For a couple of vinyl fence hack. Always have lots of cement around the post. Don't cheat by having it too close to the edge of the hole. With the wind flexing the panel it will crack the footing and eventually heave the post. The second is use the bottom rail as a spacer. You will be able to correct any height or obstruction problems before concrete goes in the hole.
A couple of observations on this fantastic looking fence. For a darker vinyl like this we would use board inserts as well as an additional rail insert in the top rail due to heat absorption, though her location may not require the extra inserts. We typically set our gate insert straight into the concrete then cut the vinyl to fit. I've found this gives much more rigidity for hanging the gate. I typically run a top string and bottom string, but that's because it's easier for me to see the top line to adjust for grade :) The material can be warped due to packaging or shipping, so double checking the top spacing can be important. Keep it coming, Joe! You've got a new fan.
Good idea, especially in Southern climate…I have burned my hand on more than one wrought iron gate in the summer, and I 3d print with Vinyl. It loses most rigidity by about 150F and deforms at 200F and all it takes is a widow reflection off a house or car on a hot day with no breeze to get a hot spot easily over 200F on the surface. Sag city, baby. Quality Vinyl won’t fully deform in most cases due to internal structure, but repeated hotspotting (most people like to park their car in the same spot, and windows never move) will sag even the best stuff.
Love your positive nature. She has a great channel. I also love your little stories about working on the fencing crew. I wish all contractors were as good natured and amiable. I grew up in KC (not far from you) and live in Boston area now. The contactors here are true Massholes. The more research you do on how it should be done…the saltier they get. That is why I do most stuff DIY now. They are overpriced or just straight up jerks.
How do you align the string the same distance from start to end? Would you put a stake in at one end, measure a distance with a tape measure of desired length and do the same on the other end? Do you need to do one fore the height or not needed if the bottom part is correct?
I’ve installed vinyl for 10 years and using concrete makes it much more difficult and less adjustable and repairable over time. Using a galvanized steel post and collar system solves this and may even be a fair bit fast to install the posts, especially in ground that is mostly soil/clay
I am in the market for a vinyl privacy fence. So many sales pitches so my questions are one contractor uses Ply Gem vinyl and don’t know it’s any good? Another uses a USA made brand that looked like something like Vetex or vertex? Cant find anything on them and people can say it’s made in USA but it might be from China. The contractor that has the USA made brand has bigger sized posts and inside is reinforced with steel? Prices vary. Thanks for your input
I'm in a real windy area. Solid 6' fence. 20 years no issues like I feared. Pro pilot eighbor wanted to go slats due the high wind location. Supposedly over 100 mph a few times and sustained over 50 mph for 72 hours. I wanted privacy. I think the posts flex and this helps it handle the wind.
i bought a wood grain vinyl fence from home depot, i think the fence model is called Cypress. to make a l Long story longer. I spoke with the representative from the fencing company that was based in China. She told me that my particular fence I’ll see feeding within 10 years. In actuality I started seeing feeding within four years. I took a picture of the feed and submitted it to the fancy company. how ironic that what I was told that the fade is still within acceptable range and I do not meet the requirements for a replacement. I discovered that I could’ve placed some kind of coating on top of the fence. Like a vinyl protectant. So far after one year after testing different types of protectants Krylon makes a product that can be sprayed on anything outdoors . so far in less then one year, i see no problems and issues with the clear coat, and it almost restored the fade to original . i would put a vinyl protectant a clear coat to reduce fading. oh i’m testing a garage floor clear coat it has UV protectant. mineral oil works amazing but a long heavy rainfall washes it justly off. mineral oil is the secret to most plastic restore , tire spray , interior auto detailing. it’s like 26-32oz for 3-5 bucks compared to a tire shiner for 15oz at 18.99
@6:08 I used the same method she is using I also in conjuction I used a 2x4. I put it inside the rail slots I marked the the length as the rails will go Post to Post. I make sure this 2x4 was level..Then locked the post in place..
what a great looking fence....i thought of doing this in my yard until the town told me, no new fences on easements....boooo....so my wooden fence is still there but maybe someday if I get the guts to tackle it, i will go this route...great job everyone
⚡Joe, please answer this: I read about fence picket shrinkage and what to do about that. But no one ever talks about how fence post shrinkage affect a fence? If each fence post width shrinkage is multiplied by the number of posts you can get a big shrinkage of the over all fence length. Has this ever been a problem in your opinion? Will the fence rails pull away from the posts?
