Trimming fence bottoms on uneven ground

[Kodi Crescent]

I just had a 6' wooden privacy fence installed at my house.  The grade of my lot is fairly undulating, and my lot conveys and drains the water from the surrounding properties.  When the contractor installed the fence, he put the bottoms of the pickets against the ground.  When it rains the water will most likely wick up through the bottoms of the board ends.  I need to trim them, and I think the Festool rail system will be great for this.

Has anyone done this on ground that was relatively uneven?  If the lot was nice and level or had a constant slope I think this would be super simple.  My lot has many changes in slope, valleys, etc.  Any tips for how to do this and have it look "professional"?

 

[Brice Burrell]

You can try the TS saw and guide rail with a jigsaw in the bad spots.

Test

 

[awdriven]

What kind of wood? I assume the panels are stair-stepped down the slope now? So you have panels that are tight to the ground on one side, but too far off the ground on another?

A key to making sure that the end result looks ok is not to have an uneven or jagged look where the panels meet at the tops.

You can trim the bottom of the panels so they match the slope of the ground under that section, but I recommend you first measure and plan your cuts for the whole fence so you don't accidentally trim so much that your panel sits too low in relation to its neighboring panels, making a big difference in the heights.

You can just compromise a bit on the cutting.

At risk of showing how OCD I am, I made a Sketchup elevation model of my site, so I could plan my cuts ahead of time. I built an accurate model by measuring my post locations and then measuring the slope under each panel using a string level. In your case you could just use a tape measure to measure the gaps at the bottom of each panel.

The way to avoid this issue is to construct your panels on site. Set your posts, hang your rails on the posts and then nail your pickets to the posts. The pickets will conform to the slope.

 

[Tim Sproul]

Your most professional results will probably require scribing, removing fence, cutting and reinstalling fence.

With a little practice, you can do pretty good with a reciprocating saw.  Start in an area that won't be seen.

 

[Kevin D.]

A multimaster would probably make semi-quick work of this, but with excellent results if executed correctly.  Fasten a scrap piece of wood to help with guiding the cuts, and try to cut using a quick left to right motion in cutting to lessen heat build up on the blade which reduces their life expectancy.  How's your back at crouching for a few hours?  [crying]

It's not to say that using the TS55 with guide rail would not work, but somehow I got an odd feeling it would have ease of set up issues, and the cut may necessitate cutting a little higher than may be esthetically acceptible.  [eek]

 

[Holzhacker]

Good pencil or marker line and jigsaw. I wouldn't bother getting to technical about it, its a fence. I would cut 2-3" above grade.

 

[Sparktrician]

A multimaster would probably make semi-quick work of this, but with excellent results if executed correctly. 

Gads!!  The only thing slower than a MultiMaster on a fence might be a coping saw [scared].  I'd go for the reciprocating saw or jigsaw option for speed and the ability to follow the ground line. 

[smile]

 

[awdriven]

I have a dog and wouldn't have the fence more than an inch or inch and a half above grade.

You'll need to remove the panels from the posts to do a good job. I don't see how you could use the TS55 otherwise.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

What about having the guy that installed it that way come back and make it like you wanted?

 

[Ken Nagrod]

I agree with Darcy.  I think it was your fence installer's fault for installing the pickets or panels that low since it's real wood.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I agree with Darcy.  I think it was your fence installer's fault for installing the pickets or panels that low since it's real wood.

At the same time it could because the installer didn't know he wanted left off the ground a little bit.
Depends what the work scope said and if it was supposed to be installed that way.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Common sense is always foremost.  Wood + water = rot (Unless your name is something like Cyprus, etc.).  You don't have wood in contact with the ground if you're worried about the effects of water.  Even pressure treated wood will succumb to the water, so it's best to play it smart and keep a gap, any gap is better than none.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

A small gap makes it easy for pets or critters to get out or in.
A wood fence really only has so many years service life no matter what. 
I can't remember the last privacy fence I saw with a 3" gap at the bottom.

Now a PVC or the like would last a lifetime.

End grain is evil, I would think bullet proof would have a rail at the bottom to keep the fence boards off the ground.
But that makes it hard to follow the grounds contours.

If he wanted a gap and it was installed without, I would be calling the installer to come back out and fix it.

