
Looking for that rustic charm only a split rail fence can provide? Use this split rail fence cost guide to get an idea of what your fence will total.
An appropriate time to pull one’s chain
Over time, due to weather, wild animals, or other occurrences out of your control, a chain link fence can sag or become loose, making it less effective. Knowing how to properly stretch your chain link fence can help restore it to its original condition, eliminate gaps and sagging, or even add a new section. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of stretching your chain link fence—a task that can be completed in less than a day.
Before attempting to stretch a chain link fence, you should check its condition and decide whether to repair or replace your fence. If your fence is rusty or brittle in any way, stretching it could cause further, irreversible damage, and it might be wise to invest in a new fence rather than stretch an old one in disrepair.
While the average cost to install a new fence is $3,220, the final price will depend on the type of fence you want, as well as the desired length and height of the fence. To get an accurate quote, it’s best to contact a local chain link fence installation pro.
Two tools—a come-along and a fence stretcher—make stretching a chain-link fence easy.
If the chain link fence you’re stretching is brand new, you should unroll it and secure it to one end of your starting post. If the fence is already installed, you should detach it from all posts except for the starting post—this is the post at the end opposite the part being stretched.
Attach your fence come-along to an anchor point just past the new post that the fence is attaching to. The anchor point could be another post, another object, or a building. A fence come-along is a hand-operated tool—like a winch—that can be used to apply tension and pull wire fencing taut.
Place the hooks of the fence stretcher (sometimes called a fence puller) on the chain link fence. The number of hooks you need will depend on the height of your fence. Next, hook the free end of the fence come-along to the fence stretcher.
Once all the components and tools are in place, you can begin cranking the come-along until the chain link fence has been stretched to your desired length. Attach the fence to the newly placed post.
While stretching a chain link fence is a relatively easy project and can be done by a novice DIYer, you should have a chain link fence installation expert near you inspect the fence if you suspect it is in poor condition—stretching a fence that is rusty or otherwise showing significant signs of age can cause additional damage.
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Looking for that rustic charm only a split rail fence can provide? Use this split rail fence cost guide to get an idea of what your fence will total.
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