Her fence looks great for a home owner job! I personally wouldn't want the task of replacing a post knowing the excessive amount of cement they are using. Up here in the north east line posts are typically set with maybe 10"(just enough to go above the anchor holes at the bottom of the post) of wet cement at the bottom of the hole then tamp dirt in to the top. This would have given them the strength to either stand alone or assemble the sections same day. Gate posts are another story. We would use a heavy wall end post and cement at least 3/4 the way up. Pvc, cement and frost are not friends up here(frost heaves). You may be able to get a broken post to slide out of the base but most likely the anchor holes would make it so you have to dig.
Im no chippy or fencer, but I cant stop watching TFE since it popped up on my reccomended the other day... I wish I had of gone into fencing now instead of plumbing, looks much more fun 🤣
Not much and they wobble a lot for sure because pvc is plastic, has elasticity. Moreover, check each products NOA for new 2020 Florida building code compliance for wind and hurricane test results, some need aluminum stiffener some don’t. Info and NOAs can be found at Miami dade website. Remember, aluminum stiffer sometimes are require to comply the building code of your city, that adds $2000 or more to your project
I've been installing vinyl fences for 12 years. The trick with privacy fence is, we NEVER install it on 8' centers. Put the posts on 6' centers and it will stand up to all the wind mother nature can dish out, short of a tornado. We see gusts up to 60 during storms, I've never had one blow over. This all assumes you buy high quality fencing, not cheap big box store stuff.
I'd like to know how often you actually impliment some of the ideas you learn about from doing these videos. Like using he concrete spreader to clean up dirt from a yard.
I doubt that it's all topsoil to 3 feet, but, yeah, definitely a shame to put it into landfill. Best to Freecycle it if she didn't have a use for it herself.
I’m sorry I didn’t consider a vinyl fence since my 300’ of treated privacy fence in S.E. Michigan has a problem with huge carpenter bees boring 1/4” holes under fence rails and on vertical surfaces such as fence posts. Sevin attached to a garden hose is the only thing able to touch the extremely fast males guarding the females and their brood residing in holes That eliminates them buzzing around my head while I spray the holes with Terro aerosol and then seal ‘em in by stuffing in aluminum foil but it only takes a day for a new replacement to arrive with a new tunnel created. I discovered vinyl post sleeves are available, which would be costly but without a similar solution for the rails, it’s just not worth it. As for the video (@3:56) a string line is great for aligning the fence (straight) but not great for elevation since no matter how tight, gravity still pulls the line down. My installation was using 4x4x10 treated posts (42” frost line in my area but I dug to 48”) and I didn’t bother using concrete because of my prior experience of the wood post shrinking, which allowed water to enter and crack the concrete. Instead, I packed the cavity with a “County Mix” of rocks and stone dust. The idea was to keep microbe laden dirt away from the wood and not allow cracked concrete to funnel water toward the wood. Well it has been about 10 years and nothing has moved so I’d call that a win. It’s a shame these carpenter bees are ruining it. Aside from being impervious to insects, vinyl fences seem to actually offer privacy, as opposed to the wood pickets gaps that widen as they dry. I’m considering shiplapping the wood picket edges to provide privacy while taking into account the expansion/contraction requirements. Maybe I can find something to toughen the wood fibers to discourage the bees, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be a slave to a maintenance headache. I think it’s time to move, use vinyl for the next project, and no exposed wood anywhere.
Looks great. I am surprised there were no 6x6 or 4x4 posts installed. I am new to vinyl posts installations. It is actually a vinyl post and not a sleeve. OK.
I thought it odd and incorrect as well that she added the gate post stiffeners on top of and after the concrete base hardened. I would have inserted the stiffeners into the gate post at the same time and poured in the concrete mix. Also she did not show or mention what or how she elevated the gates and held them secure while she fastened the hinge hardware to the gate post. That's a critical step.
