How to Build a Level Top Fence

Fencing your yard or garden increases privacy, keeps pets and children at bay, prevents intruders and adds a decorative touch to the landscape. Out of the variety of fencing options, consider installing a wood lattice fence that provides privacy and adds rustic charm. Although some fences feature taller posts and slightly shorter lattice panels in between, create a level top fence that draws the eye and forms a clear, unmistakable horizontal line in the landscape, 6 feet above ground level.

Wood stakes
Hammer
String
Measuring tape
Shovel
Post hole digger
Concrete
Wheelbarrow
Trowel
4-by-4-inch lumber posts, 9 feet tall
Level
2-by-4-inch rails
Handsaw
16d nails
Wood lattice panels

Instructions

- 1
  Hammer a wooden stake into the ground where the corner of the fence will be. Wind string around one string and pull it taut while extending it to the adjacent strings, forming an outline for the fence. Measure every 5 to 8 feet along the outline and score the ground lightly with the tip of a shovel to designate the locations of the posts.
- 2
  Dig a 3-foot-deep hole in the ground at each post location. Keeping post holes one-third the height of the posts anchors them securely in the ground.
- 3
  Prepare quick-dry concrete in a wheelbarrow according to label directions. Pour 4 to 6 inches into a hole at the corner of the fence line. Smooth the top of the poured concrete with a flat trowel.
- 4
  Stand a wood post into the hole, with a carpenter’s level on its side. Adjust the post until it is vertical and the level reads plumb.
- 5
  Pour concrete into the hole to a few inches from the edge. Nail a pair of 4-foot diagonal wood braces on the opposite sides of this post to anchor it until the concrete cures. Repeat this process for the remaining posts. Allow the concrete to cure for 24 hours before removing the braces.
- 6
  Cut two identical lengths of 2-by-4 lumber to match the horizontal distance between two adjacent posts. These two lengths form the horizontal rails for the lattice panel.
- 7
  Assign a helper to hold a rail so its corners rest flush against and in line with the tops of two adjacent posts. Hammer 16d nails through each corner to secure it to the wood directly behind it. Repeat the process to secure the second horizontal rail to the posts, 4 inches above the ground.
- 8
  Measure the vertical space between the upper and lower rails. Cut two identical 2-by-4-inch boards to this measurement. Hold each vertical rail against the post and hammer it in place with nails.
- 9
  Hold a lattice panel over the installed wooden rails. Hammer a row of evenly spaced 10d nails around the lattice panel to secure it to the frame directly below. Lattice panels measure 6 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide, so you may need to trim excess length off before installation, depending on post spacing. Repeat this process of installing the panels along the fence line to form a straight-top fence.

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