- 1). Saturate the bottom thirds of your posts--the sections that will go in the ground--with wood preserver if the boards are untreated. Let them sit overnight. Cedar and redwood are two types of wood that will resist rot even untreated. Vinyl also will resist rot and weather damage.
- 2). Figure out where the fence should be located. With a steep hill, consider doing a trial fence to determine the best location for optimum privacy. Use cardboard, bedsheets or other material lying around. Have someone hold up the material where the fence would go; decide whether what you can see is acceptable. When you've determined optimum placement, mark off the area with stakes. Start at the corners and space them so that each fence section will fit between the stakes (typically 6 to 8 feet apart).
- 3). Dig the fence post holes with the post hole digger. Make them deep enough that 1/3 of each post will be underground. Put two or three shovels of gravel at the bottom of each hole. Insert the post and then pack it with concrete or dirt. Use a level to ensure the post is straight and then brace the post to keep it in place. Pile a small mound of dirt around the base of the post to prevent puddling. Let these set for four or five days.
- 4). If you're using premade fence sections, attach each section using nails or screws and possibly brackets, depending on how the section was made. Step each section up the hill. To determine how much you'll be stepping for each section, measure the pitch between each fence post by tying a string between the two. Tie it at ground level on the higher fence post and then attach it straight across on the lower fence post, making sure that it is level. Measure the distance from the ground to the string on the lower stick. That is your pitch. The pitch is the distance that the next section needs to be lowered as you work your way down the hill. As an example, let's say your pitch is 4 inches. This means that the distance between the bottom rail of the higher fence section and the bottom rail of the lower fence section will also be 4 inches. Move the string up both fence posts by 2 inches to get a preview of the gap that will exist under your fence once it is completed. If this gap is larger than desired, add another fence post in the middle of the two that the string is tied to. Use a power saw to cut the section to fit between the posts.
- 5). If you're using individual picket fence boards, attach the top and bottom rails of the fence with nails or screws such that the rails follow the grade of the hill and the space between them is the same at each end. Tying a string between the fence posts 2 inches above the ground on each fence post will provide a nice guideline to follow for attaching the bottom rail. The top rail will be about 6 inches below the top of the fence boards, at 5 feet 6 inches on a 6-foot fence. Nail or screw each fence board to your rails so they all have the same amount of board showing over the top rail and under the bottom rail. With a privacy fence, the space between each individual fence board will be only about 1/8 inch.
- 6). Consider adding chicken wire or rocks to fill in any large gaps between the bottom of the fence and the ground. Attach decorative items such as lattice or fence post caps if you like.
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