Foam is real messy what happens if it gets on the posts? It leaves a stain forever. Same on vinyl windows but it's easier to not overfill around windows
The end product is nice, but it pains me to see so much extra work and complexity added to what should be a simple process. Folks, there is an easier way!
@@JoeEverest If you know anything about building codes, watch people renovating their Single and Double Wide mobile homes. There are tons of videos on it and most of it is illegal in most areas and will make it impossible to sell the mobile home if a bank loan is involved. These homes are engineered to hold a certain amount of weight, and replacing wall panels with drywall, removing a wall, or replacing the roof should not be done without the help of an engineer and a licensed contractor.
@@redf7209 I agree, How does this at all relate to fence building? I believe she and the neighbor installed this to standard city codes for fence building.
This is fine for DIY job but way too inefficient to do it for a living. Not sure where the fence is being installed but 6ft long sections are much more sturdy and once you add in the cost savings on stiffners the cost will end up being the same for material.
bracing the posts is totally unnecessary,30 inches of cement will hold a 9 foot vinyl post plumb untill it sets, another trick is to set your section short and rip the last board especially if your setting long runs with a cement truck.never put cement in the bottom of the hole in cold climates,you dont want the post to fill to the bottom rail hole and split when it freezes.hears a good trick, set the posts low and whe you have a line set before the set up to much pour a little sand down inside the post and pull them up to desired grade.
Is anyone else sick of everything being made from plastic. It's like "Hey we aren't burning through our oil supply fast enough!" "Just make something else out of plastic!" " If we pretend this is ok, maybe it will be!"
Our oil supply is fine once we stop making all that "green" crap out of it. The only way we would run out of oil is if things stop dying and decomposing. Guess what? Things are still dying and decomposing on a daily basis. That being said, plastic is garbage for most things. It's is weak, becomes brittle over time, takes forever to decompose and only certain kinds can be recycled. It's also terrible for food and drink storage. Most things being pushed by the green movement are EXTREMELY polluting to manufacture and can't be recycled after their very short lifespan ends. Look up the massive problems they have with disposing of batteries, solar panels and wind turbine propellers. California just told people to not charge their electric cars because of problems with their power grid that they refuse to fix. Also, California is trying to force everyone to use electric cars. Yay commiefornia!
I like the amount of thought she put into this and preparedness to do the work to do it properly. I expect she'll be pretty proud of her achievement
For a couple of vinyl fence hack. Always have lots of cement around the post. Don't cheat by having it too close to the edge of the hole. With the wind flexing the panel it will crack the footing and eventually heave the post. The second is use the bottom rail as a spacer. You will be able to correct any height or obstruction problems before concrete goes in the hole.
A couple of observations on this fantastic looking fence.
For a darker vinyl like this we would use board inserts as well as an additional rail insert in the top rail due to heat absorption, though her location may not require the extra inserts.
We typically set our gate insert straight into the concrete then cut the vinyl to fit. I've found this gives much more rigidity for hanging the gate.
I typically run a top string and bottom string, but that's because it's easier for me to see the top line to adjust for grade :)
The material can be warped due to packaging or shipping, so double checking the top spacing can be important.
Keep it coming, Joe! You've got a new fan.
Good idea, especially in Southern climate…I have burned my hand on more than one wrought iron gate in the summer, and I 3d print with Vinyl. It loses most rigidity by about 150F and deforms at 200F and all it takes is a widow reflection off a house or car on a hot day with no breeze to get a hot spot easily over 200F on the surface. Sag city, baby. Quality Vinyl won’t fully deform in most cases due to internal structure, but repeated hotspotting (most people like to park their car in the same spot, and windows never move) will sag even the best stuff.
Love your positive nature. She has a great channel. I also love your little stories about working on the fencing crew. I wish all contractors were as good natured and amiable. I grew up in KC (not far from you) and live in Boston area now. The contactors here are true Massholes. The more research you do on how it should be done…the saltier they get. That is why I do most stuff DIY now. They are overpriced or just straight up jerks.
How do you align the string the same distance from start to end? Would you put a stake in at one end, measure a distance with a tape measure of desired length and do the same on the other end? Do you need to do one fore the height or not needed if the bottom part is correct?
