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Most people work hard for the traditional American Dream: a nice house, a nice car, some kids, a dog, and a white picket fence.
It sounded beautiful in the 1950s, but now that house is older, in need of remodeling, and the fence looks degraded and has got to go.
If you have a fence that needs to go, or you are trying to remove one to have it replaced, here are some steps to follow for proper fence removal.
In This Post:
Things To Consider
The idea of taking down an unwanted fence is the easy part. Before removing the unwanted fence, some important things need to be accounted for first:
Some fences can run through both your property and the property of your neighbor. In some cases, it was the neighbor who put the fence up, to begin with.
Practice good courtesy and check with your neighbors as well as have a surveyor come and mark the official lines of your property to make sure the fence is within your right to be taken down.
If not properly researched, this can pose legal issues concerning the property.
Safety Precautions
Making sure you have the proper equipment to handle the job of fence removal is paramount, especially if the fence is old and rotted. Splinters may not seem like a huge deal until you get one!
So gloves are helpful to give better grip and protect from splinters.
Fence Removal
Removing an old wooden fence is not difficult, but it will take some effort on your part. Some things you would need are:
- Gloves (for those splinters)
- Shovel
- Hammer and/or Mallet
- Chains and hooks (if the posts are embedded in concrete) or post puller
- Lift Jack
Step 1: Removing the Fence Panels
This will be the easiest part of the fence removal, and you will need your hammer and/or mallet.
Hammer the panels out of the wooden posts the opposite way from where they are nailed in to loosen them. The closer to where the nail is embedded, the better.
Remove the planks from the wooden post, and then remove their nails. Repeat this step until all the panels have been removed.
Or you can simply take an electric saw to it to make for a faster process.
Step 2: Removing the Posts
This where the elbow grease comes in. You will take the shovel, and dig around the post (about 6 inches). If the posts are not embedded in cement, the post can be wiggled out.
If it has a cement bed, take the chains and wrap it around the exposed cement footing. Connect the slip hook to the chain, and be sure to leave about a foot of tail
Step 3: Using The Jack
With the tail end of the chain, wrap it around the jack nose (preferably near the base to limit slippage or movement of the jack), and hook the chain.
Alternatively, you can connect the post puller to the post without the use of the chains. Operate the jack lever or post puller until the concrete comes out enough for you to pull the rest yourself.
Fencing At Its Finest
With a little work, removing that old wooden fence can be done easily. Putting up the new fence is like fitting your own modern American Dream. Just think, after the fence removal: a classic American house, an electric car, a cat, and now that brand new picket fence to go along with it.
Make your dream a reality.
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