 

[jmbfestool]

Why not use a bit of hardboard 8' long and about 6inch wide hard board is very flexible so will fallow the ground to a certain extent certainly if your pushing on it.

Then using a normal circular saw small one if you have 1 and and set it just deep enough to cut thru as less blade allows you to curve more so thats y I say a small circular saw is best as a smaller blade is better as you know you cant bend blades.

Having the hard board down allows your saw to glide along the ground with out your saw diggin into the soil and the hardboard  blends your uneven ground smoothly together.

Just a thought

Jmb

 

[Kodi Crescent]

The fence is pressure treated pine.  And I didn't specify the gap in the scope of work.  I forgot when the contract was bid.  I did ask them to include it, and he said that would cost extra.  That's fine, I offered to pay it.  The main guy didn't want to do it, but had his helper make an agreement with me.

But, to support Warner's previous point in a different post...

I went with the cheaper guy.  This is what I get.  I think the more expensive guy would have done it off the grade.  But he was way more expensive for the same spec.  The cheaper guy wasn't a very good communicator either, and left a bunch of mud spots on my fence that I'll have to clean off before I stain it.  I hate when contractors leave a board in the mud and then finish the board with the mud on it.  I should have known better.

I made an agreement with one of the installers to trim the bottom of the fence.  He said he would be here "this weekend".  I assumed that meant Saturday, since many people keep Sunday as family time.  I had decided to do it myself and I went out to run some errands today, and lo and behold, there he is.

His solution was to use his circular saw to follow the contour of the ground.  He figured that 1 1/2" would be sufficient.  He was doing alright dragging his saw across the ground to cut it.  He kept tripping the breaker and he wanted me to leave my garage open with all my Festool stuff so he could reset the breaker.  No way!  He burned up his Ryobi circular saw after about 50 feet of cutting.  He probably should have changed the blade first.

He said he'll be here tomorrow with a new saw to finish.  We'll see.

I'll leave a piece of Masonite out for him to use per JMB's suggestion.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Nobody ever said anything about 3".  What's so bad about it being let's say an inch off the ground.  What pet do you know that hangs out in the yard that'll get under that, unless you're letting your snake out for exercise?  Critters are going to go where they want, fence or no fence.  I just wouldn't do a fence with direct ground contact.  The idea behind the work I do is making it last as long as possible, even if what the customer is willing to pay warrants the use of less expensive materials.  The building practises should still reflect quality workmanship and decent longevity.  I guess that's my $2 again or 1.47 Euros. [smile]

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

At least he showed up to try and fix it, albeit on a Sunday.

The strip of ply works as a good smooth guide on the ground to ride the saw on.
I think the offset on most sidewinders is an 1 1/2". Poor ryobi saw.

It is a lot of work to keep a consistent gap when the ground pitches and rolls alot.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Nobody ever said anything about 3".  What's so bad about it being let's say an inch off the ground.  What pet do you know that hangs out in the yard that'll get under that, unless you're letting your snake out for exercise?  Critters are going to go where they want, fence or no fence.  I just wouldn't do a fence with direct ground contact.  The idea behind the work I do is making it last as long as possible, even if what the customer is willing to pay warrants the use of less expensive materials.  The building practises should still reflect quality workmanship and decent longevity.  I guess that's my $2 again or 1.47 Euros. [smile]

No one said 3"  1 1/2"  still seems low to me. End grain is like vacuum of water absorption.

It should last 20 years no matter what but, I don't give this new treated SYP that much of a lifespan anyways.

Now when it was loaded up full of arsenic that stuff was great!!

 

[jmbfestool]

At least he showed up to try and fix it, albeit on a Sunday.

The strip of ply works as a good smooth guide on the ground to ride the saw on.
I think the offset on most sidewinders is an 1 1/2". Poor ryobi saw.

It is a lot of work to keep a consistent gap when the ground pitches and rolls alot.

Ply is not flexible enough unless its flexi ply. That's y I said hard board as it's flexible enough but also very smooth on 1 side so the saw will easily glide along the smooth surface.

Jmb

 

[Kodi Crescent]

The 1 1/2" came from the saw offset.  At first I thought 2", but he thought that would look silly.

I was riding my bike this afternoon, and most picket-type fences were in contact with the ground.  But most of them weren't stained, and they were probably built using arsenic treated wood.