I’ve installed vinyl for 10 years and using concrete makes it much more difficult and less adjustable and repairable over time. Using a galvanized steel post and collar system solves this and may even be a fair bit fast to install the posts, especially in ground that is mostly soil/clay
Clay just socks no matter how you cut it
I am in the market for a vinyl privacy fence. So many sales pitches so my questions are one contractor uses Ply Gem vinyl and don’t know it’s any good? Another uses a USA made brand that looked like something like Vetex or vertex? Cant find anything on them and people can say it’s made in USA but it might be from China. The contractor that has the USA made brand has bigger sized posts and inside is reinforced with steel? Prices vary. Thanks for your input
How sturdy are those vinyl posts? They look a bit flimsy. How would they stand up to high windy areas?
Ive seen builds where they are filled with concrete
in real windy areas you can put a stel insert in side the posts
I'm in a real windy area. Solid 6' fence. 20 years no issues like I feared. Pro pilot eighbor wanted to go slats due the high wind location. Supposedly over 100 mph a few times and sustained over 50 mph for 72 hours. I wanted privacy. I think the posts flex and this helps it handle the wind.
i bought a wood grain vinyl fence from home depot, i think the fence model is called Cypress. to make a l Long story longer. I spoke with the representative from the fencing company that was based in China. She told me that my particular fence I’ll see feeding within 10 years. In actuality I started seeing feeding within four years. I took a picture of the feed and submitted it to the fancy company. how ironic that what I was told that the fade is still within acceptable range and I do not meet the requirements for a replacement. I discovered that I could’ve placed some kind of coating on top of the fence. Like a vinyl protectant. So far after one year after testing different types of protectants Krylon makes a product that can be sprayed on anything outdoors . so far in less then one year, i see no problems and issues with the clear coat, and it almost restored the fade to original . i would put a vinyl protectant a clear coat to reduce fading. oh i’m testing a garage floor clear coat it has UV protectant. mineral oil works amazing but a long heavy rainfall washes it justly off. mineral oil is the secret to most plastic restore , tire spray , interior auto detailing. it’s like 26-32oz for 3-5 bucks compared to a tire shiner for 15oz at 18.99
@6:08 I used the same method she is using I also in conjuction I used a 2x4. I put it inside the rail slots I marked the the length as the rails will go Post to Post. I make sure this 2x4 was level..Then locked the post in place..
Hello, is there a privacy vinyl fence brand that you recommend?
I was surprised the metal inserts for the gate weren't set with the post and in the ground. Great call Joe on pointing that out.
@@JoeEverest appreciate you brother. Just found your channel today and you do a great job in your videos.
Really nice install and really good find in John
what a great looking fence....i thought of doing this in my yard until the town told me, no new fences on easements....boooo....so my wooden fence is still there but maybe someday if I get the guts to tackle it, i will go this route...great job everyone
⚡Joe, please answer this: I read about fence picket shrinkage and what to do about that. But no one ever talks about how fence post shrinkage affect a fence? If each fence post width shrinkage is multiplied by the number of posts you can get a big shrinkage of the over all fence length. Has this ever been a problem in your opinion? Will the fence rails pull away from the posts?
Yes
Her fence looks great for a home owner job! I personally wouldn't want the task of replacing a post knowing the excessive amount of cement they are using. Up here in the north east line posts are typically set with maybe 10"(just enough to go above the anchor holes at the bottom of the post) of wet cement at the bottom of the hole then tamp dirt in to the top. This would have given them the strength to either stand alone or assemble the sections same day. Gate posts are another story. We would use a heavy wall end post and cement at least 3/4 the way up. Pvc, cement and frost are not friends up here(frost heaves). You may be able to get a broken post to slide out of the base but most likely the anchor holes would make it so you have to dig.
Loving these videos you explain everything so clearly thank you
Im no chippy or fencer, but I cant stop watching TFE since it popped up on my reccomended the other day... I wish I had of gone into fencing now instead of plumbing, looks much more fun 🤣
Great video. What is the best fence to keep alligators out? Im building a house in SW Florida with a canal in the back..
I have absolutely 0% experience keeping alligators out, luckily we don’t have them in Missouri!
