Mississauga, of late. People are seeking ways of beautifying their homes as well as commercial buildings, and fences have attracted much to think about before installing them.
Fencing and decking are some ideas which can protect and safely keep people off the property. There are key factors that ought to be considered before installing a fence. The most notable ones remain landscape enhancement, privacy, and security. These and many other important factors are what should determine the style of fence suitable for installation in a particular place. Aside from that, materials that compliment both the house and the landscape should also be prudently chosen.
Types of Fencing
After having all this information in hand, it is time to shop for your new fence. Here are some of the different kinds that you can choose from.
Split rail fencing:it is a popular type one that homeowners prefer to install. You can have this type made of concrete or wood. This will give your apartment a rustic look. If made of wood you will have to paint it and repaint as and when necessary.
Wrought iron fencing:it is the type to choose if you want a high-end decorative fence. It was one used before chain link and vinyl fencing hit the market. It is not a cheap option, but there are advantages to using it, such as it requires less maintenance and lasts much longer than others.
Wooden fencing: This is a favourite among people putting up a fence. The panels are robust and sturdy with numerous designs. You can paint or stain it to match your landscape or house design. With wooden fencing how tall it ranges from four foot to as tall as eight feet if you want a high fence to keep someone from looking into your yard.
Chain link fencing:this a safe, secure, cost efficient fence. It is simple to install and one that many uses for gardens and big areas.
Types of Decking
Let's also take a look at several of the most common types of decking and their benefits.Wood Composite Decking: Wood composite decking is a popular type of decking which is made from a blend of wood fibre.
Two of the main types of wood composite decking are Horizon decking and correct deck decking. Horizon decking provides a low maintenance option which is both fade and mould resistant, and it is available to buy in a range of attractive colours.
Treated Pine Decking:Treated pine provides a cost-effective and attractive option for decking. The pine will be well treated to ensure that is can withstand environmental factors. One of the benefits of pine is that it can be stained in almost any colour to improve the natural beauty of the wood.
Kapur Decking: Kapur is a type of hardwood which originated from Malaysia. It is usually a yellowish, pinkish or deep reddish brown in colour. Kapur is typically used for construction purposes, but recently it is being used to make decking.
Batu Decking:Selangan Batu, usually referred to as just Batu, is a species of tree common in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is a yellow or reddish brown, while some kinds are more purplish brown in colour. Batu provides a delightful wood for decking, as it is visually charming and it darkens with age.
Merbau Decking:Merbau is a type of hardwood which is usually found in Southeast Asia. Merbau is a yellowish or orange-brown in colour, but it matures and turns darker with age. Merbau is wood commonly used for decking thanks to its beautiful grainy appearance partially. It is also extremely durable and highly resistant to weather exposure and decay.
Refinishing For Fencing
Now, It's time to refinish a fence when it has done great service for many years, is still be in safe condition but looks ready to collapse. To prevent the waste of having to replace the fence, it is time to give it a new lease of life.
Survey the Fence: Walk the length of your wooden fence and examine the overall condition. Mark out any broken sections that can be mended or replaced.
Clean the Fence:If you get a pressure washer to the fence give it a great going over to clean out any sections of mould or insect damage. Wash off the accumulated dirt and double check for damage.
Make Running Repairs:Whereas the fence is drying after being washed you can go round and reattach any lost palings using zinc coated nails. Mend any split or cracked timbers with glue.
Cover Plants Along the Fence: Basically, You are going to stain the fence to give it some added life so cover up plants that are close to the fence. Use newspaper or opened up cardboard cartons to protect the plants but don't leave them covered for too long.
Protect any Metal Work:If you want to protect any metal work in the gate, fence, hinges and latches, for instance, you can cover those with masking tape.
Fencing and Decking Maintenance
All Wood Fence & Deck will undergo a drying process once they are installed. Certain species of wood are affected by the drying means more than others. Some of the common results of this drying process are: cracking, twisting, warping, shrinking and splitting.
This is a normal section of the drying means and does not affect the structural uprightness of the lumber. This is NOT included under the manufactures warranties. However, some steps can be taken to reduce some of these issues greatly.
Use a great quality sealer or wood stain usually 30 to 90 days after completion. Most local home centres supply these types of products and can be applied with a good quality pump up sprayer or by hand. Be cautious if you are going to use a sprayer as it can get airborne and get on grass, shrubs, cars or even your home and is not merely removed. Make sure whatsoever sealer or stain you are going to use is proper for the kinds of lumber that were used on your project.
Power washing may be required from time to time to remove overflow stains or dirt and should be resealed or stained after it empties. SelaStaining and sealing are not mandatory however it does keep your deck or fence looking new for many years to come.