Vinyl fencing provides incredible value to your home and privacy. Here at Northland Fence, we believe in putting the power and knowledge in the customer’s hands, with quick to install fencing solutions for your home and yard.
Temperate Minnesota weather poses a threat to most enclosure options. Traditional wooden materials look incredible and arrive in mint condition. But looks can be deceiving. Over time your fence will fall victim to rot, discoloration, and decay — from the weather or possibly even pests like termites. So what are your options?
Installing a vinyl fence offers a perfect solution. Easy-to-install, simple to maintain and durable enough to withstand harsh Minnesota weather — the perfect curb appeal is made with vinyl. At Northland Fence we used high quality vinyl fence supplies.
There are many different styles to choose from for your house or yard enclosure depending on the functionality and style you are looking for.
Privacy Fence
If your primary goal is to provide a safe and private barrier for your yard or home, a privacy fence is a perfect option. Compared to a traditional “picket fence” — there are no gaps in the pickets. This enclosure provides complete privacy up to whatever height it is built.
Semi-Private Fence
While a semi-private fence still gives a sense of privacy, there is more spacing between the pickets allowing for a slightly more open feel. More light, more airflow — with just the right amount of privacy.
Picket Fence
Picket fences provide a traditional decorative look. This is a classic design that will look great and have incredible curb appeal for your home or yard.
Pool Fence
The only real differences between traditional privacy fencing and pool fencing are the spacing between the pickets and the height. This is to meet most building codes.
The style you land on should reflect the aesthetic you dreamt of. There are also many different colors you can choose from as well.
Now that you have made the choice to go with a vinyl fencing solution, it’s time to get to work with the installation. If you have decided to do it yourself, we have some steps and tips to follow for a smooth installation and a beautiful finished product.
The first step starts out like any other fencing installation. You will need to remove anything that is blocking your installation site such as:
Once you have cleared out the desired fencing site you can begin staking out the exact perimeter where you wish to build your fence. To create a simple visual that will help you throughout the installation process, run a string or rope around the stakes to show a preview of your fencing project.
The days of hauling around a power auger in the back of your truck are over. No more entire days spent digging post holes or mixing cement — and no more dirt disposal or cement footings around your post. Enter: our driven post method.
Our galvanized steel methodology guarantees our posts will never heave from the tough and difficult Minnesota frozen ground and can withstand extreme wind strengths. These steel posts drive four feet into the earth with a 5” x 5” vinyl sleeve for a beautiful finish.
This is absolutely the cleanest and most efficient post driving system around.
Next, you will need to adjust your post heights so that they all match. This is to ensure that your finished fencing has a uniform or desired height.
There are a few steps you will need to take during this process.
First, attach lock rings to the end of your bottom rail.
Next, you will need to depress the lock ring and attach the first side of the bottom rail into the post. Once you have gone ahead and released the lock ring, the bottom rail will lock into place inside of your post. You will need to do this process to the other side of the bottom rail as well.
Repeat this process for every bottom rail until all posts have a bottom rail connecting to the next post.
Now it’s time to bring some life to your vinyl fencing. The next step is to install the vinyl slats into the bottom rail. Make sure that your pickets are flush with the next. Repeat this until all your pickets are installed in each section of your fence.
Once you have installed your slats, install your top rails to each section of the fence. Similarly to the installation of the bottom rail — you will need to attach lock rings to both ends of the top rail. Depress the lock ring and attach the first side of the top rail to the post. Then repeat this step for the other side of the top rail. The top rail will lock into place after you have released the lock ring. Repeat this step for all of your sections. You’re almost done.
Your fence is essentially complete. To ensure that your fence is durable, strong, stable — and won’t warp or succumb to bowing you’re going to need to add rail ties.
Place your rail ties inside of each individual vinyl fence post. You can use this as a guide to drill your pilot holes into the top rail. Next, you can drill your pilot holes through the rail tie and fix the rail tie with the right screws.
Now, you’re on your final step. Apply a silicone adhesive or glue to the bottom of each post cap. Make sure that it’s evenly spread out across the post cap in a thin layer to ensure an even fit. Firmly press each post cap into place — and you are done!
Many of us see flat and uniform yards and wish ours was that simple. We take a look around our own property and see daunting hills, slopes, and curvatures everywhere and think that installing a fence will be a nightmare.
You really only have two options.
Grading a yard can seem like a pretty big hassle. Digging, moving soil and cutting away at your yard may seem like too much of a project. But depending on your particular property, this may look more appealing or be even easier than building your fencing on slopes and hills.
If you decide that grading your yard just isn’t the right solution, your other option is to seek out fencing that works for your yard. Constructing a fence on a sloped property means that you will have to take some geographical variables into consideration to determine which type of fencing is appropriate.
Raked fencing refers to fencing with fairly bold angles. This option ensures that the slope of your yard will match the slope of your pickets — so that they are parallel to one another.
However, this method won’t work if your property is too steep. The limit is typically about a 12-inch slope across a 6-foot section of ground. You’ll need to measure to see if it’s viable.
Stepped fencing is pretty self-explanatory. The sections accommodate the slope of the property and end up looking like a set of stairs. While this type of fencing is easier to build, it doesn’t look as consistent or appealing.
Curved fencing is a common choice for properties that aren’t defined by rigid lines. If your property line isn’t linear, you may need to build a curved fence.
While it is technically possible to do this on your own, we highly recommend leaving this to a professional. There are simply too many variables and problems that can arise during the installation.
If you’re moving you may want to take your beautiful enclosure to your next property. With our driven post and Quickcollar system — removing vinyl fencing has never been easier.
Because there is no cement or dirt to remove, it’s as easy as rewinding the steps of the driven post installation. No jackhammering away cement basins or digging away at your yard.
Because of our driven post method, we often get asked about mounting a vinyl fence onto a concrete surface like a driveway, patio, deck or another surface.
Your installation ease will depend on how thick your concrete is. But, if it is less than 6” thick, you’re able to get the job done.
Drilling into concrete is a bit of a challenge, and we’d recommend getting professional guidance or assistance to complete this type of installation.
Fencing adds beauty and functionality, not to mention curb appeal. Vinyl fencing provides even more value and ease for nearly a lifetime. While you may have your eye on cedar or another wooden alternative, we can assure you that vinyl will last longer and be far less troublesome down the road.
We hope this guide for installing your vinyl fence was helpful.
If you’re not looking to take on a big fencing project on your own, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We have been in the business for over 15 years and have run across nearly every obstacle a yard can throw at us. Out top-notch team of vinyl fence installers can handle it all.
We’ve been a family run business since we opened and strive to implement the most innovative and progressive techniques for our customers.
Find out why our fence company is Minnesota’s highest reviewed!