I live in a windy city. How much wind can a vinyl fence withstand without damage? TIA
Not much and they wobble a lot for sure because pvc is plastic, has elasticity. Moreover, check each products NOA for new 2020 Florida building code compliance for wind and hurricane test results, some need aluminum stiffener some don’t. Info and NOAs can be found at Miami dade website. Remember, aluminum stiffer sometimes are require to comply the building code of your city, that adds $2000 or more to your project
I've been installing vinyl fences for 12 years. The trick with privacy fence is, we NEVER install it on 8' centers. Put the posts on 6' centers and it will stand up to all the wind mother nature can dish out, short of a tornado. We see gusts up to 60 during storms, I've never had one blow over. This all assumes you buy high quality fencing, not cheap big box store stuff.
Is it best to charge per foot or per job
Well done Melissa, she has great content on her channel. Good review Joe 👍🏼👍🏼
I agree with setting the gate gable within the concrete. Otherwise it loses a lot of it's resistance.
Very true, thanks for watching!
She gets my vote
I'd like to know how often you actually impliment some of the ideas you learn about from doing these videos. Like using he concrete spreader to clean up dirt from a yard.
We actually review these new ideas at our monthly all hands meeting and work to implement them as they make sense!
That soil looked too go to remove, Raking it into the lawn would have been good for the lawn.
I doubt that it's all topsoil to 3 feet, but, yeah, definitely a shame to put it into landfill. Best to Freecycle it if she didn't have a use for it herself.
I’m sorry I didn’t consider a vinyl fence since my 300’ of treated privacy fence in S.E. Michigan has a problem with huge carpenter bees boring 1/4” holes under fence rails and on vertical surfaces such as fence posts. Sevin attached to a garden hose is the only thing able to touch the extremely fast males guarding the females and their brood residing in holes That eliminates them buzzing around my head while I spray the holes with Terro aerosol and then seal ‘em in by stuffing in aluminum foil but it only takes a day for a new replacement to arrive with a new tunnel created. I discovered vinyl post sleeves are available, which would be costly but without a similar solution for the rails, it’s just not worth it. As for the video (@3:56) a string line is great for aligning the fence (straight) but not great for elevation since no matter how tight, gravity still pulls the line down. My installation was using 4x4x10 treated posts (42” frost line in my area but I dug to 48”) and I didn’t bother using concrete because of my prior experience of the wood post shrinking, which allowed water to enter and crack the concrete. Instead, I packed the cavity with a “County Mix” of rocks and stone dust. The idea was to keep microbe laden dirt away from the wood and not allow cracked concrete to funnel water toward the wood. Well it has been about 10 years and nothing has moved so I’d call that a win. It’s a shame these carpenter bees are ruining it. Aside from being impervious to insects, vinyl fences seem to actually offer privacy, as opposed to the wood pickets gaps that widen as they dry. I’m considering shiplapping the wood picket edges to provide privacy while taking into account the expansion/contraction requirements. Maybe I can find something to toughen the wood fibers to discourage the bees, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be a slave to a maintenance headache. I think it’s time to move, use vinyl for the next project, and no exposed wood anywhere.
Looks great. I am surprised there were no 6x6 or 4x4 posts installed. I am new to vinyl posts installations. It is actually a vinyl post and not a sleeve. OK.
Hollow sleeves. Maybe 1/8" wall thickness.
WHY doesn't anybody lay down a tarp for the soil? THAT is how you keep it off the lawn. Duh.
Lol, exactly, that or a 5 gallon plastic bucket to collect the removed dirt.
Yep, take an old tarp or a Harbor Freight $5 special and fold it over a few times, cut out a post hole, tape the edges. Done and done…
Sheet of plywood is better
we normally build the panels first the put them in whole. but whatever works i guess
Do you service in Houston Texas
Unfortunately we do not
crazy cement mixer
I thought it odd and incorrect as well that she added the gate post stiffeners on top of and after the concrete base hardened. I would have inserted the stiffeners into the gate post at the same time and poured in the concrete mix.
Also she did not show or mention what or how she elevated the gates and held them secure while she fastened the hinge hardware to the gate post. That's a critical step.
