Horizontal Fence Installation

The SLIPFENCE is specifically designed for homeowners who want a warm and private wood fence, with the Stability and Endurance of an Aluminum Fence... AND... Simple to install.
1.

When planning your Horizontal SLIPFENCE installation, make sure to map out your fence posts exactly 6 feet between posts.
2.

Dig 8" diameter post holes 36” to 48” deep and fill the bottom with a few inches gravel if required… (colder climates may require a deeper post-hole).
3.

Insert the Square Aluminum post into the hole and ensure that the post is at least 76” from the ground to the top of the post for a 6 foot fence.
4.

Then pour concrete into the hole around the post to set, …and while the concrete is still wet, lay a 6 foot board on the ground to make sure you have the proper spacing between your posts. Hold Post level on both X and Y Axis and make sure there is at least, (76” for a 6’ high fence), from ground to the top of post while concrete is drying. This helps eliminate trimming posts after fence is complete.

Repeat this same procedure for all posts in your fence project.
5.

When the concrete has dried, Place one of your deck-boards FLAT on the ground, between your posts and shim it up to level, (you can uses some of the earth removed from the hole to shore up the one end to level), this provides the proper space off the ground for your first channels to be fastened to your first 2 posts.
6.

Then Place one channel against the side of the post that faces the next post as close to center of post as possible and sitting it on top of the board that you had laid flat on the ground, level this channel on the post in the center of the post then fasten to the post with stainless self drilling screws provided in the kit.
7.

Once the first channel is fastened to the first post ensure the board that is flat on the ground is still level and this will be the seat for the channel on your next post to sit on.
Same as the first channel set it to as close to center of the post as possible and level the channel on the post then fasten the channel to the second post with the self-drilling screws provided and you should have two channels facing each other between two posts that are exactly level with each other.
8.

Make sure that the length of your Deck boards for this panel are approximately ¼” less than the total length between the inside of the two channels facing each and now Slip in the first Bottom or “Base” board between the channels. This is the first board that slips down into the channels, sits level on the flat board that was laid on the ground and screws onto both of he channels with 4 wood screws on both sides and each end because the base for the stack of boards in your fence panel.
  • A 6 foot high fence will take 13 boards stacked
  • A 7 foot high fence will take 15 boards stacked
  • An 8 foot high fence will take 17 boards stacked
9.

If the ground is fairly level you can leave the flat board that was used to level the bottom of the channels in place and start your base-board at this level. This will provide a 1” lift of your bottom board off the ground.
10.

If the ground is not level and one end of you panel has a gap from the bottom of the board to the ground you can do one of 4 things to reduce that gap:
a) Take the earth that was dug out of the post hole and spread it along the bottom underneath the base board where the gap is.
b) Dig out some of the earth from the side of the base board that is closest to the ground until the base board is level and there is little gap underneath.
c) Shorten the space between the posts so the level step sections are shorter and the gap can be covered more easily by these two methods.
d) If there is a large gap under one side of the panel, keep the flat board laying on the ground, level your base board on top of this board and measure the gap on the wide end between the flat board laying on ground and the bottom of your base board and the length of where the base board touches the flat board. Then remove the base board and create a wedged board or boards to be fastened to the bottom of this base board using screws and glue. Once this new base board has been created and dried insert it into the bottom as your base board again and it should now be level on top and close in the gap on the bottom.
11.

Install all of your base boards in your fence line before starting to stack the other boards in the panel. This will keep the posts level in your fence project during installation and prevent them from pulling toward the finished panel.
12.

Once the base board is secured with the wood screws provided, slip in three or four boards into the channels on top of the base board throughout the fence line. Secure these few boards with wood screws through the screw holes in the channels as they stack to reduce the overall weight of the full stack of boards on the bottom base board.

Do not stack or finish one full panel at a time. This could pull posts toward the finished panel. Create a low stack, for each panel in the fence line, (4 boards), then mid height, (another 4 boards), then top, (last 4 or more boards) until the desired height of you fence is met.

Repeat these steps to secure and stack all boards into the panels in each fence line of your project making sure the stacks of boards are remaining level as you slip in boards.
13.

Once all the boards have been inserted and the fence looks complete, you can now trim the tops of the posts if necessary with a metal blade on your saw.

If posts need to be cut down, a metal blade on a circular saw can be used on one side of the post and then finish with a metal blade on reciprocating saw to finish. OR if only a reciprocating saw is available, the first few cuts should be done with a hacksaw to provide a blade guide and help eliminate the reciprocating blade from jumping and chopping at the initial cut of the post.
14.

Tap on the “self tightening” Aluminum Post cap with rubber mallet to all Posts.
Post caps should sit approximately 2” above the top of the fence boards for a nice clean look. Posts can be easily cut down with a metal blade on your saw if necessary.
15.

Gates:
Gates can be added anywhere in the TAHOE Slip Fence by customer building your gate on site with the Slipfence Gate kit, (SF2-GK100), Instructions for the Slipfence Gate kit are enclosed in each kit and fasten easily to a Square Aluminum Fencepost.

WHERE TO BUY

UNITED STATES
Home Depot Lowe's Home Improvement
CANADA
Home Depot