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How do you layout vinyl fence posts?
When installing vinyl fence, or any other type, how would you layout posts? We are on corner lot. Road side has about 5 feet from house, then 4 foot gate, then a few more feet, then double gate, then 9 feet to the corner. I have 8 foot section picket fence. I had contractor installing it. Now at the end of each row at the far corners are non-8 foot sections. Instead of starting at those corners and puting the odd sized sections out of view of the windows, so you wouldn't see that from the house, they started at the house and now we are looking at odd sized sections. On one side, they took a 9 foot space and divided it in half. I'm sure they are going to try and do the same thing on the other side, but that space is 11 feet. How would you have done this? I'm just frustrated because the posts are all setup, and I want them moved. The contractors left, and we haven't heard from them since. I think they are afraid to come back. Please answer ASAP. Thanks.
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Thank you for writing. When you are working with odd size section runs this can become an issue with vinyl or aluminum fencing which comes in standard sizing like 6' or 8'. Basically, there are two main ways to handle the problem.
The first way is to take your overall distance and divide equally amongst the sections. For example, if you are working with 8 ft sections and the overall run is 60 ft. Instead of putting up seven full sections and one half section, you would take the extra half section (4ft) and cut an equal amount off of eight sections so that they are no longer 8 ft but now 7 ft 6" each. This is the "labor intensive" way of approaching the problem, but the eye will see even sections down an entire fence run.
The second solution is to approach it exactly as you are. From your window, or wherever you believe you will be enjoying your fence the most - use even, standard sections until you get to an end point in the run that can be "hidden" with some landscaping or at least out of continuous eyesight.
In either case, planning is the key. Sections with gates add another level of difficulty of course because again, you are trying to trick the eye into seeing symmetry which makes for a more beautiful fence. In most cases, after your planning, you want to make sure your gate posts are set first and work from there.
It sounds to me like your contractors tried to solve the problem using both methods described above. Not necessarily a bad plan if it's something you can live with.
If I can help you in any other way, please don't hesitate to contact us again.
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