Both are great points, I appreciate the input!
How practical is this if one panel needs to be 4ft wide for example to finish off a run.
It's pretty simple to trim down vinyl to fit a smaller section. The C-channels installed on the posts can hide a ripped fence board.
Just stab the bottom rail as you go so there’s no need for a jig.
A concrete placer…. I never thought of that!
I've said for years that fences should be made out of plastic.
And I completely disagree.
I have been watching many fiance installations and no one uses foam. Why?
We’ve done a couple product testing videos of the foam products on the channel. The two we tried really didn’t perform that well.
Foam for what ? Stiffener for posts and rails ? Please let me know.
Foam is real messy what happens if it gets on the posts? It leaves a stain forever. Same on vinyl windows but it's easier to not overfill around windows
*I like!* I guess, on cheaper fences, you can insert wood to beef up the rails.
You could, it would just only sleeve down as far as the concrete though.
Yup gate will snap right off at the ground. No good.
I'm glad that she thinks it's beautiful. I think it looks like a good blank canvas for some murals
Those braces were insanely overkill...
The end product is nice, but it pains me to see so much extra work and complexity added to what should be a simple process. Folks, there is an easier way!
@@JoeEverest If you know anything about building codes, watch people renovating their Single and Double Wide mobile homes. There are tons of videos on it and most of it is illegal in most areas and will make it impossible to sell the mobile home if a bank loan is involved. These homes are engineered to hold a certain amount of weight, and replacing wall panels with drywall, removing a wall, or replacing the roof should not be done without the help of an engineer and a licensed contractor.
@@MAGAMAN how does this relate to fence building?
@@redf7209 I agree, How does this at all relate to fence building? I believe she and the neighbor installed this to standard city codes for fence building.
To get the muck out the grass just don’t spread it all over the grass
what would be great Joe if you made instructional videos instead of reacting to everything else.
I appreciate the input!
@@JoeEverest I think you could do both.
pink nosing 😜😜😜
NICE JOB BUT STIFFENERS FOR ALL POSTS WOULD BE BETTER. ESPECIALLY IN STRONG WINDS.
☢☢☢☢☢☢
What kind of stiffener?
Watching this convinced me not to do it myself 😅
😂😂😂
This is fine for DIY job but way too inefficient to do it for a living. Not sure where the fence is being installed but 6ft long sections are much more sturdy and once you add in the cost savings on stiffners the cost will end up being the same for material.
bracing the posts is totally unnecessary,30 inches of cement will hold a 9 foot vinyl post plumb untill it sets, another trick is to set your section short and rip the last board especially if your setting long runs with a cement truck.never put cement in the bottom of the hole in cold climates,you dont want the post to fill to the bottom rail hole and split when it freezes.hears a good trick, set the posts low and whe you have a line set before the set up to much pour a little sand down inside the post and pull them up to desired grade.
Feel sorry for anyone following that vid lol
I cringe every time i see people bracing their post.. especially vinyl..Alright I’ll go be a grumpy old timer somewhere else..
I thought the same thing until I saw he was using a clamp. Still not my favorite!
Is anyone else sick of everything being made from plastic. It's like "Hey we aren't burning through our oil supply fast enough!" "Just make something else out of plastic!" " If we pretend this is ok, maybe it will be!"
Our oil supply is fine once we stop making all that "green" crap out of it. The only way we would run out of oil is if things stop dying and decomposing. Guess what? Things are still dying and decomposing on a daily basis.
That being said, plastic is garbage for most things. It's is weak, becomes brittle over time, takes forever to decompose and only certain kinds can be recycled. It's also terrible for food and drink storage.
Most things being pushed by the green movement are EXTREMELY polluting to manufacture and can't be recycled after their very short lifespan ends. Look up the massive problems they have with disposing of batteries, solar panels and wind turbine propellers. California just told people to not charge their electric cars because of problems with their power grid that they refuse to fix. Also, California is trying to force everyone to use electric cars. Yay commiefornia!
Plastic is a byproduct
shes got great legs.
It’s one hell of a ugly fence
Women are so complicated..that's too darn extra
I am so sick of these "reactin videos". Why don't you go make you own video instead of stealing views from her video.