Friendly Giant Fences and Decking specialize in the building of wood fences. The most common materials used are Pressure Treated Wood and Cedar. We can build your fence to suit any custom design or you can choose from a list of commonly built styles.
To begin, you must decide on the size of the post (4 inch and 6 inch posts are the most common). 6 inch posts are quickly becoming the most popular choice due to the extra strength and longevity of the product. Secondly you must decide on the style of the fence panels. Each panel is approximately 8 feet wide and usually ranges from 4 ft to 7 ft in height depending on the size of the fence board and the type of trim added at the top.
To accomplish a quality finish, here are some important points to remember during each stage of the building process.
In this stage we will be marking out our fence line with a string line to make sure your fence is straight. Fence posts are spaced approximately 8 ft apart. This can vary depending on what is found in the ground during our digging process. We will do our best to avoid cutting into tree roots and do not recommend cutting any root that is larger than the diameter of your wrist. The holes are dug by hand or with a hydraulic auger. This decision depends on accessibility within your yard. We are not afraid to take on challenging jobs with difficult access that requires hand digging.
Before digging we are required by law to have professional locates completed on site showing where the buried utility lines are. This helps to prevent unnecessary accidental contact with hydro, gas, and water lines. Law also requires us to hand dig within 1 meter of any located utility line. During the digging process we will remove a large volume of dirt from the ground. This may cause damage to grass and gardens surrounding the hole. We use Drycore boards on the grass and garden areas as a buffer to help protect the area. The dirt is then carted out to our dump trailer for removal from the job site.
In this stage we will be marking out our fence line with a string line to make sure your fence is straight. Fence posts are spaced approximately 8 ft apart. This can vary depending on what is found in the ground during our digging process. We will do our best to avoid cutting into tree roots and do not recommend cutting any root that is larger than the diameter of your wrist. The holes are dug by hand or with a hydraulic auger. This decision depends on accessibility within your yard. We are not afraid to take on challenging jobs with difficult access that requires hand digging.
Before digging we are required to have professional locates completed on site showing where the buried utility lines are. This helps to prevent unnecessary accidental contact with hydro, gas, and water lines. We are required to hand dig within 1 meter of any located utility line. During the digging process we are removing a large volume of dirt from the ground. This can cause damage to grass and gardens surrounding the hole. We use Drycore boards on the grass and garden areas as a buffer to protect the area. The dirt is then carted out to our dump trailer for removal from the job site.
To achieve a straight fence we must set the posts in a straight line. This is accomplished using a string line that is fixed from a starting post in the corner or at the end of the fence line to the post at the opposite end of the fence line. With the string line pulled tightly between the 2 points we will use the string as a reference to keep everything in line. A level is used on each post to make sure everything is plumb. Posts are set with a quick drying post set concrete. When the hard work is done and the posts are dry, we can start the fun part of building the panels!
There are 2 parts to this process.
- Building the frame of the panels. Our fence frames are always assembled using a level and fastened with 3 inch screws, never with a framing nail gun. Some companies use the nail gun to speed up the framing process but from my experience, it’s difficult to control a piece of timber from moving out of level with the recoil from a nail gun. If it does move off the level line, it is very difficult to pull the nail out and refasten the piece. Using a 3 inch screw allows for corrections to be made if needed. Screws are fastened at the top and bottom parts of the frame so they are out of view. It’s important to keep an eye on the grading of the landscape as you go so you are limiting the space at the bottom of the fence to keep animals from crawling underneath.
- Adding fence boards. There are many styles and variations to adding fence boards, but the building method is the same. A spacer should be used to keep the distance consistent between each board. The first board is put in place with a level and fastened. Using a spacer we continue to fasten the remaining boards in each section. After every 2 to 3 boards, we check that everything is still plumb using a level and we make corrections at that point if needed. Keeping an eye at the top of the fence boards allows us to make sure that there are no gaps between the fence board and the frame. At this point, we remove any labels that are left on the fence boards and/or framing wood. We will then inspect the back of the fence to see if any nails made their way a little too far into the wood and are sticking out the back. With the fence panels assembled and checks completed, we will trim your posts and attach the post caps.
The Friendly Giant Process
An estimator will meet with you at the project location to discuss ideas for the project, take measurements, and answer any questions you may have. Fence installation and repair quotes, as well as deck repair and refacing quotes can be done on the spot and a handwritten estimate, will be left on-site with a follow up emailed estimate.
On the start date, we ask that you are home to meet the building crew. If you have any questions or requests please direct them to the lead builder and he or she will be happy to help. Build teams are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Safety for our customers and staff is the first priority.
Shortly before the job is complete the project manager, lead builder, and client will do a final walkthrough of the job to point out any final details that need to be addressed.
All work is warrantied for 2 years. This warranty includes deficiencies that may come up relating to the assembly or construction of all fences and decks.
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Some of our fencing projects...
