How to Build a Fence Using Vinyl Siding Panels

Build a basic fence with posts and horizontal stringers. Lay out the line for the fence with stakes and builder's twine and mark the location for posts with stakes. Dig holes for 4-by-4-inch fence posts with a posthole digger, deep enough to hold about one-third of the finished height of the post. Make posts 6 feet high, in most cases. Plumb the posts with a level and fill the holes with concrete to secure them.

Install 2-by-4-inch stringers horizontally between posts, one at the top of the post, one about 6 inches above the ground and one in the middle. Secure them to the posts with 3-inch galvanized screws and a screw gun. Use a level to make sure all stringers are level. Butt the ends of stringer boards so they meet in the middle of a post.

Fasten 6-foot-long vinyl panels to the stringers with 1 1/2-inch galvanized screws with plastic washers on the heads. Place panels with the corrugations vertical, so water will drain away easily. Overlap panels at seams, typically by one corrugation ridge and valley, and secure them with screws through both panels; panels typically are designed to cover 24 inches, so four panels will cover 8 feet between posts. Use about three screws per panel on each stringer, on each edge of the panel and in the center.

Make a shorter fence by changing the height of posts and stringers and cutting panels in half vertically with a jigsaw; panels come in varying lengths, from 6 to 12 or more feet. Cut 8-foot panels in half to build a 4-foot fence, for instance. Install basic fence supports and panels the same way.