How To Install Vinyl Pool Fence

Vinyl pool fence is to increase the safety of the pool. A good vinyl pool fence will guarantee your safety. You need to know how to install it.

These instructions are used as vinyl fences under normal installation conditions. Local conditions may have special circumstances and may require changes to the recommended installation methods mentioned in these instructions, such as extreme weather and poor soil conditions.

 

Tools Required for Installation

Pos-mix concrete String

Wood or Metal Stake

Measuring tape

Pos-hole digger / auger

Wheelbarrow

Hammer

Shovel

Spray paint

Duct tape to seal rail ends

Level

Wrenches (adjust gate)

Saw

Drill

 

KNOW WHAT’S BELOW BEFORE YOU DIG

Most areas have a call center that you can call to have the utilities located prior to digging. Calling your local utility company is the easiest way to determine who to call. It is important to note that most utility companies will not locate and mark private utility lines that were installed by homeowners or contractors. Prior to digging the holes, you should be prepared with emergency numbers to call in the event that a utility line is damaged.

 

FENCE LAYOUT

When you purchased the fence you likely drew a layout and determined the amount of fencing you needed. It is very helpful to draw the layout of the fence prior to purchasing and installing your vinyl fence.

To start, hammer a stake at each corner and end location of your fence. Pull a string line between the end and corner posts. This string line represents where the center of your fence will be. Many people offset the string line at this time so that it represents the edge of the fence line; this will save an extra step when you begin setting the posts.

 

Mark the post hole location by beginning at one end of the fence and marking the center to center measurement of each post. For example, if you have an eight foot on center section, you will measure from the center of your first post 96” and mark the ground with upside down marking paint. Continue marking down the string line every 72” or 96” until you get to the end post.

LAYOUT CUSTOMIZING:

Most projects will not have fence lines that are exactly 6’ or 8’ increments and will not come out perfectly when measuring. You will have to make one of a few choices. Option 1 is to have a short section at the end of the line.

Option 2 is to shorten several of the sections on the fence so that you don’t have several long sections and one short section.

DIGGING THE HOLES & INSTALLING THE POSTS:

Dig holes using a posthole digger or an auger. See Figure 6.4. Make sure you have called and located all utility lines and that you adjust your fence accordingly to any conflicts.

If your project is more than a few holes, you could contact your local small equipment tool rental center to rent a one or two man auger. If using a one or two man auger, make sure you familiarize with the operation manual to insure your safety.

 

Gate posts

Gate posts should be set at the same time the other fence posts are being installed

and using the same methods.

INSTALLING THE BOTTOM RAILS:

Insert the bottom rail into the post, maintaining an equal distance on both sides of the rail.

INSERT PICKETS IN BOTTOM RAIL:

Insert the pickets into the bottom rail. Required for all Pool Fences is to insert a v shaped stiffener into every other picket to give the fence additional strength.

INSTALLING THE TOP RAIL:

Install the top rail by feeding the rail into the routed hole in the post and as the top rail is pulled down into position to slide into the routed hole in the opposing post the pickets need to be inserted in to the rail one at a time until all of the pickets are inserted in bottom side of the top rail.

Secure the top rail by placing a set screw into the rail and next to the inside wall of the post. Notches or rail clips may also be used to secure the top rail.

When mixing concrete for gate posts it is important to get a good consistency, too thick and the concrete will not form properly as it is rocky and doesn’t fill into the post properly, too soupy and the concrete will run down the rails and not be strong enough as the concrete is diluted with water.

Alternative concrete products may want to be used such as quick curing concrete to speed up this process. Another option is to use a metal stiffener inside of the gate post in lieu of concrete. We have these available and can sell them as requested. Once the concrete has cured, the gate can be attached to the hardware by adjusting the hinges to the desired gate width and holding or blocking the gate up at the desired height and screwing the hinges to the gate. Most pool codes require pool fences to use self closing hinges and require the gate to close on its own at each use.

Hope you have a good vinyl pool fence! You can visit our website frequently and we will update useful information frequently.